System and method for dynamic formation of a communication network using wireless communication devices

A programmable wireless communication device comprising:

• a short-range transceiver;
• a memory;
• a non-volatile memory;
• and
• a processor;
• the non-volatile memory storing:
• an application for the programmable wireless communication device to program a fixed pre-determined beacon identifier of the programmable wireless communication device;
• a controller to cause the short-range transceiver to broadcast a beacon signal containing the beacon identifier in an unlicensed frequency band, and to cause the short-range transceiver to establish a short-range mesh communication network with a plurality of the different wireless communication devices that received the beacon signal containing the beacon identifier wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication devices in the short-range mesh communication network can communicate with each other;
• the memory being configured to store message data wherein the controller is configured to transmit the message data to each of the plurality of wireless communication devices in the short-range communication network and to receive message data stored in the memory of each of the plurality of different wireless communication devices in the short-range communication network.

A method for the operation of a short-range communication network comprising:

• setting a beacon identifier to a fixed pre-determined selected beacon identifier in a first wireless communication device having a short-range transceiver operating in an unlicensed frequency band;
• transmitting the beacon identifier in a beacon signal using the short-range transceiver;
• a plurality of different wireless communication devices receiving the beacon signal having the selected beacon identifier transmitted from the first wireless communication device;
• establishing a first short-range mesh communication network with each of the plurality of different wireless communication devices wherein the first wireless communication device and each of the plurality of different wireless communication devices in the first short-range mesh communication network can communicate with each other using a bidirectional radio communication link;
• and
• exchanging message data between all of the wireless communication devices in the first short-range communication network.