Patent ID: 7272635

Claim:
A method of identifying, in a network, a plurality of slave nodes for a master node, said master node configured to transmit a normal communication signal at a first transmission output level, the method comprising: transmitting a first hailing message from the master node to the plurality of slave nodes, the hailing message being encoded in an analog hailing transmission signal and having a transmission output level that is attenuated compared to the normal communication signal from said master node transmitted over the network; upon detection of receipt of the hailing message by at least one receiving slave node of the plurality of slave nodes, generating and transmitting a reply message from the receiving slave node that is intended for the master node, the reply message identifying the at least one receiving slave node and being encoded in an analog reply transmission signal having a reply transmission output level that is attenuated compared to the normal communication signal; and upon the master node receiving the reply message, then identifying the receiving slave node from the reply message and storing in a routing table information indicating that the receiving slave node is a first configured slave node capable of communicating with the master node at said reply transmission output level.