Broadband network with enterprise wireless communication system for residential and business environment

• US 20060209795A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Properties, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Properties, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Robert Raymond II, Ying, Wenchu, Erving, Richard Henry, Kim, Jinman, Chow, Albert T., Russell, Jesse E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

The present invention sets forth a network-centric service distribution architecture that integrates a wireless access system in the residence, SOHO, business or public environment through the use of a local broadband network, such as a Residential-Business Broadband Network (RBN), to the service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network and to a service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network. The system includes Media Terminal Adapter is coupled via the RBN to the access port(s) and via the service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network to the service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network. The access port is coupled to the Media Terminal Adapter via either a RBN (e.g., a Local Area Network—LAN) or simply via a traditional POTS line interface. The access port receives and sends wireless signals to a plurality of RBN devices, allowing the user to control theses devices remotely from the residence, business, SOHO or public environments. The integration of an RBN to a service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network allows a subscriber to communicate at home and at the office with one communication device anytime anywhere.

Claims

1. A network-centric service distribution architecture that integrates a wireless access service in a local Residential/Business Broadband Network (RBN) environment through the use of a local RBN to a service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network and to a service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network that facilitates end-to-end packet telecommunication services, wherein the RBN of the network-centric service distribution architecture comprises:

a Media Terminal Adapter, coupled to at least one access port and to the service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network, for providing access functions for connecting the service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network via the service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network with the RBN, the at least one access port, coupled to the Media Terminal Adapter, arranged to receive and send wireless signals to a plurality of wireless RBN devices, wherein the at least one access port supports Ouality of Service (QoS) functionality for the receiving and sending of the wireless signals; and

a Network Server Platform (NSP), coupled to the service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network, for controlling and administering operations and services of the access port and the plurality of wireless RBN devices associated therewith.

2. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the architecture supports interworking among the wireless devices within the local RBN environment.

3. The architecture of claim 1 wherein said architecture supports telephony interworking among the TIA/EIA-136 handsets, EDGE/GRPS handsets and the IEEE 802.11b devices within the local RBN environment.

4. The architecture of claim 1 wherein said architecture supports interworking between the wireless RBN devices in one of:

home, Small Office-Home Office (SOHO), and business environments with wireless RBN devices in a public cellular environment.

5. The architecture of claim 4, wherein said NSP is further an integral part of said SOHO and said business environment.

6. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the access port is a miniaturized radio base station that interworks with air interfaces including Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), IS-95, IEEE 802.11b, TIA/EIA-136, IEEE 802.15, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Call Division Multiple Access (CDMA), CDMA2000, Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Personal Handyphone System (PHS) and IS 95 High Data Rate (HDR).

7. The architecture of claim 1 wherein said architecture supports telephony interworking among TIA/EIA-136 handsets, EDGE/GRPS handsets and IEEE 802.11b devices in one of:

home, SOHO, and business environments with TIA/EIA-136 handsets, EDGE/GRPS handsets and IEEE 802.11b devices in a public cellular environment.

8. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the RBN provides at least one access port to at least one of:

a residence, a Small Office-Home Office (SOHO), a business and a public user environment.

9. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the RBN is coupled to the service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network, and further wherein said service provider'"'"'s broadband transport network comprises at least one of:

a hybrid fiber coaxial cable system, xDSL, fixed wireless, and fiber optic.

13. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the NSP administers the wireless RBN devices being served by the at least one access port, including call processing, Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OA&

M), terminal mobility, personal mobility, location mobility, and RF management.

14. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the NSP interworks with at least one of:

other servers and gateways (GWs) to establish an end-to-end call.

15. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the NSP also functions as a transaction server that participates in call processing and controls access to network resources.

16. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the NSP translates E. 164 addresses to destination IP addresses either internally or by accessing a Directory Server.

17. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the NSP platform physically consists of a plurality of servers.

18. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the access port is a miniaturized radio base station for establishing analog and digital communications channels, and interworks between wireless and packet telephony protocols.

19. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the RBN is one of a home network and a business network.

21. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the access port connection to the Media Terminal Adapter is an Ethernet interface.

22. The architecture of claim 18, wherein the access port provides voice transcoding.

33. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the plurality of associated wireless RBN devices includes home-business devices, computing-telephony resources and appliances.

34. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the access port supports at least one of a standardized air interface used for analog, digital, circuit, and packet communication to narrowband and broadband wireless devices, computing-telephony resources, and appliances.

35. The architecture of claim 34 wherein, when the access port communicates with wireless-enabled devices, a short message process is adapted to support home control service aspects.

10-12. -12. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

23-32. -32. (canceled)

36-44. -44. (canceled)

45. An Intelligent Broadband Access Point (IBAP) apparatus for communicating with a network-centric service distribution architecture via a broadband transport interface, wherein a service provider'"'"'s broadband packet network distributes services to end devices via said IBAP and wherein said IBAP comprises:

an access point (AP) including a wideband radio; and

a Media Terminal Adapter (MTA) integrated with said AP.