Interactive surveillance network and method

A method of operating a module in a network including a base station and a plurality of such modules that each include an identification code and that each transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, the method comprising:

• responding to an electromagnetic signal received from another module representative of a request for operational access to the network;
• delaying for an interval transmission of an acknowledgment signal indicative of receipt of the signal representative of a request;
• sensing during the interval transmission of an acknowledgment signal from another module in the network, and a):
• in the presence of an acknowledgment signal from another module, not transmitting an acknowledgment signal, or b):
• in the absence of an acknowledgment signal from another module, transmitting an acknowledgment and re-transmitting the signal representative of the request.

A method for operating a module to access an operating network of a plurality of such modules that each include an identification code and that each transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, the method comprising:

• initiating transmission of a signal representative of a request for operational access to the networks;
• detecting for an interval receipt of a signal from the network indicative of acknowledgment of the transmission of the signal representative of the request;
• after the interval a):
• in the absence of detecting a signal indicative of acknowledgment, re-transmitting a signal representative of a request for operational access to the network, or b):
• upon detecting a signal indicative of acknowledgment, initiating a delay interval within which to receive from the network a transmitted signal indicative of rejection or of a signal indicating acceptance of the request with an associated coded signal;
• in response to receiving a signal indicative of acceptance of the request, installing the coded signal as a network address for operational access within the network.

A method of operating a base station including a computer and memory operably coupled thereto in a network of a plurality of modules that each include an identification code and that each transmit and receive electro-magnetic signals for communicating within the network, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal representative of a request from a module for operational access to the network and including an identification code;
• comparing the identification code with a database of such identification codes stored in the memory;
• and,
• transmitting a signal identification of rejection of the request upon unfavorable comparison, or transmitting a signal indicative of acceptance of the request and, including a coded signal representative of a network address.

A method of operating a network including a base station and a plurality of modules that can each receive and transmit electromagnetic signals between modules and between a module and the base station, the method comprising:

• operating a network of a plurality of the modules in electromagnetic signal communication directly or via intermediate modules with the base station;
• storing in each module a program for modifying operation of the module incident to receiving transmission of software;
• operating the base station to activate the program stored in a module;
• segmenting in the base station a plurality of code capsules of the software to be supplied to the modules, for electromagnetic signal transmission to a module via one or more intermediate modules;
• storing the code capsules in modules also receiving the electromagnetic signal transmission of code capsules;
• polling the modules for indication of which code capsules not received by a specific module;
• and
• transmitting from the base station to the specific module either directly or through one or more intermediate modules the code capsule not received by the specific module.