A process for the steering of data packets within a wireless packet jump network and a wireless network and node for the application of the process

摘要

A random multiple path tabular routing method for routing data packets within a wireless, packet-hopping network, e.g., an intelligent lighting control system, which includes the steps of programming a plurality of the individual nodes to each serve as a repeater node for a least one other individual node, the reapeater nodes forming multiple programmed communication paths between the central node and each of at least selected ones of the individual nodes, and randomly hopping the data packets along the programmed communication paths. The repeater nodes are preferably programmed on the basis of nodal connectivity information obtained during a network initialization process. The repeater nodes are preferably programmed by storing compact partial routing tables in a memory portion of each of these repeater nodes. This routing method is partially deterministic or tabular in that routing tables are used to preprogram the multiple communication paths, and partially random, in that the data packets are randomly hopped along these preprogrammed multiple paths, rather than being hopped along preprogrammed singular paths.