# US 2006/0234636 A1 · Wireless network virtual station address translation with external data source > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2006/0234636 A1 - Document ID: US20060234636A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/021,890 - Filed: 2004-12-23 - Published: 2006-10-19 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-30 - Assignees: Comunication Machinery Comporation - Inventors: Douglas Miller; Ken Balmy; Jeff Bechdol - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20060234636A1 ## CPC - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 61/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming - H04L 61/25: of the same type - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method and system for the capture of data files transmitted over a wired network by a data traffic generator. The mapping and/or translation of network addressing data contained within the captured data frames is such that the frames, when transferred over the wireless medium, appear to have originated from one of a population of emulated wireless stations. The mapping and/or translation of network addressing data contained in data frames received over the wireless medium directed to a specific emulated wireless station is such that the frames, when transmitted over the wired network, appear to be destined for the data traffic generator. The mapping and/or translation function is applied as frames traverse the boundary between the external data source network interface and the wireless network interface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of testing a wireless system or device, comprising: defining a population of emulated virtual wireless stations configured as to capture and forward data traffic generated by or addressed to an external data traffic generator; and performing address translation between the emulated virtual wireless stations and counterpart data streams to and from the external data traffic generator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual wireless stations are further configured to capture data traffic at either layer 2 or layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method in of claim 1 further comprising: performing address translation to map external data traffic addressed to the virtual wireless stations; establishing wireless communication sessions between the virtual wireless stations and a wireless system under test; and passing data frames between an external load generator and the wireless system under test. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: translating the address of an incoming frame originating from the external data traffic generator to the address of a one of the virtual wireless stations; and transmitting the incoming frame as a wireless data frame over a wireless medium to a wireless device under test. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a frame from a wireless device under test translating the virtual wireless station address of the frame received from the wireless device under test to an address recognizable by the external data traffic generator; and transmitting the received frame as an ethernet frame to the external data traffic generator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: searching an address translation table for a MAC source address of the an incoming frame, the searching including locating a matching table entry in the address translation table confirming that the emulated virtual wireless station is configured for layer 2 data capture, and is in a state that allows for data flow, preparing the incoming frame for transmission over a wireless medium and passing the prepared incoming frame to a wireless network interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method in of claim 6 wherein the incoming frame is prepared for translation as a wireless data frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: searching an address translation table for a MAC source address of an incoming frame, the searching including checking whether there is a matching table entry in the address translation table if no matching table entry is found in the address translation table, examining a header field of the incoming frame for an encapsulated IP packet, and, if a matching IP packet is found, searching the address translation table for an IP destination address of the incoming frame; and if a matching table entry is found in the address translation table and the matching table entry indicates that the corresponding emulated virtual wireless station is configured for layer 3 data capture and is in a state that allows for data flow, rewriting a MAC destination address of the incoming frame to an external host's MAC address for the emulated virtual wireless station; preparing the incoming frame for transmission, and passing the incoming frame to the external data network interface for transmission. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a data traffic generator configured to generate frames for transmission over an ethernet link and receive data frames transmitted to it over the ethernet link; a load generator including a collection of emulated wireless stations, each wireless station configured to prepare data for transmission to a wireless device over a wireless medium; and an address translator configured to translate a source address of an ethernet frame originated by the data traffic generator to the address of one of the emulated wireless stations; and translate a destination address of a wireless data frame addressed to a virtual wireless station corresponding to a data stream originated by the data traffic generator to the address established for use by the data stream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein: each emulated wireless station is further configured to receive wireless data frames from the wireless device; and the address translator is further configured to translate a first address of the wireless data frame received from the wireless device to a second address of the load generator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the load generator further includes an address translation table to store the addresses of the emulated wireless stations.