Method and apparatus for mobile wireless communication

• US 20020073170A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siricomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Siricomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mendez, David N., Dillman, Kory S., Hoffman, Henry P.
• Application Number:
  US09/836,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus and method have a hub server for storing a relational database of information relating to trucking operations. The hub server is connected via a satellite link to an earth satellite which is connected through downlinks and uplinks to localize truck stop servers (TSS). The TSS in turn communicate via spread spectrum radio frequency signals with hand-held computers, such as personal digital assistants. The PDAs are used by truck drivers to send and receive e-mails and other information such as electronic freight bills, fuel information, route information and the like from the trucking company and to transmit information to the trucking company. In addition, a trucking company server may be accessed through the Internet by customer servers or third party servers to identify aspects of the trucking shipment.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing information over a wireless communication network, comprising:

a hub server for storing a relational database of information;

a satellite link system connected to the hub server for receiving information and sending

a plurality of node servers in communication with the satellite for receiving and information; and

a wireless local area network connected to the node server for providing spread spectrum communication with one or more hand-held computing devices for receiving information sending information.

2. A method of handling information, comprising:

generating a relational database at a hub server containing information;

transmitting at least a portion of the information from the hub server to a communication satellite;

the communication satellite sending the information to one or more local satellite receivers;

transmitting the information from the local satellite receiver to a node server; and

transmitting at least a portion of the information to a hand-held computation device via spread spectrum transmission.