Multi-radio bridge

• US 6,272,120 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1997
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/789,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/401, 370/402, 370/400, 370/335, 370/320, 370/342, 370/441, 370/330, 370/321, 370/436, 370/478, 370/334, 370/537, 375/202, 455/13.3
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A multi-radio bridge for cost effectively increasing the throughput associated with the bridging of multiple LANs together. The multi-radio bridge incorporates two or more radio devices which provide for substantially simultaneous communication between two or more client-bridges and the multi-radio bridge. Employment of the multiple radios allows for different hopping sequences and/or PN codes to be used so as to avoid collisions between information containing packets. The multi-radio bridge avoids the need to have to add a new bridge for every new LAN added to the system. Furthermore, in systems having extremely heavy traffic, the multi-radio bridge can dedicate two or more radios (operating at different FH sequences and/or PN codes) to one client-bridge thus doubling or more the amount of network traffic throughput.

Claims

1. A cellular communication system, comprising:

a first and second wireless client-bridge, the first client bridge being coupled to a first network backbone of a first computer network including at least one client computer, the second client bridge being coupled to a second network backbone of a second computer network including at least one client computer; and

a multiple-radio bridge coupled to a third network backbone of a third computer network including at least one host computer, the multiple-radio bridge including;

first and second radio devices, the first radio device including a first transceiver, the second radio device including a second transceiver, wherein the first and second radio devices are configured to each respectively operate on at least one of a different frequency hopping sequence and a different pseudonoise code, the first radio device being designated for communications with the first client-bridge, and the second radio device being designated for communications with the second client-bridge, the radio devices providing for substantially simultaneous wireless communication between the multiple-radio bridge and the first and second wireless client-bridges, in order to determine the locations of selected client computers and communicate information packets between the host computer and a selected client computer;

wherein the multiple-radio bridge further comprises;

a single processor-actuated routing table for storing the locations of each of the respective client computers, in order to quickly route future information packets and thereby reduce system traffic.

2. The cellular communication system of claim 1, wherein the radio devices are radio cards.

3. The cellular communication system of claim 1, the multiple-radio bridge further including a multiplexer, the multiplexer serving as an intermediary between the radio devices and an antenna.

4. The cellular communication system of claim 3, wherein the multiplexer prevents transmissions from the first radio device to be received as an incoming signal by the second radio device.

5. The cellular communication system of claim 1 wherein the first radio device is a FH radio device.

6. The cellular communication system of claim 1, wherein the first radio device is a DS radio device.

7. The cellular communication system of claim 1, wherein the first radio device is a FH radio device and the second radio device is a DS radio device.

8. The cellular communication system of claim 1, wherein the first radio device is a DS radio operating using a first PN code sequence and the second radio device is a DS radio operating using a second PN code sequence, the second PN code sequence being different from the first PN code sequence.

9. The cellular communication system of claim 1, wherein the first radio device is a FH radio operating using a first hopping pattern and the second radio device is a FH radio operating using a second hopping pattern, the second hopping pattern being different from the first hopping pattern.

10. A multi-radio bridge associated with a first computer network having at least one host computer, comprising:

a processor for controlling the operation of the multi-radio bridge;

a single routing table coupled to the processor for storing the locations of the respective client computers, in order to quickly route information packets and thereby reduce system traffic;

at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless communications; and

a first and second radio device, the first radio device including a first transceiver, the second radio device including a second transceiver, wherein the first and second radio devices are configured to each respectively operate on at least one of a different frequency hopping sequence and a different pseudonoise code, the first radio device being designated for communications with a first client-bridge associated with a second computer network having at least one client computer, and the second radio device being designated for communications with a second client-bridge associated with a third computer network having at least one client computer, the radio devices communicate the locations of the client computers to the routing table and communicate information packets between the host computer and selected client computers.

11. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, wherein the radio devices are radio cards.

12. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, the multiple-radio bridge further including a multiplexer, the multiplexer serving as an intermediary between the radio devices and the antenna.

13. The multi-radio bridge of claim 12, wherein the multiplexer prevents transmissions from the first radio device to be received as an incoming signal by the second radio device.

14. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, wherein the first radio device is a FH radio device.

15. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, wherein the first radio device is a DS radio device.

16. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, wherein the first radio device is a FH radio device and the second radio device is a DS radio device.

17. The multi-radio bridge of claim 10, wherein the multi-radio bridge is self learning.

18. A method for providing substantially simultaneous wireless communication between a first client-bridge associated a first computer network having at least one client computer and a second client-bridge associated with a second computer network having at least one client computer, comprising the steps of:

using a multi-radio bridge associated with a third computer network having at least one host computer, to serve as an intermediary between the first and second client bridges, the multi-radio bridge including a first and second radio device, the first radio device including a first transceiver, the second radio device including a second transceiver;

configuring the first and second radio devices to each respectively operate on at least one of a different frequency hopping sequence and a different pseudonoise code;

designating the first radio device for communications with the first client-bridge;

designating the second radio device for communications with the second client-bridge;

determining the locations of the respective client computers and storing the locations, in order to quickly route information packets and thereby reduce system traffic.

19. A multi-radio bridge associated with a first computer network having at least one host computer comprising:

a processor for controlling the operation of the multi-radio bridge;

a single routing table for storing the locations of a plurality of client computers, in order to quickly route information packets and thereby reduce system traffic;

at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless communications; and

a plurality of radio devices, configured to each respectively operate on at least one of a different frequency hopping sequence and a different pseudonoise code each of the plurality of radio devices being designated for communications with separate client-bridges, wherein each client-bridge is associated with a respective computer network having at least one of the plurality of client computers, the plurality of radio devices communicate the locations of the client computers to the routing table and communicate information packets between the host computer and selected client computers.