Patent ID: 9077558
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. In a network having a plurality of Intelligent Electrical Devices (IEDs), a method of transferring data from an Access Point (AP) through a first 4 Address (4A) mode wireless interface having originator, transmitter, receiver and destination address fields, to at least one of a plurality of Intelligent Electrical Devices (IEDs) connected to a Client/Bridge through a second wired interface, said method comprising: determining a unique Media Access Control (MAC) number for each of the AP and the Client/Bridge; determining, by the Client/Bridge, the device MAC numbers for each of the plurality of IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge through the second wired interface and storing, at the Client/Bridge, context cache information representing the device MAC numbers of each IED connected to the Client/Bridge, wherein the step of determining comprises monitoring by the Client/Bridge inter-IED communication generated by the plurality of IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge through the second wired interface; transferring from the Client/Bridge to the AP the context cache information when the Client/Bridge detects a change in the plurality of IEDs through said monitoring, said transferring using the first 4 Address (4A) mode wireless interface; storing a copy of the context cache information at the AP; populating the originator, transmitter, receiver and destination address fields of the first 4 Address (4A) mode wireless interface with a sender IED MAC identifying a sender IED in the network, the AP MAC, the Client/Bridge MAC and the device MAC uniquely identifying the at least one of the plurality of IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge through the second wired interface, respectively; sending the data from the AP to the Client/Bridge; converting, at the Client/Bridge, the data from the first 4 Address (4A) mode wireless interface to the second wired interface; and sending the data from the Client/Bridge to the at least one of the plurality of IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge identified by the device MAC in the destination address field; wherein, if the Client/Bridge experiences an interruption of operation, the AP transfers the most recent context cache information stored at the AP to the Client/Bridge to facilitate rapid recovery of the Client/Bridge.