Multiple wireless data transport transceiver system

• US 6,882,843 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless America Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cellemetry, LLC (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Comer, Edward I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Application Number:
  US10/038,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/103, 455/67.11, 455/445, 455/426.1, 455/461, 455/462, 455/465, 455/456.5, 370352-356, 370/238
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A wireless communications device that can support the communication of a data message via a selected one of multiple wireless data transport (WDT) technologies. A wireless communications device can support CDPD, control channel data transport technologies, such as the “CELLEMETRY” data communications service, and voice-channel modem operations by combining these WDT technologies within a single radio device. In the radio-to-base system direction, the appropriate WDT technology can be chosen based upon the data volume for the communication application. A control channel data transport technology can be used for very low volume; CDPD can be used for medium volume; and voice-channel modem operation can be used for large volume. The appropriate WDT technology can be automatically selected for use with the present data application to achieve an effective communication of the data content via the cellular system while also accomplishing a least cost distribution of the data content. The wireless communications device can be implemented by a single monolithic component for efficient manufacture and convenient use.

Claims

1. A system for communicating a message comprising data content in a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless data transport (WDT) transceivers, each capable of supporting wireless data communications in the CMR system, providing a plurality of WDTs, each WDT transceiver coupled to an antenna and operable to communicate the message with one of the WDTs via the antenna;

a controller operative to identify each of the WDTs operational within the CMR system for transporting the message and to select one of the WDT transceivers corresponding to one of the identified WDTs for communicating the message using a selection algorithm based on a heuristic process to support a learning capability based upon prior communication operations;

a user interface, coupled to the controller, operative to provide a unified interface to the WDT transceivers; and

a normalization function, coupled to each WDT transceiver and to the controller, operative to transform the message into a format acceptable for transmission by the selected WDT transceiver and to transform the data content received by the selected WDT transceiver for presentation via the user interface, said normalization function comprising a plurality of transformation processes to support the operation of the plurality of WDT transceivers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection algorithm applies selection criteria, comprising at least one of data content volume and priority status of the data content, to the message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to select the one of the WDT transceivers based upon a selection criterion applied to the data content of the message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection algorithm selects one of the WDT transceivers based on a characteristic of the data content.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the data content comprises volume of the data content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection algorithm selects one of the WDT transceivers based upon a cost of communicating the message in the CMR system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection algorithm selects one of the WDT transceivers based upon a cost of communicating the data content in the CMR system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection algorithm selects one of the WDT transceivers based upon a priority assigned to communicating the data content.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the CMR system supports a plurality of wireless data transports comprising overhead control channel, Short Message Service (SMS), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), and voice-channel modem transports.

10. A computer implemented process for communicating a message comprising data content in a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of wireless data transport (WDT) transceivers, each capable of supporting wireless data communications in the CMR system and having a plurality of WDTs, wherein each WDT transceiver is coupled to an antenna and is operable to communicate the message with one of the WDTs via the antenna;

identifying each of the WDTs operational within the CMR system for transporting the message;

selecting one of the WDT transceivers corresponding to one of the identified WDTs for communicating the message using a selection algorithm based on a heuristic process to support a learning capability based upon prior communication operations; and

transforming the message into a format acceptable for communication via the selected WDT transceiver and transforming the data content received by the selected WDT transceiver for presentation via a user interface.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein using the selection algorithm comprises applying selection criteria, comprising at least one of data content volume and priority status of the data content, to the message.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting one of the WDT transceivers comprises applying a selection criterion to the data content of the message.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein the selection algorithm selects one of the WDT transceivers based on a characteristic of the data content.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the data content comprises volume of the data content.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting one of the WDT transceivers based upon a cost of communicating the message in the CMR system.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, wherein the selection algorithm selects of the WDT transceivers based upon a priority assigned to communicating the data content.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, further comprising the step of supporting a plurality of wireless data transports, comprising overhead control channel, Short Message Service (SMS), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), and voice-channel modem transports, via the CMR system.