Self-healing of repeater formation in a network

1. A radio frequency (RF) communication system comprising: a plurality of RF nodes including a gateway RF node and a plurality of network RF nodes, wherein each of the network RF nodes includes:

a network RF node wireless transceiver configured for data communication over an extended star wireless network that includes the plurality of network RF nodes;

a network RF node processor coupled to the network RF node wireless transceiver;

a network RF node memory accessible to the network RF node processor including:

a cycle time and a cycle time timeout,

a gateway heartbeat counter and a gateway heartbeat threshold,

a repeater heartbeat counter and a repeater heartbeat threshold, and

a network RF node role state set to a repeater role, a connected role, or an unconnected role; and

network RF node programming in the network RF node memory, wherein execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

track the cycle time;

in response to receiving a gateway heartbeat message from the gateway RF node, increment the gateway heartbeat counter;

in response to receiving a respective repeater RF node heartbeat message from a respective network RF node of the network RF nodes set to the repeater role, increment the repeater heartbeat counter;

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter not exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and the repeater heartbeat counter exceeding the repeater heartbeat threshold, select a selected network RF node of the RF nodes set to the repeater role;

transmit, via the extended star wireless network, a registration message to the selected network RF node; and

in response to transmitting the registration message to the selected RF node and having the network RF node role state set to the unconnected role, set the network RF node role state to the connected role.

2. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and having the network RF node role state set to the unconnected role, set the network RF node role state to the connected role.

3. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a help request counter and a help request threshold; and

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout and the gateway heartbeat counter exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold or the repeater heartbeat counter exceeding the repeater heartbeat threshold, reset the help request counter;

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter not exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and the repeater heartbeat counter not exceeding the repeater heartbeat threshold, increment the help request counter;

in response to the help request counter exceeding the help request threshold, transmit a help request message;

in response to transmitting the help request message, receive one or more help acknowledgement messages sent from one or more neighbor RF network nodes of the plurality of RF network nodes, the help acknowledgement messages each including a help acknowledgement message received signal strength indication (RSSI);

in response to receiving the one or more help acknowledgement messages, select a best help acknowledgement message, the best help acknowledgement message having a highest help acknowledgement RSSI; and

in response to selecting the best help acknowledgement message, transmit a set repeater message to a preferred neighbor RF network node of the one or more neighbor RF network nodes, the preferred neighbor RF network node having sent the best help acknowledgement message.

4. The RF communication system of claim 3 , wherein:

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to:

receiving the help request message, and

having the network RF node role state set to the connected role,

transmit the help acknowledgement message.

5. The RF communication system of claim 3 , wherein:

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to receiving the set repeater message and having the network RF node role state set to the connected role, set the network RF node role state to the repeater role.

6. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the function to select the selected network RF node of the RF nodes set to the repeater role further includes:

calculate a repeater score based upon a respective repeater hop layer of the respective network RF node, a respective daughter count of the respective network RF node, and a respective repeater RF node heartbeat received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the respective repeater RF node heartbeat message from the respective network RF node; and

select a preferred repeater network RF node, the preferred repeater network RF node having a highest repeater score; and

in response to selecting the preferred repeater network RF node, transmit a set repeater message to the preferred repeater network RF node.

7. The RF communication system of claim 6 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a repeater hop layer; and

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to selecting the preferred repeater network RF node, set the repeater hop layer to a preferred repeater hop layer of the preferred repeater network RF node plus one; and

transmit the repeater RF node heartbeat message, the repeater RF node heartbeat message including the repeater hop layer.

8. The RF communication system of claim 6 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a repeater hop layer and a repeater hop layer array; and

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to selecting the preferred repeater network RF node, create a respective repeater hop layer array element equal to a preferred repeater hop layer of the preferred repeater network RF node plus one, and add the respective repeater hop layer array element to the repeater hop layer array;

set the repeater hop layer to a minimum repeater hop layer array element of the repeater hop layer array; and

transmit the repeater RF node heartbeat message, the repeater RF node heartbeat message including the repeater hop layer.

9. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a repeater hop layer; and

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and having the network RF node role state set to the repeater role, set the repeater hop layer to one; and

transmit the repeater RF node heartbeat message, the repeater RF node heartbeat message including the repeater hop layer.

10. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a daughter count and an intermediary daughter count; and

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to receiving the set repeater message and having the network RF node role state set to the repeater role, increment the intermediary daughter count;

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout and having the network RF node role state set to the repeater role, set the daughter count equal to the intermediary daughter count, and reset the intermediary daughter count; and

transmit the repeater RF node heartbeat message, the repeater RF node heartbeat message including the daughter count.

11. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes:

a set repeater message time and a set repeater message timeout,

a set repeater message counter and a set repeater message threshold; and

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

track the set repeater message time;

in response to receiving the set repeater message, increment the set repeater message counter;

in response to the set repeater message time exceeding the set repeater message time timeout, the set repeater message counter not exceeding the set repeater message threshold and having the network RF node role state set to the repeater role, set the network RF node role state to the connected role; and

in response to the set repeater message time exceeding the set repeater message timeout, reset the set repeater message counter.

12. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

transmit a data message;

a data message received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the data message is greater than a gateway heartbeat RSSI of the gateway heartbeat message; and

the data message RSSI of the data message is greater than a respective repeater RF node heartbeat RSSI of the respective repeater RF node heartbeat message.

13. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the gateway heartbeat message further includes a sent frequency and a sent frequency timeout;

the network RF node memory further includes a frequency time, a stored frequency timeout, and a stored frequency; and

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to receiving the gateway heartbeat message including the sent frequency and the sent frequency timeout, set the stored frequency timeout equal to the sent frequency timeout;

track the frequency time;

in response to the frequency time exceeding the stored frequency timeout, set the stored frequency equal to the sent frequency.

14. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein the RF communication system is a wireless industrial device control system or a wireless lighting system.

15. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

execution of the network RF node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, reset the cycle time, the gateway heartbeat counter, and the repeater heartbeat counter.

16. The RF communication system of claim 1 , wherein:

the network RF node memory further includes a echo buffer, an echo time, and an echo time timeout; and

execution of the RF network node programming by the network RF node processor further configures the network RF node to implement functions, including functions to:

transmit an outgoing data message;

track the echo time;

add the data message to the echo buffer;

in response to adding the data message to the echo buffer, reset the echo time;

in response to receiving an incoming repeated data message, remove the outgoing data message from the echo buffer;

in response to the echo time exceeding the echo time timeout and the data message being present in the echo buffer, retransmit the data message; and

in response to receiving an incoming data message, transmit the incoming data message as an outgoing repeated data message.

17. A method comprising:

tracking a cycle time;

in response to receiving a gateway heartbeat message from a gateway RF node, incrementing a gateway heartbeat counter;

in response to receiving a respective repeater RF node heartbeat message from a respective network RF node of network RF nodes set to a repeater role, incrementing a repeater heartbeat counter;

in response to the cycle time exceeding a cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter not exceeding a gateway heartbeat threshold, and the repeater heartbeat counter exceeding a repeater heartbeat threshold, selecting a selected network RF node of the RF nodes set to the repeater role;

transmitting, via an extended star wireless network, a registration message to the selected network RF node; and

in response to transmitting the registration message to the selected RF node and having a network RF node role state set to an unconnected role, setting the network RF node role state to a connected role.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and having the network RF node role state set to the unconnected role, setting the network RF node role state to the connected role.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout and the gateway heartbeat counter exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold or the repeater heartbeat counter exceeding a repeater heartbeat threshold, resetting a help request counter;

in response to the cycle time exceeding the cycle time timeout, the gateway heartbeat counter not exceeding the gateway heartbeat threshold, and the repeater heartbeat counter not exceeding the repeater heartbeat threshold, incrementing the help request counter;

in response to the help request counter exceeding the help request threshold, transmitting a help request message;

in response to transmitting the help request message, receiving one or more help acknowledgement messages sent from one or more neighbor RF network nodes of the RF network nodes, the help acknowledgement messages each including a help acknowledgement message received signal strength indication (RSSI);

in response to receiving the one or more help acknowledgement messages, selecting a best help acknowledgement message, the best help acknowledgement message having a highest help acknowledgement RSSI; and

in response to selecting the best help acknowledgement message, transmitting a set repeater message to a preferred neighbor RF network node of the one or more neighbor RF network nodes, the preferred neighbor RF network node having sent the best help acknowledgement message.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

calculating a repeater score based upon a respective repeater hop layer of the respective network RF node, a respective daughter count of the respective network RF node, and a respective repeater RF node heartbeat received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the respective repeater RF node heartbeat message from the respective network RF node; and

selecting a preferred repeater network RF node, the preferred repeater network RF node having a highest repeater score; and

in response to selecting the preferred repeater network RF node, transmitting a set repeater message to the preferred repeater network RF node.