Centralized network organization and topology discovery in AD-HOC network with central controller

A method for organizing a centralized communication network which includes a central coordinator node (CCo) comprising under the control of the CCo, discovering all other nodes, including both hidden and non-hidden nodes, which are optimally capable of becoming part of a network in which each node can effectively communicate with every other node, and

• with respect to such discovered nodes, establishing certain non-hidden nodes as proxy intermediaries that enable communication between the CCo and the so-discovered hidden nodes.

A method for self-organizing, from a group of nodes, a centralized communication network where the group initially lacks a central coordinator node (CCo) comprising

• engaging initially in a nominally non-transmission listening-mode period to detect the presence of a beacon,
• following the listening-mode period, if no beacon has been detected, allowing an initial transmission-mode period wherein the first node to transmit declares itself to be the CCo, and
• after such a declaration, organizing the group of nodes into a network reflected by a topology table wherein each node can effectively communicate with every other node.

A method for organizing, from a group of nodes, a centralized communication network comprising

• identifying nodes in the group which are optimally capable of becoming organized into a network, and
• then arranging such identified nodes into categories of enabled communication, in one of which categories all nodes can communicate directly with one another, and in another of which categories certain nodes can communicate with certain other nodes only through at least one intermediary, proxy node.

A method for organizing, from a group of nodes, a communication network based upon the assumption that the organized network will include a central coordinator, said method comprising

• determining which nodes in the group are optimally capable of becoming organized into a desired network,
• enabling the so-determined nodes effectively each to learn (a) the identities of other nodes in the group which have also been so determined, and (b), with respect to all of these so-determined nodes, the respective qualities of communication links that directly exist between pairs of the nodes, and
• on the basis of such learning, creating a discovered topology table which provides a guiding tool for the current definition and formation of the desired network.

A method for organizing, from a group of nodes, a communication network based upon the assumption that the organized network will include a central coordinator, and in a setting wherein each node in the group has topology knowledge regarding (a) the identities of all other nodes in the group, and (b) the respective qualities of communication links that directly exist between different ones of these nodes, said method comprising

• performing an analysis of such topology knowledge to identify the most appropriate candidate node to perform, in at least the immediate future, the role of a central coordinator node, and
• following said performing, collectively engaging plural nodes in the group in the selection of that candidate node to be the then-designated central coordinator node.

A network method for self-organizing a group of nodes into a communication network where the nodes are all operatively connected to a shared communication medium, certain nodes may be hidden nodes, and there is an initial assumption that there is no central coordinator node, said method comprising

• engaging in a discovery process to identify the qualities of direct and indirect internodal communication capabilities, and
• as a consequence of said engaging, establishing, as desired, at least one proxy node to facilitate bi-directional communication with any hidden nodes.