Apparatus and method for intelligent routing of data between a remote device and a host system
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.
1 . A method of end-to end data communications where data is transported via incompatible transmission formats in a transparent manner between a remote device and a host communication network using a wireless communications link, said remote device and said wireless communications link being connected to a mobile data controller, said host communication network and said wireless communications link being interfaced by a network interface device logically residing on said host communication network as a protocol-appropriate communications controller, said method comprising the steps of:
converting data to be transported between said remote device and said host communication network, said converting step converting said transported data between a remote device transmission format utilized by said remote device and one of a plurality of digital and analog wireless link transmission formats utilized by said wireless communications link;
transporting said transported data over said wireless communications link in accordance with said one of said wireless link transmission formats;
receiving said transport data from said wireless communications link;
converting said transported data between said one of said wireless link transmission formats and a network interface format utilized by said network interface device, said one of said wireless link transmission formats and said host network format being incompatible;
further converting said transported data between said network interface format and a host network format utilized by said host communication network; and
forwarding said transported data to said host communication network in accordance with said host network format.