Tiered wireless, multi-modal access system and method
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A communication system for integrating a plurality of wireless communication networks capable of independent operation to form an integrated communication grid whose overall capacity to handle demand for service is maximized by coordinated control of access, comprisinga. a plurality of wireless communication networks providing service to users in overlapping geographic areas, said wireless communication networks using different communication modes and operating at different broadcast strengths to form different tiers of successively greater effective broadcast areas to serve ever greater geoaraghic areas with the first tier having the greatest geographic broadcast area and the last tier having the smallest broadast area, b. a plurality of portable wireless, multi-modal access devices, each said access device being capable of operating in at least some of the plurality of communication modes compatible with said communication networks and being capable of establishing a communication session over a first communication link using any one of said communication networks while operating in a compatible communication mode, and c. a system for coordinating requests for service by said access devices to cause wireless communication links to be established, respectively, using the communication network that has the capability of providing the services requested and that is within the tier serving the smallest possible geographic broadcast area thereby to use more efficiently the available radio spectrum by driving users to the networks serving the smallest broadcast areas.
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Abstract
A wireless, multi-modal access device and system adapted to integrate a number of communications networks operating in differing communication modes to facilitate transfer of communication links during a communication session to promote efficient use of the communication networks. The system includes a plurality of Universal Multi-Modal Access Devices UMMAD that are capable of operating at different frequencies and different protocols (TDMA, AMPS, CDMA, GSM, PCS etc) to communicate with any one of a number of Wide Bandwidth Gateways (WBG), which are each capable of communication using one or more of the protocols. The communication links may be switched from one WBG to another or from one protocol to another during a communication session to continue the session under the control of a Universal System Traffic Controller. Numerous other applications of the UMMADs for unique identification and e-commerce are disclosed.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A communication system for integrating a plurality of wireless communication networks capable of independent operation to form an integrated communication grid whose overall capacity to handle demand for service is maximized by coordinated control of access, comprising
a. a plurality of wireless communication networks providing service to users in overlapping geographic areas, said wireless communication networks using different communication modes and operating at different broadcast strengths to form different tiers of successively greater effective broadcast areas to serve ever greater geoaraghic areas with the first tier having the greatest geographic broadcast area and the last tier having the smallest broadast area, b. a plurality of portable wireless, multi-modal access devices, each said access device being capable of operating in at least some of the plurality of communication modes compatible with said communication networks and being capable of establishing a communication session over a first communication link using any one of said communication networks while operating in a compatible communication mode, and c. a system for coordinating requests for service by said access devices to cause wireless communication links to be established, respectively, using the communication network that has the capability of providing the services requested and that is within the tier serving the smallest possible geographic broadcast area thereby to use more efficiently the available radio spectrum by driving users to the networks serving the smallest broadcast areas.
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2. An omni-compatible broadband connection gateway for providing wireless access to a plurality of communication services for a plurality of portable wireless access devices located within a geographic service area of the gateway and capable of operating in a plurality of different communication modes using the most effective and efficient communication protocol via a wireless link to the portable wireless access device having the smallest possible broadcast range consisent with the service desired, comprising
a. a frequency agile and protocol agile radio transceiver capable of wireless communication with a plurality of portable wireless access devices within the geographic service area of the gateway over a plurality of re-assignable communication channels adapted to be assigned to those portable wireless access devices to which a communication service is supplied using a frequency and communication protocol compatible with the requirements of the portable wireless access device and compatible with the communication service being supplied, b. an interface circuit for providing a broad band communication channel between said radio transceiver and all communication services being provided by the gateway to the portable wireless access devices operating within the geographic service area of the gateway, and c. a transceiver controller connected with said radio transceiver for causing said radio transceiver to assign an appropriate communication channel to each portable wireless access device to which a communication service is to be provided wherein the communication channel is selected by said controller to be compatible with the requirements of the communication service and the corresponding portable wireless access device and for causing said radio transceiver to employ a communication protocol and to employ an appropriate frequency for wireless broadcast over each communication channel using the smallest possible broadcast range consistent with the service desired to allow all of the communication services to be supplied to the portable wireless access devices served by the gateway to be operated simultaneously using the available radio spectrum in the most efficient possible manner.
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4. A transferable portable wireless access device for providing access to a wireless service supplied by a wireless service provider upon supply of a user identification signal by which the wireless service provider is able to authenticate a user entitled to services to which charges may be posted for services provided to the portable access device without requiring prior association of the user with the access device in the business records of the service provider, comprising
a. a transceiver for wirelessly accessing a wireless service using a frequency and communication protocol appropriate for such wireless service and for broadcasting a user identification signal required for posting charges for services provided to the access device by the wireless service provider without requiring prior association of the user with the access device in the business records of the service provider, b. a user identifying circuit for receiving user supplied identifiers for generating the user identification signal supplied to said transceiver, said user identifying circuit including i) a passive identifier sensor for sensing a unique characteristic of the user determined by the user'"'"'s DNA, and ii) an active identifier sensor for receiving a user generated signal resulting from a willful action of the user.
Specification