Patent ID: 7355986

Claim:
A node for use in a wireless network having a plurality of nodes said node comprising: memory configured to store information corresponding to a topology of nodes and communications links for at least a portion of said network including said node; and a processor responsive to program indicia to predict changes in said topology, so as to allow said node to exchange information with others of said nodes in said network at different points in time, wherein said processor receives and processes said information stored in said memory corresponding to said topology of nodes and communication links to predict said changes in said topology and to output data indicative thereof, said program indicia including code to instruct said node to establish a wireless communication link with a second node of said nodes in said topology and to add and drop wireless communication links among said nodes to satisfy network communication requirements so as to allow said node to exchange information with said second node of said nodes in said topology at a later point in time, based on the changes in said topology predicted by said processor.