Method for frequency sharing and frequency punchout in frequency hopping communications network

In a communications network having a plurality of channel-agile nodes each node capable of transmitting and receiving data over a plurality of shared channels, said shared channels having a first order, a method for enabling a first node and a second node to follow a shared randomized channel-hopping band plan for transmissions to said first node while avoiding channels containing interference, comprising the steps of:

• a) assigning to each node a unique seed value that can be used by a pseudo-random number generator to generate a list of channels in pseudo-random order;
• b) determining a channel punchout mask for each node, said channel mask indicating in said first order those channels on which that node experiences interference;
• c) at said first node, applying said first node's channel mask to a first ordered channel list to eliminate channels on which said first node experiences interference thereby deriving a masked channel list for said first node;
• d) at said first node, determining a channel-hopping band plan for receiving transmissions to said first node by ordering the channels in said first node's channel list according to a sequence generated by a pseudo-random number generator seeded with said first node's seed value;
• e) transmitting from said first node to said second node an acquisition packet, said acquisition packet including said first node's seed value and said first node's channel mask;
• f) at said second node, applying said transmitted channel mask from said first node to said first ordered channel list to eliminate channels on which said first node experiences interference to obtain a masked channel list for said first node at said second node;
• g) at said second node, determining a channel-hopping band plan for transmissions to said first node by ordering the channels in said first node's channel list according to a sequence generated by a pseudo-random number generator seeded with said first node's transmitted seed value;
• and
• h) thereafter transmitting data to said first node from said second node according to said first node's channel-hopping band plan.