Patent ID: 7277394

Claim:
A wireless network comprising: a number N of wireless devices in a hierarchical tree routing topology for upstream data transmission the number of wireless devices including a root position wireless device at a root position of the hierarchical tree topology, wherein at least each of the plurality of wireless devices except for the root position wireless device, has a parent node; each nth wireless device among the plurality of wireless devices, except for the root position wireless device and wireless devices that are in positions of children of the root position, routes messages to the root wireless device through a parent wireless device of the nth wireless device; the number of wireless devices together conduct communication on a number K of channels that is less than the number N of wireless devices, wherein each kth channel among the number K of channels is assigned to a kth channel group that includes a subset of the number N of wireless devices, wherein the wireless devices of each kth channel group are positioned such that any two wireless devices of each kth channel group do not interfere with each other when simultaneously transmitting on the kth channel to respective parents of the two wireless devices.