Facilitating virtual personal area networks

摘要

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a coordinator device having a memory, and a controller. The memory can have computer instructions, which when executed by the controller, causes the controller to facilitate establishing a first virtual personal area network with a first sensor by executing computer instructions associated with a first application profile, and facilitate establishing a second virtual personal area network with a second sensor by executing computer instructions associated a second application profile. The first application profile can be defined by a first protocol specification, while the second application profile can be defined by a second protocol specification. The first protocol specification can also be operationally distinct from the second protocol specification. Other embodiments are disclosed.

主权项

1. A coordinator device, comprising:
a memory that stores instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising: facilitating establishing a first virtual personal area network with a first sensor by executing computer instructions associated with a first application profile, wherein the first application profile is defined by a first protocol specification; facilitating establishing a second virtual personal area network with a second sensor by executing computer instructions associated a second application profile, wherein the second application profile is defined by a second protocol specification, and wherein the first protocol specification is operationally distinct from the second protocol specification; managing communications between a first communications device and both of the first sensor and the second sensor; and managing communications between the first communication device and a second communications device; facilitating, by an arbiter, establishing a communications interface comprising a physical layer and a medium access control layer, and wherein the first virtual personal area network and the second virtual personal area network share the medium access control layer and the physical layer of the communications interface to communicate with the first sensor and the second sensor, and wherein the arbiter is configured to provide to the first virtual personal area network and the second virtual personal area network asynchronous and symmetric access to the communication interface based on a predetermined arbitration scheme.