Subscriber wireless access system

• US 6,947,739 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/026,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/560, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/426.2, 455/554.2, 455/426.1, 455/561, 370/389, 370/392, 370/397, 370/399, 370/395.2, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 370/410, 370/466, 370/310.1, 370/310.2, 709/238, 709/243, 709/244, 709/250
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A subscriber wireless access system equipped with customer stations wirelessly connected to base stations and accommodating communication terminal devices in the customer stations. The system is provided with at least one exchange for connecting the base stations with a virtual dedicated line network for enabling customer stations wirelessly connected to different base stations to be interconnected via a virtual dedicated line network. The exchange includes table information assigned to the customer stations with virtual network connection information allocated for connected the customer stations, means responsive to receipt of data from a customer station via a subordinate base station for, with reference to the table, sending the data through the virtual network to another base station, and means responsive to receipt of data through the virtual network for, with reference to the table, converting the data to customer station identification information and sending the data to a subordinate base station.

Claims

1. A subscriber wireless access system equipped with customer stations which are wirelessly connected to base stations and for accommodating communication terminal devices in the customers stations, said subscribers wireless access system comprising:

exchanges for connecting the base stations with a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected to different base stations to be interconnected via a virtual dedicated line network;

wherein each of said exchanges include;

a table for correlating identification information assigned to the customer stations with virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations;

means for receiving data from a customer station via a subordinate base station, and, with reference to the table, sending the received data through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for receiving data through the virtual dedicated line network, and, with reference to the table, converting the received data to customer station identification information of a customer station and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station,

wherein at least one of said exchanges is provided in each of the base stations;

wherein said table of each of said exchanges contains identical virtual dedicated line network connection information for the customer stations connected through the virtual dedicated line network;

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information;

wherein each base station has a first table for correlating the virtual dedicated line network connection information with the group identification information of each customer station group and a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group, and said first and second tables of each of the base stations contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group; and

wherein said first and second tables of the base stations are management information bases and, by utilizing a simple network management protocol system, the group identification information is written to the management information bases by using information sent from a management unit connected via the virtual dedicated line network.

2. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 1, wherein when different customer stations under to the base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.

3. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 1, wherein the group identification information assigned to the customer stations are included in wireless frames of the base stations and the customer stations.

4. A subscriber wireless access system equipped with customer stations which are wirelessly connected to base stations and for accommodating communication terminal devices in the customer stations, said subscriber wireless access system comprising:

at least one exchange for connecting the base stations with a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected to different base stations to be interconnected via a virtual dedicated line network;

wherein said at least one exchange includes;

a table for correlating identification information assigned to the customer stations with virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations;

means for receiving data from a customer station via a subordinate base station, and with reference to said table, sending the received data through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for receiving data through the virtual dedicated line network, and with reference to said table, converting the received data to customer station identification information of a customer station and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station,

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information; and

wherein each base station has a first table for correlating the virtual dedicated line network connection information with the group identification information of each customer station group and a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group, and said first and second tables of each of the base stations contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group; and

wherein said first and second tables of each of the base stations are management information bases and, by utilizing a simple network management protocol system, the group identification information is written to the management information bases by using information sent from a management unit connected via the virtual dedicated line network.

5. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 4, wherein when different customer stations under to the base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.

6. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 4, wherein the group identification information assigned to the customer stations are included in wireless frames of the base stations and the customer stations.

7. A subscriber wireless access system equipped with customer stations which are wirelessly connected to base stations and for accommodating communication terminal devices in the customer stations, said subscriber wireless access system comprising:

exchanges for connecting the base stations with a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected to different base stations to be interconnected via a virtual dedicated line network;

wherein each of said exchanges includes;

a table for correlating identification information assigned to the customer stations with virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations;

means for receiving data from a customer station via a subordinate base station, and with reference to the table, sending the received data through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for receiving data through the virtual dedicated line network, and, with reference to the table, converting the received data to customer station identification information of a customer station and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station;

wherein an exchange is provided in each of the base stations;

wherein said table of each of said exchanges contains identical virtual dedicated line network connection information for the customer stations connected through the virtual dedicated line network;

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information; and

wherein each base station has a first table for correlating the virtual dedicated line network connection information with the group identification information of each customer station group and a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group, and said first and second tables of each of the base station contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group.

8. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 7, wherein when different customer stations under to the base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.

9. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 7, wherein the group identification information assigned to the customer stations are included in wireless frames of the base stations and the customer stations.

10. A subscriber wireless access system equipped with customer stations which are wirelessly connected to base stations and for accommodating communication terminal devices in the customer stations, said subscriber wireless access system comprising:

at least one exchange for connecting the base stations with a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected to different base stations to be interconnected via virtual dedicated line network;

wherein said at least one exchange includes;

a table for correlating identification information assigned to the customer stations with virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations;

means for receiving data from a customer station via a subordinate base station and, with reference to said table, sending the received data through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for receiving data through the virtual dedicated line network, and, with reference to said table, converting the received data to customer station identification information of a customer station and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station;

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information; and

wherein each base station has a first table for correlating the virtual dedicated line network connection information with the group identification information of each customer station group and a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group, and said first and second tables of each of the base station contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group.

11. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 10, wherein when different customer stations subordinate to the base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.

12. A subscriber wireless access system according to claim 10, wherein the group identification information assigned to the customer stations are included in wireless frames of the base stations and the customer stations.

13. A base station for connecting to a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected with different base stations to be interconnected via the virtual dedicated line network,

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information;

and

wherein said base station comprises;

a first table for correlating virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations with the group identification information of each customer station group;

a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group,

wherein said first and second tables of said base station contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group, and said first and second tables are thereby operable to correlate the station-specific identification information assigned to the customer stations with the virtual dedicated line network connection information;

means for receiving data from a customer station via a subordinate base station and, with reference to said tables, sending the received data through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for, with reference to said tables, receiving data through the virtual dedicated line network, converting the received data to customer station identification information and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station.

14. A base station according to claim 13, wherein when different customer stations under to said base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.

15. An exchange for connecting base stations to a virtual dedicated line network so as to enable customer stations which are wirelessly connected with different base stations to be interconnected via the virtual dedicated line network, said exchange comprising:

a table for correlating identification information assigned to the customer stations with virtual dedicated line network connection information allocated for connecting the customer stations;

means for, with reference to the table, sending data received from a customer station via a subordinate base station through the virtual dedicated line network to another base station; and

means for, with reference to the table, converting data received through the virtual dedicated line network to customer station identification information and sending the converted data to a subordinate base station;

wherein each customer station is assigned station-specific identification information for identifying the individual customer station and group identification information for identifying the individual customer station as a member of a customer station group, and each customer station group is assigned unique group identification information; and

wherein each base station has a first table for correlating the virtual dedicated line network connection information with the group identification information of each customer station group and a second table for correlating the station-specific identifier information and the group identification information of each customer station group, and said first and second tables of each the base stations contain the same group identification information for customer stations belonging to the same customer station group.

16. An exchange according to claim 15, wherein when different customer stations under to the base stations are formed into closed customer station groups, communication terminal devices under each customer station group are virtually connected to each other.