Wireless local loop system enabling FAX service and method of performing FAX data service

• US 6,571,109 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG-Ericsson Company Limited (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: LG Information & Communications Ltd. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/458,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/414, 455/555, 455/344, 455/66, 358/444, 358/442
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00103 specially adapted for radio transmission, e.g. via satellites H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13294 CDMA, code division multiplexing, i.e. combinations of H04Q2213/13291 and/or H04Q2213/13292 with space division
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed the-wireless local loop system which can support both an wireless voice service and a FAX data service by improving a current CDMA WLL system to be supported the FAX service function. The system provides a voice service and a FAX service using the first and second modems for each facsimile/telephone connected to the wire/wireless communication network of the fixed subscriber unit or the processing unit.

Claims

1. A CDMA wireless local loop (WLL) system, comprising:

a first facsimile subscriber terminal;

at least one fixed subscriber unit having a first facsimile modem and connected to the first facsimile subscriber terminal, the fixed subscriber unit performing a wireless facsimile communication function by temporarily storing facsimile data transmitted to or received from the first facsimile subscriber terminal in order to provide real-time facsimile service;

a base station communicating with the fixed subscriber unit by a wireless connection; and

a WLL processing unit having a second facsimile modem and connected to a wire network, a wireless network, and the base station, the WLL, processing unit controlling a data path and a signaling path in accordance with service option information in a communication signal received from at least one of the wire network, the wireless network, and the base station,

wherein the fixed subscriber unit and the WLL processing unit cooperate to transmit said facsimile data between the first facsimile subscriber terminal and a second facsimile subscriber terminal through the first facsimile modem and the second facsimile modem, and

wherein at least one of the WLL processing unit, the first facsimile subscriber terminal, and the second facsimile subscriber terminal adds imaginary facsimile data to said facsimile data in order to ensure that said facsimile data is transmitted in a continuous manner.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed subscriber unit includes:

a modem controller which causes communications between the first facsimile subscriber terminal and the fixed subscriber unit to occur based on a predetermined protocol;

a central controller which controls an operation of the fixed subscriber unit to support the wireless facsimile communication function;

a data buffer for buffering said facsimile data in accordance with a first control signal from the central controller; and

a protocol processing unit which sends a facsimile data call request to the WLL processing unit in accordance with a second control signal of the central controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data buffer memory temporarily stores said facsimile data during an initializing process of the first facsimile subscriber terminal or the second facsimile subscriber terminal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the modem controller provides a dial tone or a ring tone to the first facsimile subscriber terminal and detects a DTMF tone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the WLL processing unit comprises:

a main processing unit for discriminating a service option designated by one of the first facsimile subscriber terminal and the second facsimile subscriber terminal;

a protocol processing unit for controlling a wireless data path for conveying said facsimile data in accordance with the service option;

a circuit data processing unit for assigning the second facsimile modem if facsimile data service is required from the protocol processing unit, and for setting a wireless link protocol between the fixed subscriber unit and the base station; and

a relay connecting unit, coupled to the circuit data processing unit, for providing signaling and data paths to the wire/wireless network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed subscriber unit has at least one telephone number for voice service and at least one facsimile number for facsimile service.

7. A method of carrying out facsimile data service in a wireless local loop (WLL) network which has a plurality of facsimile subscriber terminals, at least one fixed subscriber unit including a first facsimile modem, a base station, and a WLL processing unit including a second facsimile modem, said method comprising:

a) assigning the first facsimile modem in the fixed subscriber unit and the second facsimile modem in the WLL processing unit according to a request from one of a first facsimile subscriber terminal connected to the fixed subscriber unit and a second facsimile subscriber terminal in communication with the WLL processing unit;

b) setting up a wireless link protocol between the fixed subscriber unit and the WLL processing unit;

c) setting up a call connection between the fixed subscriber unit and the WLL processing unit by initializing the first facsimile modem and the second facsimile modem, wherein the fixed subscriber unit temporarily stores transmitting or receiving facsimile data in a data buffer during initialization of the first facsimile modem and the second facsimile modem;

d) exchanging system parameters between the fixed subscriber unit and the WLL processing unit; and

e) transmitting said facsimile data from the first facsimile subscriber terminal to the second facsimile subscriber terminal, or from the second facsimile subscriber terminal to the first facsimile subscriber terminal, over said call connection, said transmitting step including adding imaginary facsimile data to said facsimile data in order to make transmission of said facsimile data between the first facscimile subscriber terminal and the second facsmile subscriber terminal continuous.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said adding step is performed by the WLL processing unit.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the imaginary facsmile data includes at least one of virtual fax data and fill data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein step d) includes:

negotiating PPP and TCP/IP protocols between the fixed subscriber unit and the WLL processing unit.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein step e) includes:

temporarily buffering said facsimile data in the data buffer by the fixed subscriber unit until a path for a wireless area is set up for transmitting said facsimile data; and

adjusting to output the buffered facsimile data in accordance with a bandwidth set up in the wireless area.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forwarding a called station identification (CED) signal and a digital identification signal (DIS) from the fixed subscriber unit to one of the first facsimile subscriber terminal and the second subscriber terminal which serves as an originating terminal in a case of transmitting multiple pages; and

repeatedly performing steps d) and e) between the originating terminal and the WLL processing unit.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting voice data from the first facsimile subscriber terminal to the second facsimile subscriber terminal, or from the second facsimile subscriber terminal to the first facsimile subscriber terminal, over said call connection.