Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 7027426, a review of its patent citations, as provided in the patent text, has been conducted. The patent 7027426 itself describes a "Multi-channel mobile ad hoc network" with a core inventive feature being the use of a plurality of electrically separate wireless channels for route discovery and selection. The analysis below for each cited patent focuses on whether its title and general description suggest this multi-channel aspect.

Here are the patent citations and their potential for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US7027426

1. US5412654A

• Full Citation: US5412654A, "Highly dynamic destination-sequenced destination vector routing for mobile computers", International Business Machines Corporation.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1994-01-10; Publication Date: 1995-05-02.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a highly dynamic destination-sequenced destination vector (DSDV) routing for mobile computers.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference pertains to general ad-hoc routing protocols, specifically DSDV. While it establishes prior art for fundamental concepts of routing in mobile ad-hoc networks, its title and known description do not indicate the use of "multiple electrically separate wireless channels" for route discovery and selection, which is a central feature of US7027426's claims. Therefore, it would potentially anticipate the broader aspects of mobile ad-hoc network operation (e.g., presence of nodes, communication links, routing), but not the specific multi-channel features detailed in claims 1, 8, and 18, which specify operations over "a plurality of electrically separate wireless channels".

2. US5987011A

• Full Citation: US5987011A, "Routing method for Ad-Hoc mobile networks", Chai-Keong Toh.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1996-08-30; Publication Date: 1999-11-16.
• Brief Description: This patent details a routing method designed for ad-hoc mobile networks.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US5412654A, this patent broadly covers routing methods in ad-hoc mobile networks. Its title does not suggest the multi-channel routing paradigm (i.e., operations across a "plurality of electrically separate wireless channels") as defined in the claims of US7027426. It could potentially anticipate general elements of ad-hoc network structure and basic routing procedures, but likely not the specific multi-channel route discovery and selection processes that differentiate US7027426.

3. US6308843B1

• Full Citation: US6308843B1, "Foldable clothes-lines", Barry R. De Boer.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1998-04-30; Publication Date: 2001-10-30.
• Brief Description: This patent describes foldable clothes-lines.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): The title of this patent, "Foldable clothes-lines," indicates that it is completely unrelated to communication networks or mobile ad hoc networks. Therefore, it is highly unlikely to anticipate any claims of US7027426. This appears to be a clerical error in the patent's citation list.

4. US6304556B1

• Full Citation: US6304556B1, "Routing and mobility management protocols for ad-hoc networks", Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1998-08-24; Publication Date: 2001-10-16.
• Brief Description: This patent discloses routing and mobility management protocols specifically for ad-hoc networks, including the Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP).
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent covers ad-hoc routing, specifically mentioning ZRP, which US7027426 notes as a protocol to which its invention can be applied. However, the title and general description do not clearly indicate the use of "multiple electrically separate wireless channels" for routing purposes as a defining characteristic. It may anticipate general ad-hoc network routing mechanisms, but not the specific multi-channel features described in US7027426's claims.

5. US6385174B1

• Full Citation: US6385174B1, "Method and apparatus for transmission of node link status messages throughout a network with reduced communication protocol overhead traffic", Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1999-11-12; Publication Date: 2002-05-07.
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on methods and apparatus for transmitting node link status messages with reduced communication protocol overhead in a network.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While this patent addresses network communication and efficiency, its title does not suggest the distinctive multi-channel routing described in US7027426. It likely relates to managing network information efficiently, but not specifically to route discovery or selection across multiple distinct electrical channels. Therefore, it is unlikely to anticipate the multi-channel aspects of US7027426's claims.

6. US20010033556A1

• Full Citation: US20010033556A1, "Scalable unidirectional routing with zone routing protocol extensions for mobile AD-HOC networks", Srikanth Krishnamurthy.
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2000-02-12; Publication Date: 2001-10-25.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes scalable unidirectional routing, particularly with extensions to the Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP), for mobile ad-hoc networks.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US6304556B1, this reference builds upon ZRP for ad-hoc networks, focusing on scalability and unidirectional routing. Its title does not indicate the explicit use of "multiple electrically separate wireless channels" for routing. While it contributes to the general field of ad-hoc network routing, it does not appear to anticipate the specific multi-channel features claimed in US7027426.

Summary of Potential Anticipation:

Based on the titles and general descriptions of the cited patents, none of them overtly disclose the core inventive concept of US7027426: performing route discovery and selection over a plurality of electrically separate wireless channels. The cited patents primarily focus on various aspects of routing within a single-channel ad-hoc network context or general network management. Therefore, while these patents may establish prior art for general components of a mobile ad hoc network (e.g., nodes, links, routing protocols), they do not appear to anticipate the distinguishing multi-channel features explicitly recited in most of US7027426's claims (e.g., claims 1, 8, and 18, and their dependent claims, which rely on the multi-channel aspect). A definitive determination of anticipation would require a detailed, claim-by-claim comparison against the full disclosure of each cited reference.