WIRELESS ADAPTER

• US 20110171903A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Foundation For Inspiration and Recognition Of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toebes, John Albert
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present embodiments relates to wireless adaptors. In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include obtaining an adaptor-device identification that identifies both a wireless adaptor and a wired device coupled with the wireless adaptor; and communicating with a network device via a wireless network using the adaptor-device identification, the wired device being distinguishable from other wired devices using the adaptor-device identification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing communication with a network device via a wireless network using an adapter identification that identifies a wireless adapter;

obtaining an adaptor-device identification that identifies both the wireless adaptor and a wired device coupled with the wireless adaptor; and

communicating with the network device via the wireless network using the adaptor-device identification, the adaptor-device identification uniquely identifying the wired device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptor-device identification distinguishes the wired device from other wired devices connected to the wireless adaptor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless adaptor identification is an address that is unique to the wireless adaptor and used to communicate with the wireless adaptor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a wired device identification;

bundling the wired device identification with a wireless adaptor identification to obtain the adaptor-device identification; and

receiving communication from a wired device, wherein the communication includes the adaptor-device identification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the communication to the wired device in response to analyzing the adaptor-device identification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless adaptor identification is a media access control (MAC) address and the wired device is coupled with the wireless adaptor via universal serial bus (USB).

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions capable of being executed by a computer to:

obtain an adaptor-device identification that identifies both a wireless adaptor and a wired device coupled with the wireless adaptor; and

communicate with a network device via a wireless network using the adaptor-device identification, the wired device being distinguishable from other wired devices using the adaptor-device identification.

8. The logic of claim 7, wherein the logic is executable to:

generate a wired device identification; and

bundle the wired device identification with a wireless adaptor identification.

9. The logic of claim 8, wherein the wireless adaptor identification is an address that is unique to the wireless adaptor and used to communicate with the wireless adaptor.

10. The logic of claim 7, wherein the logic is executable to:

receive communication from a wired device; and

transmit the communication via the wireless network, the communication including the adaptor-device identification.

11. The logic of claim 7, wherein the logic is executable to:

receive communication from the network device via the wireless network; and

in response to analyzing the adaptor-device identification, routing the communication to the wired device.

12. The logic of claim 11, wherein the logic is executable to determine the wired device that the communication is being transmitted to based on the adaptor-device identification.

13. The logic of claim 7, wherein the logic is executable to establish a network connection with the network device via the wireless network.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing adaptor identification information uniquely identifying the apparatus;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a network device using the adapter identification information; and

a plurality of wired connectors configured to communicate with a plurality of wired devices and receive a plurality of wired device identification values from the plurality of wired devices, wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate differently for each of the wired devices according to the plurality of wired device identification values.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a processor configured to distinguish communications for each of the plurality of wired devices according to the plurality of wired device identification values in order to facilitate communication between the network device at the plurality of wired devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an internal power source independent from the plurality of wired device; and

a power supply interface configured to receive power from at least one of the plurality of wired devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive power from the power supply interface until the at least one of the plurality of wired devices loses power.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive power via the internal power source when none of the plurality of wire devices are connected to the plurality of wired connectors.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the adaptor identification information includes a media access control (MAC) address of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus acts as a proxy for the plurality of wired devices with respect to the network device.