Patent ID: 8774051

Claim:
A multi-hop network system for performing multi-hop communication, the system comprising: a parent device that is connected to a highest level of said multi-hop network system; a child device that is connected to an end of said multi-hop network system; a relay device that transfers packet data transmitted from said child device to said parent device; and a server that creates a communication path table indicating a communication path for the packet data, based on connection information reported by said parent device and said relay device, and distributes the created communication path table to said parent device, said relay device and said child device, wherein said parent device reports the connection information to said server, said child device transmits the packet data to a relay device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server, and said relay device reports the connection information to said server, and transfers the packet data transmitted from said child device, to a relay device or a parent device indicated in the communication path table, based on the communication path table distributed by said server, wherein said server creates the communication path table so that a transmission timing, which is the timing when each of said child device and said relay device transmits the packet data, is included in the communication path table, said child device transmits the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table, said relay device transmits the packet data at a timing depending on the transmission timing indicated in the communication path table, and the transmission timing when said child device transmits the packet data is different from the transmission timing when said relay device transmits the packet data.