System and method for adaptively setting the probability of generating a beacon broadcast in a wireless network

1. In a wireless network having a plurality of nodes, including a beacon node, a method comprising:

determining, at each node, whether to replace the beacon node;

if a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself is a function of a probability value associated with the node;

if the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, sending out one or more beacon signals;

receiving beacon signals from other nodes that have nominated themselves as potential replacement beacon nodes; and

selecting the replacement beacon node, wherein selecting includes:

determining, at each potential replacement beacon node, whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and

if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, removing itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node;

wherein each node adaptively modifies the probability of nominating itself as a function of the number of beacon signals received from other nodes; and

wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is adaptively modified to favor nomination of nodes close to the center of the network and disfavor nodes away from the center of the network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each node adaptively modifies its threshold value in response to the number of beacon signals received from other nodes and as a function of its location in the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein location is a function of a node-hop tally, wherein the node-hop tally includes the total number of node hops required for the node to reach each other node in the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each node adaptively modifies its threshold value in response to beacon signals received from other nodes and as a function of a link-quality metric associated with the node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node includes comparing the MAC address of the potential replacement beacon node to the MAC addresses of each node that sent a beacon signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node includes comparing the node-hop tally of the potential replacement beacon node to the node-hop tally of each node that sent a beacon signal, wherein the node-hop tally of each node is the total number of node hops required for the node to reach each other node in the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node includes generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is adaptively modified to decrease nominations by nodes from the plurality of nodes as the number of the nodes in the network increases.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each node adaptively modifies its threshold value in response to beacon signals received from other nodes and wherein the threshold value is adaptively modified to favor nodes with better link-quality metrics.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node includes comparing accuracy of timekeeping apparatus of the potential replacement beacon node to accuracy of timekeeping apparatus of the node receiving the beacon signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node includes comparing a length of time parameter from each node measured from when each node's sleeping parameters was last configured.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending out one or more beacon signals includes transmitting a beacon signal periodically as long as the node remains a potential replacement beacon node.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting a beacon signal periodically includes change the frequency of transmission of beacon signals as a function of the volume of beacon signals received from other potential replacement beacon nodes.

13. An article comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a machine, create a system for executing the method of claim 1 .

14. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of nodes, wherein each node communicates wirelessly to one or more other nodes in the network and wherein one node operates as a beacon node to synchronize each of the remaining nodes;

wherein each node includes:

a detection mechanism for detecting when the beacon node should be replaced;

a self-nominating mechanism for determining when the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node; and

an election mechanism for removing the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node;

wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, wherein the node nominates itself as a function of a nomination probability associated with the node, wherein each node adaptively modifies its nomination probability in response to the number of beacon signals received from other nodes;

wherein the node transmits a beacon signal to other nodes in the network periodically as long as it remains a potential replacement beacon node;

wherein the election mechanism removes the node as a candidate for the replacement beacon node when the node receives a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node; and

wherein the self-nominating mechanism operates to determine whether the node should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node by generating a random number at the node and comparing the random number to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is adaptively modified to favor nomination of nodes close to the center of the network and disfavor nodes away from the center of the network.

15. The network of claim 14 , wherein the threshold value associated with the node is adaptively modified as a function of the volume of beacon traffic received by the node and of a link-quality metric associated with the node.

16. The network of claim 14 , wherein the threshold value associated with the node is adaptively modified as a function of the volume of beacon traffic received by the node and of the location of the node with respect to the other nodes in the wireless network.

17. The network of claim 14 , wherein the period for transmitting the beacon signal increases as a function of the number of beacon signals received by the node.