Patent ID: 7573891

Claim:
A communication network system comprising: a first transmission media providing a trunked network resource for packetized data, and further providing a branch network resource in addition to said trunked network resource; a second transmission media providing a branched network resource for packetized data, wherein said first transmission media and said second transmission media are different, and the second transmission media is a power transmission line; and a first hub coupling said first media and said second media and providing arbitration of communication of packetized data signals therebetween, wherein said arbitration includes transformation of the packetized data signals received via one of said first media and said second media for transmission via the other one of said first media and said second media, and wherein said packetized data signal is received via one of said first media and said second media and comprises a first multiple access format, and said packetized data signal is then transmitted via the other one of said first media and said second media in said first multiple access format; a second hub coupled to said first hub via said first media, wherein said second hub provides an interface for coupling said trunked network resource of said first media to said branched network resource of said first media, and provides arbitration of communication between said external system and said network, wherein said arbitration provided by said second hub includes manipulation of data packets for simplified arbitration by said first hub.