Patent ID: 8050668

Claim:
A wireless two-way radio frequency (RF) data communication device comprising a data packet radio component that selectively reveals its presence in response to RF transmissions, the wireless two-way RF data communication device being configured to operate in a first state in which the wireless two-way RF data communication device: (i) receives RF transmissions; (ii) maintains at least one common designation for purposes of filtering RF transmissions received by the wireless two-way RF data communication device; (iii) identifies specific data in a received RF transmission; and (iv) in response to the received RF transmission in which the specific data is identified, (A) transmits a response, (I) if the identified specific data includes data representative of an inquiry as to the presence of one or more wireless two-way RF data communication devices, and (II) if the identified specific data includes data that corresponds to at least one maintained common designation, and (B) retransmits at least a portion of the received RF transmission as an inquiry as to the presence of one or more wireless two-way RF data communication devices, (I) if the identified specific data includes data representative of an inquiry as to the presence of one or more wireless two-way RF data communication devices, and (II) if the identified specific data corresponds to at least one maintained common designation whereby the wireless two-way RF data communication device can retransmit inquiries as to the presence of one or more wireless two-way RF data communication devices to other wireless two-way RF data communication devices.