Communication system and related supervision method

• US 20050170809A1
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lucidarme, Thierry, Lescuyer, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention concerns a communication system comprising a radio unit, several terminal facilities and a local administration server. The radio unit comprises a first communication interface with the terminal facilities, a second radio communication interface with a cellular network, a module for identifying a subscription to the cellular network and device for handover of multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal facilities connected to the first interface. when the subscription is identified by said module. The local administration server comprises device for communication with the terminal facilities, independent of the cellular network, to supervise the exchanges over the first communication interface.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a radio unit, several terminal equipments and a local administration server, wherein the radio unit comprises a first communication interface with the terminal equipments, a second radiocommunication interface with a cellular network, a module for identifying a subscription to the cellular network and means for transferring multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments connected to the first interface within the framework of the subscription identified by said module, and wherein the local administration server comprises means of communication with the terminal equipments, independent of the cellular network, to supervise the interchanges over the first communication interface.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a communication between the local administration server and a terminal equipment is made via the radio unit.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first communication interface is a radio interface.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are simultaneous.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are handled in packet mode.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are handled in circuit mode.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit or the terminal equipments comprise means of measuring an activity relating to the interchanges over the first communication interface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means of communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments comprise means of providing a billing based on said activity measurement relating to the interchanges over the first communication interface.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the terminal equipments comprise means of reading a payment means, information relating to the reading of the payment means being transmitted to the local administration server, and wherein said billing takes into account said information relating to the reading of the payment means.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means of communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments comprise means of authenticating said terminal equipments.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means of communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments comprise means of activating an encryption on said first communication interface.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit comprises means of controlling said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments connected to the first interface.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means of controlling the multiple user streams comprise at least one of the following elements:

means of scheduling the setting up of said streams, means of managing priorities between the streams, means of managing queuing for setting up said streams and means of managing service quality.

14. A supervision method in a communication system comprising a radio unit, several terminal equipments and a local administration server, the radio unit comprising a first communication interface with the terminal equipments, a second radiocommunication interface with a cellular network, a module for identifying a subscription to the cellular network and means for transferring multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments connected to the first interface within the framework of the subscription identified by said module, wherein the local administration server communicates with the terminal equipments, independently of the cellular network, to supervise the interchanges over the first communication interface.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communication between the local administration server and a terminal equipment is made via the radio unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first communication interface is a radio interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are simultaneous.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are made in packet mode.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments are made in circuit mode.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a measurement of an activity relating to the interchanges over the first communication interface is made on the radio unit or in the terminal equipments.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments includes the production of a bill based on said measurement of activity relating to the interchanges over the first communication interface.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the terminal equipments include means of reading a payment means, information relating to the reading of the payment means being transmitted to the local administration server, and wherein said billing takes into account said information relating to the reading of the payment means.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments includes an authentication of said terminal equipments.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communication between the local administration server and the terminal equipments includes activation of an encryption on said first communication interface.

25. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments connected to the first interface are controlled on the radio unit.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said control of the multiple user streams includes at least one of the following elements:

scheduling of the setting up of said streams, management of priorities between the streams, a queuing mechanism for setting up said streams and service quality management.