Patent ID: 8711743

Claim:
A node configured to generate or receive, process and transmit information packets in a network with embedded devices using at least one of heterogeneous data formats and protocols at different network layers, the node comprising: a protocol selector component configured to plug-in and select a protocol, the protocol selector component comprising memory for storage of protocol rules that specify when the protocol can be used, the protocol selector component being further configured to: count for each protocol in the memory an amount of the protocol rules that is satisfied by the packet; and select the one or more protocols for processing the packet as the one or more protocols with highest amount of satisfied protocol rules; for each information packet, the node is configured to dynamically determine and select one or more of a plurality of protocols for processing the packet in the node based on protocol rules that specify when a protocol can be used, and activate at runtime the one or more selected protocols for processing the packet; and wherein at least two different protocols of the plurality of protocols are selectable and activateable by the node for processing two different packets for the same network layer.