Patent ID: 7729254

Claim:
A parasitic time synchronization network, the network comprising: a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is adapted to transmit and receive data; one or more hubs, each hub having communication links with the plurality of nodes; wherein each node is adapted to communicate with every other node through the one or more hubs; wherein the communication links between any one hub and the plurality of nodes defines a communication channel; and one or more guardians, wherein each guardian is associated with one communication channel; wherein each node is assigned a time slot in which it is permitted to transmit data through an associated hub of the one or more hubs; wherein a guardian of an associated channel blocks propagation of data transmissions between the plurality of nodes through the associated hub and allows only data transmissions from one of the plurality of nodes; wherein the guardian periodically receives a cluster of beacons generated by a plurality of the plurality of nodes; wherein the guardian is further adapted to observe receipt of a first beacon, wherein when the guardian observes receipt of an nth beacon within a predefined time interval t then the guardian concludes that the first beacon, the nth beacon, and any beacons received between the first and nth beacons comprise a cluster of beacons indicating the beginning of a time slot, wherein n is greater than or equal to two.