Multiple protocol personal communications network system

• US 5,926,479 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Com 21 Incorporated
• Inventors: Baran, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US08/843,111
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/252, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/468, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/389, 375/222, 375/261
• US Class Current: 370/395.61
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0685 Clock or time synchronisation in a node; Intranode synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5671 Support of voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5672 Multiplexing, e.g. coding, scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/033 using the transitions of the received signal to control the phase of the synchronising-signal-generating means, e.g. using a phase-locked loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A bi-directional communications system for bypassing a local exchange carrier telephone system for conveying data between at least one terminal unit and a switching unit that has the functionality of a Class 5 central telephone office switch that is connected to a public switched telephone network. The system includes a relay transceiver where the signals from the terminal units are converted bi-directionally between the signal format of the terminal units and fixed length compliant ATM cells when the signal format of the terminal units is other than a fixed length compliant ATM cell format. In a transmission interface unit there is a bi-directional conversion of the fixed length compliant ATM cells to time division multiplexed signals in the upstream direction and from time division multiplexed signals to fixed length compliant ATM cells in the downstream direction, wherein the upstream signal direction is toward the transmission interface unit and the downstream signal direction is toward the terminal units. Further, the system includes the transfer of the time division multiplexed signals to the switching unit. In another embodiment of the present invention there can be at least two terminal units each designed to transmit and receive in different signal formats from each other and a programmable relay transceiver unit.

Claims

1. A multiple mode transmission arrangement for cell communication with a plurality of rf transceivers, said transmission arrangement comprising:

a first subgroup of rf transceivers having at least one of said plurality of rf transceivers in said first subgroup with the population of the first subgroup defined by a first set of operating parameters including signal format and type of modulation that are suitable for ATM cell transmission;

a second subgroup of rf transceivers having at least a different one of said plurality of rf transceivers in said second subgroup with the population of the second subgroup defined by a second set of operating parameters including signal format and type of modulation that are suitable for non-cell transmission; and

a relay transceiver having the capability to sequentially test signals received from any of said rf transceivers to determine to which of said first and said second subgroups each rf transceiver transmitting a signal belongs by sequentially programming said relay transceiver to look for each expected form of modulation and data formats in the receive mode, and to sequentially change the operating parameters of the relay transceiver to match those of each rf transceiver with which there is a present communication link with the additional capability to convert signals received from each rf transceiver in said second subgroup of rf transceivers into ATM cell based signals and to convert ATM cell based signals to signals to be transmitted to, and compatible with, rf transceivers of said second subgroup of rf transceivers.