Radio communication network system

• US 7,155,256 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsui, Susumu, Fukuzawa, Shouji, Shimizu, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US11/109,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/507, 455/426.1, 370/401, 370/328, 709/238
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A radio communication network system provides a method of managing radio communication base stations and mobile terminals for accomplishing an access to the Internet from a mobile terminal and communications between mobile terminals. A base station management terminal, radio communication base stations, and mobile terminals reference their communication path information created by exchanging their adjacent terminal information and communication path information to ensure their respective communication paths to other terminals. Even if two mobile terminals cannot communicate due to their radiowaves failing to arrive at their destinations, the mobile terminals can provide a communication path for making communications therebetween through a communication line, the radio communication base station, and the base station management terminal.

Claims

1. A network system in which a base station management terminal, a base station, and a mobile terminal are connected through a radio communication and a wired communication, wherein:

the base station management terminal comprises;

an Internet gateway function for relaying an access to the Internet;

a base station management function for managing communication path information of each base station;

a communication path setting function for setting a communication path to another terminal; and

an adjacent terminal information management function for managing adjacent terminal information of the base station management terminal itself and adjacent terminal information of other terminals,

the base station comprises a radio communication function, a communication path setting function, an adjacent terminal information management function, and a base station radio communication interface direct communication blocking function for preventing direct radio communication between base stations,

the mobile terminal comprises a radio communication function, a communication path setting function, and an adjacent terminal information management function, and

the base station management terminal and the communication base station exchange the adjacent terminal information with each other.

2. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the base station comprises the radio communication function in a plurality of modes, and further comprises an infrastructure mode communication base station function.

3. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the respective adjacent terminal information management functions of the base station and the mobile terminal transmit and receive the adjacent terminal information with each other,

the communication path setting functions of the base station management terminal, the base station, and the mobile terminal set a communication path in the base station management terminal, the base station, the mobile terminal, respectively,

the base station transmits its own communication path information to the base station management terminal, and

the base station management terminal combines the communication path information transmitted from the respective base stations to create the communication path information including the mobile terminals, and sets the communication path information in the base station management terminal itself.

4. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the respective adjacent terminal information management functions of the base station, the mobile terminal, and the base station management terminal transmit and receive the adjacent terminal information with one another, and

the communication path setting functions of the base station, the mobile terminal, and the base station management terminal create the respective communication path information, and set the communication path information in of the base station, the mobile terminal, and the base station management terminal, respectively.

5. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication path setting function determines a communication path in accordance with at least one of combinations among a communication path, the number of hops up to a destination terminal, the amount of a remaining battery of a communication relay terminal, a radio field strength between terminals in communication, and communication performance including one or more of a delay time between the terminals in communication, a throughput, a packet loss rate, and jitter.

6. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the adjacent terminal information management function sets a adjacent terminal information transmission/reception period to a fixed value, or changes the period in accordance with at least one of combinations among a moving speed of a mobile terminal, a changing rate of the moving speed, a radio field strength to an adjacent terminal, and a changing rate of the strength.

7. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication path setting function of the base station previously sets the base station management terminal having the Internet gateway function as a default gateway,

the base station management terminal references the communication path information contained therein to advertise its own address to all the mobile terminals managed thereby, and

upon receipt of the advertisement of the address from the base station management terminal, the communication path setting function of the mobile terminal references the address included in the advertisement, and references the communication path information contained therein to set an adjacent terminal for arrival at the address as a default gateway in a communication path.

8. A radio communication network system according to claim 7, wherein:

upon receipt of advertisements of addresses from a plurality of the base stations, the communication path setting function of the mobile terminal references at least one of combinations among the radio field strength from each of the base stations, the number of hops from each of the base stations, the communication performance up to each of the base stations (one or more combinations among a delay, a throughput, a packet loss rate, and jitter), the distance from each of the base stations to the mobile terminal, the number of hops to the base station management terminal, the communication performance up to the base station management terminal (one or more combinations among a delay, a throughput, a packet loss rate, and jitter) as required to select one base station for sending a communication packet to the base station management terminal, and

the communication path setting function of the mobile terminal registers the selected base station as an adjacent terminal for enabling the packet to arrive at the base station management terminal.

9. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the base station comprises the Internet gateway function,

the base station references the communication path information contained therein to advertise its own address to all the mobile terminals accommodated therein, and

upon receipt of the advertisement of the address from the base station, the communication path setting function of the mobile terminal references the address included in the advertisement, and references the communication path information contained therein to set an adjacent terminal for arrival at the address as a default gate way in a communication path.

10. A radio communication network system according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication path setting function of the base station management terminal references the communication path information contained therein to advertise its own address to the base station and the mobile terminal, and

the communication path setting function of each of the mobile terminal and the base station sets an adjacent terminal for arrival at the base station management terminal having the address included in the advertisement as a default gateway in a communication path.