Multiple channel communications system

• US 6,950,658 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Its USA LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Krueger, David C., Bueter, Michael A., Coil, Jeffrey D., Minnick, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US09/947,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/509, 455/510, 455/515, 455/517, 455/518, 455/520, 455/521, 455/436, 370/329, 370/331, 370/341, 370/431
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• 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 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A multi-channel communications system for communications between a mobile units and dispatch agencies through tower sites under control of a multi-channel communication controller. The method of communications used is time division multiple access with provisions for alternate methods. The mobile units and dispatch agencies have forms of identifications to route messages between the mobile units and dispatch agencies according to the forms of identification. The forms of identification are resolved from one form to another to operate with the alternate methods of communications. The mobile units are handed off from one communications channel to another by the multi-channel controller as channel loading conditions exceed a predetermined limit. Mobile units change tower sites as the geographic coverage of a tower site changes. Mobile units determine distance to a tower site by computing distance to a tower site by using GPS position information of the mobile unit and the known locations of the tower sites to compute signal strength.

Claims

1. A multi-channel communications system comprising:

a plurality of mobile units having a plurality of communications channels and forms of identification;

a plurality of tower sites having a plurality of communication channels for communications with the mobile units;

a plurality of dispatch agencies with forms of identification;

a multi-channel controller connected to said tower sites and said dispatch agencies said multi-channel controller further comprising;

a multi-agency router for routing messages between the mobile units and the dispatch agencies through the plurality of communications channels when the mobile units and the dispatch agencies have the same form of identification; and

a load service for monitoring individual communication channel loads on each of the plurality of communications channels, balancing the individual communication channel loads across the plurality of communication channels, and monitoring the plurality of communications channels for an individual channel failure.

2. The multi-channel communications system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface for configuration of mobile unit and dispatch agency lookup tables, for viewing multi-channel communications system performance statistics, and for configuring multi-channel performance and redundancy parameters.

3. The multi-channel communications system of claim 2 further comprising a database for storing static information wherein the static information includes the mobile unit and dispatch agency lookup tables, the multi-channel communication system performance statistics, and the multi-channel controller performance and redundancy parameters.

4. The multi-channel communications system of claim 1 wherein the multi-agency router resolves the form of identification of the mobile units and the dispatch agencies to determine the communications channel and method and message source and destination;

monitors messages from the mobile units, verifies which of the plurality of communications channels the mobile unit is operation on, and examines the source and destination of the messages and routes the messages accordingly.

5. The multi-channel communications system of claim 1 wherein the load service determines a loading metric for a first communications channel and hands off mobile units exceeding the first communications channel loading metric from said first communications channel to a second communications at a first tower site in a first geographic area, selects and connects to a second tower site in a second geographic area when the first geographic area covered by said first tower is inadequate, and routes messages to a second communications channel at said second tower site when communications fail on said first communications channel at the second tower.

6. The multi-channel communication system of claim 5 wherein the loading metric is determined by how many mobile units are on the first communications channel and how fast the mobile units are polling.

7. The multi-channel communication system of claim 1 wherein monitoring of the plurality of communication channel loads further includes monitoring the plurality of communications channels for an overload condition.

8. The multi-channel communication system of claim 7 wherein the overload condition is based upon a user defined trigger point.

9. The multi-channel communication system of claim 1 wherein balancing of the communication channel loads is conducted among the plurality of communications channels on the same tower site.

10. The multi-channel communication system of claim 9 wherein balancing of the communication channel loads is active.

11. The multi-channel communication system of claim 9 wherein balancing of the communication channel loads is passive.

12. The multi-channel communication system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the communication channel loads for failure further includes detecting a failure at the tower site and reporting the failure to the load service.

13. The multi-channel communications system of claim 12 wherein the multi-channel controller notifies the mobile units of the failure.

14. The multi-channel communications system of claim 13 wherein the mobile units utilize the failure notification to determine an order in which the mobile units will attempt to change channels.