METHOD AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE LAYER 3 INTERNET PROTOCOL SOCKET CONNECTIONS

摘要

A plurality of socket connections (comprising, at least in part, Layer 3 Internet Protocol connections) are established (101) and the aggregated (102) with respect to those Layer 3 Internet Protocol connections. In a preferred approach this does not comprise aggregating the socket connections with respect to any corresponding Layer 2 connections. Also in a preferred approach this aggregation comprises translating any of a variety of differing transaction protocols as are employed by various point-of-service terminals into a host-compatible transaction protocol.