WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR MOVING VEHICLES

• US 20130310021A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icomera AB (ENGIE SA)
• Original Assignee: Icomera AB (ENGIE SA)
• Inventors: BERGEK, Martin, KARLSSON, Mats, BECKMAN, Claes
• Granted Patent: US 9,750,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A wireless communication system for a moving vehicle, such as trains, is disclosed. The system includes at least one router in the moving vehicle for receiving and transmitting wireless voice communication and data communication to and from a stationary communication server outside the moving vehicle through an exterior mobile network. Further, the system includes at least one femtocell provided within the moving vehicle, and being connected to the router for wireless transferring of wireless voice communication and data communication between mobile terminals within the moving vehicle and the router, wherein the at least one femtocell is controlled by a femtocell controller directly or indirectly connected to the communication server outside the moving vehicle.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a moving vehicle, comprising:

at least one router in the moving vehicle for receiving and transmitting wireless voice communication and data communication to and from a stationary communication server outside said moving vehicle through an exterior mobile network; and

at least one femtocell provided within the moving vehicle, and being connected to said router for wireless transferring of wireless voice communication and data communication between mobile terminals within the moving vehicle and said router, wherein said at least one femtocell is controlled by a femtocell controller directly or indirectly connected to the communication server outside the moving vehicle.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of femtocells connected to said router.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the moving vehicle comprises a plurality of carriages, and wherein each carriage is provided with at least one of said plurality of femtocells.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wireless access point provided within the moving vehicle and being connected to said router for wireless transferring of data communication between mobile terminals within the moving vehicle and said router, wherein data communication through said wireless access point is independent from the femtocell controller.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the access point(s) and femtocell(s) are arranged as integrated units.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the router and the communication server are connected through a plurality of exterior mobile networks, which are simultaneously useable.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the router is arranged to communicate with the communication server on at least two different communication routes having different characteristics, and to automatically separate the communication traffic between said communication routes based on specific optimization conditions.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the router is arranged to prioritize voice communication and data communication between the router and the communication server differently.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 8, wherein voice communication is prioritized over data communication so that lower latency is obtained for voice communication.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one femtocell is arranged for wireless communication between mobile terminals within the moving vehicle and the router only in the GSM frequency bands of 1800 MHz.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one femtocells has a communication range in the range of 20-100 m.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the router is arranged to supervise the functioning of the femtocell(s).

13. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the specific optimization conditions include at least one of price, latency and speed.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein the at least one femtocell is arranged for wireless communication between mobile terminals within the moving vehicle and the router only in the the band 1878.1-1879.9 MHz.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one femtocells has a communication range in the range of 30-70 m.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one femtocells has a communication range in the range of 40-60 m.