Two tier hi-speed wireless communication link

• US 6,850,512 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Page, John V., Bishop, R. Adrian, Gorsuch, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US09/384,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 370/342, 370/390, 370/352, 370/425, 370465-466, 370235-338, 370/401, 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/469, 375/202, 455/450, 455/455, 455/464, 455/403, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/408, 455/426.1
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a plurality of remote transceivers and a network is discussed including multiple types of serially-connected communication links, upon which data flows are established to communicate information between the remote transceivers and network. A hub is coupled to one end of a hardwired communication link while an access unit is coupled to the other end. In addition to supporting communications on the hardwired link, the hub supports communication with the plurality of remote transceivers over a wireless link of a first type. The access unit at the other end of the hardwired link is in further communication with a base station over a wireless communication link of a second type, while the base station is in further communication with the network. Based on this topology, data flows over this string of interconnected communication media support information transfers between the plurality of remote transceivers and the network.

Claims

1. A method for communication of data between a plurality of remote transceivers and a network based on data flows over multiple types of communication links disposed therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first set of wireless communication links between the plurality of remote transceivers and a hub for transmission of data messages from terminal equipment coupled to the plurality of remote transceivers;

transmitting the data messages from at least one of the plurality of remote transceivers to the hub;

receiving the data messages at the hub;

routing data messages received by the hub over a hardwired link to a subscriber unit;

aggregating data messages from multiple individual logical data flows generated by computers coupled to the plurality of remote transceivers;

establishing a second wireless communication link between the subscriber unit and base station using multiple shared radio channels, whereby the aggregated data messages from multiple logical data flows are reformatted to include an extra physical layer for transmission of data on said second wireless communication link;

stripping the extra physical layer from the data messages received over the second wireless communication link at the base station and reconstructing data messages to an original form; and

routing the data messages in the original form to a network in communication with the base station.

2. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

making available a plurality of subchannels within the second wireless communication link for establishing data flows, wherein a data transfer rate on each subchannel is typically less than the nominal data transfer rate of any data flow.

3. A method as described in claim 2 further comprising the step of:

allocating available subchannels on an as-needed basis over the second wireless communication link to provide data transfers over two or more subchannels for higher speed transfers of at least one data flow between a remote transceiver and the network.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the hub is based on an IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the hardwired communication link between the hub and the access unit is based on an IEEE 802.3 standard.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication link supports multiple individual high speed data transfers for each of the remote transceivers.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication link is also a long-range wireless communication link.

8. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the second wireless communication link is also a high speed wireless communication link.

9. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the remote transceivers are operably linked to remote computer terminals in communication with the network.

10. A method as described in claim 1 wherein communication between the hub and the remote transceiver is based on spread spectrum.

11. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication link is FHSS around 2.4 Gigahertz and each remote transceiver communicates with the hub over a unique channel.

12. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication link is DSSS around 2.4 Gigahertz and each remote transceiver communicates with the hub over a unique channel.

13. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the first wireless communication link is based on infrared.

14. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the network is an Internet.

15. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the at least one wired communication link includes at least one Ethernet link.

16. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the second type of wireless communication link is based on a radio frequency near 1.9 Gigahertz.

17. A method as described in claim 1 wherein the second type of wireless communication link has a cellular range of greater than 1 mile.

18. A method as described in claim 1 wherein communication between the plurality of users and the hub is based on a wireless local area network (WLAN).

19. A method as described in claim 1 wherein communication of data messages to at least one of the plurality of transceivers is established in an inverse corresponding order.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein the hardwired link is part of a contention network.

21. A method as in claim 1, wherein peer-to-peer connectivity is supported between servers coupled to the network and computers coupled to the remote transceivers.

22. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

at the base station, receiving aggregated data flow information transmitted over the subscription-based wireless link; and

processing the aggregated data flow information into data messages; and

routing the data messages through the network.

23. A method as in claim 1, wherein a combination of the hub and subscriber unit is portable.