Patent ID: 8891504

Claim:
A device adapter, comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit data from a real time device via a network according to a time frame, wherein the time frame is substantially synchronized in the device adapter and at least one other device adapter, the time frame repeating periodically and including a plurality of assigned time phases and a free access phase, wherein the device adapter is configured to transmit data during at least one of an assigned time phase associated with the device adapter prior to transmission of data from the real-time device by the device adapter, and included in the plurality of assigned time phases, or the free access phase, to refrain from transmitting data during time phases of the plurality of assigned time phases that are not associated with the device adapter, and to be able to determine whether to transmit or defer transmission of data during the assigned time phase associated with the device adapter and the free access phase to allow the another device to transmit data.