Patent ID: 7440484

Claim:
A method for modifying RF channels used in a frequency hopping system having a standard hopping sequence that uses a predetermined number of RF channels, the frequency hopping system including a plurality of communication units amongst which there includes a master unit and one or more slave units, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining by one of the plurality of communication units if any of the RF channels in the standard hopping sequence are being interfered with, wherein said one of the plurality of communication units comprises a dual mode device that operates in two types of frequency hopping systems each having at least some of its RF channels overlapping with the other system, and the communication unit uses its information on the two types of systems to allocate the RF channels to each of the two systems in order to minimize interference amongst the two systems; and (b) sending a message by the unit performing step (a) to the one or more other communication unit(s) amongst the plurality which allows them to set up a reduced hopping sequence (RHS) that informs them of an RF channel in the standard hopping sequence to be removed and replaced with a previous RF channel in the standard hopping sequence.