System and method of encoding data in a preamble pattern

1. In a frequency agile radio network, a method of encoding data into a preamble pattern, comprising:

creating a plurality of preamble patterns, wherein each preamble pattern includes an N bit header and an M bit body, wherein N and M are integers greater than two; and

identifying the preamble patterns that have headers with a bit pattern that cannot occur in the body, wherein the preamble has a run length no greater than P bits, wherein P is an integer greater than one; and

transmitting at least one of the identified preamble patterns repeatedly during a preamble transmission from a transmitter in the frequency agile radio network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein N is five and M is an even number.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein N is five and M is an even number and wherein the M bit body includes two bits of data followed by the first two bits of the N bit header.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein N is five and M is an even number and wherein the M bit body includes two bits of data followed by the first two bits of the N bit header, followed by two bits of data followed by the next two bits of the N bit header.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying preamble patterns includes associating a particular header with a particular set of receivers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating includes selecting, from a plurality of preamble patterns, those that give good DC balance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating includes selecting, from a plurality of preamble patterns, those that can be used to encode data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating includes selecting, from a plurality of preamble patterns, those that can be used to encode address information.

9. A method of transmitting data from a frequency agile transmitter to a frequency agile receiver, comprising:

listening, at the receiver, for a preamble having a header and a body, wherein the header has a bit pattern that cannot occur in the body, wherein the preamble has a run length no greater than P bits, wherein P is an integer greater than one, wherein listening includes scanning each of a plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of channels includes a first channel;

transmitting, on the first channel, a message having a preamble and message data, wherein the preamble includes a header and a body, wherein the header has a bit pattern that cannot occur in the body, wherein the preamble has a run length no greater than P bits, wherein P is an integer greater than one, and wherein the preamble is selected to be longer than the time needed by the receiver to scan across each of the plurality of channels;

detecting, at the receiver, the message transmitted on the first channel;

determining, from the preamble, whether the message is intended for the receiver;

if the preamble indicates that the message is intended for the receiver, storing the message data; and

if the preamble indicates that the message is not intended for the receiver, ignoring the message.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining includes determining whether the preamble fits a preamble pattern associated with the receiver.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein transmitting includes selecting the preamble to be transmitted from one or more orthogonal pairs of preamble patterns, and wherein determining includes determining, at the receiver, whether the preamble matches the selected preamble pattern.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the receiver is configured to accept messages with a first preamble pattern;

wherein transmitting includes determining if the message is intended for the receiver and, if the message is intended for the receiver, selecting a preamble with the first preamble pattern; and

wherein determining includes determining, at the receiver, whether the preamble has the first preamble pattern.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the preamble is selected from a preamble pattern that includes an N bit header and an M bit body, wherein N and M are integers greater than two.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein two of the preamble patterns form an orthogonal pair and wherein determining, from the preamble, whether the message is intended for the receiver includes determining from the header of the preamble whether the message is intended for the receiver.

15. In a frequency agile radio network, a method of directing a packet to a specific radio receiver within a plurality of receivers, including a first and second radio receiver, wherein each radio receiver includes an address having a plurality of address bits, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of preamble patterns, wherein each preamble pattern includes an N bit header and an M bit body, wherein N and M are integers greater than two;

identifying preamble patterns from the plurality of preamble patterns that have a header and a body, wherein the body includes data bits that can be used to encode data and wherein the headers have a bit pattern that cannot occur in the body, wherein the preamble pattern has a run length no greater than P bits, wherein P is an integer greater than one;

associating a first header from one of the preamble patterns with the first and second radio receivers, wherein associating includes instructing the first and second radio receivers to respond to accept messages with the first header;

receiving, at the first receiver, a message including one of the plurality of preamble patterns;

determining if the preamble pattern includes the first header;

if the preamble pattern includes the first header, determining if the preamble pattern includes address bits associated with the first radio receiver;

if the preamble pattern includes the first header and if the preamble pattern includes, encoded within the data bits, address bits associated with the first radio receiver, receiving the message;

if the preamble pattern does not include the first header, ignoring the message; and

if the preamble pattern does not include, encoded within the data bits, address bits associated with the first radio receiver, ignoring the message.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein associating a first header with the first and second radio receivers includes configuring the first and second radio receivers to look for a particular header in the preamble.