CLIENT/BRIDGE AND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING SAME

摘要

The transmission of data is accomplished across a network having wireless and
wired interfaces. Data is transferred through a wireless interface from an
Access Point to a
Client/Bridge and then to one of a Intelligent Electrical Device (IED)
connected to the
Client/Bridge through a wired connection. Data is transferred from the Access
Point to the
Client/Bridge through a 4 address mode wireless interface having originator,
transmitter,
receiver and destination address fields. The originator address uniquely
identifies an IED
in the overall network, the transmitter address identifies the AP transmitting
the data, the
receiver address identifies the Client/Bridge receiving the data through the
wireless
interface while the destination address refers to one of the IEDs connected to
the
Client/Bridge through the wired interface. Communication can also be performed
in
reverse from one of the IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge through the wired
interface to
an IED in the overall network. The Client/Bridge determines context cache
information
representing the media access control numbers of each of the IEDs connected to
the
Client/Bridge through the wired interface and transfers this context cache
information to
the AP. In the event of a failure of the Client/Bridge, the context cache
information stored
at the AP can be transferred to the Client/Bridge using the wireless interface
to facilitate
recovery of the Client/Bridge.