Arrangement for the wireless connection of terminals to a communication system

• US 20040184418A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Klein, Josef, Benning, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to connect terminals to a communication system in a wireless manner by means of a data packet network. At least one transition device to which a short-range radio module is coupled, and a server for controlling connections to the terminals, are coupled to said data packet network. The transition device is provided with a coupling table comprising addresses of terminals which are situated within the radio coverage of the short-range radio module. The server comprises an allocation table in which a network address of the transition device which enables the terminal to be wirelessly reached is respectively allocated to an address of a terminal. According to the invention, a packet-based alignment protocol is provided in order to dynamically align the allocation table with the coupling table.

Claims

1. Arrangement for the wireless connection of terminal devices (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA) to a communication system, with

a) a data packet network (LAN) for the transmission of data packets using network addresses (IP1, IP2) valid within the network,

b) at least one transition device (GW1, GW2) coupled to the data packet network (LAN), to which at least one short-range radio module (BT1, BT2) is coupled, with the transition device (GW1, GW2) having a coupling table (KTAB) with terminal device addresses (RN1, RN2, RN3, MA) of terminal devices (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA) located within the radio range of at least one short-range radio module (BT1, BT2),

c) a server (S) coupled to the data packet network (LAN) for controlling connections to the terminal devices (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA), with the server having an allocation table (ZTAB) in which a network address (IP1, IP2) of the particular transition device (GW1, GW2) is allocated in each case to a terminal device address (RN1, RN2, RN3, MA) of a terminal device (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA), to which transition device (GW1, GW2) a short-range radio module (BT1, BT2) in whose radio range this terminal device (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA) is located, is coupled, and

d) a packet-based alignment protocol (AP) for the dynamic alignment of the allocation table (ZTAB) with the coupling table (KTAB).

2. Arrangement in accordance with claim 1,

characterized in that,

the data packet network (LAN) is realized by a network based on an Internet protocol.

3. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the transition device (GW2, GW2) has a translator (IWU) for translation between a network protocol used in the data packet network and a protocol specific to a radio module.

4. Arrangement in accordance with claim 3,

characterized in that

the translator (GW1, GW2) has a detection device for detecting, by means of the network protocol used, which terminal device-specific application a connection to a terminal device (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA) is allocated to, in order to be able to perform an application-specific protocol conversion accordingly.

5. Arrangement in accordance with claim 3 or 4,

characterized in that

the protocol specific to a radio module has a specific voice interface (VOICE) and a specific data interface (DATA).

6. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

a Bluetooth module is used as a short-range radio module (BT1, BT2).

7. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized by,

a locating device for determining a momentary location of a particular terminal device (HS1, HS2, HS3, PDA) by means of the allocation table (ZTAB).

8. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized by

a gateway device (EXTGW, GSMGW) coupled to the data packet network for coupling the data packet network (LAN) to a forwarding communication network (WAN, ISDN).

9. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized by

a headset (HS1, HS2, HS3) as a terminal device for voice connections.

10. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized by

a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) (PDA) as a terminal device for data connections.

11. Arrangement in accordance with one of the preceding claims,

characterized by

a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) (PDA) as a terminal device for entering destination addresses for outgoing connections and for initiating those connections.