High-speed wireless LAN system

• US 20050135811A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Do-In, Lee, Jong-Hun, Oh, Yun-Je
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path

Abstract

A high-speed wireless LAN system is disclosed. The system includes a mobile station for transmitting/receiving data encrypted by a predetermined encryption method, communicating the data to associated access points by an ultra wide-band (UWB) communication method, and communicating an encryption key according to the encryption method to said associated access points by an optical or infra-red (IR) communication method; the plurality of access points, installed in a plurality of predetermined service areas, for relaying between the mobile station and a gateway of a remote place by communicating the data and the encryption key with the mobile station located in the corresponding service area by the UWB and the optical or IR communication methods and transmitting/receiving the data and the encryption key to/from the gateway by an optical communication method; and the gateway for providing an optical interface between an internal network and an external network, being provided with a plurality of gateway sub-modules for transmitting/receiving the data and the encryption key by communicating with the plurality of access points by the optical communication method, and transmitting a subscriber service transmitted from the external network to the corresponding access point.

Claims

1. A high-speed wireless LAN system comprising:

a mobile station for;

transmitting and receiving a data signal encrypted by a predetermined encryption method;

communicating the encrypted data signal by an ultra wide-band (UWB) communication method; and

communicating an encryption key signal according to the encryption method by an optical communication method;

at least one associated access point, installed in a plurality of predetermined service areas, for;

receiving said encrypted data signal and encryption key;

relaying via an optical fiber communication method the encrypted data signal and the encryption key signal; and

a gateway, located at a remote place by communicating for providing an optical interface between an internal network and an external network, comprising;

a plurality of gateway sub-modules for transmitting/receiving the encrypted data signal and the encryption key signal via said optical communication method, and transmitting a subscriber service transmitted from the external network to the corresponding access point.

2. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises:

an optical module for transmitting/receiving the encryption key signal to/from the access point as an optical signal; and

a UWB module for;

transmitting/receiving wirelessly the data signal to/from the access point through an UWB antenna;

transferring the encrypted data signal transmitted/received through the UWB antenna to a media access control (MAC) layer in a UWB physical (PHY) layer;

interfacing the data signal and the encryption key signal with an upper layer in the MAC layer by exchanging the high-speed data signal through the UWB PHY layer; and

exchanging the encryption key signal with the IR module.

3. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway sub-module comprises:

a UWB optical transceiver for transmitting/receiving the data signal to/from the corresponding access point through first and second optical fibers;

an optical transceiver for transmitting/receiving the encryption key signal to/from the corresponding access point through the first and second optical fibers; and

a UWB module for transmitting/receiving the data signal to/from the UWB optical transmitter/receiver in a UWB physical (PHY) layer, and interfacing the data signal and the encryption key signal with an upper layer in a media access control (MAC) layer by exchanging the data signal through the UWB PHY layer and exchanging the encryption key signal with the optical transceiver.

4. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the access point comprises:

UWB optical transmitter and receiver units for transmitting the encrypted data, which is transmitted from the gateway sub-module through the first optical fiber, to the mobile station through the UWB antenna, or transmitting the data, which is received from the mobile station through the UWB antenna, to the gateway sub-module through the second optical fiber; and

optical transmitter and receiver units for transmitting the encryption key signal, which is transmitted from the gateway sub-module through the first optical fiber, through the IR antenna, or transmitting the encryption key signal, which is received from the mobile station through the IR antenna, to the gateway sub-module through the second optical fiber.

5. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway sub-module comprises:

a UWB optical transceiver for transmitting/receiving the data signal to/from the corresponding access point through one optical fiber using a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM);

an optical transceiver for transmitting/receiving the encryption key signal to/from the corresponding access point through the optical fiber;

the WDM module for multiplexing/de-multiplexing the data signal and the encryption key signal transmitted/received through the access point and the optical fiber; and

a UWB module for transmitting/receiving the data signal to/from the UWB optical transmitter/receiver in a UWB physical (PHY) layer, and interfacing the data signal and the encryption key signal with an upper layer in a media access control (MAC) layer by exchanging the data signal through the UWB PHY layer and exchanging the encryption key signal with the optical transmitter/receiver.

6. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the access point comprises:

a WDM module for multiplexing/de-multiplexing the data signal and the encryption key signal transmitted/received through the gateway sub-module and the optical fiber;

a UWB optical transmitter/receiver for transmitting by wire the data, which is transmitted through the WDM, to the mobile station through the UWB antenna, or transmitting the data, which is received from the mobile station through the UWB antenna, to the gateway sub-module through the second optical fiber; and

an optical transmitter/receiver for transmitting the encryption key signal, which is transmitted through the WDM module, through the antenna, or transmitting the encryption key signal, which is received from the mobile station through the antenna, to the gateway sub-module through the second optical fiber.

7. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway sub-module comprises:

a 2-channel array optical transmitter/receiver module for transmitting/receiving the encryption key signal through the IR method and the data signal through the UWB method by channels having different center wavelengths; and

a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) for multiplexing/de-multiplexing the encryption key signal through the IR method and the data signal through the UWB method from the 2-channel array optical transmitter/receiver module, and transmitting/receiving the multiplexed/de-multiplexed encryption key signal and data signal to/from the access point through one optical fiber.

8. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the access point comprises:

a WDM for multiplexing/de-multiplexing the data signal and the encryption key signal transmitted/received through the gateway sub-module and the optical fiber;

a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for converting an optical signal corresponding to the data, which is received from the gateway sub-module through the WDM, into a current signal to transmit by wireless the current signal through the UWB antenna, and outputting an optical signal with its gain amplified according to the data signal received through the UWB antenna to transmit the optical signal to the gateway sub-module through the WDM; and

an IR optical antenna for transmitting the encryption key signal received through the WDM to the mobile station as an IR signal, receiving the encryption key signal transmitted from the mobile station, and transmitting the received encryption key signal to the gateway sub-module through the WDM.

9. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical signal for transmitting the encryption key is selected from the group consisting of:

a infra-red frequency range signal, a visible light frequency range signal, and a ultra-violet light frequency range signal.

10. The high-speed wireless LAN system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical communication means is a single mode or multi-mode fiber.

11. A mobile station comprising:

UWB module for encrypting a data signal in accordance with an encryption key, transferring said encrypted data signal to a media access control (MAC) layer in a UWB physical layer;

a first transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said encrypted data signal via a UWB antenna; and

a second transmitter for optically transmitting via an optical antenna said encryption key used to encrypt said data signal.

12. The mobile station claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a first receiver for wirelessly receiving a second encrypted data signal via said UWB antenna;

a second receiver for optically receiving via said optical antenna a second encryption key used to encrypt said received data signal; and

a second UWB module for decrypting said received encrypted data signal in accordance with said received encryption key, wherein said received encrypted data signal is transferred to a media access control (MAC) layer in a UWB physical layer;

13. The mobile station claimed in claim 12, wherein said first transmitter and first receiver represent a transceiver.

14. The mobile station claimed in claim 12, wherein said second transmitter and second receiver represent a transceiver.

15. The mobile station claimed in claim 12, wherein said first UWB module and second UWB module are the same module.

16. The mobile station claimed in claim 11, wherein said optical signal carrier frequency is selected from the group consisting of:

infra-red light, visible light, ultra-violet light.

17. A gateway module comprising:

a first receiver for wirelessly receiving said encrypted data signal;

a second receiver for optically receiving said encryption key used to encrypt said received data signal; and

a UWB module for decrypting said received encrypted data signal in accordance with said received encryption key, wherein said received encrypted data signal is transferred via to a media access control (MAC) layer in a UWB physical layer.

18. The gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein said encrypted data signal is received via an antenna or an optical fiber.

19. The gateway as claimed in claim 17, wherein said encryption key is received via an antenna or an optical fiber.

20. The gateway as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a WDM module for receiving and de-multiplexing said encrypted data signal and said encryption key.

21. The gateway as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a 2-channel array optical module for receiving said encryption data signal and said encryption key.

22. An access point module comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an encrypted data signal via a UWB antenna;

a receiving unit for receiving an encryption key used to encrypt said data signal via an optical antenna;

a transmitting unit for transmitting said encrypted data signal and said encryption key.

23. The access point module as claimed in claim 22, wherein said transmitting unit is an optical transmitter.

24. The access point module as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

an optical antenna for transmitting said encrypted data signal and said encryption key.

25. The access point module as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

at least one optical fiber for transmitting said encrypted data signal and said encryption key.

26. The access point module as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a WDM module in communication with said at least one optical fiber for multiplexing said encrypted data signal and said encryption key onto said at least one optical fiber.

27. The access point module as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

a 2-channel array module in communication with said at least one optical fiber for transmitting said encrypted data signal and said encryption key via said at least one optical fiber.