CPC H04L 45/34 (2013.01) [H04L 49/40 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
1. An unmanaged switching device for coupling a network and a medical device, the unmanaged switching device comprising:
a first interface for communication with the network;
a second interface for the communication with the medical device; and
a control module configured:
to control the first interface and the second interface;
to switch data packets between the network and the medical device via the first and second interfaces;
to send predefined hospital location information of the unmanaged switching device to the medical device at regular intervals;
to switch the data packets according to a permanently predefined switching instruction without managing an internet protocol address (IP address) of the unmanaged switching device;
to communicate via the first and second interfaces on a first protocol layer or on a second protocol layer or on both a first protocol layer or on a second protocol layer;
to communicate the predefined hospital location information of the unmanaged switching device on the first protocol layer or on the second protocol layer or on both the first protocol layer or on the second protocol layer;
to make the switching device appear to be transparent in relation to the network by:
insertion of the hospital location information in a protocol field of the first or second internet protocol layer in at least some packets received via the first interface and not changing a third switching internet protocol layer or higher internet protocol layer of said at least some packets; and
receiving packets via the second interface and outputting the received packets unchanged via the first interface.
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