Communication network providing wireless and hard-wired dynamic routing

• US 5,748,619 A
• Filed: 12/26/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec Technologies Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/780,124
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/408, 370/420, 370/492, 370/277, 370/278, 370/282, 370/285, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A data communication network for providing dynamic routing through both wireless and wired subnetworks to support wireless communication devices and wired remote stations is disclosed. In the wireless network, the wireless communication devices can be mobile RF terminals, while the wired remote stations might be personal computers attached to a wired subnet, such as an ethernet coaxial cable. The wireless network architecture utilizes a spanning tree configuration which provides for transparent bridging between wired subnets and the wireless subnets. The spanning tree configuration provides dynamic routing to and from wireless communication devices and remote stations attached to standard IEEE 802 LANs.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a hard-wired communication network having a plurality of wired communication devices attached thereto, each of said plurality of wired communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a first communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

a wireless communication network having a plurality of wireless communication devices participating thereon in a hierarchical arrangement, each of said plurality of wireless communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a second communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

one of said plurality of wired communication devices comprises a wired access point which participates on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol; and

when any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices communicates data to any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices, said any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices associates the unique identifier of the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices with the data communicated for use by the first and second communication protocols for routing of the data to the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of hard wired communication devices and said plurality of wireless communication devices, together, form a spanning tree.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the wired access point utilizes a table that identifies routing pathways based on the unique identifier.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the wired access point participates to maintain the consistency of the table.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a wireless access point which participates on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the wireless access point couples with the hard-wired communication network via the wired access point.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein the wired access point and the wireless access point participate in the wireless communication network in the hierarchical arrangement by routing communications between the wired access point and the wireless access point.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a first wireless computing device.

9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein one of said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a second wireless computing device, and the first and second wireless computing devices and the wired access point participate in the wireless communication network in the hierarchical arrangement by routing communications between the first and second wireless computing devices through the wired access point.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a wireless roaming device.

11. The communication system of claim 10 wherein the wired access point utilizes a table that identifies routing pathways based on the unique identifier.

12. A communication system comprising:

a hard-wired communication network having a plurality of wired communication devices attached thereto, each of said plurality of wired communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a first communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

a wireless communication network having a plurality of wireless communication devices participating thereon, each of said plurality of wireless communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a second communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

said plurality of wired communication devices comprises a plurality of wired access points that each participate on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol utilizing a locally stored table that indexes at least a portion of the unique identifiers;

at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices seeks permission from one of the plurality of wired access points before communicating data; and

when any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices communicates with any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices, said any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices includes the unique identifier of the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices with the communication for use by the first and second communication protocols in routing the communication to the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of hard wired communication devices and said plurality of wireless communication devices, together, participate in a spanning tree.

14. The communication system of claim 12 wherein the routing tables stored in each of the wired access points are dynamically adjusted.

15. The communication system of claim 14 wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices further comprises a plurality of wireless roaming devices, and the routing tables are dynamically adjusted to support roaming by the plurality of wireless roaming devices.

16. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a wireless access point which participates on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol.

17. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the wireless access point couples with the hard-wired communication network via one of the plurality of wired access points.

18. The communication system of claim 17 wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices further comprises a plurality of wireless computing devices, and the wireless access point and the plurality of wired access points support communication between the plurality of wireless computing devices.

19. The communication system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a plurality of wireless computing devices, and the plurality of wired access points support communication between the plurality of wireless computing devices.

20. The communication system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication devices dynamically selects at least one of the plurality of wired access points from others of the plurality of wired access points to provide coupling with the wired communication network.

21. A communication system comprising:

a hard-wired communication network having a plurality of wired communication devices attached thereto, each of said plurality of wired communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a first communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

a wireless communication network having a plurality of wireless communication devices participating thereon, each of said plurality of wireless communication devices communicating data as prescribed by a second communication protocol, and having a unique identifier for communicating data;

said plurality of wired communication devices comprises a plurality of wired access points that each participate on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol utilizing a locally stored table that indexes at least a portion of the unique identifiers;

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices dynamically selects at least one of the plurality of wired access points from others of the plurality of wired access points to provide coupling with the wired communication network; and

when any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices communicates data to any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices, said any one of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices includes the unique identifier of the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices with the data for use by the first and second communication protocols in routing the data to the any other of said plurality of wired communication devices or said plurality of wireless communication devices.

22. The communication system of claim 21 wherein said plurality of hard wired communication devices and said plurality of wireless communication devices, together, participate in a spanning tree.

23. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the tables stored in each of the wired access points are dynamically adjusted.

24. The communication system of claim 23 wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices further comprises a plurality of wireless roaming devices, and the tables are dynamically adjusted to support roaming by the plurality of wireless roaming devices.

25. The communication system of claim 21 wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a wireless access point which participates on the wireless communication network via the second communication protocol.

26. The communication system of claim 21 wherein the wireless access point couples with the hard-wired communication network via one of the plurality of wired access points.

27. The communication system of claim 26 wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices further comprises a plurality of wireless computing devices, and the wireless access point and the plurality of wired access points support communication between the plurality of wireless computing devices.

28. The communication system of claim 21 wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a plurality of wireless computing devices, and the plurality of wired access points support communication between the plurality of wireless computing devices.

29. The communication system of claim 21 wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices seeks permission from one of the plurality of wired access points before communicating data.