Network system dynamically made for a short-distance wireless communication and network structuring method

• US 20030046413A1
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakakura, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

In a network system, an internet is connected with a gateway router through a wire link, a plurality of access routers are connected with each other through wireless links, and one access router is connected with the gateway router through a wireless link. Each wireless link connects a Bluetooth device of one access router and a Bluetooth device of another access router or a Bluetooth device of the gateway router. When a wireless terminal unit is connected with one access router through one wireless link while issuing a network connect request, the gateway router functions as a gateway to the wire link, and an IP route from the wireless link connected with the wireless terminal unit to the wire link is set.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

a wire link;

a plurality of wireless links; and

a gateway router, with which a wireless terminal unit is connected through the wireless links and which is connected with the wire link, for setting a communication route from the wireless link directly connected with the wireless terminal unit to the wire link to function as a gateway to the wire link.

2. A network system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an access router or a group of access routers, which connect the gateway router and the wireless terminal unit through the wireless links, for setting a communication route from the wireless link connected with the gateway router to the wireless link connected with the wireless terminal unit, wherein the gateway router sets a communication route from the wireless link connected with the wireless terminal unit to the wire link through the other wireless link or the other wireless links connected with the access router or the group of access routers to function as a gateway to the wire link.

3. A network system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wire network connected with the gateway router through the wire link; and

an authentication database, disposed in the wire network, for registering authentication data proving the righteousness of the wireless terminal unit, wherein a communication route from the wireless terminal unit to the wire network is set for the wireless terminal unit of which the righteousness is proved with reference to the authentication data registered in the authentication database.

4. A network system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wire network connected with the gateway router through the wire link; and

an accounting database, disposed in the wire network, for storing accounting information which denotes a charge for communication performed by the wireless terminal unit and is produced according to a connect time period of the wireless terminal unit.

5. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the gateway router provides benefit information registered in advance for the wireless terminal unit connected with the gateway router through the wireless link or the wireless links.

6. A network system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless links are classified into a type of inter-router connection dedicated wireless link and a type of terminal connection dedicated wireless link, the type of inter-router connection dedicated wireless link is used to connect the gateway router and one access router or to connect one access router and another access router, and the type of terminal connection dedicated wireless link is used to connect the wireless terminal unit and the gateway router or to connect the wireless terminal unit and one access router.

7. A network system according to claim 2, wherein each wireless link is formed between a Bluetooth device of the gateway router and a Bluetooth device of the wireless terminal unit, between the Bluetooth device of the gateway router and a Bluetooth device of one access router, between the Bluetooth device of the wireless terminal unit and a Bluetooth device of one access router or between a Bluetooth device of one access router and a Bluetooth device of another access router, and an inactive time period in a standby mode of each Bluetooth device is set to zero.

8. A network system according to claim 2, wherein the number of wire links, data transfer capability of the wire link, the number of wireless links possible to reach the wire link and the data transfer capability of each wireless link are set as attribute information, and the connection among the group of access routers and the gateway router is performed according to the attribute information.

9. A network system according to claim 2, wherein one remarked access router is connected with the gateway router, which sets the communication route to the wire link, through a first wireless link, two access routers or more are connected with the remarked wireless link through two second wireless links or more, the remarked access router has a non-used wireless link or a plurality of non-used wireless links different from the first wireless link and the second wireless links, and the remarked access router is additionally connected with the gateway router through the non-used wireless link or the non-used wireless links to be multi-linked with the gateway router.

10. A network system according to claim 2, wherein one remarked access router is connected with the gateway router or one access router through a first wireless link, the remarked access router searches the gateway router and the other access routers for a non-used wireless link having data transfer capability higher than that of the first wireless link, and the connection of the remarked access router through the first wireless link is changed to the connection of the remarked access router with the gateway router or one of the other access routers through the non-used wireless link having data transfer capability higher than that of the first wireless link.

11. A network system according to claim 10, wherein the remarked access router searches for the non-used wireless link according to a network remaking trigger periodically generated in a timer.

12. A network system according to claim 10, wherein the remarked access router searches for the non-used wireless link according to a network remaking command broadcasted by a network administrator.

13. A network system according to claim 8, wherein the data transfer capability of the wire link is estimated according to a hop count equal to zero, and the data transfer capability of each wireless link is estimated according to a hop count denoting the number of access routers between the wire link and the wireless link.

14. A network system according to claim 10, wherein the data transfer capability of the non-used wireless link or the first wireless link is estimated according to a hop count denoting the number of access routers between the wire link and the non-used wireless link or the first wireless link.

15. A network system according to claim 8, wherein the data transfer capability of the wire link or each wireless link is estimated according to a data transfer rate of the wire link or the wireless link.

16. A network system according to claim 10, wherein the data transfer capability of the non-used wireless link or the first wireless link is estimated according to a data transfer rate of the non-used wireless link or the first wireless link.

17. A network system according to claim 2, wherein a terminal route setting message is sent from the wireless terminal unit to the gateway router and particular access routers placed on a communication route set between the wireless terminal unit and the gateway router every predetermined time period, the gateway router sets and registers the communication route between the wireless terminal unit and the gateway router, each of the particular access routers sets and registers a communication route between the wireless terminal unit and the particular access router, and the connection of the wireless terminal unit through one wireless link is changed to the connection of the wireless terminal unit through another wireless link by moving the wireless terminal unit.

18. A network system according to claim 17, wherein the communication route registered in one particular access router is set to be invalid in a case where the terminal route setting message sent from the wireless terminal unit is not received in the particular access router for a predetermined time period.

19. A network making method comprising the steps of:

setting a gateway router connected with a wire link;

connecting a wireless terminal unit with the gateway router through a plurality of wireless links; and

making the gateway router set a communication route from the wireless link directly connected with the wireless terminal unit to the wire link to make the gateway router as a gateway to the wire link.

20. A network making method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

setting an access router or a plurality of access routers connected with the wireless links;

connecting the access router or one of the access routers with the wireless terminal unit through one wireless link;

connecting the access router or one of the access routers with the gateway router through one wireless link;

making the access router or the access routers set a communication route from the wireless link connected with the gateway router to the wireless link connected with the wireless terminal unit; and

making the gateway router set a communication route from the wireless link connected with the wireless terminal unit to the wire link through the other wireless link or the other wireless links connected with the access router or the access routers to function as a gateway to the wire link.