Method for synchronizing frequency-hopping short-range radio devices

1. A method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor, where the security system control panel and the sensor each have a transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:

the security system control panel monitoring a publicly broadcast signal for a time signal generated and transmitted by a signal transmitting system;

receiving periodically the time signal directly from the signal transmitting system at the security system control panel;

calculating a frequency hopping index pointer by the security system control panel using the time signal;

accessing a frequency hopping table using the frequency hopping index pointer, the frequency hopping table is used by the security system control panel to determine when to hop between a plurality of different receiving channels and which of the plurality of different receiving channels to hop; and

the sensor receiving a time stamp directly from the signal transmitting system and selecting a channel of the plurality of different receiving channels that the security system control panel is then monitoring for signals from the sensor.

2. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

waking up from a standby mode when a sensor determines that the sensor is to send data;

receiving the publicly broadcast signal that includes a time signal by the sensor;

selecting using the time signal which of the plurality of different receiving channels that the security system control panel is actively receiving data; and

transmitting the data to the security system control panel using the selected channel.

3. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said publicly broadcast signal is a GPS or other radionavigation signal.

4. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said publicly broadcast signal is a cellular telephone control signal comprising a broadcast timestamp.

5. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:

determining if another sensor is transmitting or receiving data on the predicted channel; and

transmitting the data to the security system control panel when the result of the determining is that the selected channel does not have any data being actively transmitted.

6. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 1 , where the calculating step comprises the substeps of:

extracting a preset number of least-significant bits from the time signal; and

generating the frequency hopping index pointer from the preset number of least-significant bits.

7. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 2 , where the selecting step comprises the substeps of:

extracting a preset number of least-significant bits from the time signal; and

selecting one of the plurality of receiving channels for the security system control panel according to the preset number of least-significant bits.

8. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 1 , where the calculating step comprises the substeps of:

hashing bits from the time signal to a predetermined bit stream; and

generating the frequency hopping index pointer from the predetermined bit stream.

9. The method for synchronizing a security system control panel and a sensor according to claim 2 , where the selecting step comprises the substeps of:

hashing bits from the time signal to a predetermined bit stream; and

selecting one of the plurality of receiving channels for the security system control panel according to the predetermined bit stream.