Patent ID: 8223658

Claim:
A method for operating a mesh-type network formed by a plurality of network nodes, said network comprising at least a first network node that functions as an access point for stations which are dissociated from the network and at least a second network node that functions as a connection point for stations that are dissociated from the network, the method comprising: updating allocation information of the plurality of network nodes based on a route error message which is defined according to a routing protocol valid for the mesh network when switching a dissociated station from a radio service area of the first network node to a radio service area of the second network node in said mesh network; and wherein an allocation table is allocated to each of the network nodes of the mesh network, the allocation table being divided into a first subarea and a second subarea, wherein the first subarea contains at least one piece of information for all allocations of the network node of the mesh network to which the allocation table is allocated, and the second subarea contains at least one piece of information for allocations known to that network node from other network nodes of the mesh network, and at least one of the first and second subarea has an allocation characteristic which contains information reflecting an activity status; the second network node receiving data packets from the dissociated station for forwarding to a destination node; the second network node sending a route request message to obtain a destination address of the destination node; a third network node of the mesh network sending a route reply message in response to the route request message, the route reply message identifying the destination address; the third network node also updating the allocation table for the third network node with new allocation information for the dissociated station in response to receiving the route request message; and the second network node updating allocation information in response to the route reply message.