Wireless server, system and method

• US 6,542,491 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Murayama, Kenichi, Tari, Kazuyoshi, Unoki, Hiroyuki, Nagira, Tumoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/397,699
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/338, 370/351, 370/352, 370/402, 370/389, 370/390, 370/432, 370/401, 370/353, 370/354, 370/356, 370/358, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 455/433, 455/445, 455/450
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A wireless server system and method for communicating between a user terminal and Internet a wirelessly. It is based on a user terminal having a fixed terminal and a terminal unit so that an Internet connection can be made by way of the terminal unit to an appropriate wireless server. The system has at least one wireless server connected to Internet; and a plurality of wireless station devices connected to the wireless server, and the system communicates wirelessly with the terminal unit of the user terminal; wherein one wireless server within a district of communication range of the wireless station devices is designated as a home server for the terminal unit, and the fixed terminal receives data sent wirelessly from Internet by way of the terminal unit.

Claims

1. A wireless server system, for wirelessly connecting a terminal unit having a terminal device and a wireless mobile device to Internet, comprising:

at least one wireless server, including a home server for said wireless mobile device, configured to communicate information via the Internet; and

a plurality of wireless station devices connected to said at least one wireless server and configured to conduct wireless communication with a terminal unit by way of said wireless mobile device, wherein

said home server being within a communication range district of said plurality of wireless station devices, said terminal device being configured to communicate over the Internet by way of said wireless mobile device.

2. A wireless server system according to claim 1, wherein each wireless server of said at least one wireless server comprising:

a terminal approval managing section configured to allow the wireless mobile device to be connected to a predetermined wireless server of the at least one wireless server, by approving said wireless mobile device for connection in response to a terminal registration request sent from said wireless mobile device; and

a terminal managing section configured to issue to said wireless mobile device an IP address available for use at a time of connecting said wireless mobile device to said predetermined wireless server of the at least at least one wireless server, and configured to register a connection of said mobile device.

3. A wireless server system according to claim 2, wherein:

said wireless server of the at least one wireless server, in response to a terminal registration request from said wireless mobile device for a connection to another wireless server that is not the home server, sends a request by way of the Internet to said home server to solicit a terminal approval and an IP address, and, when a terminal approval and an ID address are issued by said home server, approves a connection of said terminal unit to said another wireless server.

4. A wireless server system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a packet routing section that is invoked when a wireless server that is not a home server of the terminal unit is supporting communications on behalf of the terminal unit and when packet data addressed to said terminal unit arrives at another wireless server that has previously supported communications on behalf of the terminal unit, said packet routing section being configured to transfer said packet data to said presently communicating wireless server according to an IP address obtained from said home server.

5. A wireless server system according to claim 4, wherein:

when the wireless server that is not the home server for the terminal unit, and packet data addressed to said terminal unit is transferred to said terminal unit, a host server on the Internet that routed the packet data is configured to be advised of an identity of said proxy wireless server so that subsequent packet data are routed directly to said presently communicating wireless server without being sent to the another wireless server.

6. A wireless server system according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one wireless server includes,

a broadcast information receiving section configured to receive information broadcast by way of a network connected to said at least one wireless server,

a broadcast level defining section having assigned broadcast levels for a plurality of terminal units for communicating with said at least one wireless server connected to said network, and

a broadcast information reconstruction section configured to reconstruct received information according to each broadcast level; and

said at least one wireless server being configured to distribute reconstructed received information prepared by said broadcast information reconstruction section to said plurality of terminal units.

7. A wireless server system according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one wireless server includes,

a multi-cast information receiving section configured to receive multi-cast information by way of a network connected to said at least one wireless server;

a terminal information memory section having classifications and being configured to distribute multi-cast information to defined groups of terminal units; and

a destination deciding section configured to determine destinations for distributing multi-cast information according to said classifications.

8. A wireless server system according to claim 1, wherein:

said least one wireless includes,

a relay agent section so that, when it is necessary for a terminal unit presently communicating with said wireless server to receive an IP address from another wireless server, said relay agent section sends an IP address request made by said terminal unit to said another wireless server, and receives a reply packet from said another wireless server on behalf of said terminal unit.

9. A wireless server system according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one wireless station device includes,

an IP address containing a same network address as a wireless server to which said wireless station device is connected so as to enable communication between said wireless server and said wireless station device using an Internet protocol.

10. A wireless, server system according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one wireless station device includes,

a memory section configured to receive and store up-frequencies and down-frequencies of at least one of said plurality of wireless station devices and down-frequencies of a peripheral wireless station device received from an external source;

a read-only-memory section configured to store operational frequencies for sending and receiving data by said at least one of said plurality of wireless station devices; and

a judging section configured to compare up-frequencies and down-frequencies of said wireless station device stored in said memory section and operational frequencies stored in said read-only-memory section, so as to determine whether an operational frequency received from an external source is useable, wherein

when said judging section determines that said operational frequency is useable, said at least one of said plurality wireless station devices sends an up-frequency of said at least of said wireless station devices and a down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency of said at least one of said plurality of wireless station devices.

11. A wireless mobile device, connected to a terminal device of a terminal unit, for wirelessly connecting said terminal device to Internet by way of a wireless station device, comprising:

a memory section configured to store a last operational frequency used by said wireless mobile device and down-frequencies of a peripheral wireless station device;

a read-only-memory section configured to store permissible operational frequencies for sending and receiving data through said wireless mobile device; and

a judging section configured to compare frequencies stored in said memory section and permissible operational frequencies stored in said read-only-memory section so as to determine whether an operational frequency to be used by said wireless mobile device is useable, wherein

up-frequencies transmitted from said wireless station device are tested by successively using a last receiving frequency, said down-frequencies of said peripheral wireless station device and said permissible receiving frequencies so that a terminal registration request is transmitted only when an up-frequency received matches with a receiving frequency permitted for said wireless mobile device.

12. A wireless mobile device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a priority table generation section in the memory section configured to generate a priority table for efficiently selecting a receiving frequency from permissible receiving frequencies for said wireless mobile device, wherein

a receiving frequency that can be used as an up-frequency to send said terminal registration request can be selected from said permissible receiving frequencies with reference to said priority table.

13. A wireless mobile device, connected to a terminal device of a terminal unit, for wirelessly connecting said terminal device to Internet by way of a wireless station device, comprising:

a read-only-memory configured to store a plurality of permissible receiving frequencies and permissible sending frequencies, including a priority table generation section in a memory section configured to generate a priority table for efficiently selecting a receiving frequency from said permissible receiving frequencies; and

a judging section configured to compare operational frequencies of said wireless mobile device and operational frequencies stored in said read-only-memory section, and judge whether a frequency to be used by said wireless mobile device is useable, wherein

a receiving frequency for receiving an up-frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device to send a terminal registration request to said wireless station device is selected from said permissible receiving frequencies by consulting said priority table and successively testing receiving frequencies so as to receive an up-frequency sent from said wireless station device, and only when said up-frequency is a receiving frequency permitted for said wireless terminal unit, the terminal registration request is transmitted.

14. A wireless mobile device according to claim 13, wherein:

said priority table is arranged in an order of a highest number of wireless station devices using same channels operating on same frequencies as permissible receiving frequencies of said wireless mobile device, according to a useable channel table defining useable channels for each wireless station device and a frequency table relating said useable channels to permissible receiving frequencies.

15. A method for wireless communication by performing a relay agent process in response to an IP address request made in a wireless server system for wirelessly connecting a terminal unit having a terminal device and a wireless mobile device to Internet, with at least one wireless server including a home server configured to communicate information via the Internet, a plurality of wireless station devices connected to said at least one wireless server and configured to conduct wireless communication with said terminal unit by way of said wireless mobile device, said home server being within a communication range district of said plurality of wireless station devices, said terminal device being configured to communicate over the Internet by way of said wireless mobile device, comprising the steps of:

receiving an IP address request sent from said wireless mobile device;

deducing the home server for said wireless mobile device according to a contents of said IP address request;

transmitting said IP address to said home server on behalf of said wireless mobile device;

receiving an IP address issued by said home server; and

distributing said IP address to said wireless mobile device.

16. A method of providing wireless communication between a wireless station device and a wireless mobile device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first up-frequency provided by said wireless station device using a last receiving frequency of the wireless mobile device;

judging whether said first up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency for said wireless mobile device, so that, if said up-frequency is permissible, a step of sending a terminal registration request to said wireless station device using said first up-frequency is performed;

however, if the last frequency is not useable other steps are performed, the other steps including,

receiving a second up-frequency from a peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency allocated to said peripheral wireless station device,

judging whether said second up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, and if said second up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration request to said peripheral wireless station device using said second up-frequency;

however, if said last receiving frequency and said second down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device cannot be used by said wireless mobile device, then,

searching in a memory section of said wireless mobile device for a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies until a permissible receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device is found;

receiving a third up-frequency from a wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency using said permissible receiving frequency;

judging whether said third up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, and if permissible, sending the terminal registration to said wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency.

17. A method of providing wireless communication between a wireless station device and a wireless mobile device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first up-frequency provided by said wireless station device using a last receiving frequency of the wireless mobile device;

judging whether said first up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency for said wireless mobile device, so that, if said up-frequency is permissible a step of;

sending a terminal registration request to said wireless station device using said first up-frequency is performed;

however, if said last frequency is not useable other steps are performed, the other step including,

receiving a second up-frequency from a peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency allocated to said peripheral wireless station device,

judging whether said second up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency; and

if said second up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration request to said peripheral wireless station device using said second up-frequency;

however, if said last receiving frequency and said second down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device cannot be used by said wireless mobile device, then, searching for a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies so as to find a wireless station device whose down-frequency matches a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, beginning with a down-frequency shared by a highest number of wireless station devices until a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device is found;

receiving a third up-frequency from a station device using said receiving frequency;

checking whether the third up-frequency received is a permissible sending frequency; and

if permissible, sending the terminal registration to the wireless station device that sent said third up-frequency.

18. A method for providing communication between a wireless station device and a wireless mobile device, comprising the steps of:

searching for a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies so as to find a wireless station device whose down-frequency matches a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, said successively testing step including beginning with a down-frequency shared by a highest number of wireless station devices until a receiving frequency that can be used by the wireless mobile device is found;

receiving an up-frequency from a wireless station device using said receiving frequency; and

checking whether said up-frequency received is a permissible sending frequency, and if the up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration to said wireless station device that sent said up-frequency.

19. A computer program product, containing a terminal connection program for providing a terminal unit connecting process for a wireless server said wireless server includes a terminal approval managing section configured to allow a wireless mobile device to be connected to the wireless server, by approving said wireless mobile device for connection in response to a terminal registration request sent from said wireless mobile device, and a terminal managing section configured to issue to said wireless mobile device an IP address available for use at a time of connecting said wireless mobile device to said wireless server, and configured to register a connection of said mobile device, said terminal connection program effecting the steps of:

approving a wireless mobile device in response to a terminal connection request from said wireless mobile device; and

issuing an IP address presently available for use in response to an IP address request sent from said wireless mobile device.

20. A computer program product, containing a distribution program for broadcasting information divided into a classification of level groups for a wireless server, said wireless served includes a broadcast information receiving section configured to receive information broadcast by way of a network connected to a wireless server, a broadcast level defining section having assigned broadcast levels for a plurality of terminal units for communicating with the wireless server connected to said network, and a broadcast information reconstruction section configured to reconstruct received information according to each broadcast level, said at least one wireless server being configured to distribute reconstructed received information prepared by said broadcast information reconstruction section to said plurality of terminal units, said distribution program effecting the steps of:

receiving information broadcast to a network connected to the wireless server;

reconstructing the information received in said receiving step by consulting a broadcast level defining section having defined broadcast levels; and

distributing reconstructed broadcast information to a terminal device connected to said wireless server.

21. A computer program product, containing a distribution program for multi-casting information for a wireless server, said wireless server including a multi-cast information receiving section configured to receive multi-cast information by way of a network connected to said at least one wireless server, a terminal information memory section having classifications and being configured to distribute multi-cast information to defined groups of terminal units and a destination deciding section configured to determine destinations for distributing multi-cast information according to said classifications, said distribution program effecting the steps of:

receiving multi-cast information;

deciding distribution destinations of said multi-cast information, by consulting terminal information; and

distributing said multi-cast information according to distribution destinations thus determined in said deciding step.

22. A computer program product, containing a relay agent program for processing an IP address request for a wireless server, said wireless server including a relay agent section so that, when it is necessary for a terminal unit presently communicating with said wireless server to receive an IP address from another wireless server, said relay agent section sends an IP address request made by said terminal unit to said another wireless server, and receives a reply packet from said another network on behalf of said terminal unit, said relay agent program effecting the steps of:

processing an IP address request from said wireless mobile device;

deducing a home server of the said wireless mobile device according to contents of said IP address request;

issuing an IP address request to said home server on behalf of said wireless mobile device;

receiving an IP address issued by said home server; and

distributing said IP address received to said wireless mobile device.

23. A computer program product, containing an operational frequency selection program for a wireless mobile device, said wireless mobile device including a memory section configured to store a last operational frequency used by said wireless mobile device and down-frequencies of a peripheral wireless station device, a read-only-memory section configured to store permissible operational frequencies for sending and receiving data through said wireless mobile device, a judging section configured to compare frequencies stored in said memory section and permissible operational frequencies stored in said read-only-memory section so as to determine whether an operational frequency to be used by said wireless mobile device is useable, wherein up-frequencies transmitted from said wireless station device are tested by successively using a last receiving frequency, said down-frequencies of said peripheral wireless station device and said permissible receiving frequencies so that a terminal registration request is transmitted only when an up-frequency received matches with a receiving frequency permitted for said wireless mobile device, said operational frequency selection program effecting the steps of:

receiving a first up-frequency given by said wireless station device using a last receiving frequency of said wireless mobile device;

judging whether said first up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency for said wireless mobile device, so that, if said up-frequency is permissible, a step of sending a terminal registration request to said wireless station device using the first up-frequency is performed;

however, if said last frequency is not useable, performing steps of receiving a second up-frequency from a peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency allocated to said peripheral wireless station device,

judging whether said second up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, so that if said second up-frequency is permissible, a step of sending the terminal registration request to said peripheral wireless station device using said second up-frequency is performed;

however, if said last receiving frequency and said second down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device cannot be used by said wireless mobile device, then, performing a step of searching in a memory section of said wireless mobile device for a permissible receiving frequency, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies until a permissible receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device is found;

receiving a third up-frequency from a wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency using said permissible receiving frequency; and

judging whether the third up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, and if it is permissible, sending the terminal registration to said wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency.

24. A computer program product, containing an operational frequency selection program for a wireless mobile device, said wireless mobile device includes a priority table generation section in a memory section configured to generate a priority table for efficiently selecting a receiving frequency from permissible receiving frequencies for said wireless mobile device, a receiving frequency that can be used as an up-frequency to send a terminal registration request can be selected from said permissible receiving frequencies with reference to said priority table, said operational frequency selection program effecting the steps of:

receiving a first up-frequency given by said wireless station device using a last receiving frequency of the wireless mobile device;

judging whether said first up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency for said wireless mobile device, so that, if said first up-frequency is permissible, a step of sending a terminal registration request to said wireless station device using the first up-frequency is performed;

however, if the last-used frequency is not useable, steps of

receiving a second up-frequency from a peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency allocated to said peripheral wireless station device, and

judging whether said second up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency are performed;

and if said second up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration request to said peripheral wireless station device using said second up-frequency;

however, if said last receiving frequency and said second down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device cannot be used by said wireless mobile device, then, additional steps are performed including

searching for a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies so as to find a wireless station device whose down-frequency matches a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, beginning with a down-frequency shared by the highest number of wireless station devices until a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device is found;

receiving a third up-frequency from a station device using said receiving frequency;

checking whether the third up-frequency received is a permissible sending frequency; and

if permissible, sending the terminal registration to the wireless station device that sent said third up-frequency.

25. A computer-readable recording medium, containing an operational frequency selection program for the wireless mobile device, said wireless mobile device including a read-only-memory configured to store a plurality of permissible receiving frequencies and permissible sending frequencies, including a priority table generation section in a memory section configured to generate a priority table for efficiently selecting a receiving frequency from said permissible receiving frequencies;

a judging section configured to compare operational frequencies of said wireless mobile device and operational frequencies stored in said read-only-memory section, and judge whether a frequency to be used by said wireless mobile device is useable, wherein a receiving frequency for receiving an up-frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device to send said terminal registration to said wireless station device is selected from said permissible receiving frequencies by consulting said priority table and successively testing receiving frequencies so as to receive an up-frequency sent from said wireless station device, and only when said up-frequency is a receiving frequency permitted for said wireless terminal unit, a terminal registration is transmitted, said operational frequency selection program effecting the steps of;

searching for a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies so as to find a wireless station device whose down-frequency matches a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, beginning with a down-frequency shared by the highest number of wireless station devices until a receiving frequency that can be used by the wireless mobile device is found;

receiving an up-frequency from a wireless station device using said receiving frequency;

checking whether or not said up-frequency received is a permissible sending frequency; and

if permissible, sending the terminal registration to the wireless station device that sent said up-frequency.

26. A wireless server system, for providing wireless communications connectivity between a terminal unit having a terminal device and a wireless mobile device to Internet, comprising:

means for relaying information between the terminal unit and Internet, said means for relaying information including at least one wireless server, including a home server for said wireless mobile device;

means for interconnecting said at least one wireless server and said terminal unit, wherein said home server being within a communication range district of said means for interconnecting, said terminal device being configured to communicate over the Internet by, way of said wireless mobile device;

means for receiving an IP address request sent from said wireless mobile device;

means for deducing the home server for said wireless mobile device according to a contents of said IP address request;

means for transmitting said IP address to said home server on behalf of said wireless mobile device;

means for receiving an IP address issued by said home server; and

means for distributing said IP address to said wireless mobile device.

27. A wireless mobile device, connected to a terminal device of a terminal unit, for wirelessly connecting said terminal device to Internet by way of a wireless station device, comprising:

means for storing a last operational frequency used by said wireless mobile device and down-frequencies of a peripheral wireless station device;

means for storing permissible operational frequencies for sending and receiving data through said wireless mobile device; and

means for comparing frequencies stored in said memory section and permissible operational frequencies stored in said means for storing permissible operational frequencies so as to determine whether an operational frequency to be used by said wireless mobile device is useable, wherein

up-frequencies transmitted from said wireless station device are tested by means for successively using a last receiving frequency, said down-frequencies of said peripheral wireless station device and said permissible receiving frequencies so that a terminal registration request is transmitted only when an up-frequency received matches with a receiving frequency permitted for said wireless mobile device.

28. A wireless communications device comprising:

means for receiving a first up-frequency provided by a wireless station device using a last receiving frequency of a wireless mobile device;

means for judging whether said first up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency for said wireless mobile device, so that, if said up-frequency is permissible, means for sending a terminal registration request to said wireless station device using said first up-frequency is invoked;

however, if the last frequency is not useable other mechanisms are invoked including,

means for receiving a second up-frequency from a peripheral wireless station device using a down-frequency allocated to said peripheral wireless station device,

means for judging whether said second up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, and if said second up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration request to said peripheral wireless station device using said second up-frequency;

however, if said last receiving frequency and said second down-frequency of said peripheral wireless station device cannot be used by said wireless mobile device, then other mechanisms are invoked including,

means for searching in a memory section of said wireless mobile device for a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, by successively testing permissible receiving frequencies until a permissible receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device is found,

means for receiving a third up-frequency from a wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency using said permissible receiving frequency,

means for judging whether said third up-frequency is a permissible sending frequency, and if permissible, invoking means for sending the terminal registration to said wireless station device that sent the third up-frequency.

29. A system for providing communication between a wireless station device and a wireless mobile device, comprising:

means for searching for a receiving frequency that can be used by said wireless mobile device including means for successively testing permissible receiving frequencies so as to find a wireless station device whose down-frequency matches a permissible receiving frequency for said wireless mobile device, said means for successively testing beginning with a down-frequency shared by a highest number of wireless station devices until a receiving frequency that can be used by the wireless mobile device is found;

means for receiving an up-frequency from a wireless station device using said receiving frequency; and

means for checking whether said up-frequency received is a permissible sending frequency, and if the up-frequency is permissible, sending the terminal registration to said wireless station device that sent said up-frequency.