Apparatus for detecting hidden nodes in a wireless network

A wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals;
• and
• an access point that transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals, that wirelessly communicates with said plurality of nodes, that generates a table containing a list of nodes operating in said wireless network, and that broadcasts said table to said plurality of nodes,
• wherein a first node of said plurality of nodes receives said table and determines a hidden status of a second node in said table, said first node determines said hidden status for other nodes in said table when said access point sends a new table, and said first node broadcasts an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.

A wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals;
• and
• an access point that transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals, that wirelessly communicates with said plurality of nodes, that generates a table containing a list of nodes operating in said wireless network, and that broadcasts said table to said plurality of nodes,
• wherein a first node of said plurality of nodes receives said table and determines a hidden status of a second node in said table, said second node determines a hidden status of said first node and generates a second list, and said first node broadcasts a first list containing said second node and said hidden status of said second node to said second node.

A method for operating a wireless network comprising:

• transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals using a plurality of nodes;
• wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes using an access point;
• generating a table containing a list of nodes operating in said wireless network using said access point;
• transmitting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• receiving said table at a first node;
• and
• determining a hidden status of a second node in said table using said first node,
• wherein said first node generates a backoff number.

A method for operating a wireless network comprising:

• transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals using a plurality of nodes;
• wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes using an access point;
• generating a table containing a list of nodes operating in said wireless network using said access point;
• transmitting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• receiving said table at a first node;
• determining a hidden status of a second node in said table using said first node;
• and
• determining said hidden status for other nodes in said table using said first node when said access point sends a new table to said first node,
• wherein said first node broadcasts an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.

A method for operating a wireless network comprising:

• transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals using a plurality of nodes;
• wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes using an access point;
• generating a table containing a list of nodes operating in said wireless network using said access point;
• transmitting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• receiving said table at a first node;
• determining a hidden status of a second node in said table using said first node;
• determining a hidden status of said first node using said second node;
• using said first node, generating a first list containing said second node and said hidden status of said second node;
• using said second node, generating a second list containing said first node and said hidden status of said first node;
• and
• broadcasting said first list using said first node.

A wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals;
• access means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals, for wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes, for generating a table containing a list nodes operating in said wireless network, and for broadcasting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• and
• first hidden status means, associated with a first node, for receiving said table and for determining a hidden status of a second node in said table,
• wherein said first node further includes generating means for generating a random backoff number.

A wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals;
• access means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals, for wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes, for generating a table containing a list nodes operating in said wireless network, and for broadcasting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• first hidden status means, associated with a first node, for receiving said table and for determining a hidden status of a second node in said table, wherein said first hidden status means of said first node determines said hidden status for other nodes in said table when said access point sends a new table;
• and
• acknowledgement means associated with said first node for broadcasting an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.

A wireless network comprising:

• a plurality of nodes that transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals;
• access means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals, for wirelessly communicating with said plurality of nodes, for generating a table containing a list nodes operating in said wireless network, and for broadcasting said table to said plurality of nodes;
• first hidden status means, associated with a first node, for receiving said table and for determining a hidden status of a second node in said table;
• and
• second hidden status generating means associated with said second node for determining a hidden status of said first node, wherein said first hidden status generating means of said first node broadcasts a first list containing said second node and said hidden status of said second node to said second node.

A node in a wireless network comprising:

• a transmitter of radio frequency (RF) signals;
• a receiver of RF signals;
• and
• a hidden status generator that communicates with said transmitter and said receiver, that receives a table containing a list nodes that are operating in said wireless network and that determines a hidden status of a second node in said table, wherein said node includes a random backoff number generator.

A node in a wireless network comprising:

• a transmitter of radio frequency (RF) signals;
• a receiver of RF signals;
• and
• a hidden status generator that communicates with said transmitter and said receiver, that receives a table containing a list nodes that are operating in said wireless network and that determines a hidden status of a second node in said table,
• wherein said node determines said hidden status of other nodes in said table when an access point sends a new table and said node broadcasts an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.

A node in a wireless network comprising:

• transmitting means for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals;
• receiving means for receiving RF signals;
• hidden status generating means that communicates with said transmitting and receiving means for receiving a table containing a list nodes that are operating in said wireless network and for determining a hidden status of a second node in said table;
• and
• random number generating means that communicates with said hidden status generating means for generating a random backoff number.

A node in a wireless network comprising:

• transmitting means for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals;
• receiving means for receiving RF signals;
• and
• hidden status generating means that communicates with said transmitting and receiving means for receiving a table containing a list nodes that are operating in said wireless network and for determining a hidden status of a second node in said table,
• wherein said hidden status generating means determines said hidden status of other nodes in said table when an access point sends a new table and said hidden status generating means broadcasts an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.

A method for operating a node in a wireless network comprising:

• receiving a table containing a list of nodes that are operating in said wireless network;
• determining a hidden status of a first node in said table;
• and
• generating a random backoff number based on said table;
• and
• delaying transmission of data from one of said nodes based on said random backoff number.

A method for operating a node in a wireless network comprising:

• receiving a table containing a list nodes that are operating in said wireless network;
• determining a hidden status of a first node in said table;
• determining said hidden status for other nodes in said table when an access point sends a new table;
• and
• broadcasting an acknowledgement request to said other nodes in said wireless network when said new table is received.