Wireless network for routing a signal without using a tower

• US 7,177,643 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Newton Howard
• Original Assignee: Newton Howard
• Inventors: Howard, Newton
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/924,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/13.1, 455/426.1, 455/5.1, 455/414, 455/517, 455/403, 455418-419, 455/422.1, 455423-425, 455/427, 455/429, 455/431, 455/453, 455445-450, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455462-466, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.2, 4555561-5562, 455/41.2, 455/62, 455/555, 455557-558, 455/550.1, 455/3.01, 455/3.05, 4554561-4563, 455/520, 455524-525, 455/561, 455/455, 455/7, 455/16, 455/67.11, 370/389, 370/351, 370/352, 370/246, 370406-408, 370/229, 370/373, 370231-232, 370237-238, 370/332, 370/254, 370/277, 370/279, 370/285, 370/293, 370/328, 370315-316, 370/338, 370/400, 370/395.53, 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 709/245, 709236-242, 379272-273, 375211-212
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding

Abstract

A wireless network is provided having a plurality of intermediate devices that can be dynamically added and removed from the wireless network. Each of the intermediate devices includes a transceiver operable to reproduce a signal and transmit the reproduced signal. At least one intermediate device in the plurality of intermediate devices is in motion while a part of the wireless network. A source device is operable to transmit a signal to at least one intermediate device and a destination device is operable to receive a reproduced signal from at least one of the intermediate devices without using a wireless tower. A routing path is transmitted from the source device along with the signal specifying the path that the signal is to travel.

Claims

1. A wireless network for transferring a signal from a source device to a destination device positioned remotely from the source device by passing the signal through a plurality of intermediate devices without using a tower, the network comprising:

a plurality of intermediate transceivers each respectively associated with one of the intermediate devices and individually operable for reproducing the signal and transmitting the reproduced signal through the intermediate devices until the reproduced signal reaches the destination device;

a source transceiver associated with the source device and operable for transmitting the signal to at least one of the intermediate devices;

a destination transceiver associated with the destination device and operable for receiving the reproduced signal from at least one of the intermediate devices; and

a routing system for determining an optimal routing path for transferring the signal from the source device through a set of the intermediate devices of the plurality of intermediate devices to the destination device, wherein the optimal routing path indicates the set of intermediate devices and is based, in part, on a prediction of the amount of time an intermediate transceiver in the set of intermediate transceivers will be in communication with the wireless network, wherein the prediction is based on the last state of the wireless network and predefined rules for predicting the location of at least one of the intermediate devices in the wireless network.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the source transceiver transmits the optimal routing path and the signal to the intermediate device.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the routing system further comprises a data management system.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the source device is selected from the group consisting of telephones, mobile phones, laptop computers, handheld computers, desktop computers, televisions, and automobiles.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein one of the intermediate devices disconnects from a first portion of the network and reconnects to a second portion of the network.

6. The network of claim 1 further comprising a long-range transmission device for connecting the network to a remote network.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein an intermediate device having an intermediate transceiver operable for reproducing the signal and transmitting the reproduced signal is dynamically added to the plurality of intermediate devices in the network.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the intermediate devices in the plurality of intermediate devices is dynamically removed from the network.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the intermediate devices in the plurality of intermediate devices is in motion for a period of time.

10. A wireless network for transferring a signal from a source device to a destination device positioned remotely from the source device by passing the signal through a plurality of intermediate devices without using a tower, the network comprising:

a plurality of intermediate transceivers each respectively associated with one of the intermediate devices and individually operable for reproducing the signal and transmitting the reproduced signal through the intermediate devices until it reaches the, destination device;

a source transceiver associated with the source device, wherein the source transceiver is operable for jointly transmitting the signal and an optimal routing path for transferring the signal from the source device through at least one of the intermediate devices of the plurality of intermediate devices to the destination device, wherein the optimal routing path indicates the at least one intermediate device, and is based, in part, on a prediction of the amount of time an intermediate transceiver in a set of intermediate transceivers within the plurality of intermediate transceivers, will be in communication with the wireless network, wherein the prediction is based on the last state of the wireless network and predefined rules for predicting the location of at least one of the intermediate devices in the wireless network.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein the routing system further comprises a data management system.

12. The network of claim 10 wherein the source device is selected from the group consisting of telephones, mobile phones, laptop computers, handheld computers, desktop computers, televisions, and automobiles.

13. The network of claim 10 wherein one of the intermediate devices disconnects from a first portion of the network and reconnects to a second portion of the network.

14. The network of claim 10 further comprising a long-range transmission device for connecting the network to a remote network.

15. The network of claim 10, wherein an intermediate device having an intermediate transceiver operable for reproducing the signal and transmitting the reproduced signal is dynamically added to the plurality of intermediate devices in the network.

16. The network of claim 10, wherein at least one of the intermediate device in the plurality of intermediate devices is dynamically removed from the network.

17. The network of claim 10, wherein at least one of the intermediate devices in the plurality of intermediate devices is in motion for a period of time.

18. A method of transferring a signal from a source device to a destination device positioned remotely from the source device by passing the signal through a plurality of intermediate devices forming a wireless network without a tower, the method comprising:

reproducing the signal using a plurality of intermediate transceivers each associated with one of the intermediate devices;

transmitting the reproduced signal through a set of intermediate devices in the plurality of intermediate devices until the reproduced signal reaches the destination device;

identifying an optimal routing path for transferring the signal from the source device to the destination device, wherein the optimal routing path indicates the set of intermediate devices and is based, in part, on a prediction of the amount of time an intermediate transceiver in a set of intermediate transceivers within the plurality of intermediate transceivers, will be in communication with the wireless network, wherein the prediction is based on the last state of the wireless network and predefined rules for predicting the location of at least one of the intermediate devices in the wireless network;

jointly transmitting the optimal routing path and the reproduced signal to the set of intermediate devices using a source transceiver; and

receiving the reproduced signal from the intermediate device at the destination device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising dynamically adding, to the plurality of intermediate devices in the network, an intermediate device having an intermediate transceiver operable for reproducing the signal and transmitting the reproduced signal.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising dynamically removing at least one of the intermediate device in the plurality of intermediate devices from the network.

21. The network of claim 18, wherein at least one of the intermediate devices in the plurality of intermediate devices is in motion for a period of time.