Patent ID: 7924791
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A master unit for managing a star topology networking connection with a plurality of slave units, comprising: a first processor configured to execute a master unit application that allocates a first and second logical channel identifier data to slave unit communications, the first logical channel identifier data assigned for inclusion in a field of a data packet communication to indicate that the communication is a slave-to-master data packet communication and the second logical channel identifier data assigned for inclusion in a field of the data packet communication to indicate that the communication is a slave-to-slave data packet communication; a second processor configured to manage master unit communications with the slave units over the star topology networking connection; and a communications link within the master unit between the first and second processors; and the second processor including a switching functionality which processes a data packet communication received from one of the slave units, determines whether the field contains the first or second logical channel identifier data, and the second processor configured to: send the data packet communication to the first processor over the communications link for handling in accordance with the application if the field contains the first logical channel identifier data, and reroute, without sending to the first processor over the communications link, the data packet communication for transmission from the master unit to one of the slave units if the field contains the second logical channel identifier data.