Communications system with repeater stations

Abstract

A radio communication system includes a polling central station and a number of remote stations. Each remote station is identified by a unique address transmitted from the central station preceding a message intended for such remote station. Each of the remote stations also may be programmed to respond to the address of a "partner" station in addition to responding to its own address. The "partner" station address is employed whenever one of the remote stations is located such that a transmission link problem exists between such station and the central station polling station. When this condition exists, the station which has difficulty communicating directly with the central station is provided with a new address and no longer is responsive to the address of messages transmitted to it from the central station. Another remote station, having a better communications link between it and the central station, then is optionally programmed to respond to the address of its "partner" station and translates that address to the new address, which precedes the relaying or retransmission of the message to the partner station. Similarly, messages from the partner station are transmitted to the relaying station, preceded by the new address and the relaying station translates the new address to the original or normal address of the partner station for retransmission to the central polling station. Thus, different ones of the remote stations optionally may be used as relaying stations as needed in the implementation of the system, without requiring any changes whatsoever in the operation of the central polling station.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.