Wide area two-way paging using a mesh network with paging receivers

• US 6,329,902 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1995
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Olson, Michael L., Lee, William Chein-Yeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brain
• Application Number:
  US08/571,679
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.06, 340/825.49, 340/825.5, 340/7.27, 379/57, 455/38.1, 375/200, 370/335
• US Class Current: 340/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability

Abstract

A wide area paging broadcast channel for transmitting a page signal throughout a prescribed geographic area over a broadcast channel in response to a page request. At least one subscriber transceiver is located within the prescribe geographic area for receiving the page. In response to the received page signal, the subscriber transceiver transmits information back to the paging control center. However, the backhaul to the paging control center is accomplished by a plurality of base stations. Each base station forms a node in a mesh network of base stations which covers the prescribed geographic area. The subscriber transceiver may transmit information packets to nodes within the mesh network using a multiple access scheme with or without carrier sense access. The mesh network automatically selects which neighboring node to use for forwarding packets. Finally, a gateway device links the mesh network of base stations to the control center. The gateway device then forwards the transmitted information from the subscriber transceiver to the paging control center over the telephone network.

Claims

1. A wide area paging system, comprising:

(a) a paging broadcast system for transmitting paging broadcast signals over a first channel to pagers throughout a prescribed geographic area, the paging broadcast system including one or more transmitters for broadcasting the paging broadcast signals throughout the prescribed geographic area, the system including a paging control center for initiating the paging broadcast signals in response to received paging requests;

(b) a paging response system for receiving paging response signals over a second channel from the pagers throughout the prescribed geographic area, the paging response system including a mesh network comprised of a plurality of interconnected base stations for communicating the paging response signals therebetween over a third channel, wherein one or more of the base stations includes a paging receiver;

(c) the pagers receiving the paging broadcast signals and transmitting the paging response signals to the paging receiver;

of one of the base stations in the mesh network in response thereto, the base station receiving the paging response signals including a signal conversion device for transforming the paging response signal received from the pager into a signal that is properly formatted for transmission between the base stations, the base station receiving the paging response signal thereafter automatically selecting a neighboring base station to use for forwarding the paging response signals through the mesh network, the base stations thereby transmitting the paging response signals through the mesh network to a gateway connecting the mesh network to the paging broadcast system, the gateway thereafter transmitting the paging response signals to the paging control center as an acknowledgement to the paging broadcast signals.

2. The wide area paging system of claim 1, wherein the gateway links the mesh network to the paging control center.

3. The wide area paging system of claim 2, wherein the gateway transmits the paging response signals from the mesh network to the paging control center over a telephone network.

4. The wide area paging system of claim 1, wherein the paging broadcast system further comprises means for managing the mesh network by transmitting control signals thereto.

5. The wide area paging system of claim 4, wherein the control messages are selected from a group comprising message acknowledgements, base station control messages, paging receiver control messages, DC power consumption control messages, and RF power output control messages.

6. The wide area paging system of claim 1, wherein the paging broadcast system further comprises means for managing operations of the pagers by transmitting control signals thereto.

7. The wide area paging system of claim 6, wherein the control messages are selected from a group comprising paging response acknowledgements, pager control messages, DC power consumption control messages, and RF power output control messages.

8. The wide area paging system of claim 1, wherein the paging response system is further comprised of portable nodes for receiving the paging broadcast signals and for transmitting information to the base stations in response thereto.

9. The wide area paging system of claim 1, wherein the base station receiving the paging response signal forwards the paging response signals to a hub in the mesh network, the hub coordinating the paging response signals received from the base stations and routing the paging response signals to the gateway.