Patent ID: 7391744

Claim:
A bridged network system, comprising: a plurality of bridge nodes; wherein each bridge node in the plurality of bridge nodes is coupled to communicate with at least one other bridge node in the plurality of nodes; wherein bridge nodes in the plurality of bridge nodes are connected to one another to form a communications-possible line of bridge nodes; wherein each bridge node comprises circuitry for associating a bridge priority, selected from a plurality of bridge priorities, with the respective bridge node; wherein the plurality of bridge priorities may be arranged in an ordered sequence; and wherein the bridge priorities associated with successive bridge nodes along the communications-possible line of bridge nodes comprises at least two discontinuities in the ordered sequence, wherein the plurality of bridge priorities comprise integer priority numbers; and wherein each discontinuity in the at least two discontinuities comprises a greater than one difference in the bridge priorities of two adjacent bridge nodes located at the respective discontinuity.