Apparatus and method for bridging a wired network and wireless devices
US7099295B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W88/08
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A bridge apparatus is provided for interfacing or bridging between a wired network having wired communication devices and wireless devices. The bridge apparatus of the present invention is typically used in a warehouse inventory control system. In one embodiment, the bridge apparatus includes two more radios having different modalities in order to provide different modality and/or types of coverage to different wireless devices. In another embodiment, a single bridge apparatus offers different coverage areas. The bridge apparatus has a filter device for filtering data received from the wired network, and forwards the filtered data to a wireless device. Thus, data can be forwarded to the wireless devices from the wired network without a need for protocol conversion. In another embodiment, a bridge apparatus functions both as an access point to filter data received from the wired network, and as a base station to convert protocol information included in data received from the wired network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.