Patent ID: 7408944

Claim:
In a system having an application controller, a wired device in a wired network coupled to said application controller via a first serial port, one or more wireless modems in a wireless network, each wireless modem is coupled to a corresponding host controller via a corresponding serial port, said wireless modems for communicating via a corresponding wireless link, a gateway module for enabling communication between said wired network and said wireless network having a wired modem for communicating with said wired device via a wired network link and a wireless module coupled to said wired modem via a second serial port and having a wireless transceiver and communications controller; a method for enabling communication between said wired and said wireless network and between said host controllers and said application controller comprising the steps of: initializing said wireless module for preparing said gateway module to accept communication via said wireless link; managing communication for four operating modes of said gateway module, each mode representing a different connection state of said wired modem and said wireless module comprising: managing communication for a first mode wherein said wired modem is not connected to said application controller and said wireless modem is not connected to one of said host controllers; managing communication for a second mode wherein said wired modem is connected to said application controller and said wireless module is not connected to one of said host controllers; managing communication for a third mode wherein said wireless modem is connected to one of said host controllers and said wired modem is not connected to said application controller; managing communication for a fourth mode wherein said wired modem is connected to one of said application controller and said wireless modem is connected to said host controller; selectively switching between said modes as a function of the connection state of said wired modem and said wireless module; responsive to a predetermined command transmitted from one of said wireless modems, selectively enabling said commanding wireless modem to communicate with said wired modem through said gateway module; and responsive to a predetermined command transmitted from said wired device, selectively enabling said wired device to communicate with said wireless module through said gateway module.