Wireless master-slave distributed communications network

A method of operating a master-slave distributed network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the master node and the slave nodes being operatively interconnected, the method comprising the acts of:

• storing in a memory of each slave node as uplink routing information only an address of a next node in a route of an uplink data packet to the master node;
• reading-out the address of the next node from the memory by a slave node wishing to send the data packet to the master node;
• adding the address of the next node into a destination field of the data packet of the message, and
• transmitting the uplink data packet to the next node.

A slave station for use as a slave node in a master-slave distributed communications network including a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the slave station comprising:

• transceiving means for communicating with at least one of:
• the master node and one of the plurality of slave nodes;
• first memory means for storing the address of the slave station;
• second memory means for storing as routing information only an address of the next node in an uplink route to the master node;
• and
• processing means coupled to the transceiving means and the first and second memory means for adding the address of the said next node to a destination field of an uplink data packet to be routed to the master node.

A master-slave distributed communications network comprising:

• a master node;
• and
• a plurality of slave nodes, the master node and the slave nodes being operatively interconnected,
• wherein each slave node comprises:
• a transceiver configured to receive a downlink data packet from the master node including an address of the slave node;
• and
• a processor configured to delete the address of the slave node present in the downlink data packet thus forming a modified downlink data packet, and
• wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the modified downlink data packet to a further slave node.

A method of operating a master-slave distributed network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the master node and the slave nodes being operatively interconnected, the method comprising the acts of:

• receiving by an intermediate slave node a downlink data packet in a route from the master node to a final destination slave node;
• removing by the intermediate slave node its own address from the downlink data packet to form an altered downlink data packet;
• and
• transmitting the altered downlink data packet in a route to the to the final destination slave node.

A slave station for use as a slave node in a master-slave distributed communications network including a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the slave station comprising:

• a transceiver configured to receive a downlink data packet routed from the master node, the downlink data packet including an address of the slave station;
• and
• a processor configured to delete the address of the slave station present in the data packet thus forming a modified downlink data packet;
• and
• wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the modified downlink data packet to a further slave station depending on a next address included in the downlink data packet.

A master station for use in a master-slave distributed communications network including the master station and a plurality of slave stations, the master station comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate with the plurality of slave stations;
• a memory configured to store routing data;
• and
• a processor configured to compile routing information from the stored routing data and to add the compiled routing information to a downlink data packet, the routing information comprising an address of a final destination slave station and an address of each intermediate slave station through which the data packet will be passed in a route to the final destination slave station, wherein each intermediate slave station receiving a downlink data packet originating from the master node and destined to the final destination slave station is configured to delete its address which is present in the routing information and transmit the downlink data packet to a next intermediate slave station in the route to the final destination slave station based on the routing information.

A distributed wireless communications network comprising:

• a primary node functioning as a master node;
• and
• a plurality of secondary nodes,
• wherein the primary node and the respective secondary nodes are operatively interconnected with at least a first of the secondary nodes being directly operatively interconnected with the primary node and at least a second of the secondary nodes being indirectly operatively interconnected with the primary node using the first node of the secondary nodes between the second of the secondary nodes and the primary node,
• wherein the primary node has a primary memory configured to store routing data relating to the wireless communications network, and
• wherein each of the secondary nodes has a memory configured to store as uplink routing information only an address of the next node in a route of an uplink data packet to the primary node, and a processor responsive to receiving the uplink data packet from a secondary node, configured to read-out the address of the next node from the secondary memory, and configured to replace its own address with the address of the next node in a destination field of the uplink data packet and forwarding the data packet to the next node.

A method of operating a distributed wireless network comprising a primary node and a plurality of secondary nodes, wherein the primary node and the respective secondary nodes are operatively interconnected with at least one of the secondary nodes being directly operatively interconnected with the primary node and at least a second of the secondary nodes being indirectly operatively interconnected with the primary node using the first of the secondary nodes between the second of the secondary nodes and the primary node, and wherein the primary node stores routing data relating to the network, the method comprising the acts of:

• each of the secondary nodes storing in a memory as uplink routing information only the address of the next node in a route of an uplink data packet to the primary node;
• in response to receiving the uplink data packet from a secondary node, reading-out the address of the next node from the memory;
• replacing its own node address with the address of the next node in a destination field of the uplink data packet;
• and
• forwarding the uplink data packet to the said next node.

A secondary node for use as a source/routing node in a distributed wireless communications network comprising a primary node functioning as a master node and a plurality of secondary nodes, wherein the primary node and the respective plurality of secondary nodes are operatively interconnected with at least a first one of the plurality of secondary nodes being directly operatively interconnected with the primary node and at least a second one of the plurality of secondary nodes being indirectly operatively interconnected with the primary node using the first one of the plurality of secondary nodes between the second one of the secondary nodes and the primary node, the secondary node comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate with at least one of:
• the primary node, and at least one of the plurality of secondary nodes,
• a memory configured to store as uplink routing information only an address of a next node in a route of a data packet to the primary node;
• and
• a processor, responsive to receiving an uplink data packet from the secondary node, configured to read the address of the next node from the memory, copy the address of the next node into a destination field of the data packet, and forward the data packet to the next node.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program for interacting with a processor for performing a method of operating a master-slave distributed network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the master node and the slave nodes being operatively interconnected, the method comprising the acts of:

• storing in a memory of each slave node as uplink routing information only an address of a next node in a route of an uplink data packet to the master node;
• reading-out the address of the next node from the memory by a slave node wishing to send the uplink data packet to the master node;
• adding the address of the next node into a destination field of the uplink data packet of the message, and
• transmitting the uplink data packet to the next node.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program for interacting with a processor for performing a method of operating a master-slave distributed network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes, the master node and the slave nodes being operatively interconnected, the method comprising the acts of:

• receiving by an intermediate slave node a downlink data packet in a route from the master node to a final destination slave node;
• removing by the intermediate slave node its own address from the downlink data packet to form an altered downlink data packet;
• and
• transmitting the altered downlink data packet in a route to the to the final destination slave node.

A method for operating a master-slave distributed communications network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes operatively connected with the master node, wherein said plurality of slave nodes include at least one intermediate slave node and at least one indirectly connected slave node connected with the master node via a selected uplink route via said at least one intermediate slave node, said method comprising the acts of:

• examining reliability of available uplink routes from said at least one indirectly connected slave node to said master node;
• selecting the selected uplink route from the available routes based on the reliability of the available routes;
• the at least one indirectly connected slave node comparing the reliability of available uplink routes to a route reliability criterion;
• the at least one indirectly connected slave node re-examining a pre-existing uplink route to the master node;
• and
• in response to finding that said pre-existing route does not comply with the route reliability criterion, selects a new route that does comply with the route reliability criterion.

A method for operating a master-slave distributed communications network comprising a master node and a plurality of slave nodes operatively connected with the master node, wherein said plurality of slave nodes include at least one intermediate slave node and at least one indirectly connected slave node connected with the master node via a selected uplink route via said at least one intermediate slave node, said method comprising the acts of:

• examining reliability of available uplink routes from said at least one indirectly connected slave node to said master node;
• and
• selecting the selected uplink route from the available routes based on the reliability of the available routes,
• wherein the at least one indirectly connected slave comprises a new slave node, the method comprising the following additional acts:
• said new slave node transmitting a “request route to master” message with a number of hops set to a predetermined minimum value;
• and
• in response to not receiving a reply, repeating the transmission of the “request route to master” message with the number of hops increased in value.