Wireless network with multiple paths between nodes

摘要

A wireless communications system includes both a primary communications path, wherein a gateway can communicate with each member of a plurality of ambient condition detectors, and a secondary back-up path available in the event of a failure on part of the primary path. Required power for the network can be minimized by path selection.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
establishing a maximum distance parameter, wherein the maximum distance parameter is calculated by accounting for radio attenuation factors at an installation site and a physical distance between devices; assigning an initial network address to a gateway; determining a first set of nodes of a plurality of nodes that are within the maximum distance parameter of the gateway; assigning a first level value to each of the first set of nodes; determining a second set of nodes of the plurality of nodes by each of the first set of nodes searching for no more than two of the plurality of nodes that are within the maximum distance parameter of a respective one of the first set of nodes and that are not included in the first set of nodes to establish a primary path; assigning a second level value to each of the second set of nodes, the second level value being one greater than the first level value; and assigning network addresses to each of the plurality of nodes, wherein a first node of the first set of nodes is assigned a network address one value greater than the initial network address, and wherein each node in the first set of nodes after the first node is assigned an incrementally higher value network address until all nodes in the first set of nodes are assigned a unique network address.