Apparatus, method, and system for minimum neighbor assurance in deployment of nodes in a multihop wireless network

A network node, comprising:

• a transmitter that broadcasts a first message to all of at least one other node of the network that is in a communication range of the network node;
• and
• a receiver that receives, from each of the at least one other node, a second message transmitted by the other node (a) in response to the first message and (b) after passage of a time offset from the a first possible transmission time, the time offset being one of a plurality of time offsets that is selected by the other node;
• wherein the network node:
• at least one of (a) counts a number of second messages received in response to the first message and (b) determines type of at least one the second messages;
• and
• based on at least one of the number and the type, determines whether a location of the network node is suitable.

A network, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes including a first node and at least one second node that is in communication range of the first node;
• wherein:
• the first node includes a transmitter to broadcast a first message to all of at the least one second node;
• each of the at least one second node:
• includes a receiver to receive the first message;
• is configured to select one of a corresponding plurality of time offsets;
• and
• includes a transmitter via which the second node is configured to transmit a second message to the first node after passage of the second node's selected time offset from a first possible transmission time;
• and
• the first node:
• includes a receiver to receive the second messages;
• and
• is configured to:
• at least one of (a) count a number of second messages received in response to the first message and (b) determine a type of at least one the second messages;
• and
• based on at least one of the number and the type, determine whether a location of the first node is suitable.

A network installation method, comprising:

• deploying a base node;
• subsequently installing at least one first field node, each of which has an estimated communication range in which the base node is located;
• for each of the at least one first field node:
• determining whether the field node's location is suitable;
• and
• deploying the field node if it is determined that the field node's location is suitable;
• installing at least one second field node, each of which has an estimated communication range in which the base node is not located, if a number of deployed ones of the at least one first field node is above a threshold number;
• and
• for each of the at least one second field node:
• determining whether the field node's location is suitable;
• and
• deploying the field node if it is determined that the field node's location is suitable;
• wherein, for the each of the field nodes, the step of determining whether the location of the field node is suitable includes:
• broadcasting a first message by the field node to all of at least one other node of the network that is in a communication range of the field node;
• receiving, by the field node and from each of the at least one other node, a second message transmitted by the other node (a) in response to the first message and (b) after passage of a time offset from a first possible transmission time, the time offset being one of a plurality of time offsets that is selected by the other node;
• at least one of (a) counting a number of second messages received in response to the first message and (b) determining a type of at least one of the second messages;
• and
• using at least one of the number and the type for the determination of the suitability of the location of the field node.