Protocol converter and router for multi-mode wireless data communications

• US 5,894,478 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Xiaojian, Schroeder, Robert Edward, Barzegar, Farhad, Russell, Jesse Eugene, Chow, Albert, Hsu, Danny K., Chang, Chi-Hwey, Durant, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/690,269
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/405, 370/406, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/389, 370/404, 370/408, 370/407, 370/467, 370/469, 455/33.1
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention encompasses an apparatus and method for supporting multiple wireless data communication networks between a wireless communications device and a fixed communications device or another wireless communications device. Two network elements compose the physical apparatus, a protocol converter and a router. Upon receiving packet data from a fixed communications device, a router will locate a destination wireless communications device. The router will then convert the packet data to a format usable by the wireless data network that the wireless communications device is currently using for wireless access. After conversion, the router will perform actual transmission of the packet data to the correct destination wireless network. Once the converted packet data is received by the wireless network base station, it will be transmitted via RF to the destination wireless communications device. The router will also perform reverse functions of receiving packet data from a wireless communications device across wireless data network and then perform necessary conversion to a format usable by fixed communications device. The router will then perform actual transmission of the converted packet data to the fixed communications device.

Claims

1. A method for enabling wireless data communications across a plurality of wireless data networks between at least one wireless communications device and at least one second communications device, said method comprising the steps of:

converting out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device by means of a protocol converter to a network protocol of one of said plurality of wireless data networks presently used by said wireless communications device for transmitting to said second communications device;

transmitting from said protocol converter said out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device to said one of said plurality of wireless networks presently used by said wireless communications device;

converting in-bound data messages to said wireless communications device by means of said protocol converter to said network protocol presently used by said wireless communications device; and

transmitting said in-bound data messages from said protocol converter to said wireless communications device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

converting out-bound data messages of said second communications device by means of at least one router to a network protocol presently used by said wireless communications device;

transmitting said out-bound data messages of said second communications device from said router to said one of said plurality of wireless data networks presently used by said wireless communications device;

converting in-bound data messages to said second communications device by means of said router to a network protocol presently used by said second communications device; and

transmitting said in-bound data messages from said router to said second communications device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communications device includes an end processor adapted to utilize the network protocol used by said wireless communications device and being adapted to couple to said protocol converter, said protocol converter further being coupled to a plurality of network radio frequency modems;

further including the steps of;

transmitting from said plurality of network radio frequency modems said out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device and receiving said in-bound data messages from one of said plurality of wireless data networks.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of transmitting said outbound data messages of said second communications device from said router includes the step of transmitting said out-bound data messages to a network control center of said one of said plurality of wireless data networks presently used by said wireless communications device, and transmitting said out-bound data messages of said second communications device to said wireless communications device.

5. The method according to claim 4, further including performing at said router the steps of:

extracting user data from a network data message frame of said in-bound data messages to said second communications device, the extracted user data being placed into a network frame of converted user data used by said second communications device,

transmitting the converted user data to said second communications device;

extracting user data from a network data message frame of said out-bound data messages of said second communications device, the extracted user data being placed into a network frame of converted user data being used by a destination network of one of said plurality of wireless data networks presently used by said wireless communications device; and

transmitting the converted user data to said network control center of said network presently used by said wireless communications device.

6. The method according to claim 3, further including performing at said protocol converter the steps of:

extracting user data from a network data message frame of said in-bound data messages to said wireless communications device, the extracted user data being placed into a network frame of converted user data usable by said end processor of said wireless communications device,

transmitting the converted user data to said end processor of said wireless communications device;

extracting user data from a network data message frame of said out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device, the extracted user data being placed into a network frame of converted user data usable by one of said plurality of wireless data networks presently used by said wireless communications device for transmitting to said second communications device; and

transmitting the converted user data to said one of said plurality of wireless data networks being presently by said second communications device for transmitting to said second communications device.

7. The method according to claim 4, further including performing at said router the steps of:

determining from which of said plurality of wireless data networks that data messages are being received by performing at least one of the steps of;

monitoring network information in a data message frame in-bound from said wireless communications device; and

monitoring of network address information in said data message frame in-bound to said second communications device; and

updating a routing table including a current storage of from which of said plurality of wireless data networks said in-bound data messages to said second communications device are being received, and including a current storage of network addresses of said plurality of wireless data networks usable by said wireless communications device;

converting said out-bound data message of said second communications device to a correct format usable by said network control center and usable by said wireless communications device based on network information from said routing table containing said network protocol usable by said network control center; and

transmitting said out-bound data message of said second communications device to a network address of said network control center.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including:

maintaining a mobility database of a currently active plurality of wireless communications devices; and

,

authenticating data messages incoming from said plurality of wireless communications devices by routinely referencing said mobility database.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of authenticating includes monitoring a user profile in data messages received from said currently active plurality of said wireless communications devices and comparing said profile to a stored user profile in said mobility database.

10. The method according to claim 2, further including the step of performing data packet filtering at said router including authentication and registration of in-bound data messages of said wireless communications device based upon a user identification and network addresses in a data message frame, and reporting and storing authentication errors to a local maintenance subsystem.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including the steps of processing for error detection at said router based on received data message;

correcting processing for given message types; and

detecting and discarding any messages being an invalid message type based on user data.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said router farther includes a maintenance subsystem for performing fault recovery and redundancy including a provision for a redundant router for routing said data message in-bound and said data message out bound and switching traffic from one router to another router when said one said router encounters an unrecoverable system fault.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said maintenance subsystem performs traffic volume control including the steps of:

measuring and recording of said out-bound data messages and said in-bound data messages per unit time;

categorizing said in-bound data messages and said out bound data messages based on message type and destination address,

determining traffic allocation among a main router and an alternate router using said measurements; and

performing diagnostic tests on all primary software and hardware functions.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein said protocol converter further includes a provision for a wired interface between said end processor and said plurality of network radio frequency modems for every one of said plurality of wireless data networks supported by said wireless communications device.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communications devices use different air interface protocols.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second communication devices include a plurality of fixed communications devices being connected to different routers.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the network protocol for said end processor is an automatic train control system, the network protocol of one of said plurality of wireless data networks is cellular digital packet data, and the network protocol of said second communications device is said automatic train control system.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second communications device is another said wireless communications device.

19. A system to enable wireless communications across a plurality of wireless data networks between at least one wireless communications device and at least one second communications device, said system comprising:

a protocol converter coupled between said wireless communications device and said second communications device, said protocol converter including;

a converter operable to convert out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device from a given network protocol being used by an end processor of said wireless communication device to converted data messages of a given network air interface protocol;

a transmitter operable to route the converted data messages to a given one of a plurality of network radio frequency modems for wireless transmission across a given one of said plurality of wireless data networks;

said converter further being operable to convert in-bound data messages to said wireless communications device to converted data messages from a given one of said plurality of network radio frequency modems and from said given network air interface protocol to said given network protocol for wireless reception; and

said transmitter operable to route the converted data messages to said end processor, wherein said plurality of network radio frequency modems transmit and receive said data messages across said plurality of wireless data networks.

20. The system according to claim 19, further including a router coupled between said second communications device and said plurality of wireless data networks, said router including:

a converter operable to convert in-bound data messages to converted data messages to said second communications device from a network data protocol being used by a given one of said plurality of wireless data networks to a network protocol being used by a destination network including said second communications device,

a transmitter for routing the converted data messages to a network address for said second communications device;

said converter operable to convert out-bound data messages of said second communications device from a data network protocol being used by a destination network of said second communications device to converted data messages of a network data protocol being used by a given one of said plurality of wireless data networks, said transmitter operable to route the converted data messages to a network address for said wireless communications device.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said protocol converter is further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said in-bound data messages of said second communications, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by said end processor of said wireless communications device, and transmit the converted user data to said end processor of said wireless communications device;

and,

said protocol converter being further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said out-bound data messages of said wireless communications device, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by one of said plurality of wireless data networks usable by said wireless communications device for transmitting to said second communications device and transmit the converted user data to said one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device for transmitting to said second communications device.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said router is further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said in-bound data messages to said second communications device, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by said second communications device;

and transmit the converted user data to said second communications device; and

said router being further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said out-bound data messages of said second communications device, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by said destination network of one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device, and transmit the converted user data to a network control center of one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein said router further includes:

means for determining from which one of said plurality of wireless data networks usable by said wireless communications device data messages are being received, said means for determining operable to monitor network information in an in-bound data message frame of said wireless communications device and monitor network address information in an in-bound data message frame to said second communications device;

a routing table including a current storage of from which of said plurality of wireless data networks said in-bound data messages of said wireless communications device are being received, and a current storage of network addresses of said plurality of wireless data networks usable by said wireless communications device;

said converter operable to convert said out-bound data message of said second communications device to a correct format usable by a network control center of one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device based on network information from said routing table containing the network protocol being used by said network control center; and

said transmitter operable to transmit said out-bound data message of said second communications device to a network address of said network control center.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said router includes:

a mobility database of currently active plurality of said wireless communications devices, wherein data messages incoming from said plurality of wireless communications devices are authenticated by routinely using said mobility database.

25. The system according to claim 24, further including means for monitoring a user profile in data messages received from said currently active plurality of said wireless communications devices and comparing said user profile to a stored user profile in said mobility database to thereby provide authentication.

26. The according to claim 20, wherein said router further includes means for authentication and registration of in-bound data messages to said second communications device based upon a user identification and network addresses in a data message frame, and means for reporting and storing authentication errors to a local maintenance subsystem.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said router further includes means for processing for error detection based on a received data message;

correction processing means for predetermined message types; and

means for detecting and discarding any messages being an invalid message type based on user data.

28. The system according to claim 20, wherein said router further includes a maintenance subsystem for performing fault recovery and redundancy including a provision for a redundant router for routing said data message in-bound and said data message out bound and switching traffic from one said router to another said router when said one said router encounters an unrecoverable system fault.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said maintenance subsystem further includes means for performing traffic volume control including:

means for measuring and recording of said out-bound data messages and said in-bound data messages per unit time;

means for categorizing said in-bound data messages and said out bound data messages based on message type and destination address,

means for determining traffic allocation among a main router and an alternate router using said measurements; and

,

means for performing diagnostic tests on all primary software and hardware functions.

30. The system according to claim 19, wherein said protocol converter further includes a provision for a wired interface between said end processor and said plurality of network radio frequency modems for every one of said plurality of wireless data networks supported by said wireless communications device.

31. The system according to claim 19, wherein said at least one wireless communications devices are adapted to use different air interface protocols.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein a plurality of fixed communications devices are connected to different routers.

33. The system according to claim 19, wherein said second communications device is another said wireless communications device.

34. An apparatus to enable wireless communications across a plurality of wireless data networks between at least one wireless communications device and at least one second communications device, said apparatus comprising at least one router device, said router device including:

a converter operable to convert in-bound data messages to converted data messages to said second communications device from a network data protocol being used by a given one of said plurality of wireless data networks to a network protocol being used by a destination network including said second communications device,

a transmitter for routing the converted data messages to a network address for said second communications device;

said converter operable to convert out-bound data messages of said second communications device from a data network protocol being used by a destination network of said second communications device to converted data messages of a network data protocol being used by a given one of said plurality of wireless data networks, said transmitter operable to route the converted data messages to a network address for said wireless communications device.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said router is further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said in-bound data messages to said second communications device, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by said second communications device;

and transmit the converted user data to said second communications device; and

,

said router being further operable to extract user data from a network data message frame of said out-bound data messages of said second communications device, place the extracted user data into a network frame of converted user data being used by said destination network of one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device, and transmit the converted user data to said network control center of one of said plurality of wireless data networks being used by said wireless communications device.