Remote control of wireless telecommunications systems

• US 6,094,678 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Bank of Intellectual Property, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Airspan Communications Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, Guy A., Thompson, Jonathan A., Nethercott, Jonathan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, ALMARI ROMERO
• Application Number:
  US08/656,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/303, 709/208, 709/220, 709/223, 709/226, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/70735 Code identification H04B1/7083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7077 Multi-step acquisition, e.g. multi-dwell, coarse-fine or validation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/70775 Multi-dwell schemes, i.e. multiple accumulation times
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A first aspect of the invention discloses a local server station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, the local server station comprising: an object based control system maintained at the local server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the local server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, and a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations. A second aspect of the invention discloses a local client station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, each server station comprising an object based control system maintained at the server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, the local client station comprising: a control system for remotely operating the object based control system at a remote server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system, and a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations.

Claims

1. A local client station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, each server station comprising an object based control system maintained at the server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, the local client station comprising:

a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations;

a control system for remotely operating, via the reconfigurable dynamic interface, the object based control system at a remote server station by causing an operation to be applied to an object of the object based control system to effect a change in the object, thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system, the operation having a number of data fields including a first field for storing the state of the object prior to the operation being applied and a second field for storing the state of the object after the operation has been applied, the operation being reversible when the first field has been filled.

2. A station according to claim 1, wherein the client station is arranged to maintain an object based control system, said operation being applied to the object in both the object based control system maintained by the remote server station and the object based control system maintained by the client station, wherein the client station object based control system is maintained in an object cache.

3. A station according to claim 2, wherein the client station object based control system contains a copy of each object based control system on each remote server and client stations.

4. A station according to claim 3, wherein the operation is either an "update" operation for updating the state of the object to which the operation is applied or a "retrieve" operation for retrieving the current state of the object to which the operation is applied.

5. A station according to claim 4, wherein the operation comprises a third field for containing a flag to indicate whether the operation is reversible, the flag being set when the first field has been filled.

6. A station according to claim 5, wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system and wherein each server station includes a protocol converter for converting messages from the control station connected thereto into operations for the control of the object based control system maintained in the server.

7. A station according to claim 6, wherein the protocol converter is a multi-layer protocol converter.

8. A station according to claim 7, wherein the protocol converter is a seven layer protocol converter.

9. A station according to claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable dynamic interface is reconfigured by a remote procedure interface object generated by a remote procedure call interface maintained in the station.

10. A station according to claim 9, wherein the remote procedure interface object specifies a local service which may be locally executed from a remote station, or specifies a remote service that may be remotely executed in a remote station.

11. A station according to claim 10, wherein a connection object is generated by a communications manager, the connection object specifying the location of at least one remote server or client station and a type of communications link to be established between the local station and the at least one remote server or client station.

12. A station according to claim 11, wherein the type of connection to be made is either a wireless connection, a network connection or a modem connection.

13. A station according to claim 12 wherein the connection is a modem connection and the object cache includes a buffer memory for storing a plurality of operations to be applied to remote object based control systems, said stored operations being accumulated within a given connection object prior to their transmission through the modem connection.

14. A station according to claim 12, wherein a connection is made by the communications manager in accordance with the connection object and a remote service specified by the local remote procedure interface object is remotely executed and applied to the remote object based control system maintained on that remote station thereby to control that remote object based control system.

15. A station according to claim 12, wherein a connection is made by a remote communications manager in accordance with a connection object and a local service specified by the remote procedure interface object is locally executed and applied to the local object based control system maintained on the local station thereby to control the local object based control system.

16. A station according to claim 12, wherein the services are either update services or retrieve services.

17. A station according to claim 16, wherein parameters supplied to the update and retrieve services are reversible.

18. A station according to claim 17, wherein the parameters are operations.

19. A local server station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, the local server station comprising:

an interface via which the local server station is connected with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system;

an object based control system maintained at the local server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system;

a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations;

wherein the server station is responsive to receipt via the reconfigurable dynamic interface of signals from the remote servers and/or client stations to cause an operation to be applied to an object of the object based control system to effect a change in the object, thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system, the operation having a number of data fields including a first field for storing the state of the object prior to the operation being applied and a second field for storing the state of the object after the operation has been applied, the operation being reversible when the first field has been filled.

20. A station according to claim 19, wherein the operation is either an "update" operation for updating the state of the object to which the operation is applied or a "retrieve" operation for retrieving the current state of the object to which the operation is applied.

21. A station according to claim 20, wherein the operation comprises a third field for containing a flag to indicate whether the operation is reversible, the flag being set when the first field has been filled.

22. A station according to claim 21, wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system and wherein each server station includes a protocol converter for converting messages from the control station connected thereto into operations for the control of the object based control system maintained in the server.

23. A station according to claim 22, wherein the protocol converter is a multi-layer protocol converter.

24. A station according to claim 23, wherein the protocol converter is a seven layer protocol converter.

25. A station according to claim 19, wherein the reconfigurable dynamic interface is reconfigured by a remote procedure interface object generated by a remote procedure call interface maintained in the station.

26. A station according to claim 25, wherein the remote procedure interface object specifies a local service which may be locally executed from a remote station, or specifies a remote service that may be remotely executed in a remote station.

27. A station according to claim 26, wherein a connection object is generated by a communications manager, the connection object specifying the location of at least one remote server or client station and a type of communications link to be established between the local station and the at least one remote server or client station.

28. A station according to claim 27, wherein the type of connection to be made is either a wireless connection, a network connection or a modem connection.

29. A station according to claim 28 wherein the connection is a modem connection and the object cache includes a buffer memory for storing a plurality of operations to be applied to remote object based control systems, said stored operations being accumulated within a given connection object prior to their transmission through the modem connection.

30. A station according to claim 28, wherein a connection is made by the communications manager in accordance with the connection object and a remote service specified by the local remote procedure interface object is remotely executed and applied to the remote object based control system maintained on that remote station thereby to control that remote object based control system.

31. A station according to claim 28, wherein a connection is made by a remote communications manager in accordance with a connection object and a local service specified by the remote procedure interface object is locally executed and applied to the local object based control system maintained on the local station thereby to control the local object based control system.

32. A station according to claim 28, wherein the services are either update services or retrieve services.

33. A station according to claim 32, wherein parameters supplied to the update and retrieve services are reversible.

34. A station according to claim 33, wherein the parameters are operations.

35. A method of controlling a remote wireless telecommunications system from a local client station, the wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, each server station comprising an object based control system maintained at the server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising the steps of:

employing a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations;

remotely operating, via the reconfigurable dynamic interface, the object based control system at a remote server station by causing an operation to be applied to an object of the object based control system to effect a change in the object, thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system, the operation having a number of data fields including a first field for storing the state of the object prior to the operation being applied and a second field for storing the state of the object after the operation has been applied, the operation being reversible when the first field has been filled.

37. A method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

generating a remote service in a remote procedure call unit maintained in the remote server station;

executing a listening service in the remote server station to listen for attempted connections;

generating a connection object in a communications manager maintained in the local client station, the connection object specifying the at least one remote server or client station to which the local client station is to be connected;

reconfiguring a reconfigurable dynamic interface in accordance with the required services of the remote object model and to initiate a connection between the local client station and the at least one remote client or server station;

transmitting an instruction to the remote client or server station, the instruction specifying the remote service to be executed; and

executing the remote service in order to apply said operation to said object of the object based control system maintained in the remote client or server station thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system.

36. A wireless telecommunications system comprising:

at least one local server station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, the local server station comprising;

an interface via which the local server station is connected with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system;

an object based control system maintained at the local server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system

a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations;

wherein the server station being responsive to receipt via the reconfigurable dynamic interface of signals from the remote servers and/or client stations to cause an operation to be applied to an object of the object based control system to effect a change in the object, thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system, the operation having a number of data fields including a first field for storing the state of the object prior to the operation being applied, and a second field for storing the state of the object after the operation has been applied, the operating being reversible when the first field has been filled;

at least one local client station for controlling a wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of remote server stations and client stations, each server station comprising an object based control system maintained at the server station for controlling the wireless telecommunications system wherein the server station is connected by way of an interface with at least one control station of the wireless telecommunications system, the local client station comprising;

a reconfigurable dynamic interface for communication with at least one of the remote servers and/or client stations;

a control system for remotely operating the object based control system at a remote server station by causing an operation to be applied to an object of the object based control system to effect a change in the object, thereby to control the wireless telecommunications system, the operation having a number of data fields including a first field for storing the state of the object prior to the operation being applied, and a second field for storing the state of the object after the operation has been applied, the operation being reversible when the first field has been filled.