Patent ID: 8725156

Claim:
A method comprising: providing wireless service to a mobile leaf node using at least one first infrastructure node in an industrial control or monitoring system; determining whether the mobile leaf node is moving away from the at least one first infrastructure node by determining a rate of change of a signal associated with the wireless service, wherein determining the rate of change comprises detecting link degradation associated with the wireless service and a rate of change of the link degradation at the mobile leaf node, wherein the link degradation is detected prior to a loss of connectivity with the at least one first infrastructure node; and in response to detecting a movement of the mobile leaf node away from the at least one first infrastructure node, handing off the mobile leaf node to at least one second infrastructure node in the industrial control or monitoring system so that the at least one second infrastructure node provides the wireless service to the mobile leaf node, wherein the wireless service provided by the at least one first infrastructure node or by the at least one second infrastructure node to the mobile leaf node remains deterministic.