Mobile communication system with moving base station
First Claim
1. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office connected to a telephone network and mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals and moving in a specified direction, the interface apparatus comprising:
- a stationary interface unit connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection;
a plurality of spaced apart movable base stations, each of the movable base stations uniquely associated with the telephone office and supported on a conveying device for limited movement in the specified direction independent of movement of the mobile telephone units and within an area defined relative to the stationary interface, the movable base stations each having an associated geographical service area defined relative to the stationary interface and operative to perform a plurality of call handling functions relative to mobile units in the associated geographical service area, the movable base stations each responsive to radio signals transmitted by the mobile telephone units to transmit corresponding radio signals to the stationary interface unit and the stationary interface unit responsive to the radio signals transmitted from the movable base stations to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the movable base stations to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile communication system employs moving base stations moving in the direction of flow of traffic moving along a roadway. The moving base station communicates with fixed radio ports connected to a gateway office. A plurality of moving base stations are spaced apart on a closed loop and move with the flow of traffic along one roadway on one leg of the loop and with a flow of traffic on another roadway in another leg of the loop. The moving base stations communicate with a plurality of fixed radio ports connected by a signal transmission link to a gateway office which, in turn, is connected to the wire line network. The moving base stations are each provided with a pair of directional antennas with one antenna directed toward the flow of traffic and another antenna directed to the fixed radio ports.
81 Citations
38 Claims
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1. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office connected to a telephone network and mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals and moving in a specified direction, the interface apparatus comprising:
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a stationary interface unit connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection; a plurality of spaced apart movable base stations, each of the movable base stations uniquely associated with the telephone office and supported on a conveying device for limited movement in the specified direction independent of movement of the mobile telephone units and within an area defined relative to the stationary interface, the movable base stations each having an associated geographical service area defined relative to the stationary interface and operative to perform a plurality of call handling functions relative to mobile units in the associated geographical service area, the movable base stations each responsive to radio signals transmitted by the mobile telephone units to transmit corresponding radio signals to the stationary interface unit and the stationary interface unit responsive to the radio signals transmitted from the movable base stations to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the movable base stations to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 28)
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11. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office connected to a telephone network and mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals and moving in a specified direction, the interface apparatus comprising:
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a stationary interface unit connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection; a plurality of spaced apart movable base stations, each of the movable base stations uniquely associated with the telephone office and supported on a conveying device for limited movement in the specified direction within an area defined relative to the stationary interface, the movable base stations each responsive to radio signals transmitted by the mobile telephone units to transmit corresponding radio signals to the stationary interface unit and the stationary interface unit responsive to the radio signals transmitted from the movable base stations to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the movable base stations to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection; each of the movable base stations having an associated service area and each of the movable base stations operative to hand-off and receive existing calls to mobile units in the associated service area.
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12. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office connected to a telephone network and mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals and moving in a specified direction, the interface apparatus comprising:
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a stationary interface unit connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection; a plurality of spaced apart movable base stations, each of the base stations uniquely associated with the telephone office and supported on a conveying device for limited movement in the specified direction within an area defined relative to the stationary interface, the movable base stations each responsive to radio signals transmitted by the mobile telephone units to transmit corresponding radio signals to the stationary interface unit and the stationary interface unit responsive to the radio signals transmitted from the movable base stations to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the movable base stations to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection; each of the movable base stations having an associated service area and operative to perform a plurality of functions including locating an identified mobile unit in an associated service area.
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13. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office connected to a telephone network and mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals and moving in a specified direction, the interface apparatus comprising:
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a stationary interface unit connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection; and a plurality of spaced apart movable base stations, each of the base stations uniquely associated with the telephone office and supported on a conveying device for limited movement in the specified direction within an area defined relative to the stationary interface, the movable base stations each responsive to radio signals transmitted by the mobile telephone units to transmit corresponding radio signals to the stationary interface unit and the stationary interface unit responsive to the radio signals transmitted from the movable base stations to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the movable base stations to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection; the signals transmitted by the mobile telephone unit to the movable base stations being transmitted at a first power level and signals transmitted by the movable base stations to the stationary interface unit being transmitted at a second power level higher than the first power level.
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14. Interface apparatus for establishing signal connections between a telephone office and a plurality of mobile telephone units transmitting radio signals, certain of the mobile telephone units moving in a specified direction along a predefined path, the interface apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of movable interface units uniquely associated with the telephone office; and a plurality of stationary interface units connected to the telephone office via a signal transmission connection; each of the movable interface units movable in the specified direction within a limited geographical area defined relative to the stationary interface units, and each operative to perform a plurality of call processing functions relative to mobile units in the limited geographical area, the movable interface units each responsive to radio signals transmitted by a mobile telephone unit to transmit corresponding radio signals in the direction of the stationary interface units, each of the stationary interface units responsive to radio signals transmitted from an adjacent movable interface unit to transmit signals corresponding to the signals transmitted from the adjacent movable interface unit to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A mobile telephone system comprising:
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a telephone office connected to a telephone network; a stationary interface unit connected via a signal transmission connection to the telephone office; a movable interface unit uniquely associated with the telephone office and movable at a predetermined speed along a first predefined path of travel and in a direction defined by a direction of travel of a mobile telecommunication unit traveling along a second predetermined path defined within a limited area defined relative to the stationary interface; the stationary interface unit comprising signal processing circuitry and a stationary interface radio antenna directed toward the first predefined path of travel; the movable interface unit comprising signal processing circuitry and a first radio antenna directed toward the second predefined path of travel and a second radio antenna directed toward the stationary interface unit; the movable interface unit responsive to radio signals received at the first radio antenna to transmit corresponding radio signals via the second radio antenna to the stationary interface and the stationary interface responsive to radio signals received at the stationary interface radio antenna to transmit corresponding signals to the telephone office via the signal transmission connection.
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26. A mobile telephone system arranged for communication with mobile telephone units and comprising:
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first and second telephone offices connected to a telephone network; a first closed loop having opposite ends and a second closed loop having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends of the first loop disposed adjacent one of the opposite ends of the second loop, each of the loops movably supporting a plurality of movable base stations; a plurality of stationary interface units disposed adjacent each of the loops, each connected to one of the telephone offices; each movable base station communicating with a stationary interface unit and responsive to radio telephone signals transmitted by a mobile telephone unit to establish a telephone communication connection with one of the telephone offices via one of the stationary interface units; the telephone offices operative to record position of each of the movable base stations on each loop and to transmit an alert signal via one of the stationary interface units to an identified movable base station approaching one of the opposite ends of one of the loops; the identified movable base station responsive to the alert signal to indicate to mobile units communicating with the identified movable base station to establish a telephone communication connection to another base station. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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29. A method of signal communication between a telephone switching office and a mobile telephone unit moving in a specified direction and transmitting radio signals, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a fixed radio port connected to the telephone switching office; moving a movable base station uniquely associated with the telephone switching office on a conveying device operating independently from the mobile telephone unit and in the specified direction within a limited area defined relative to the fixed radio port; receiving at the movable base station radio signals transmitted from the mobile telephone unit; performing call setup functions at the movable base station in response to the certain of the radio signals transmitted from the mobile telephone unit; and transmitting from the movable base station to the fixed radio port radio signals corresponding to other of the radio signals transmitted from the mobile telephone unit. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of signal communication between a telephone switching office and a mobile telephone unit moving along a roadbed in a specified direction and transmitting radio signals, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a fixed radio port connected to the telephone switching office; moving a movable base station uniquely associated with the telephone switching office in one direction along a path having opposite ends and extending substantially parallel to the roadbed for a limited distance; receiving at the movable base station radio signals transmitted from the mobile telephone unit; transmitting from the movable base station to the fixed radio port radio signals corresponding to the radio signals transmitted from the mobile telephone unit; and reversing direction of travel of the movable base station when the movable base station reaches one end of the limited distance.
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38. A method of handling telephone calls between a telephone office and a mobile telephone unit moving in a specified direction, the method comprising the steps of:
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moving a plurality of movable base station in the specified direction; establishing a telephone call between the telephone office and the mobile unit via a selected one of the movable base stations; monitoring signal communication from the mobile telephone unit at the selected one of the base stations and controlling at the selected base station hand-off of the telephone call from the selected base station to another of the plurality of moving base stations.
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Specification