Collecting power outage notifications in a frequency hopping communication network

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• a transceiver configured to communicate with a frequency hopping communication network that operates according to a common broadcast schedule for the network that simultaneously overlays a configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed by the processor operable to:
• operate in a normal mode wherein the common broadcast schedule for the network simultaneously overlays a first configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network;
• determine a power outage condition;
• operate in a power outage mode in response to the power outage condition, wherein the common broadcast schedule for the network in the power outage mode simultaneously overlays a second configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network, the second configured portion greater than the first configured portion;
• and
• wherein the second configured portion is configured based on a tradeoff between relatively higher power outage notification (PON) reliability at correspondingly higher lengths of the second configured portion versus relatively lower PON latency at correspondingly lower lengths of the second configured portion.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software, when executed by a processor on a device in a frequency hopping communication network that operates according to a common broadcast schedule for the network that simultaneously overlays a configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network, operable to:

• operate in a normal mode wherein the common broadcast schedule for the network simultaneously overlays a first configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network;
• determine a power outage condition;
• operate in a power outage mode in response to the power outage condition, wherein the common broadcast schedule for the network in the power outage mode simultaneously overlays a second configured portion of all independently determined unicast listening schedules in the network, the second configured portion greater than the first configured portion;
• and
• wherein the second configured portion is configured based on a tradeoff between relatively higher power outage notification (PON) reliability at correspondingly higher lengths of the second configured portion versus relatively lower PON latency at correspondingly lower lengths of the second configured portion.