# US 2014/0192689 A1 · Node and a wireless sensor network comprising the node > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192689 A1 - Document ID: US20140192689A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,902 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-17 - Assignees: Universiteit Gent; Iminds VZW - Applicants: Universiteit Gent; Iminds Vzw - Inventors: Eli DE POORTER; Ingrid Alice Robert MOERMAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192689A1 ## CPC - H04L 69/18: Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04W 4/00: Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A computer-implemented method to generate or receive, process and transmit information packets in a node that is in a network with embedded devices using at least one of heterogeneous data formats and protocols at different network layers. The method includes, for each packet, steps of dynamically determining and selecting by the node one or more of a plurality of protocols for processing the packet in the node based on protocol rules that specify when a protocol can be used; and activating by the node at runtime the one or more selected protocols for processing the packet. At least two different protocols of the plurality of protocols are selectable and activateable by the node for processing two different packets for the same network layer. A node configured to perform the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A node able to generate or receive, process and transmit information packets in a network with embedded devices using at least one of heterogeneous data formats and protocols at different network layers, wherein for each information packet the node is configured to: dynamically determine and select one or more of a plurality of protocols for processing the packet in the node based on protocol rules that specify when a protocol can be used; and activate at runtime the one or more selected protocols for processing the packet, and wherein at least two different protocols of the plurality of protocols are selectable and activateable by the node for processing two different packets for the same network layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The node according to claim 1, comprising an information interaction specification module configured to specify the interaction with the generated or received information packets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The node according to claim 2, wherein the information interaction specification module comprises an information facade containing information descriptors for each type of information packet, the information facade being configured to interpret content of the generated or received information packets based on the information decriptors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The node according to claim 3, wherein the information facade is further configured to generate a protocol independent information container. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The node according to claim 4, wherein the protocol independent information container contains generated or received information of plural protocols and/or network layers having a same destination or next hop information attribute. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The node according to claim 4, further comprising an information container converter configured to convert an information container thereby removing overhead of at least one of plural protocols and layers from the information container thereto using the information descriptors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The node according to claim 1, further comprising a single queue for protocol independent storage of the generated or received information packets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The node according to claim 7, further comprising a queue manager that handles information stored in the queue based on quality of service. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The node according to claim 1, further comprising a protocol selector configured to plug-in and select a protocol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The node according to claim 9, wherein the protocol selector comprises memory for storage of protocol rules that specify when a selected protocol can be used. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The node according to claim 10, wherein, for each generated or received information packet, the protocol selector is further configured to: count for each protocol in the memory an amount of the protocol rules that is satisfied by the packet, and select the one or more protocols for processing the packet as the one or more protocols with a highest amount of satisfied protocol rules. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The node according to claim 1, wherein the node is configured to associate plural communication interfaces of the node with a single Medium Access Control or MAC protocol. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A wireless sensor network comprising one or more nodes as recited in claim 1. ### Claim 14 A computer-implemented method to generate or receive, process and transmit information packets in a node that is in a network with embedded devices using at least one of heterogeneous data formats and protocols at different network layers, the method comprising: for each packet: dynamically determining and selecting by the node one or more of a plurality of protocols for processing the packet in the node based on protocol rules that specify when a protocol can be used; and activating by the node at runtime the one or more selected protocols for processing the packet, wherein at least two different protocols of the plurality of protocols are selectable and activateable by the node for processing two different packets for the same network layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising specifying by an information interaction specification module interaction with each of the generated or received information packets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, further comprising interpreting by an information facade of the information interaction specification module content of the generated or received information packets based on information descriptors for each type of information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-implemented method according to claim 16, further comprising generating by the information facade a protocol independent information container. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-implemented method according to claim 17, wherein the protocol independent information container contains generated or received information of plural protocols and/or network layers having a same destination or next hop information attribute. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer-implemented method according to claim 17, further comprising converting an information container by an information container converter by removing overhead of at least one of plural protocols and layers from the information container using the information descriptors. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising storing the generated or received information of the packets independent of the protocol in a single queue. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer-implemented method according to claim 20, wherein a queue manager handles the information stored in the single queue based on quality of service. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising plugging-in and selecting a protocol by a protocol selector. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The computer-implemented method according to claim 22, further comprising determining by the protocol selector when a protocol is usable based on protocol rules stored in a memory of the protocol selector. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer-implemented method according to claim 23, wherein dynamically determining and selecting the one or more protocols comprises: for each packet: counting by the protocol selector for each protocol in the memory an amount of the protocol rules that is satisfied by the packet, and selecting by the protocol selector the one or more protocols for processing the packet as the one or more protocols with a highest amount of satisfied protocol rules. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising associating by the node plural communication interfaces of the node with a single Medium Access Control or MAC protocol. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein dynamically determining and selecting the one or more protocols for processing the packet comprises checking if the packet has an attribute matching a filter added by a protocol during protocol registration.