Patent ID: 7802015

Claim:
A communications network comprising: a first heterogeneous element, comprising a processer and network interface, which produces a first output; a second heterogeneous element, comprising a processer and network interface connected to said first heterogeneous element, which produces a second output; wherein said first heterogeneous element provides a service to said second heterogeneous element to make said second output appear to be of an element that has the same time sentient nature as said first heterogeneous element, wherein first heterogeneous element is a fuller functional station having a set of features and is fully time sentient, where fully time sentient means said fuller functional station has a clock that is coordinated with the time of a third station, and wherein said second heterogeneous element is a lesser functional station having a reduced set of features than said fuller functional station and has a clock that cannot be coordinated with said third station and is equipped to send a Contextual Addressing Scheme message but cannot receive a Contextual Addressing Scheme message, said Contextual Addressing Scheme message has an idealized format comprising two mutually distinct components of [Contextual Function of Contextual Variables] and [Payload], wherein the service includes approximating, by said first heterogeneous element, said second output as a time output of a fuller functional station coordinated with said third station for said second heterogeneous element.