Patent ID: 8700815

Claim:
A portable endpoint device for use on a network, comprising: a first virtual device and a second virtual device integrated in a same single unit and configured such that the first virtual device and the second virtual device are configured to allow communication therewith as virtually different physical devices despite being integrated in the same single unit; circuitry; and a transceiver in communication with the circuitry, the portable endpoint device configured to cause the transceiver to: receive, directly endpoint-to-endpoint over a shared wireless area communication medium utilizing at least one channel without passing through any intermediate node such that no wireless routing occurs therebetween over the shared wireless area communication medium, a first signal from another endpoint device without being wireless sly routed therethrough to indicate the availability of the another endpoint device for attachment over the shared wireless area communication medium, the first signal including a unique device identifier of the another endpoint device; send, to the another endpoint device directly endpoint-to-endpoint over the shared wireless area communication medium without passing through any intermediate node such that no wireless routing occurs therebetween over the hared wireless area communication medium, a second signal utilizing first scheduling-related information, the second signal including a first one of a plurality of identifiers for unique identification in association with the portable endpoint device; receive, from the another endpoint device directly endpoint-to-endpoint over the shared wireless area communication medium without passing through any intermediate node such that no wireless routing occurs therebetween over the shared wireless area communication medium, a third signal that is sent in response to the second signal, the third signal including the first one of the identifiers for unique identification in association with the portable endpoint device; and receive, from the another endpoint device directly endpoint-to-endpoint over the shared wireless area communication medium utilizing at least one other channel different from the at least one channel without passing through any intermediate node such that no wireless routing occurs therebetween over the shared wireless area communication medium, data utilizing a second one of the identifiers for identification in association with the portable endpoint device, for data transfer in connection with a group owned by the another endpoint device and including at least the portable endpoint device and the another endpoint device.