Wireless packet communications system and method

• US 20050254470A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCM Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: TCM Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Yashar, Haim
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless packet communication system conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard includes a plurality of access points (APs) most of which have wired connections only for power and an ISDN telephone line. The APs communicate at 8.5 Ghz with a regional point-of-presence that is one end of a VPN through the internet to a national office. The registered users'"'"' data and control of the system including the IP assignment and SIP proxy and the control of the 802.11 communication reside in the national office. By retaining for a short period the SIP connection, IP address and key encryption information after a user has disassociated from an AP, the user can quickly reauthenticate and reassociate using the same SIP connection, IP address, and encryption key at a different AP. Voice data and computer data can both be processed through an AP by the addition on another 802.11 frame encoder/decoder.

Claims

1. A wireless packet data communication system for providing communication to a mobile communication device comprising:

a) a first plurality of access points, each of said access points comprising;

i) a second plurality of sectors, each of said sectors comprising;

A) a multi-polarized directional antenna capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication with said mobile communication device;

B) a first frame encoder and decoder coupled to said multi-polarized directional antenna for encoding and decoding frames of data passing through said multi-polarized directional antenna;

ii) a narrow beam multi-polarized directional antennas capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication with a broad beam multi-polarized directional antenna at an access point separate from said first plurality of access points;

iii) a third frame encoder and decoder coupled to said narrow beam multi-polarized directional antennas for encoding and decoding frames of data passing between each of said first frame encoder and decoders and said third frame encoder and decoder; and

b) wherein another access point separate from said first plurality of access points includes a third frame encoder and decoder coupled to said broad beam multi-polarized directional antenna for encoding and decoding frames of data passing through each of said narrow beam multi-polarized directional antennas, and for passing IP data contained within each of said wireless communications through each of said first plurality of access points to and from a regional point-of-presence.

2. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 1 further including an out of band network having a wired connection to each of said first plurality of access points, said regional points-of-presence and to a national office for monitoring and controlling electronic modules in said first plurality of access points.

3. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said multi-polarized directional antennas are one of four and six in number and have beam patterns which are of equal angles in a horizontal plane from a point at each of said first plurality of AP.

4. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 1 further including a national office for receiving said IP data contained within each of said wireless communications through each of said first plurality of access points and passing said IP data contained within each of said wireless communications through each of said first plurality of access points through a virtual private network in the internet to said national office.

5. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 1 further including a multiprotocol label switching network for passing said IP data contained within each of said wireless communications to other locations remote from said regional point-of-presence.

6. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said IP data contained within each of said wireless communications is voice encoded data and not computer data.

7. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said IP data contained within each of said wireless communications is computer data and not voice encoded data.

8. The wireless packet data communication system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said second plurality of sectors further comprises:

a) a combiner having a first terminal coupled to said multi-polarized directional antennas and having second and third terminals, said second terminal coupled to said first frame encoder and decoder;

b) a second frame encoder and decoder coupled to said third terminal of said combiner for encoding and decoding frames of data passing through said corresponding multi-polarized directional antenna; and

c) a router for receiving unencoded frames of data from first frame encoder and decoder at a first terminal and for receiving unencoded frames of data from said second frame encoder and decoder at a second terminal, said router having a third terminal for passing frames of data from said first frame encoder and decoder and second frame encoder and decoder, said third terminal of said router being coupled to said third frame encoders and decoder.

9. A method for transferring a SIP wireless connection with a mobile communication device from a first access point antenna to a second access point antenna comprising the steps of:

a) storing an IP address of said mobile communication device used during said SIP wireless connection;

b) disassociating said mobile communication device from said first access point antenna;

c) associating and authenticating said mobile communication device with said second access point including reassigning said IP address to said mobile communication device and continuing said SIP session from said connection with said first access point antenna.

10. The method for transferring a SIP wireless connection with a mobile communication device set forth in claim 9 further comprising the step of periodically sending a probe signal from said mobile communication device during said SIP wireless connection,

11. The method for transferring a SIP wireless connection with a mobile communication device set forth in claim 9 wherein said steps b) and c) occur in less than 100 ms.

12. An access point in a wireless packet communication system comprising:

a) an antenna for receiving IP data encoded according to the IEEE 802.11 standard;

b) a combiner having an input coupled to said antenna and having first and second outputs;

c) a first 802.11 decoder for receiving 802.11 encoded IP data on a first 802.11 channel at a first output of said combiner;

d) a second 802.11 decoder for receiving 802.11 encoded IP data on a second 802.11 channel at a second output of said combiner; and

e) a router for receiving unencoded IP data from said first 802.11 decoder at a first input and for receiving unencoded IP data from said second 802.11 decoder at a second input, said router having a single output for passing unencoded IP data from said first 802.11 decoder and said second 802.11 decoder.

13. The access point in a wireless packet communication system set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a) a narrow beam multi-polarized directional antenna capable of transmitting and transmitting wireless communication with a broad beam multi-polarized directional antenna at another access point; and

b) an 802.11 encoder coupled to said narrow beam multi-polarized directional antenna for encoding frames of unencoded IP data from said third terminal of said router and sending encoded IP data to said narrow beam multi-polarized directional antenna.

14. The access point set forth in claim 12 wherein said IP data passing through said first 802.11 decoder is substantially all voice encoded data.

15. The access point set forth in claim 12 wherein said IP data passing through said second 802.11 decoder is substantially all computer data.