Patent ID: 8619792

Claim:
A data alteration device configured to be placed between a first segment and a second segment of a communication line, the communication line being placed between a first node and a second node of a network, the device comprising: a first port configured to receive an incoming data stream from the first segment of the communication line, the incoming data stream entering with a signal protocol; an interface alteration processor configured to: identify condition evaluation rules corresponding to the signal protocol to determine an evaluation portion of the incoming data stream; use the condition evaluation rules to determine whether one or more predefined conditions exists and to determine portions of the incoming data stream to be transmitted as altered data; for each portion of the incoming data stream determined to be transmitted as altered data, identify alteration rules and generate altered data according to the alteration rules; generate an outgoing data stream that is a replicate of the incoming data stream except that the portions of the incoming data stream identified to be transmitted as altered data are replaced with the corresponding altered data; and determine a total delay allowed in receiving, processing, and re-transmitting a signal based on at least one of the signal protocol and a system-level protocol by which the outgoing data stream should be transmitted onto the second segment of the communication line; and a second port configured to transmit the outgoing data stream onto the second segment of the communication line at a point in time after the incoming data stream is received at the first port that is less than or equal to the total allowed delay, to be delivered to the second node, the second port being configured to begin transmission of the outgoing data stream before the evaluation portion of the incoming data stream has been completely received at the first port.