Patent ID: 7852788

Claim:
A method of organizing nodes (A, B, C, . . . , L) of a network ( 10 ) into groupings of nodes, in which at least one master node (M) is chosen to serve as gateway between a grouping of nodes and other nodes of the network, the method comprising: a step ( 130 ) of calculating, for each node, a weight, representing the aptness of the node to be the master node of a grouping of nodes, a step ( 190 ) of electing, from among the nodes, a master node of a grouping, such that the weight of the master node is greater than or equal to the weights of each other node of the grouping comprising the master node, wherein the method furthermore comprises, between the steps ( 130 ) of calculating and ( 190 ) of electing a master node: a step ( 140 180 ) of storing, in each node, an information cue ( 14 ) containing an identifier of the node of highest weight known by the node and the value of the highest weight, the node of highest weight known being the node itself if the latter has not received any other information cue, a step ( 150 ) of transmitting, by each node to adjacent nodes, the information cue ( 14 ) stored in the node, a step ( 170 ) of comparing, for each node, the information cues ( 14 ) transmitted to the node during the transmitting step ( 150 ) with the information cue stored in the node, so as to determine a new node of highest weight known by the node, the steps of storing ( 180 ), transmitting ( 150 ) and comparing ( 170 ) being carried out successively a predetermined number (k) of times, on conclusion of which the step ( 190 ) of electing a master node is carried out, in the course of which a node (M) whose stored information cue contains its own identifier is chosen to be a master node, wherein the method further comprises a preliminary step ( 100 ) in the course of which each node of the network is provided with an information cue relating to the predetermined number (k) of repetitions of the steps of storing ( 180 ), transmitting ( 150 ) and comparing ( 170 ).