Patent ID: 8315237

Claim:
A system, comprising: (a) a gateway comprising a location identification; and (b) a wireless communications device; (c) wherein the gateway is configured to (i) broadcast a beacon signal, including the location identification, upon expiration of a beacon timer of the gateway, and (ii) upon broadcasting the beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the gateway based on a pre-selected maximum value; (d) wherein the wireless communications device is configured to, when not registered with the gateway, in response to receipt of the beacon signal, attempt to register with the gateway; (e) wherein the wireless communications device is adapted to, when registered with the gateway, utilize a beacon timer of the wireless communications device to control broadcasting of beacon signals via being configured to (i) in response to receipt of another beacon signal which includes the location identification, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based upon a randomly selected value between zero and the pre-selected maximum value, (ii) upon expiration of the beacon timer of the wireless communications device, broadcast a device beacon signal, which device beacon signal includes the location identification, and (iii) upon broadcasting the device beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based on the pre-selected maximum value; (f) wherein the wireless communications device is still further configured to, when registered with the gateway, (i) forward messages received from other wireless communications devices registered with the gateway to the gateway, and append an identification of the wireless communication device to the message, (ii) communicate a check-in message to the gateway, upon expiration of a check-in timer of the wireless communications device, and (iii) upon communicating the check-in message, reset the check-in timer of the wireless communications device; (g) wherein the gateway is further configured to, in response to receipt of a message originated by one of the other wireless communications devices that was forwarded by the wireless communications device, communicate an acknowledgment message to the wireless communications device; and (h) wherein the wireless communications device is still further configured to, in response to receiving the acknowledgment message, (i) reset the check-in timer of the wireless communications device, and (ii) forward the acknowledgment message to the originating one of the other wireless communications devices.