Monitoring and command system for transceivers used to inter-connect wireless telephones to a broadband network

• US 6,349,200 B1
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Transcept, Inc. (Crown Castle International Corporation)
• Inventors: Lo Verme, Clifford M., Locascio, Timothy R., Sabat, John Jr., Flebotte, Glenn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILORD, MARCEAU
• Application Number:
  US09/346,590
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 455/525, 455/524, 455/500, 455/422, 455/507, 455/9, 455/403, 455/3.03, 455/88, 370/338, 370/339, 370/349, 348/12, 348/14
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A monitoring and command system for use in a wireless communications system including remotely located transceivers for transmitting and receiving telephony signals to and from wireless telephones wherein each of the remote transceivers is connected to a broadband distribution network. A central location includes remote antenna signal processors connected to the broadband distribution network and a control unit is connected to the remote antenna signal processor, and the monitoring and command system controls operations of the remote antenna signal processors and the remote transceivers. The control unit exchanges control and monitoring messages with the remote antenna signal processors, and each exchange of messages comprises a completed exchange of messages with one remote antenna signal processor before initiation of an exchange of messages with another remote antenna signal processor. Each remote antenna signal processor exchanges control and monitoring messages with the remote transceivers associated therewith, and the messages to all associated remote transceivers are interspersed. Each control and monitoring message includes a message number field identifying the meaning of the message, a unique message tag field used by the remote antenna signal processors to identify each remote transceivers, and a plurality of data fields containing message information wherein the contents of each data field are defined by the contents of the message number field.

Claims

1. In a wireless telephone system including a plurality of remotely located transceivers for transmitting and receiving telephony signals to and from wireless telephones, each of the plurality of remote transceivers being connected to a broadband distribution network that carries the telephony signals between the remote transceivers and a central location, the central location including at least one remote antenna signal processor connected to the broadband distribution network and a control unit connected to the at least one remote antenna signal processor, a monitoring and command system for controlling operations of the at least one remote antenna signal processor and all the remote transceivers, said monitoring and command system comprising:

the control unit for exchanging messages with said at least one remote antenna signal processor and all of said remote transceivers for monitoring and controlling their operations, wherein

each exchange of messages between the control unit and said at least one remote antenna signal processor comprises a completed exchange of messages between the control unit and said at least one remote antenna signal processor before initiation of an exchange of messages between the control unit and another remote antenna signal processor, and

the at least one remote antenna signal processor for exchanging messages with each of the plurality of remote transceivers for monitoring and controlling operations of each of the remote transceivers, and for relaying messages between the control unit and each of the remote transceivers, wherein

the messages of an exchange of messages between the at least one remote antenna signal processor and a selected one of the remote transceivers being interspersed with the messages of an exchange of messages between the at least one remote antenna signal processor and others of the remote transceivers,

wherein the messages exchanged among the control unit, the at least one remote antenna signal processor, and the remote transceivers includes;

a message number field containing a value identifying the meaning of the message,

a message tag field containing a value identifying a given message in a sequence of messages,

wherein the message tag field is used in an exchange of messages between the at least one remote antenna signal processor and each of the remote transceivers, and

a plurality of data fields containing message information wherein the contents of each data field are defined by the contents of the message number field.

2. The monitoring and command system of claim 1 wherein the data fields contain information comprising:

an identification of a remote transceiver intended as a recipient of a message.

3. The monitoring and command system of claim 1 wherein the data fields contain information comprising:

information determining the operating parameters of the remote transceivers.

4. The monitoring and command system of claim 1 wherein the data fields contain information comprising:

information pertaining to the status and operation of the remote transceivers.