Patent ID: 7821994

Claim:
A multi-protocol wireless communications node, comprising: an interface component constructed and arranged for providing control information or data to and from the node with respect to outside devices requiring communication services; a networking component coupled to the interface component and configured for routing data to be transported by the node over either a link that follows a MANET or mesh protocol, or a link that follows a point-to-multipoint (PMP) protocol; a first medium access controller (MAC) component coupled to the networking component and configured to implement the MANET or mesh protocol; a second MAC component coupled to the networking component and configured to implement the PMP protocol, wherein the first and the second MAC components are arranged to interface with one another for passing scheduling information; a radio frequency (RF) component; a timing reference source; a first physical layer component responsive to the timing reference source and coupled to the first MAC component and the RF component, for (i) processing first data input from the first MAC component according to the MANET or mesh protocol, and outputting the processed first data to the RF component for transmission, and (ii) processing second data input from the RF component according to the MANET or mesh protocol, and outputting the processed second data to the first MAC component; and a second physical layer component responsive to the timing reference source and coupled to the second MAC component and to the RF component, for (i) processing third data input from the second MAC component according to the PMP protocol, and outputting the processed third data to the RF component for transmission, and (ii) processing fourth data input from the RF component according to the PMP protocol, and outputting the processed fourth data to the second MAC component.