US 6,418,324 B1 · Apparatus and method for transparent wireless communication between a remote device and host system

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for transparent communication between a remote or mobile device and a fixed communication host network. The apparatus and method may include a remote network controller that logically resides between the host network and the existing infrastructure(s) that are used to provide communications network contact with one or more remote devices. The remote network controller is connected to the host communication network as a protocol-appropriate communications controller so that remote devices are indistinguishable to the host network from the locally-attached devices. Each remote device may be provided with an asynchronous serial data interface to communicate with a mobile data controller. The mobile data controller, in combination with the remote network controller, provides end-to-end data communication such that incompatible protocols are transparent to the remote device and host communication network. A router may be provided which selects a communications network in accordance with user configured parameters. The router communicates over a plurality of incompatible networks and is capable of using a variety of different protocols. Switching between the plurality of incompatible networks is transparent to the remote device and host communication network.

Claims72

Dependent claims

A method of dynamically routing data in a system comprising a first device and a plurality of remote devices, the first device being connected to a plurality of parallel wireless networks so that the plurality of networks can be monitored during a transmission, each of the remote devices being connected to one parallel wireless network or the plurality of parallel wireless networks so that the plurality of networks can be monitored during the transmission, the method comprising:

maintaining active networks between the first device and at least one of the remote devices, at least two of the plurality of parallel wireless networks being autonomous, dissimilar, connected to both the first device and the remote device, and available for data transmission;
monitoring the status of the plurality of parallel dissimilar wireless networks;
transmitting over a first available network as needed;
switching from the first network to a second available network;
transmitting over the second network;
receiving over the first available network as needed;
and
receiving over the second network,
wherein the transmission between the first device and the remote device occurs while switching from the first network to the second network.

6 more elements

A system for end-to-end data communications where data is transported between a local device and a plurality of remote devices using at least one of a plurality of parallel wireless networks, at least two of the networks being dissimilar, autonomous, and connected to both the local device and each of the remote devices so that the plurality of networks can be monitored during a transmission, which includes transmitting and receiving, the system comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces, each network interface interfacing the local device with one of the networks, the network interface comprising a local device protocol-appropriate communications controller connected to the local device;
and
a router that interfaces at least one of the plurality of dissimilar parallel wireless networks to the plurality of remote devices, the router comprising a monitoring system that monitors the status of the plurality of dissimilar networks,
wherein the transmission can occur over the plurality of parallel dissimilar networks when a single transmission is initiated, and
wherein the transmission occurs while the system switches from a first one of the plurality of parallel dissimilar networks to a second one of the plurality of parallel dissimilar networks and while the system switches back to the first one of the plurality of parallel dissimilar networks.

2 more elements

A computer readable medium storing a program for dynamically routing data in a system comprising a first device and a plurality of remote devices, the first device being connected to a plurality of parallel wireless communications links so that the plurality of communications links can be monitored during a transmission, each of the remote devices being connected to one parallel wireless communications link or the plurality of parallel wireless communications links so that the plurality of communications links can be monitored during the transmission, comprising:

maintaining active communications links between the first device and at least one of the remote devices, at least two of the plurality of parallel wireless communications links being autonomous, dissimilar, connected to both the first device and the remote device, and available for data transmission;
contemporaneously monitoring the status of the plurality of parallel dissimilar wireless communication links;
transmitting over a first available communications link as needed;
switching from the first communications link to a second available communications link;
transmitting over the second communications link;
receiving over the first available communications link as needed;
and
receiving over the second communications link,
wherein the transmission between the first device and the remote device occurs while switching from the first communications link to the second communications link.

6 more elements

maintaining active communications links between the first device and at least one of the remote devices, at least two of the plurality of parallel wireless communications links being autonomous, dissimilar, connected to both the first device and the remote device, and available for data transmission;
monitoring the status of the plurality of parallel dissimilar wireless communications links;
transmitting over a first available communications link as needed;
receiving over a second available communications link as needed;
switching from the first communications link to a third available communications link;
and
transmitting over the third communications link;
wherein the transmission between the first device and the remote device occurs while switching from the first communications link to the third communications link.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for transparent wireless communication between a remote device and host system

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for transparent wireless communication between a remote device and host system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims72