Network giving local access to mobile phones

• US 6,335,921 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1997
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: France Telecom SA (Orange S.A.)
• Original Assignee: France Telecom SA (Orange S.A.)
• Inventors: Roussel, Olivier, Quinquis, Jean-Paul, Hue, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US08/819,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/349, 370/231, 370/341, 370/232, 370/329, 370/235, 370/397, 370/396, 370/395, 370/258, 370/310, 370/322, 370/331, 370/385, 370/399, 370/400, 370/404, 370/409, 370/465, 370/471, 455/436, 455/437, 455/444, 455/456
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5607 Radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

The present invention concerns a local mobile access network, of the kind that comprises a distribution network (RDL) formed by a plurality of nodes (NIE), each node (NIE) being connected to a concentrator (CTR) which is connected to at least one radio terminal (BR) designed to communicate with mobile units linked with said terminal (BR), at least one of said nodes (NIE) of said distribution network (RDL) being connected via routing equipment (PONT) [bridge] to a virtual channel switch (VCX).

This network is characterized therein that each virtual connection established between a mobile unit and said switch (VCX) is identified for the entire duration of the communication, no matter which radio terminal (BR) is connected to said mobile unit, by a unique virtual channel identifier (VCI) for the user cell and a unique virtual channel identifier (VCI) for the signalling cells and therein that, during the hand-over phases when a mobile unit is connected to two radio terminals (BR), said two terminals (BR) can exchange information which is then transmitted by cells carrying the signalling channel identifier (VCI) allocated to said mobile unit.

Claims

1. A local mobile access network comprising:

a virtual channel switch (VCX);

said virtual channel switch (VCX) being connected to at least one external network (RE, UI);

a routing equipment (PONT), a plurality of nodes (NIE);

said switch (VCX) being connected via said routing equipment (PONT), to one node (NIE) among said plurality of nodes (NIE) which are interconnected to form a distribution network (RDL);

at least one concentrator (CTR);

a plurality of radio terminals (BR);

a plurality of mobile units;

each of said nodes (NIE) being connected to said at least one concentrator (CTR) having at least one of said radio terminals (BR) connected thereto for communicating with said mobile units, wherein all virtual connections established between said mobile units and said switch (VCX) are identified by a common and unique virtual path identifier (VPI) corresponding to a virtual path connecting all of said radio terminals (BR) with the switch (VCX) according to a point-to-point fusion topology in an uplink direction and a point-to-multipoint diffusion topology in a downlink direction;

a connection between a mobile unit and said switch (VCX) being identified for an entire period of communication by a virtual channel identifier (VCI) attributed during a call establishing phase and marked in said concentrator (CTR) during said phase;

virtual connections between two of said mobile units attached to said radio terminals of said network being identified by a first common virtual path identifier;

all of the connections between said mobile unit attached to one of said radio terminals of said mobile network and said external network being identified by a second common virtual path identifier;

a third virtual path identifier for signalization exchange of cells between said mobile units attached to said network and the switch;

each signalization cell being identified by a virtual channel identifier (VCI) for each mobile unit and attributed thereto during a localization phase of said mobile by said network; and

further wherein during a hand-over phase while a mobile unit is attached to two of said terminals (BR), said two terminals exchanging information which is carried by cells having the virtual channel identifier (VCI) of a signaling channel allocated to said mobile unit and the common virtual path identifier (VPI) defined in distribution network (RDL), according to point-to-point fusion topology in the uplink direction a point-to-multipoint with diffusion topology in the down link direction.

2. A local mobile area network according to claim 1 wherein information which is transmitted between said two terminals during said hand-over phase is conveyed by cells having an identifier (VCI) of the signaling channel assigned to said mobile unit and an identifier of the virtual channel (VPI) corresponding to a defined common virtual channel in the distribution network (RDL) according to a point-to-point fusion in an ascending direction and a point-to-multipoint with diffusion in a descending direction.

3. A local mobile area network according to claim 1, wherein information which is transmitted between said two terminals during said hand-over phase are conveyed by cells having the identifier (VCI) of the signaling channel assigned to said mobile unit and an identifier of the virtual channel (VPI) corresponding to a defined common virtual channel in the distribution network (RDL) according to a virtual ring topology.

4. A local mobile access network according to claim 3, wherein each concentrator (CTR) assigns a virtual ring with a reservation of the passband to a minimum band.

5. A local mobile access network according to claim 1 wherein each virtual connection established for a communication is further identified by a first identifier of the virtual channel (VPI) when said communication is local, said local communication comprising two mobile units connected to at least one terminal (BR) of said network and by a second identifier of the virtual channel (VPI) when said communication is outgoing or incoming and concerns two speakers, only one of which is a mobile unit connected to said at least one terminal (BR) of said network.

6. A local mobile access network according to claim 1 further comprising server means accessible via virtual channel (VP) permanent links interconnected to the routing equipment (PONT).

7. A local mobile access network according to claim 6, further comprising a macrodiversity server (MD) included among said server means said microserver being active on each ascending virtual connection.

8. A local mobile access network according to claim 1, wherein said nodes (NIE) of said distribution network (RDL) are connected two by two to form at least a single contrarotating ring.

9. A local mobile access network according to claim 8, wherein said nodes (NIE) of said distribution network (RDL) are arranged in double, contraparallel segments, one end of which is connected to the virtual channel switch (VCX).

10. A local mobile access network according to claim 9 wherein, at least one of said segments comprises sub-segments, one end of which is connected to said segment via a repeater (REP).

11. A local mobile access network according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of concentration nodes (NCT) and a switching and control center (CCG), each of said concentration nodes (NCT) being formed by a concentrator (CTR) to which a plurality of radio terminals (BR) can be connected and a node (NIE) connected to said concentrator (CTR), said node (NIE) being anode of the distribution network (RDL), said switching and control centre (CCG) including said routing equipment (POINT), said switch (VCX) and at least one node (NIE) of the distribution network (RDL).

12. A local mobile access network according to claim 11 wherein said switching and control center (CCG) comprises at least one server.

15. A local mobile access network according to either of the claims 1 and 14, wherein each of said terminals is provided with means for making markings and erasing said marking in the concentrators (CTR) to which it is connected during a hand-over phase in which a mobile unit is connected thereto and to an other terminal.

16. A local mobile access network according to claim 15 further comprising a transcoder (TRANS) which is provided among said server means for transcoding a format of cells having a virtual channel identifier identifying an outgoing or an incoming communication.

13. A local mobile access network comprising:

a virtual channel switch (VCX), said virtual channel switch (VCX) being connected to at least one external network (RE, U1);

a routing equipment (PONT);

a plurality of nodes (NIE);

said switch (VCX) being connected, via said routing equipment (PONT), to one node (NIE) among said plurality of nodes (NIE) which are interconnected to form a distribution network (RDL);

at least one concentrator (CTR);

a plurality of radio terminals (BR);

a plurality of mobile units;

each of said nodes (NIE) being connected to said at least one concentrator (CTR) having at least one of said radio terminals (BR) connected thereto for communicating with said mobile units, wherein all virtual connections established between said mobile units and said switch (VCX) are identified by a common and unique virtual path identifier (VPI) corresponding to a virtual path connecting all of said radio terminal (BR) with the switch (VCX) according to a point-to-point fusion topology in an uplink direction and a point-to-multipoint diffusion topology in a downlink direction;

a connection between a mobile unit and said switch (VCX) being identified for an entire period of communication by said virtual channel identifier (VCI) attributed during a call establishing phase and being marked in said concentrator during said phase, all connections between two of said mobile units attached to said radio terminals of said network being identified by a first common virtual path identifier;

all of the connections between said mobile unit attached to one of said radio terminals of said mobile network and said external network being identified by a second common virtual path identifier;

a third virtual path identifier for signalization cells exchange between said mobile units attached to said network and the switch;

each signalization cell being identified by a virtual channel identifier (VCI) for each mobile unit and attributed thereto during a localization phase of said mobile unit by said network, wherein during a hand-over phase while a mobile unit is attached to two of said terminals (BR), said two terminals exchanging information which is carried by cells having the virtual channel identifier (VCI) of signaling channel allocated to said mobile unit and the common virtual path identifier (VPI) defined in the distribution network (RDL), according to point-to-point fusion topology in the uplink direction a point-to-multipoint with diffusion topology in the down link direction, information which is transmitted between said two terminals during said hand-over-phase being conveyed by cells having the identifier (VCI) of the signaling channel assigned to said mobile unit and an identifier of the virtual path (VPI) corresponding to a defined common virtual channel in the distribution network (RDL) according to a virtual ring topology, each concentrator (CTR) assigning a virtual ring without reserving the passband.

14. A local mobile access network comprising a virtual channel switch (VCX), said virtual channel switch (VCX) being connected to at least one external network;

(RE, U1) a routing equipment (PONT);

a plurality of nodes (NIE);

said switch (VCX) being connected via said routing equipment (PONT), to one node (NIE) among said plurality of nodes (NIE) which are interconnected to form a distribution network (RDL);

at least one concentrator (CTR);

a plurality of radio terminals (BR);

a plurality of mobile units;

each of said nodes (NIE) being connected to said at least one concentrator (CTR) having at least one of said radio terminals (BR) connected thereto for communicating with said mobile units, wherein all virtual connections established between said mobile units and said switch (VCX) are identified by a common and unique virtual path identifier (VPI) corresponding to a virtual path connecting all of said radio terminals (BR) with the switch (VCX) according to a point-to-point fusion topology in an unlink direction and a point-to-multipoint diffusion topology in a downlink direction;

a connection between a mobile unit and said switch (VCX) being identified for an entire period of communication by said virtual channel identifier (VCI) attributed during a call establishing phase and being marked in said concentrator during said phase, all connections between two of said mobile units attached to said radio terminals of said network being identified by a first common virtual path identifier;

all of the connections between said mobile unit attached to one of said radio terminals of said mobile network and said external network being identified by a second common virtual path identifier;

a third virtual path identifier for signalization cells exchange between said mobile units attached to said network and the switch;

each signalization cell being identified by a virtual channel identifier (VCI) for each mobile unit and attributed thereto during a localization phase of said mobile unit by said network, wherein during a hand-over phase while a mobile unit is attached to said two terminals (RR) said two terminals exchanging information which is carried by cells having the virtual channel identifier (VCI) of a signaling channel allocated to said mobile unit and the common virtual path identifier (VPI) defined in the distribution network (RDL), according to point-to-point fusion topology in the uplink direction a point-to-multipoint with diffusion topology in the down link direction, information which is transmitted between said two terminals during said hand-over phase being conveyed by cells having the identifier (VCI) of the signaling channel assigned to said mobile unit and an identifier of the virtual path (VPI) corresponding to a defined common virtual channel in the distribution network (RDL) according to a virtual ring topology, each concentrator (CTR) assigning a virtual ring with a reservation of the passband to a minimum band, a control unit for transmitting reservation cells at a rate corresponding to a band to be reserved, a concentrators (CTR) which has a message to transmit picking up one or more of said cells and replacing it or them by one or several cells containing said message and a concentrator (CTR) which has a message to receive replacing said cell or cells containing said message by one or more reservation cells.