Radio communication system

• US 20020024937A1
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hunt, Benard, Moulsley, Timothy J., Barnard, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

A radio communication system comprising a primary station (100) and a secondary station (110) operates according to two (or more) two-way communication modes. An uplink (124) and/or a downlink (122) communication channel is present for the first mode, but only one of an uplink and a downlink (126) channel is present for the second mode. Modifications to the protocols of the first and second modes enable the traffic for an absent communication channel of one mode to be carried by the corresponding channel of the other mode.

Such a system is particularly suitable for scenarios where there is significant asymmetry between traffic or data rates in the uplink (124) and downlink (122,126) communication channels.

In one embodiment the first mode is UMTS and the second mode is HIPERLAN/2, with both channels (122,124) present for the first mode and only a downlink channel (126) present for the second mode. The secondary station (110) therefore only requires a HIPERLAN/2 receiver (106), giving rise to a significant cost saving by the omission of a HIPERLAN/2 transmitter.

Claims

1. A radio communication system having a communication channel between a primary station and a secondary station, the primary and secondary stations having means for communicating according to first and second two-way communication modes, wherein the communication channel comprises at least one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the first mode and one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the second mode, the other channel for the second mode being absent, and means are provided for transmitting and receiving data normally routed via an absent channel of one mode via a respective channel of the other mode.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the first mode is one of UMTS TDD, DECT or Bluetooth.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the second mode is HIPERLAN/2 or UMTS FDD.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the communication channel for the first mode is only operable in both of an uplink and a down-link direction.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the communication channel for the first mode is only operable in the one of an uplink and a down-link direction not provided for the second mode, and means are provided for transmitting and receiving data normally routed via the absent channel of the first mode via the present channel for the second mode.

6. A primary station for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel between the primary station and a secondary station, wherein means are provided for communicating according to first and second two-way communication modes, the communication channel comprises at least one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the first mode and one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the second mode, the other channel for the second mode being absent, and means are provided for transmitting or receiving data normally routed via an absent channel of one mode via a respective channel of the other mode.

7. A primary station as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the means for communicating according to a first communication mode and the means for communicating according to a second communication mode are located in separate stations and in that a communication link is provided between the stations.

8. A primary station as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that means are provided for transmitting information about a radio interface specification defining the second mode to the secondary station via the down-link communication channel of the first mode.

9. A primary station as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the information comprises the specification itself.

10. A primary station as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the information comprises a software module for implementing the specification.

11. A primary station as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the information comprises the location of a source from which the secondary station can obtain the specification.

13. A secondary station as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that means are provided for receiving information about a radio interface specification defining the second mode transmitted by the primary station via the down-link communication channel of the first mode and for implementing the second mode in response to the the received information.

14. A secondary station as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the means for implementing the second mode comprise means for obtaining a specification for the second mode from a source specified by the primary station.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, characterised by the primary station transmitting information about a radio interface specification defining the second mode to the secondary station via the down-link communication channel of the first mode and by the secondary station implementing the second mode in response to the received information.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, characterised by the second mode being activated and deactivated as required while the first mode remains active.

12. A secondary station for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel between a primary station and the secondary station, wherein means are provided for communicating according to first and second two-way communication modes, the communication channel comprises at least one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the first mode and one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the second mode, the other channel for the second mode being absent, and means are provided for transmitting or receiving data normally routed via an absent channel of one mode via a respective channel of the other mode.

15. A method of operating a radio communication system having a communication channel between a primary station and a secondary station, wherein the system supports communications according to first and second two-way communication modes, the communication channel comprises at least one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the first mode and one of an uplink and a down-link channel for the second mode, the other channel for the second mode being absent, and the method comprises transmitting and receiving data normally routed via an absent channel of one mode via a respective channel of the other mode.