Methods and apparatus for improved efficiency communication

1 . A router comprising:

a processor configured to

i) on a first periodic basis, initiate a transmission of a first routing update message for retransmission by a first node located within a first distance from the router;

ii) on a second periodic basis, initiate a transmission of a second routing update message for retransmission by at least a second node located within a greater distance from the router, wherein the second periodic basis is less frequent than the first period basis; and

iii) select a set of relay nodes to reduce the number of messages transmitted on a network on which the router resides.

2 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the second node includes the first node and at least one additional node located further away from the router than the first node.

3 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the processor includes means for determining the set of relay nodes by applying a multi-point relay process.

4 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the processor selects the set of relay nodes from a plurality of nodes by identifying ones of the plurality of nodes capable of forwarding messages to a remainder of the plurality of nodes with a reduced expenditure of energy.

5 . The router of claim 4 , wherein the set of relay nodes is selected using a broadcast incremental power process.

6 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is a first number of radio hops from the router and the greater distance is a larger number of radio hops from the router.

7 . The router of claim 1 , comprising including an indicator of the first distance in the first update message.

8 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the router is configured:

to receive a routing update message including a distance indicator;

in response to determining that the distance indicator is greater than a predetermined value, forwarding the received routing update message to a neighboring node; and

in response to determining that the distance indicator is less than a predetermined value, refraining from transmitting the received routing update message to the neighboring node.

9 . The router of claim 8 , wherein the neighboring node is in the set of relay nodes.

10 . The router of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, on a third periodic basis having a third period length, initiating the transmission of a third routing update message to a third node located within a third distance of the router, wherein the third distance is greater than the second distance and the third periodic basis is less frequent than the second period length.

11 . A method of communication in an wireless network:

employing a first routing process capable of reducing a number of nodes within a particular distance that retransmit received data packets while maintaining dissemination of the data packets to the nodes; and

employing a second routing process to reduce the distance a transmitted message is forwarded.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first routing process reduces the number of nodes based on the energy needed to communicate between neighboring nodes in the network.

13 . The network of claim 12 , wherein the first routing process employs a broadcast incremental power process.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first routing process employs a multi-point relay process.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second routing process employs a hazy sighted link state process.

16 . The method of claim 11 , comprising transmitting routing update messages on a periodic basis.

17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising initiating transmission of routing update messages to nodes within a first distance on a first periodic basis and initiating transmission of routing update messages to nodes within a greater distance, on a second periodic basis, wherein the second periodic basis is less frequent than the first periodic basis.

18 . The method of claim 16 , comprising indicating the distance to which a routing update message is to be forwarded by including a distance indicator in the routing update message.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising:

receiving a routing update message including a distance indicator;

in response to determining that the distance indicator is greater than a predetermined value, forwarding the received routing update message to a neighboring node; and

in response to determining that the distance indicator is less than a predetermined value, refraining from transmitting the received routing update message to the neighboring node.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein forwarding the received routing update message includes reducing the distance indicator.

21 . A computer readable medium encoding instructions for carrying out a method of communication in a wireless network, the method comprising:

employing a first routing process capable of reducing a number of nodes within a particular distance that retransmit received data packets while maintaining dissemination of the data packets to the nodes; and

employing a second routing process to reduce the distance a transmitted message is forwarded.

22 . The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the first routing process reduces the number of nodes based on the energy needed to communicate between neighboring nodes in the network.

23 . The computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the first routing process employs a broadcast incremental power process.

24 . The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the first routing process employs a multi-point relay process.

25 . The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the second routing process employs a hazy sighted link state process.

26 . The computer readable medium of claim 21 , encoding instructions for transmitting routing update messages on a periodic basis.

27 . The computer readable medium of claim 26 , encoding instructions for initiating transmission of routing update messages to nodes within a first distance on a first periodic basis and initiating transmission of routing update messages to nodes within a greater distance, on a second periodic basis, wherein the second periodic basis is less frequent than the first periodic basis.

28 . The computer readable medium of claim 26 , encoding instructions for indicating the distance to which a routing update message is to be forwarded by including a distance indicator in the routing update message.

29 . The computer readable medium of claim 28 , encoding instructions for:

receiving a routing update message including a distance indicator;

in response to determining that the distance indicator is greater than a predetermined value, forwarding the received routing update message to a neighboring node; and

in response to determining that the distance indicator is less than a predetermined value, refraining from transmitting the received routing update message to the neighboring node.

30 . The computer readable medium of claim 29 , wherein forwarding the received routing update message includes reducing the distance indicator.