Patent ID: 8077603
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A node comprising: a plurality of IEEE 1394 subnet interfaces for connecting to a plurality of IEEE 1394 buses, wherein each of the plurality of IEEE 1394 subnet interfaces comprises a respective IEEE 1394 physical layer for establishing a physical layer connection with a respective one of the plurality of IEEE 1394 buses and a respective IEEE 1394 link layer for communicating over the respective one of the plurality of IEEE 1394 buses, wherein at least the IEEE 1394 physical layers for the plurality of subnet interfaces do not share hardware; at least one programmable processor that executes software that comprises common network layer functionality that interacts with all of the plurality of IEEE 1394 subnet interfaces and routes IEEE 1394 data packets among the plurality of IEEE 1394 buses.