Repeater creation for battery powered and low power devices

A method, comprising steps of:

• (a) tracking one or more echoes of an original message sent from a battery-powered device in a wireless communication network, wherein the battery-powered device includes a lighting control device or a phenomenon sensor;
• (b) adjusting a likelihood of designating a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving an adjustment echo of the one or more echoes or one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• (c) determining whether or not to designate a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving a determination echo of the one or more echoes of the original message, or the one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• (d) tracking, at the battery-powered device, group monitor repeated messages originally sent from the battery-powered device and repeated in the wireless communication network by a group monitor or a different repeater not determined by the battery-powered device;
• and
• (e) increasing the likelihood of a respective line-powered device being designated the repeater for the battery-powered device in response to receiving a retransmitted message from the group monitor or the different repeater.

A method, comprising steps of:

• (a) tracking a respective echo success count of messages sent from each of a plurality of battery-powered devices in a wireless communication network, wherein the battery-powered devices include a light switch or an occupancy, audio, or daylight sensor;
• (b) adjusting the respective echo success count to increase a likelihood of a line-powered device being designated a repeater for a respective battery-powered device of the plurality of battery-powered devices in response to the line-powered device receiving at least one message directly from the respective battery-powered device which identifies a group monitor identifier of a lighting control group to which the line-powered device and the respective battery-powered device both belong;
• (c) adjusting the respective echo success count to decrease the likelihood of the line-powered device being designated the repeater for the respective battery-powered device in response to the line-powered device receiving a retransmitted message from another line-powered device originally sent from the respective battery-powered device;
• and
• (d) comparing the respective echo success count against a repeater creation threshold to determine whether or not to designate the line-powered device as a repeater for the respective battery-powered device.

A battery-powered device, comprising a lighting control device or a phenomenon sensor, wherein the battery-powered device is configured to:

• track one or more echoes of an original message sent from the battery-powered device in a wireless communication network;
• adjust a likelihood of designating a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving an adjustment echo of the one or more echoes or one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• determine whether or not to designate a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving a determination echo of the one or more echoes of the original message, or the one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• and
• decrease the likelihood of a respective line-powered device being designated the repeater for the battery-powered device in response to the respective line-powered device receiving a retransmitted message from a different line-powered device originally sent from the battery-powered device.

A line-powered device of one or more line-powered devices, wherein the line-powered device is configured to:

• track one or more echoes of an original message sent from a battery-powered device in a wireless communication network, wherein the battery-powered device includes a lighting control device or a phenomenon sensor;
• adjust a likelihood of designating a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving an adjustment echo of the one or more echoes or the one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• determine whether or not to designate a repeater for the battery-powered device based on the battery-powered device receiving a determination echo of the one or more echoes of the original message, or the one or more line-powered devices receiving the original message directly from the battery-powered device;
• and
• decrease the likelihood of a respective line-powered device being designated the repeater for the battery-powered device in response to the respective line-powered device receiving a retransmitted message from a different line-powered device originally sent from the battery-powered device.