Patent ID: 7689843

Claim:
A method of conserving power in a first wireless network node on a wireless network having a plurality of network nodes, the first network node having a depletable power source having a remaining power capacity, the method comprising: detecting at the first wireless network node the remaining power capacity of the depletable power source; comparing the remaining power capacity of the depletable power source to a plurality of sleep level thresholds, the sleep level thresholds each being associated with a different respective remaining power capacity level and being associated with a respective sleep level, the sleep levels comprising: a first sleep level representative of the first wireless network node having a power capacity level below a first sleep level threshold and above a second sleep level threshold, the first sleep level requiring the first wireless network node not to be used as a mesh node except for communicating control messages; a second sleep level representative of the first wireless network node having a power capacity level below the second sleep level threshold and above a third sleep level threshold, the second sleep level requiring the first wireless network node not to be used as a mesh node; and a third sleep level representative of the first wireless network node having a power capacity level below the third sleep level threshold and above a fourth sleep level threshold, the third sleep level requiring the first wireless network node to be in a deep sleep mode for a predetermined number of flames and to selectively transmit data after the predetermined number of frames; selecting, based on the step of comparing, a sleep level for the first wireless network node to enter; and transmitting, to the one or more of the plurality of network nodes, an identification of the selected sleep level, whereby subsequent communications to and from the first wireless network node are consistent with at least one requirement of the selected sleep level.