Systems and methods for reducing interference in a TDMA based wireless network

1. A system comprising:

a wireless access point that operates in a frequency band and forms a first wireless network; and

a first wireless repeater,

wherein the wireless access point selects a first information channel, a second information channel, and a plurality of operating channel sequences from a plurality of wireless network channels used by the first wireless network,

wherein the wireless access point assigns a first operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to the wireless access point and a second operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to the first wireless repeater,

wherein the first operating channel sequence includes a first plurality of channels,

wherein the second operating channel sequence includes a second plurality of channels that is different than the first plurality of channels,

wherein the wireless access point hops between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the first plurality of channels in different ones of superframes used by the first wireless network,

wherein the first wireless repeater hops between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the second plurality of channels in the different ones of the superframes,

wherein the wireless access point broadcasts an access point beacon in a first slot of one of the superframes on one of the first plurality of channels,

wherein, responsive to receiving the access point beacon, the first wireless repeater broadcasts a first wireless repeater beacon in a second slot of the one of the superframes on one of the second plurality of channels, wherein the one of the first plurality of channels and the one of the second plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes, wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot,

wherein the wireless access point hops from the one of the first plurality of channels to another of the first plurality of channels to rebroadcast the access point beacon in a first slot of the another of the superframes via the another of the first plurality of channels, and

wherein, responsive to receiving the rebroadcasted access point beacon, the first wireless repeater hops from the one of the second plurality of channels to another of the second plurality of channels to rebroadcast the first wireless repeater beacon in a second slot of the another of the superframes via the another of the second plurality of channels.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein first one of the first plurality of channels and a first one of the second plurality of channels overlap with a first one of a plurality of interfering channels of a second wireless network that operates in the frequency band,

wherein a second one of the first plurality of channels and a second one of the second plurality of channels overlap with a second one of the plurality of interfering channels that is different than first one of the plurality of interfering channels, and

wherein a third one of the first plurality of channels and a third one of the second plurality of channels overlap with a third one of the plurality of interfering channels.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first wireless network includes a ZigBee network, the second wireless network includes a Wi-Fi network, the frequency band includes a 2.4 GHz band, and the plurality of interfering channels includes all channels of the Wi-Fi network.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second wireless repeater,

wherein the wireless access point assigns a third operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to the second wireless repeater,

wherein the third operating channel sequence includes a third plurality of channels that is different than the first plurality of channels and the second plurality of channels, and

wherein the second wireless repeater hops between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the third plurality of channels in the different ones of the superframes.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the second wireless repeater is in a same level as the first wireless repeater,

wherein, responsive to receiving the access point beacon, the second wireless repeater broadcasts a second wireless repeater beacon in the second slot of the one of the superframes on one of the third plurality of channels,

wherein the one of the first plurality of channels, the one of the second plurality of channels, and the one of the third plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes, and

wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the first wireless repeater is in a first level and the second wireless repeater is in a second level,

wherein, responsive to receiving the first wireless repeater beacon, the second wireless repeater broadcasts a second wireless repeater beacon in a third slot of the one of the superframes on one of the third plurality of channels,

wherein the one of the first plurality of channels, the one of the second plurality of channels, and the one of the third plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes,

wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot, and

wherein the third slot is shifted or offset from both the first slot and the second slot.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless access point assigns a first one of a plurality of devices the first information channel, the second information channel, and an initial operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to use for communicating directly or indirectly with the wireless access point, and wherein, when the first one of the plurality of devices fails to communicate with the wireless access point using the initial operating channel sequence, the first one of the plurality of devices uses the first information channel or the second information channel to identify a subsequent operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to use for communicating directly or indirectly with the wireless access point.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first one of the plurality of devices uses the first information channel or the second information channel to select the subsequent operating channel sequence based on a current location of the first one of the plurality of devices relative to a fixed location of the wireless access point or the first wireless repeater.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless access point scans a region in which the wireless access point is deployed to identify potential interference and selects the first information channel and the second information channel based on a level of the potential interference.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless access point selects the first information channel and the second information channel from a predefined list, and

wherein the wireless access points selects the plurality of operating channel sequences from entries on the predefined list that are cross-referenced with the first information channel and the second information channel.

11. A method comprising:

operating a wireless access point in a frequency band and forming a first wireless network with the wireless access point;

selecting a first information channel, a second information channel, and a plurality of operating channel sequences from a plurality of wireless network channels used by the first wireless network;

assigning a first operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to the wireless access point and a second operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to a first wireless repeater, wherein the first operating channel sequence includes a first plurality of channels, and wherein the second operating channel sequence includes a second plurality of channels that is different than the first plurality of channels;

the wireless access point hopping between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the first plurality of channels in different ones of superframes used the first wireless network;

the first wireless repeater hopping between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the second plurality of channels in the different ones of the superframes;

broadcasting an access point beacon, via the wireless access point, in a first slot of one of the superframes on one of the first plurality of channels;

responsive to receiving the access point beacon, broadcasting a first wireless repeater beacon, via the first wireless repeater, in a second slot of the one of the superframes on one of the second plurality of channels, wherein the one of the first plurality of channels and the one of the second plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes, wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot;

hopping, via the wireless access point, from the one of the first plurality of channels to another of the first plurality of channels to rebroadcast the access point beacon in a first slot of the another of the superframes via the another of the first plurality of channels; and

responsive to receiving the rebroadcasted access point beacon, hopping, via the first wireless repeater beacon, from the one of the second plurality of channels to another of the second plurality of channels to rebroadcast the first wireless repeater beacon in a second slot of the another of the superframes via the another of the second plurality of channels.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selecting a first one of the first plurality of channels and a first one of the second plurality of channels to overlap with a first one of a plurality of interfering channels of a second wireless network that operates in the frequency band;

selecting a second one of the first plurality of channels and a second one of the second plurality of channels to overlap with a second one of the plurality of interfering channels that is different than first one of the plurality of interfering channels; and

selecting a third one of the first plurality of channels and a third one of the second plurality of channels to overlap with a third one of the plurality of interfering channels.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first wireless network includes a ZigBee network, the second wireless network includes a Wi-Fi network, the frequency band includes a 2.4 GHz band, and the plurality of interfering channels includes all of the Wi-Fi network.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

the wireless access point assigning a third operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to a second wireless repeater, wherein the third operating channel sequence includes a third plurality of channels different than the first plurality of channels and the second plurality of channels; and

the second wireless repeater hopping between the first information channel and the second information channel and between each one of the third plurality of channels in the different ones of the superframes.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the access point beacon, broadcasting a second wireless repeater beacon from the second wireless repeater in the second slot of the one of the superframes on one of the third plurality of channels,

wherein the second wireless repeater is in a same level as the first wireless repeater,

wherein the one of the first plurality of channels, the one of the second plurality of channels, and the one of the third plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes, and

wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

responsive to receiving the first wireless repeater beacon broadcasting a second wireless repeater beacon from the second wireless repeater in a third slot of the one of the superframes on one of the third plurality of channels,

wherein the first wireless repeater is in a first level and the second wireless repeater is in a second level,

wherein the one of the first plurality of channels, the one of the second plurality of channels, and the one of the third plurality of channels are associated with the one of the superframes,

wherein the second slot is shifted or offset from the first slot, and

wherein the third slot is shifted or offset from both the first slot and the second slot.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

assigning a first one of a plurality of devices the first information channel, the second information channel, and an initial operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to use for communicating directly or indirectly with the wireless access point; and

when the first one of the plurality of devices fails to communicate with the wireless access point using the initial operating channel sequence, using the first information channel or the second information channel to identify a subsequent operating channel sequence of the plurality of operating channel sequences to use for communicating directly or indirectly with the wireless access point.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

using the first information channel or the second information channel to identify the subsequent operating channel sequence based on a current location of the first one of the plurality of devices relative to a fixed location of the wireless access point or the first wireless repeater.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

scanning a region in which the wireless access point is deployed to identify potential interference; and

selecting the first information channel and the second information channel based on a level of the potential interference.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selecting the first information channel and the second information channel from a predefined list; and

selecting the plurality of operating channel sequences from entries on the predefined list that are cross-referenced with the first information channel and the second information channel.