System and Method for Support of One-Way Endpoints in Two-Way Wireless Networks

A system for two-way automatic sensor data collection, the system comprising:

• at least one one-way automatic sensor, each one-way automatic sensor coupled to a corresponding one-way endpoint;
• at least one two-way automatic sensor, each two-way sensor coupled to a corresponding two-way endpoint;
• an endpoint proxy device configured to receive data from the at least one one-way automatic sensor and the at least one two-way automatic sensor, the endpoint proxy device including hardware circuitry configured to implement:
• a remote endpoint interface module configured to wirelessly receive, via the hardware circuitry, one-way transmissions originated from each of the at least one one-way endpoints, the one-way transmissions including sensor data from the at least one sensor transmitted in via a one-way communications protocol;
• and
• a remote endpoint virtualization module operatively coupled with the remote endpoint interface module and configured to store sensor data received in the one-way transmissions for a first assigned one-way endpoint of the at least one one-way endpoints, and transmit a sensor data report based on the sensor data for the first assigned one-way endpoint, wherein the sensor data report is transmitted via a two-way communications protocol.

A method for operating a system of wirelessly-connected nodes, the method comprising:

• providing at least one one-way automatic sensor, each one-way automatic sensor coupled to a corresponding one-way endpoint;
• providing at least one two-way automatic sensor, each two-way sensor coupled to a corresponding two-way endpoint;
• receiving data from the at least one one-way automatic sensor and the at least one two-way automatic sensor at an endpoint proxy device, the endpoint proxy device including hardware circuitry that implements a remote endpoint interface module configured to wirelessly receive, via the hardware circuitry, one-way transmissions originated from each of the at least one one-way endpoints, the one-way transmissions including sensor data from the at least one sensor transmitted in a one-way communications protocol;
• associating each one-way endpoint of the at least one one-way endpoints with a corresponding virtual endpoint ID by the endpoint proxy device using a remote endpoint virtualization module implemented in the hardware circuitry of the endpoint proxy device,
• storing, via the hardware circuitry of the endpoint proxy device, sensor data received in the one-way transmissions for a first assigned one-way endpoint of the at least one one-way endpoint,
• transmitting, via the hardware circuitry of the endpoint proxy device and a wireless network, a sensor data report based on the sensor data for the first assigned one-way endpoint, wherein the sensor data report is transmitted via a two-way communications protocol;
• and
• executing, via the hardware circuitry of the endpoint proxy device, a first command on behalf of a one-way endpoint associated with a first virtual endpoint ID in response to receiving a first command from the first virtual endpoint ID.