Wireless local area network for use in neighborhoods
First Claim
1. A local area network for digital information transmission to and from each of a plurality of building units in an area, wherein all network interconnections between any of said plurality of units and any other of said plurality of units are wireless and employ no cables, said network comprising a plurality of transceiver stations, one each being located at each of said plurality of units, each said transceiver station including:
- radio transmitter means adapted to transmit information in digital form, and further adapted to selectively address said transmitted information to at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality, said transmitter means being operable in a frequency range and at a sufficiently low maximum power level as to be normally and lawfully utilizable without an FCC license;
radio receiver means adapted to receive transmissions of information in digital form, and further adapted to specifically recognize such transmissions selectively addressed to said receiver means from at least either two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality;
interface means interconnecting said transceiver means with at least one electrical system associated with said unit of said plurality where said transceiver station is located and adapted to accept data from said system and deliver commands to said system;
first means interposed between said interface means and said radio transmitter means and adapted to modulatingly convey said data from said interface means to said radio transmitter means; and
second means interposed between said first interface means and said radio receiver means and adapted to demodulatingly convey said commands from said radio receiver means to said interface means;
programmable control means adapted to cause said transmitter means to recognizably and selectively retransmit data and commands received by said receiver means in a predeterminable manner;
whereby said plurality of transceiver stations may be serially linked in a loop; and
further whereby commands for any of said systems and data from any of said systems may be passed from station to station about the loop in either of two directions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A local area network for digital information transmission to and from each of a plurality of building units in an area, such as homes in a neighborhood is provided, wherein all connections between units are wireless. Each unit is provided with and fm transceiver station, which is connected with an electrical system in said unit, such as a security system or a power distribution system in such a way that information can be gathered from said system and commands delivered to said system. Each transceiver is adapted to operate at a power level and on a frequency which does not require an FCC license. Each transceiver includes programmable means adapted to cause said transceiver to recognize transmission specifically addressed to it by other stations in the network, and to cause said transceiver to generate and send transmissions specifically addressed to other transceivers in the network. Thus, the transceivers on the network are serially linked in a loop, and commands for the system in any building unit and data from any system in any building unit may be passed from unit to unit about the loop in either of two directions.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A local area network for digital information transmission to and from each of a plurality of building units in an area, wherein all network interconnections between any of said plurality of units and any other of said plurality of units are wireless and employ no cables, said network comprising a plurality of transceiver stations, one each being located at each of said plurality of units, each said transceiver station including:
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radio transmitter means adapted to transmit information in digital form, and further adapted to selectively address said transmitted information to at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality, said transmitter means being operable in a frequency range and at a sufficiently low maximum power level as to be normally and lawfully utilizable without an FCC license; radio receiver means adapted to receive transmissions of information in digital form, and further adapted to specifically recognize such transmissions selectively addressed to said receiver means from at least either two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality; interface means interconnecting said transceiver means with at least one electrical system associated with said unit of said plurality where said transceiver station is located and adapted to accept data from said system and deliver commands to said system; first means interposed between said interface means and said radio transmitter means and adapted to modulatingly convey said data from said interface means to said radio transmitter means; and second means interposed between said first interface means and said radio receiver means and adapted to demodulatingly convey said commands from said radio receiver means to said interface means; programmable control means adapted to cause said transmitter means to recognizably and selectively retransmit data and commands received by said receiver means in a predeterminable manner; whereby said plurality of transceiver stations may be serially linked in a loop; and further whereby commands for any of said systems and data from any of said systems may be passed from station to station about the loop in either of two directions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22)
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7. A local area security network for wirelessly interconnecting the individual security systems of a plurality of homes in a neighborhood and for transmission in digital form to and from each said home information concerning security system alarm conditions and other information, and network comprising a plurality of transceiver stations, one each being located at each of said plurality of homes, each said transceiver station including:
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radio transmitter means adapted to transmit information in digital form, and further adapted to selectively address said transmitted information to at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality, said transmitter means being operable in a frequency range and at a sufficiently low maximum power level as to be normally and lawfully utilizable without an FCC license; radio receiver means adapted to receive transmissions of information in digital form, and further adapted to specifically recognize such transmissions selectively addressed to said receiver means from at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality; interface means interconnecting said transceiver means with the individual home security system associated with said home of said plurality where said transceiver station is located and adapted to recognizably accept information concerning alarm conditions from said system and deliver alarm termination commands to said system; first means interposed between said interface means and said radio transmitter means and adapted to modulatingly convey said alarm condition information from said interface means to said radio transmitter means; second means interposed between said interface means and said radio receiver means and adapted to demodulatingly convey said alarm termination commands from said receiver means to said interface means; programmable control means adapted to cause said transmitter means to recognizably and selectively retransmit said alarm condition information and said alarm termination commands received by said receiver means in a predeterminable manner; and indicator means adapted to recognizably and selectively indicate the existence of an alarm condition in the security system of any other home of said plurality; whereby said plurality of transceiver stations may be serially linked in a loop; and whereby alarm condition information and alarm termination commands may be passed from station to station about the loop in either of two directions; and further whereby an alarm condition in any security system of said plurality of homes can be selectively and recognizably indicated in at least one other of said plurality of homes. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A local area utility service network for wirelessly interconnecting the individual utility distribution systems of a plurality of homes in a neighborhood and for transmission in digital form to and from each said home information concerning utility usage and other information, said network comprising a plurality of transceiver stations, one each being located at each of said plurality of homes, each said transceiver station including:
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ratio transmitter means adapted to transmit information in digital form, and further adapted to selectively address said transmitted information to at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality, said transmitter means being operable in a frequency range and at a sufficiently low maximum power level as to be normally and lawfully utilizable without an FCC license; radio receiver means adapted to receive transmissions of information in digital form, and further adapted to specifically recognize such transmissions selectively addressed to said receiver means from at least either of two proximately located other transceiver stations of said plurality; interface means nnterconnecting said transceiver means with at least one utility distribution system associated with said home of said plurality where said transceiver station is located and adapted to recognizably accept information concerning utility usage from said system and deliver appliance enabling and disenabling commands to said system; first means interposed between said interface means and said radio transmitter means and adapted to modulatingly convey said utility usage information from said interface means to said transmitter means; second means interposed between said interface means and said radio receiver means and adapted to demodulatingly convey said appliance enabling and disenabling commands from said receiver means to said interface means; and programmable control means adapted to cause said transmitter means to recognizable and selectively retransmit said utility usage information and said appliance enabling and disenabling commands received by said receiver means in a predetermined manner; whereby said plurality of transceiver stations may be serially linked in a loop; and whereby utility usage information and appliance enabling and disenabling commands may be passed from station to station about the loop in either of two directions. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23)
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Specification