Patent ID: 8644320

Claim:
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code executable by a processor of an interface device connected to a group of interface devices within a gateway, each configured with the same functionality for receiving and assembling messages transmitted as sequences of data packets from within a coverage area of a wireless communications network, the group of interface devices being coupled for communicating there between, wherein the interface device and the group of interface devices operate in a same network layer, the code comprising instructions for: receiving at said interface device of the group of interface devices within the gateway from the wireless communication network at least one data packet of a sequence of data packets that collectively form a message; receiving at said interface device a request from another interface device of the group of interface devices for any data packets of the sequence of data packets of which at least one packet of the sequence has already been received by the another interface device to trigger the request from said another interface device which claims ownership of the sequence of data packets; and responding to said request by sending to said another interface device any data packets of said sequence of data packets received by the interface device for assembling the data packets of the sequence into the message of said another interface device.