Communication system

• US 6,681,116 B1
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Harold W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/304,185
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 379/338, 379/56.2, 379/56.3, 370/352, 370/338, 370/310, 370/331, 370/386, 370/905, 455/449, 455/422, 455/444, 455/448, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/150.1, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/112 Line-of-sight transmission over an extended range

Abstract

A communication system comprising a first communication node connected to a second communication node by a wireline for integrating parallel layers of wireless communications for exchange with users. The first communication node comprising a free-space laser device, a first wireless system, and a first wireline device, and a second communication node comprising a second wireless system and a second wireline device.

Claims

1. A customer node within a customer site, comprising:

a free-space laser device configured for mounting on a elevated structure and configured to deliver a first gigabit of bandwidth to a first communication device within the customer site by exchanging free-space laser signals with the first communication system; and

a wireless system configured to deliver a second gigabit of bandwidth to a second communication device within the customer site by exchanging wireless signals with the second communication system;

wherein the customer node transmits user traffic within the customer site using the free-space laser device or the wireless system depending on the type of the user traffic.

2. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the free-space laser device is configured to communicate with a communicate node outside of the customer site to exchange the user traffic.

3. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the wireless system is configured to communicate with a communicate node outside of the customer site to exchange the user traffic.

4. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the customer node transmits the user traffic using the free-space laser device or the wireless system based on the criticality of the user traffic.

5. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the customer node transmits the user traffic using the free-space laser device or the wireless system based on the cost of the user traffic.

6. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the wireless system comprises a broadband microwave device.

7. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the wireless system comprises a PCS device.

8. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the wireless system comprises a wideband CDMA device.

9. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the first communication system comprises a Local Area Network (LAN).

10. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the first communication system comprises a media content server.

11. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the second communication system comprises a Private Branch Exchange (PBX).

12. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the second communication system comprises a billing system main frame.

13. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the second communication system comprises a laptop computer phone set.

14. The customer node of claim 1 wherein the wireless system uses TCP/IP in providing the second gigabit of bandwidth.

15. A method of operating a customer node within a customer site, wherein the customer node comprises a free-space laser device and a wireless system, and wherein the free-space laser device is mounted on an elevated structure, the method comprising:

delivering a first gigabit of bandwidth to a first communication system within the customer site using the free-space laser device by exchanging free-space laser signals with the first communication system;

delivering a second gigabit of bandwidth to a second communication system within the customer site using the wireless system by exchanging wireless signals with the second communication system; and

transmitting user traffic within the customer site using the free-space laser device or the wireless system depending on the type of the user traffic.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

communicating with a communicate node outside of the customer site using the free-space laser device to exchange the user traffic.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

communicating with a communicate node outside of the customer site using the wireless system to exchange the user traffic.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein transmitting user traffic within the customer site comprises:

transmitting the user traffic using the free-space laser device or the wireless system based on the criticality of the user traffic.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein transmitting user traffic within the customer site comprises:

transmitting the user traffic using the free-space laser device or the wireless system based on the cost of the user traffic.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless signals comprise broadband microwave signals.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless signals comprise PCS signals.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless signals comprise wideband CDMA signals.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering a first gigabit of bandwidth to a first communication system comprises:

delivering the first gigabit of bandwidth to a Local Area Network (LAN).

24. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering a first gigabit of bandwidth to a first communication system comprises:

delivering the first gigabit of bandwidth to a media content server.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering a second gigabit of bandwidth to a second communication system comprises:

delivering the second gigabit of bandwidth to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX).

26. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering a second gigabit of bandwidth to a second communication system comprises:

delivering the second gigabit of bandwidth to a billing system main frame.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering a second gigabit of bandwidth to a second communication system comprises:

delivering the second gigabit of bandwidth to a laptop computer phone set.

28. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless signals use TCP/IP in providing the second gigabit of bandwidth.