Radio frequency local area network

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.

1 . A multi-hop data communication network having RF capability comprising:
 a plurality of terminal nodes; and   a plurality of bridging nodes which dynamically create and revise communication pathways between any two nodes in the network, each of the bridging nodes independently storing and maintaining local information that specifies how communication traffic should flow through that bridging node, and the plurality of bridging nodes, together, providing a complete specification for the communication pathways in the multi-hop communication network.   
     
     
         2 - 17 . (canceled)