METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMMUNICATING DATA

1 . A method for communicating data, said method comprising:

transmitting a first request from a first device to an embedded device via a first network using a first protocol, the first request including a second request formatted according to a second protocol; and

transmitting the second request from the embedded device to a second device via a second network using the second protocol.

2 . A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a first response from the second device to the embedded device via the second network using the second protocol; and

transmitting a second response from the embedded device to the first device via the first network using the first protocol, the second response including the first response.

3 . A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein transmitting a first request an embedded device further comprises:

generating the first request, wherein the first request further includes a request wrapper; and

transmitting the first request to the embedded device via the first network using the first protocol.

4 . A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein transmitting the second request to the second device further comprises:

reading routing information from the first request; and

routing the second request to the second device via the second network using the second protocol, wherein the second request is routed according to the routing information.

5 . A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein transmitting a first response to the embedded device further comprises:

interpreting the second request;

generating the first response; and

transmitting the first response to the embedded device via the second network using the second protocol.

6 . A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising:

generating the second response, wherein the second response further includes a response wrapper; and

transmitting the response to the first device via the first network using the first protocol.

7 . A system for communicating data over a plurality of networks using a plurality of transport protocols, said system comprising:

a plurality of devices;

at least one embedded device communicatively coupled to a first device of said plurality of devices via a first network and to a second device of said plurality of devices via a second network, said at least one embedded device configured to:

receive a first request from said first device using a first transport protocol, wherein the first request comprises a second request formatted according to a second transport protocol; and

transmit the second request to said second device using the second protocol.

8 . A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein each device of said plurality of devices is configured to generate the first request, wherein the first request further comprises a request wrapper.

9 . A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein the request wrapper comprises routing information for transporting the second request through said at least one embedded device to said second device.

10 . A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said at least one embedded device is further configured to:

process the routing information from the second request; and

transmit the second request to said second device according to the routing information and using the second transport protocol.

11 . A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said second device is configured to:

interpret the second request;

generate a first response, the first response formatted according to the second transport protocol; and

transmit the first response to said at least one embedded device using the second transport protocol.

12 . A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said at least one embedded device is further configured to:

generate a second response comprising the first response and a response wrapper; and

transmit the second response to said first device using the first transport protocol.

13 . A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the response wrapper comprises a count of responses to the first request and a network address corresponding to said second device.

14 . A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said at least one embedded device is an automation controller.

15 . A method for using an embedded device to transport protocol data units (PDUs) of multiple protocols over multiple networks, the embedded device including at least one network interface configured to communicate with a first device of a plurality of devices via a first network using a first protocol and with a second device of the plurality of devices via a second network using a second protocol, said method comprising:

receiving a request from the first device via the first network using the first protocol, the request including a request PDU formatted according to the second protocol; and

routing the request PDU to the second device, wherein the request includes a network address of the second device, and wherein the request PDU is routed to the second device via the second network using the second protocol.

16 . A method of operating an embedded device in accordance with claim 15 , said method further comprising:

receiving a response PDU from the second device via the second network using the second protocol;

routing the response PDU to the first device via the first network using the first protocol.

17 . A method of operating an embedded device in accordance with claim 15 wherein receiving a request from the first device further comprises packaging the request PDU and a request wrapper to generate the request, wherein the request wrapper includes routing information for transporting the request PDU to the second device.

18 . A method of operating an embedded device in accordance with claim 17 wherein routing the request PDU to the second device further comprises:

reading the routing information from the request PDU; and

transmitting the request PDU to the second device using the routing information, wherein the request PDU is transmitted through the at least one network interface to the second device via the second network using the second protocol.

19 . A method of operating an embedded device in accordance with claim 16 wherein routing the response PDU to the first device further comprises packaging the response PDU and a response wrapper to generate a response, wherein the response wrapper includes a count of response PDUs and a network address for each response PDU corresponding to the second device.

20 . A method of operating an embedded device in accordance with claim 19 wherein the embedded device is an automation controller, said method further comprising routing the response to the first device via the first network using the first protocol.