Automatic media switching apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A media switching apparatus for automatically switching a user device between wired and wireless service mediums of communications networks, comprising:
- a protocol stack that includes a network layer, a logical link control, a first set of lower layers associated with a wired service medium and a second set of lower layers associated with a wireless service medium; and
selecting means, responsive to an availability and compatibility of the wired service medium, for selecting the first set of lower layers to provide service for the user device, and further responsive to a non-availability or non-compatibility of the wired service medium and an availability and compatibility of the wireless service medium for selecting said second set of lower layers to provide service for the user device.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A media switching apparatus automatically switches a user device between wired and wireless service mediums of communications networks. The switching apparatus includes a protocol stack having a network layer, a logical link control, a first set of lower layers specific to a wired service medium and a second set of lower layers specific to a wireless service medium. A selector is responsive to the availability of a wired service medium for selecting the first set of lower layers and is further responsive to the non-availability of a wired service medium and the availability of a wireless service medium for selecting the second set of lower layers.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A media switching apparatus for automatically switching a user device between wired and wireless service mediums of communications networks, comprising:
-
a protocol stack that includes a network layer, a logical link control, a first set of lower layers associated with a wired service medium and a second set of lower layers associated with a wireless service medium; and selecting means, responsive to an availability and compatibility of the wired service medium, for selecting the first set of lower layers to provide service for the user device, and further responsive to a non-availability or non-compatibility of the wired service medium and an availability and compatibility of the wireless service medium for selecting said second set of lower layers to provide service for the user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for automatically switching a user of a communications network device, which includes wired hardware and wireless hardware, between wired and wireless service mediums comprising the steps of:
-
determining whether a wired service medium is available and compatible; determining whether a wireless service medium is available and compatible; activating the wired hardware to provide service to the user of a communications network device when the wired service medium is determined to be available and compatible and the wireless service medium is determined to be unavailable or not compatible; and activating the wireless hardware to provide service to the user of a communications network device when the wireless service medium is determined to be available and compatible, and the wired service medium is determined to be unavailable or not compatible. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A media switching apparatus for automatically switching a user device between wired and wireless service mediums of communications networks, comprising:
-
a protocol stack that includes a network layer, a logical link control, a first set of lower layers associated with a wired service medium and a second set of lower layers associated with a wireless service medium; selecting means, responsive to an availability of the wired service medium and an availability of the wireless service medium, for selecting one of said first set of lower layers and said second set of lower layers to provide service for the user device; and said selecting means further including service evaluation means responsive to the said availability of wired and wireless service mediums for determining which of said first and second sets of lower layers to select, based on predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
Specification