Ad hoc network topology discovery

A dynamic method for performing ad hoc network topology discovery as an ongoing practice with regard to a collection of plural nodes, including topology discovery involving hidden nodes, said method comprising

• defining an appropriate topology-discovery condition which may be associated with all categories of such plural nodes,
• on the occurrence of the existence of such a condition, establishing and activating a discovery-communication protocol which is dedicated to allowing each of the plural nodes, including hidden nodes, specific transmission opportunities to broadcast, for topology discovery purposes, and for reception by all of the other nodes, its attributes, including its identity, its operating characteristics, its capabilities, and its associated link qualities in relation to the other nodes, whereby ultimately every one of the plural nodes becomes aware of these attributes of all of the other nodes,
• utilizing the results of said establishing and activating steps, creating an overall network topology map associated with all of the plural nodes and identifying a central coordinator node for the network based on the network topology map,
• then making the created network topology map available for use in activities involving subsequent organization of the nodes into a network, including the practices of creating suitable communication links between topology-mapped nodes, and enabling organization of a network into appropriate subnets and proxy networks including topology-mapped hidden nodes, and
• after a topology-discovery time interval TD sufficiently long to complete said steps of establishing and activating a discovery-communication protocol and creating an overall network topology map, repeating said steps of establishing and activating a discovery-communication protocol and, in response to any changes in the ad hoc network, creating a new network topology map including, when the attributes of the network so indicate, identifying a new central coordinator node.