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Methodologies for determining one or more staged topologies for a communication network, communication networks implementing one or more staged topologies, and systems for determining one or more staged topologies for a communication network are provided. In one embodiment, a method of determining a

Methodologies for determining one or more staged topologies for a communication network, communication networks implementing one or more staged topologies, and systems for determining one or more staged topologies for a communication network are provided. In one embodiment, a method of determining a staged topology for a wireless communication network including a plurality of nodes, wherein the nodes are capable of transmitting and receiving signals on a plurality of frequencies, includes identifying a plurality of topologies comprising different subsets of available communication links among the nodes, associating a connection matrix with each identified topology, establishing one or more sequences of topologies using the identified topologies, multiplying the connection matrices associated with the topologies in each sequence of topologies to obtain a sequenced connection matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies, multiplying each sequenced connection matrix by a weighting matrix to obtain a total cost matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies, selecting one of the sequences of topologies as the staged topology based on the total cost matrices corresponding with each sequence of topologies, and assigning each topology included in the sequence of topologies selected as the staged topology to one of the frequencies, wherein at least two of the topologies are assigned different frequencies allowing concurrent in time stages.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method of determining a staged topology for a wireless communication network including a plurality of nodes, wherein said nodes are capable of transmitting and receiving signals on a plurality of frequencies, said method comprising: executing computer readable program code

What is claimed is: 1. A method of determining a staged topology for a wireless communication network including a plurality of nodes, wherein said nodes are capable of transmitting and receiving signals on a plurality of frequencies, said method comprising: executing computer readable program code with a processing device to enable said processing device to perform the steps of: identifying a plurality of topologies comprising different subsets of available communication links among the nodes; generating a staged topology for the network, wherein the staged topology comprises a sequence of two or more of the identified topologies and wherein information is communicatable among the nodes within the network via communication links arranged in accordance with the topologies included in the staged topology, wherein said generating comprises: associating a connection matrix with each identified topology, wherein the connection matrix associated with each topology includes a plurality of numerical elements cij, indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, and wherein each numerical element cij is a first value when there is a communication link between node i and node j and is a second value otherwise; establishing one or more sequences of topologies using the identified topologies; multiplying the connection matrices associated with the topologies in each sequence of topologies to obtain a sequenced connection matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies; determining which sequences of topologies produce a fully connected communication network by determining which sequences of topologies have corresponding sequenced connection matrices without any second value elements; choosing only the sequenced connection matrices corresponding with the sequences of topologies that produce a fully connected communication network for further consideration; multiplying each sequenced connection matrix by a weighting matrix to obtain a total cost matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies, wherein the weighting matrix includes a plurality of numerical elements wij, indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, and wherein each numerical element wij represents a relative cost associated with a communication link from node i to node j; and selecting one of the sequences of topologies as the staged topology based on the total cost matrices corresponding with each sequence of topologies; and assigning each topology included in the staged topology to one of the frequencies, wherein sequenced topologies are assigned different frequencies allowing concurrent in time stages. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing further enables said processing device to perform at least one of: (a) updating the staged topology for the communication network periodically, and (b) updating the staged topology for the communication network upon occurrence of an update triggering event; and wherein said executing further enables said processing device to reassign the frequencies assigned to each topology included in the staged topology following execution of one of said updating steps. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the nodes in the wireless communication network is equipped with a directional antenna. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein in said step of assigning, signal orthogonality of each topology included in a concurrent in time stage of the staged topology is maintained by one of frequency separation and code separation. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing further enables said processing device to perform the steps of: establishing the beaming capabilities at each node; and selecting a subset of the identified topologies meeting the beaming capabilities of each node for use as the identified topologies in said step of generating. 6. A wireless communication network implementing a staged topology, said network comprising: a plurality of separate nodes wherein said nodes are capable of transmitting and receiving signals on a plurality of frequencies; a plurality of topologies comprising different subsets of available communication links among the nodes; and a staged topology comprising a sequence of two or more of the topologies, wherein information is communicatable among the nodes within the network via communication links arranged in accordance with the topologies included in the staged topology, each topology included in the staged topology being assigned to one of the frequencies, wherein sequenced topologies are assigned different frequencies allowing concurrent in time stages; the staged topology being selected from one or more sequences of topologies based on total cost matrices corresponding with each sequence of topologies, wherein each sequence of topologies corresponds with a sequenced connection matrix obtained by multiplying connection matrices associated with the topologies in each sequence of topologies, wherein the connection matrix associated with each topology includes a plurality of numerical elements cij, indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, wherein each numerical element cij is a first value when there is a communication link between node i and node j and is a second value otherwise, wherein the total cost matrices are obtained by multiplying each sequenced connection matrix by a weighting matrix, wherein the weighting matrix includes a plurality of numerical elements wij indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, and wherein each numerical element wij represents a relative cost associated with a communication link from node i to node j. 7. The communication network of claim 6 wherein the staged topology produces a fully connected communication network. 8. The communication network of claim 6 wherein the staged topology for the communication network is periodically updated and the frequencies assigned to each topology included in the staged topology are periodically reassigned. 9. The communication network of claim 6 wherein the staged topology for the communication network is updated and the frequencies assigned to each topology included in the staged topology are reassigned upon occurrence of an update triggering event. 10. The communication network of claim 6 wherein one or more of the nodes in the wireless network is equipped with a directional antenna. 11. The communication network of claim 6 wherein signal orthogonality of each topology in a concurrent stage of the staged topology is maintained by one of frequency separation and code separation. 12. The communication network of claim 6 wherein each node has an associated beaming capability and wherein the sequence of two or more of the topologies comprising the staged topology is selected from a subset of the plurality of topologies meeting the beaming capabilities of each node. 13. A system for implementing a staged topology in a wireless communication network including a plurality of nodes, wherein said nodes are capable of transmitting and receiving signals on a plurality of frequencies, said system comprising: computer readable program code stored on a data storage device, the computer readable program code including: computer readable program code enabling a computer processor to identify a plurality of topologies comprising different subsets of available communication links among the nodes; computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to associate a connection matrix with each identified topology; computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to establish one or more sequences of topologies using the identified topologies; computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to multiply the connection matrices associated with the topologies in each sequence of topologies to obtain a sequenced connection matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies; computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to multiply each sequenced connection matrix by a weighting matrix to obtain a total cost matrix corresponding with each sequence of topologies; computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to select one of the sequences of topologies as the staged topology based on the total cost matrices corresponding with each sequence of topologies; and computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to assign each topology included in the sequence of topologies selected as the staged topology to one of the frequencies, wherein at least two of the topologies are assigned different frequencies allowing concurrent in time stages. 14. The system of claim 13 further comprising: computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to determine which sequences of topologies produce a fully connected communication network; and computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to choose only the sequenced connection matrices corresponding with the sequences of topologies that produce a fully connected communication network for further consideration. 15. The system of claim 14 further comprising: at least one of: (a) computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to periodically update the staged topology for the communication network; and (b) computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to update the staged topology for the communication network upon occurrence of an update triggering event; and computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to reassign the frequencies assigned to each topology included in the sequence of topologies selected as the staged topology following an update to the staged topology. 16. The system of claim 15 further comprising: computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to establish the beaming capabilities at each node; and computer readable program code enabling the computer processor to select a subset of the identified topologies meeting the beaming capabilities of each node for use in place of the identified topologies. 17. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer processor is included in a controller unit that controls operation of the communication network. 18. The system of claim 13 wherein the connection matrix associated with each topology includes a plurality of numerical elements cij, indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, and wherein each numerical element cij is a first value when there is a communication link between node i and node j and is a second value otherwise, and wherein the weighting matrix includes a plurality of numerical elements wij, indexed by row i and column j where i represents the first of a pair of nodes in the network and j represents the second of a pair of nodes in the network, and wherein each numerical element wij represents a relative cost associated with a communication link from node i to node j. 19. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer readable program code that enables the computer processor to select one of the sequences of topologies as the staged topology only selects a sequence of topologies as the staged topology that produces a fully connected communication network. 20. The system of claim 13 wherein one or more of the nodes in the wireless network is equipped with a directional antenna.