Automatic channel switching for jamming avoidance in burst-mode packet data wireless communication networks

Claim 2

A node for use in a wireless multinode network, the node comprising: a wireless transceiver arranged to transmit signals to and receive signals from other nodes in the network, with all nodes transmitting and receiving on a same frequency at any given time; and a processor coupled to the transceiver which is arranged to: detect a jammed status of the node; provide a jammed status report to be transmitted to at least one other node or base station in the multinode network; and process a received broadcast command, received from another node or base station in the multinode network, responsive to the jammed status report, to change the same frequency to a new same frequency for all nodes, after a fixed period of time, wherein the jammed status may be low, medium, or high and wherein the processor causes the transceiver to transmit the jammed status report when the jammed status is medium or low but delays transmission of the jammed status report when the jammed status is high.

Claim 3

A node for use in a wireless multinode network, the node comprising: a wireless transceiver arranged to transmit signals to and receive signals from other nodes in the network, with all nodes transmitting and receiving on a same frequency at any given time; and a processor coupled to the transceiver which is arranged to: detect a jammed status of the node; provide a jammed status report to be transmitted to at least one other node or base station in the multinode network; and process a received broadcast command, received from another node or base station in the multinode network, responsive to the jammed status report, to change the same frequency to a new same frequency for all nodes, after a fixed period of time, wherein the jammed status report is provided only if the duration of the jamming exceeds a threshold; the threshold is calculated as a statistical significance of an amount of time jammed when compared with a predetermined time interval.

Claim 4

A node for use in a wireless multinode network, the node comprising: a wireless transceiver arranged to transmit signals to and receive signals from other nodes in the network, with all nodes transmitting and receiving on a same frequency at any given time; and a processor coupled to the transceiver which is arranged to: detect a jammed status of the node; provide a jammed status report to be transmitted to at least one other node or base station in the multinode network; and process a received broadcast command, received from another node or base station in the multinode network, responsive to the jammed status report, to change the same frequency to a new same frequency for all nodes, after a fixed period of time, wherein the jammed status report is provided only if the duration of the jamming exceeds a threshold; the threshold is calculated as a statistical significance of an amount of time jammed when compared with a predetermined time interval.

Claim 5

The node of claim 2 wherein the statistical significance is a percentage.

Claim 6

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the centralcomputer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and at least one of the nodes is arranged to create the jammed status report if a period of time jammed exceeds a threshold.

Claim 7

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the centralcomputer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and at least one of the nodes is arranged to create the jammed status report if a period of time jammed exceeds a threshold.

Claim 8

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and at least one of the nodes is arranged to create the jammed status report after a statistical calculation indicating a significance of an amount of time jammed when compared with a predetermined time interval.

Claim 9

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and at least one of the nodes is arranged to create the jammed status report after a statistical calculation indicating a significance of an amount of time jammed when compared with a predetermined time interval.

Claim 10

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and the central computer is arranged to test, after originating the broadcast command, for acknowledge signals and to abort the broadcast command in the absence of the acknowledge signals.

Claim 11

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor arranged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command, received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and the central computer is arranged to test, after originating the broadcast command, for acknowledge signals and to abort the broadcast command in the absence of the acknowledge signals.

Claim 12

A network comprising: a) a central node comprising i) a transceiver arranged to transmit and receive at a present frequency and having a transmission range; ii) a processor arranged to perform the following operations: A) detect a jammed status report from another node; B) provide an order for transmission to other nodes to change the present frequency to a new frequency after a fixed period of time; b) a plurality of additional respective nodes, each respective node comprising i) a respective transceiver having the transmission range, each respective transceiver arranged to transmit and receive at the present frequency; ii) a respective processor for A) detecting a jammed status of the respective node; B) providing the jammed status report to be transmitted to at least one other of the plurality of nodes or the central node; and C) responding to the order, received via the transceiver, by causing retransmission of the order to at least one node and by causing the respective transceiver to transmit and receive at the new frequency; the plurality of additional nodes comprising at least first and second sets of such nodes, the first set being within the transmission range of the central node, and the second set being outside the transmission range of the central node and reachable from the central computer by packet hopping from the first set, a duration of the fixed period of time being sufficient to exceed an expected packet hopping time from the central node to all nodes within the network.

Claim 13

A network comprising: a) a central node comprising i) a transceiver arranged to transmit and receive at a present frequency and having a transmission range; ii) a processor arranged to perform the following operations: A) detect a jammed status report from another node; B) provide an order for transmission to other nodes to change the present frequency to a new frequency after a fixed period of time; b) a plurality of additional respective nodes, each respective node comprising i) a respective transceiver having the transmission range, each respective transceiver arranged to transmit and receive at the present frequency; ii) a respective processor for A) detecting a jammed status of the respective node; B) providing the jammed status report to be transmitted to at least one other of the plurality of nodes or the central node; and C) responding to the order, received via the transceiver, by causing retransmission of the order to at least one node and by causing the respective transceiver to transmit and receive at the new frequency; the plurality of additional nodes comprising at least first and second sets of such nodes, the first set being within the transmission range of the central node, and the second set being outside the transmission range of the central node and reachable from the central computer by packet hopping from the first set, a duration of the fixed period of time being sufficient to exceed an expected packet hopping time from the central node to all nodes within the network.

Claim 14

The network of claim 7 , wherein the jammed status is a jammed status of the respective node.

Claim 15

The network of claim 7 , wherein each of the additional respective nodes further comprises means for executing some functionality other than data reception and transmission.

Claim 16

The network of claim 9 , wherein the functionality is lighting control.

Claim 17

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor aged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and the central computer is further arranged to perform the following operations: originating the broadcast command at least one second time; checking for responses from all nodes in the network; and if all nodes have not responded, aborting the broadcast command.

Claim 18

A network comprising a central computer and a plurality of nodes arranged to operate on a packet hopping basis, each of the central computer and the nodes being arranged to communicate wirelessly with one or more other of the central computer and the nodes, and the central computer and the nodes all being arranged to transmit and receive on a same single frequency as each other at any given time, wherein each node comprises a respective processor aged to detect a jammed status of that node; provide a jammed status report to another node or to the central computer; and process a broadcast command received from another node or from the central computer, to change to a second frequency after a fixed period of time; the central computer is arranged to process the jammed status report and originate the broadcast command at least once in response to the jammed status report; and the central computer is further arranged to perform the following operations: originating the broadcast command at least one second time; checking for responses from all nodes in the network; and if all nodes have not responded, aborting the broadcast command.

Claim 19

The network of claim 11 , wherein the central computer is further arranged to perform the following operation: after aborting the broadcast command, issuing a new broadcast command.