Patent ID: 8054838

Claim:
A method of transmitting data using time division multiplexing via a multi-protocol single-medium network, applied to a single channel for transmitting a plurality of packets of different network protocols, the method comprising: receiving a first data packet and a second data packet by a physical layer wherein the physical layer is coupled to the multi-protocol single-medium network; identifying the first data packet is in a first protocol by utilizing a protocol determination unit to recognize a first protocol marker in the first data packet corresponding to the first protocol of the first data packet, wherein the protocol determination unit is logically coupled between the physical layer and media access control (MAC) layers of the network protocols; forwarding the first data packet to a first media access control (MAC) layer process corresponding to a first protocol stack after removing the first protocol marker; identifying the second data packet is in a second protocol by utilizing the protocol determination unit to recognize a second protocol marker in the second data packet corresponding to the second protocol of the second data packet, wherein the second protocol marker is different from the first protocol marker indicating the first protocol and second protocol are distinct; and forwarding the second data packet to a second media access control (MAC) layer process corresponding to a second protocol stack after removing the second protocol marker.