MULTI-MEDIUM WIDE AREA COMMUNICATION NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communication network, comprising a primary network and an auxiliary network, including a plurality of primary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the primary network, a plurality of bridge stations able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and a plurality of auxiliary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the auxiliary network, the communication network being operable to transmit message data from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, the method including:
- monitoring, at each of a plurality of bridge stations, the activity of other stations on both the primary network and the auxiliary network to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station;
transmitting via the auxiliary network, from said at least one bridge station, probe signals to stations on the auxiliary network, the probe signals being addressed to at least one station on the auxiliary network;
transmitting, from stations on the auxiliary network receiving probe signals from said at least one bridge station, response signals including connectivity data, thereby to identify at least one station on the auxiliary network available as an intermediate station for onward transmission of the message data to the destination station; and
transmitting message data from the originating station to the destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, including at least one bridge station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication network including a primary network, and an auxiliary network. The primary network includes wireless stations each able to transmit and receive data over the primary network, and bridge stations able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network. The auxiliary network includes auxiliary stations and bridge stations each able to transmit and receive data over the auxiliary network. At each bridge station, the activity of other stations on both the primary network and the auxiliary network is monitored to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from an originating station to a destination station. Message data is transmitted from the originating station to the destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, including at least one bridge station.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communication network, comprising a primary network and an auxiliary network, including a plurality of primary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the primary network, a plurality of bridge stations able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and a plurality of auxiliary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the auxiliary network, the communication network being operable to transmit message data from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, the method including:
- monitoring, at each of a plurality of bridge stations, the activity of other stations on both the primary network and the auxiliary network to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station;
transmitting via the auxiliary network, from said at least one bridge station, probe signals to stations on the auxiliary network, the probe signals being addressed to at least one station on the auxiliary network;
transmitting, from stations on the auxiliary network receiving probe signals from said at least one bridge station, response signals including connectivity data, thereby to identify at least one station on the auxiliary network available as an intermediate station for onward transmission of the message data to the destination station; and
transmitting message data from the originating station to the destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, including at least one bridge station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- monitoring, at each of a plurality of bridge stations, the activity of other stations on both the primary network and the auxiliary network to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station;
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3. A method of operating a communication network comprising a primary network and an auxiliary network, including a plurality of primary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the primary network, a plurality of bridge stations able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over an auxiliary network, and a plurality of auxiliary stations each able to transmit and receive data over the auxiliary network, the communication network being operable to transmit message data from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, the method including:
- monitoring, at each of a plurality of primary stations and bridge stations, the activity of other stations on the primary network to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station, the intermediate stations including bridge stations;
transmitting via the primary network, from a station on the primary network with message data to transmit from the originating station to the destination station, probe signals to other stations on the primary network including at least one bridge station, thereby to identify at least one bridge station available as an intermediate station for onward transmission of the message data to the destination station; and
transmitting message data opportunistically, from said station on the primary network with data to transmit and via said at least one bridge station, to the destination station. - View Dependent Claims (4)
- monitoring, at each of a plurality of primary stations and bridge stations, the activity of other stations on the primary network to establish the availability of intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station, the intermediate stations including bridge stations;
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32. A communication network, comprising a primary network and an auxiliary network, for transmitting message data from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, the communication network including:
- a plurality of bridge stations, each bridge station being able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the primary network and on the auxiliary network, to establish the availability of stations on the primary network or the auxiliary network as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station; and
a plurality of primary stations, each primary station being able to transmit and receive data over the primary network and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the primary network, to establish the availability of other primary stations or bridge stations as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station, each primary station with message data to transmit from the originating station to the destination station being operable to transmit, via the primary network, probe signals to other stations on the primary network including at least one bridge station, in order to identify at least one bridge station available as an intermediate station for onward transmission of the message data to the destination station, thereby to transmit message data opportunistically, from said primary station with data to transmit and via said at least one bridge station, to the destination station. - View Dependent Claims (33, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- a plurality of bridge stations, each bridge station being able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the primary network and on the auxiliary network, to establish the availability of stations on the primary network or the auxiliary network as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station; and
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34. A communication network, comprising a primary network and an auxiliary network, for transmitting message data from an originating station to a destination station via at least one opportunistically selected intermediate station, the communication network including:
- a plurality of bridge stations, each bridge station being able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the primary network and on the auxiliary network, to establish the availability of stations on the primary network or the auxiliary network as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station; and
a plurality of auxiliary stations, each auxiliary station being able to transmit and receive data over the auxiliary network and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the auxiliary network, to establish the availability of other auxiliary stations or bridge stations as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station, each auxiliary station with message data to transmit from the originating station to the destination station being operable to transmit, via the auxiliary network, probe signals to other stations on the auxiliary network including at least one bridge station, in order to identify at least one bridge station available as an intermediate station for onward transmission of the message data to the destination station, thereby to transmit message data opportunistically, from said auxiliary station with data to transmit and via said at least one bridge station, to the destination station. - View Dependent Claims (35)
- a plurality of bridge stations, each bridge station being able to transmit and receive data both over the primary network and over the auxiliary network, and being operable to monitor the activity of other stations on the primary network and on the auxiliary network, to establish the availability of stations on the primary network or the auxiliary network as intermediate stations for onward transmission of message data from the originating station to the destination station; and
Specification