Patent Document ID: 20060029007
Application ID: 10913751
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for performing ad hoc network topology discovery as an ongoing practice with regard to a collection of plural nodes, said method comprising defining an appropriate topology-discovery condition which may be associated with such plural nodes, on the occurrence of the existence of such a condition, establishing and activating a discovery-communication protocol which is dedicated to allowing each of the plural nodes bandwidth allocation or specific transmission opportunities to broadcast, for reception by all of the other nodes, its attributes, including its identity, its operating characteristics, its capabilities, and its associated link qualities in relation to the other nodes, whereby ultimately every one of the plural nodes becomes aware of these attributes of all of the other nodes, utilizing the results of said establishing and activating steps, creating an overall network topology map associated with the nodes, and then making the created network topology map available for use in activities involving subsequent organization of the nodes into a network, including the practices of creating suitable communication links between nodes, and enabling organization of a network into appropriate subnets and proxy networks.