Beacon scheduling for wireless networks

A system, comprising:

• a network coordinator configured to manage access to a wireless sensor network, the network coordinator comprising a controller configured to:
• define a channel hopping list that includes a dedicated channel in which a beacon signal is transmitted in a slot frame on the wireless sensor network;
• set a number of timeslots in the slot frame based on a length of the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots is an integer multiple, greater than 1, of the length of the channel hopping list, the length of the channel hopping list being in excess of the number of channels which the network coordinator can access;
• determine a first dedicated channel in the channel hopping list by:
• Bch=HoppingSequenceList[(ASN+ChannelOffset)% HoppingSequenceLength],
• wherein Bch represents the first dedicated channel, HoppingSequenceList represents the channel hopping list, ASN represents a number of timeslots elapsed, ChannelOffset represents a channel offset, HoppinqSequenceLength represents the length of the channel hopping list, and % represents the modulo operator;
• and
• transmit a first beacon signal in the slot frame on the first dedicated channel, wherein the number of timeslots in the slot frame causes the first beacon signal to be transmitted on the first dedicated channel in the slot frame, and subsequent transmissions of the first beacon signal use the first dedicated channel.

A network coordinator, comprising:

• a first wireless transceiver configured to communicate via a wireless sensor network;
• and
• a first controller configured to:
• define a channel hopping list that includes a dedicated channel in which a beacon signal is transmitted in a slot frame for the wireless sensor network;
• set a number of timeslots in the slot frame based on a length of the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots is an integer multiple, greater than 1, of the length of the channel hopping list, the length of the channel hopping list being in excess of the number of channels which the first wireless transceiver can access;
• determine a first dedicated channel in the channel hopping list by:
• Bch=HoppingSequenceList[(ASN+ChannelOffset)% HoppingSequenceLength],
• wherein Bch represents the first dedicated channel, HoppingSequenceList represents the channel hopping list, ASN represents a number of timeslots elapsed, ChannelOffset represents a channel offset, HoppinqSequenceLength represents the length of the channel hopping list, and % represents the modulo operator;
• and
• transmit a first beacon signal in the slot frame on the first dedicated channel, wherein the number of timeslots in the slot frame causes the first beacon signal to be transmitted on the first dedicated channel in the slot frame;
• and transmit additional first beacon signals using the first dedicated channel.

A system, comprising:

• a network coordinator configured to manage access to a wireless sensor network, the network coordinator comprising a controller configured to:
• define a channel hopping list that includes a dedicated channel in which a beacon signal is transmitted in a slot frame on the wireless sensor network;
• set a number of timeslots in the slot frame based on a length of the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots is an integer multiple, greater than 1, of the length of the channel hopping list, the length of the channel hopping list being in excess of the number of channels which the network coordinator can access;
• and
• transmit a first beacon signal in the slot frame on a first dedicated channel in the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots in the slot frame causes the first beacon signal to be transmitted on the first dedicated channel in the slot frame, and subsequent transmissions of the first beacon signal use the first dedicated channel;
• and
• an intermediate node configured to intermediate between the network coordinator and a sense node of the wireless sensor network, wherein the intermediate node is configured to transmit beacons for reception by the sense node using a same channel in the slot frame used by the network coordinator.

A system, comprising:

• a network coordinator configured to manage access to a wireless sensor network, the network coordinator comprising a controller configured to:
• define a channel hopping list that includes a dedicated channel in which a beacon signal is transmitted in a slot frame on the wireless sensor network;
• set a number of timeslots in the slot frame based on a length of the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots is an integer multiple, greater than 1, of the length of the channel hopping list, the length of the channel hopping list being in excess of the number of channels which the network coordinator can access;
• and
• transmit a first beacon signal in the slot frame on a first dedicated channel in the channel hopping list, wherein the number of timeslots in the slot frame causes the first beacon signal to be transmitted on the first dedicated channel in the slot frame, and subsequent transmissions of the first beacon signal use the first dedicated channel;
• and
• an intermediate node configured to intermediate between the network coordinator and a sense node of the wireless sensor network, wherein the intermediate node is configured to transmit beacons for reception by the sense node using a different channel in the slot frame than used by the network coordinator.