Importance

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for automatically and autonomously forming a wireless personal area network (WPAN) from an array of intercommunicating personal area network (PAN) devices. The devices comprise first communicators associated with primary functions of the devices and second communicators coupled to the first communicators for determining a subset of the devices meeting predetermined association criteria, from which subset the first communicators form the WPAN. In a preferred embodiment, the second communicators include range measuring transceivers and processors coupled to the transceivers that cooperate to determine range and relative motion of elements within communication range of the first communicators for comparison to range and relative motion association criteria stored in one or more of the devices. Memory is desirably included for storing the association criteria. The subset of devices automatically elects a master device that communicates with the other devices of the subset to form the WPAN.

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First Claim