Apparatus, and an associated method, for providing WLAN service in a fixed wireless access communication system

• US 7,346,347 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Access Solutions, Ltd. (LOXAM SAS)
• Original Assignee: Raze Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Struhsaker, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart, James D
• Application Number:
  US09/839,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,524 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/456, 455/556, 455/426.2, 455/3.05, 455/73, 455/422.1, 455/443, 455/444, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/3.06, 455/554.2, 342/457, 701/200, 340/905
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for providing WLAN (wireless local area network) service through a fixed wireless access communication system. WLAN transceivers are fixed in position at subscriber stations of the fixed wireless access communication system. Each WLAN transceiver defines a coverage area. Through appropriate positioning of the WLAN transceivers at the subscriber stations, overlapping coverage areas are formable and between which handovers of communications with a mobile station are effectuated when a mobile station travels out of one coverage area and into another coverage area.

Claims

1. In a fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system having at least a first fixed-site base station and at least first and second fixed-site subscriber stations each capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, an apparatus for facilitating radio communication with a mobile station, said apparatus comprising:

a local-network radio transceiver positioned at each of the at least first and second fixed-site subscriber stations, each said local-network radio transceiver selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station upon a local radio link formed between the respective local-network radio transceiver and the mobile station when the mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the fixed-site subscriber station at which the respective local-network radio transceiver is positioned and handing off to the other local-network radio transceiver when the mobile station moves outside the selected range of the fixed-site subscriber station at which the respective local-network radio transceiver is positioned but within the selected range of the other fixed-site subscriber station at which the other local-network radio transceiver is positioned.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second fixed-site subscriber stations each include a large-area-network transceiver positioned thereat for transceiving wireless communication signals upon a large-area radio link with the fixed-site base station and wherein said local-network radio transceiver is coupled to the large-area-network transceiver such that wireless communication signals generated at the fixed-site base station, communicated upon the large-area radio link and received at the large-area-network transceiver, are routed to said local-area-network transceiver to be communicated to the mobile station upon the local radio link.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein communication signals generated at the mobile station and communicated upon the local radio link to said local-network transceiver are routed to the large-area-network transceiver to be wirelessly communicated upon the large-area radio link to the fixed-sited base station.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the large-area-network transceiver comprises a rack assembly having at least one expansion slot at which card-mounted circuitry is connectable, thereafter to form a portion of the rack assembly and wherein said local-network transceiver comprises a local area network card connectable to the expansion slot.

5. In a fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system having at least a first fixed-site base station, a first fixed-site subscriber station capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, and a second fixed-site subscriber station capable of communicating with the first fixed-site base station, an apparatus comprising:

a first local-network radio transceiver positioned at the first fixed-site subscriber station said first local-network radio transceiver selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station upon a first local radio link formed between the first local-network radio transceiver and the mobile station when the mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the first fixed-site subscriber station; and

a second local-network transceiver positioned at the second fixed-site subscriber station, said second local-network radio transceiver selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station upon a second local radio link formed between the second local-network radio transceiver and the mobile station when the mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the second fixed-site subscriber station.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said first local-network transceiver defines a first cellular area within which the mobile station is capable of transceiving the communication signals with said first local-network transceiver and wherein said second local-network transceiver defines a second cellular area within which the mobile station is capable of transceiving the communication signals with said second local-network transceiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first cellular area defined by said first local-network transceiver and the second cellular area defined by said second local-network transceiver at least partially overlap and wherein selection is made of with which one of said first and second local-network transceivers, respectively, that the mobile station communicates responsive to determination of at least one communication parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one communication parameter responsive to which selection is made of with which one of said first and second local-network transceiver that the mobile station communicates comprises a signal quality parameter.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one communication parameter responsive to which selection is made of with which one of said first and second local-network transceivers that the mobile station communicates comprises a system load-related parameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the mobile station is permitted movement at least between the first cellular area and the second cellular area and wherein communication hand-offs are performed between said first local-network transceiver and said second local-network transceiver responsive to movement of the mobile station between the first cellular area and the second cellular area defined by said first local-network transceiver and said second local-network transceiver, respectively.

11. In the fixed wireless access system of claim 10, a further improvement of a routing map coupled to the at least the first fixed-site base station, said routing map containing an indication of in which of the first cellular area and the second cellular area that the mobile station is positioned.

12. In the fixed wireless access system of claim 11 wherein the at least the first fixed-site base station is connected to an access processor and wherein said routing map is located at the access processor.

13. The routing map of claim 12 wherein the indication of in which cellular area that the mobile station is located is updated responsive to changes in location of the mobile station.

14. The routing map of claim 12 wherein routing of communication signals to the mobile station is selected responsive to values of the indication contained thereat.

15. The routing map of claim 14 wherein, subsequent to updating of the values of the indication contained thereat, and responsive to hand-off of communications between said first local-network radio transceiver and said second local-network radio transceiver, undelivered communication signals are rerouted according to updated values of the indication.

16. A method for communicating in a fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system having at least a first fixed-site base station, a first fixed-site subscriber station capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, and a second fixed-site subscriber station capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, a method comprising:

selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station using a first local radio link formed between the mobile station and a first local-network radio transceiver positioned at the first fixed-site subscriber station when the mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the first fixed-site subscriber station; and

selectably transceiving communication signals representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station using a second local radio link formed between the mobile station and a second local-network radio transceiver positioned at the second fixed-site subscriber station when the mobile station moves outside the selected range of the first fixed-site subscriber station but within the selected range of the second fixed-site subscriber station.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second fixed-site subscriber stations each include a large-area-network transceiver positioned thereat for transceiving wireless communication signals upon a large-area radio link with the fixed-site base station, wherein the first and second local-network radio transceivers are each coupled to the large-area-network transceiver positioned at the respective first or second fixed-site subscriber station such that communication signals generated at the fixed-site base station, communicated upon the large-area radio link and received at the large-area-network transceiver, are routed to the first or second local-area-network transceiver to be communicated to the mobile station upon the first or second local radio link.

18. A method for communicating in a fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system having at least a mobile station, a first fixed-site base station, a first fixed-site subscriber station capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, a first local-network radio transceiver positioned at the first fixed-site subscriber station, a second fixed-site subscriber station capable of wirelessly communicating with the first fixed-site base station, a second local-network radio transceiver positioned at the second fixed-site subscriber station, and a mobile station moving between coverage areas defined by the first local-network radio transceiver and by the second local-network radio transceiver, the method comprising:

handing-off communications representing wireless communication of the fixed-site base station with the mobile station between the first local-network radio transceiver and the second local-network radio transceiver when the mobile station moves between the coverage areas.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

maintaining a routing map indicating in which coverage area the mobile station is positioned.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a first local network radio transceiver positioned at a first fixed-site, fixed wireless access (FWA) communication system subscriber station communicating wirelessly with a fixed-site, fixed wireless access communication system base station, the fixed-site, fixed wireless access communication system base station communicating wirelessly with a plurality of fixed-site, fixed wireless access communication system subscriber stations, wherein the first local network radio transceiver, when a mobile station is positioned within a selected range of the first fixed-site subscriber station,

receives first wireless signals representative of first communications signals from the fixed-site base station and selectively transmits second wireless signals representative of the first communications signals to the mobile satation and

receives third wireless signals representative of second communications signals from the mobile station and selectively transmits fourth wireless signals representative of the second communications signals to the fixed-site base station.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

a first large area network radio transceiver positioned at the first fixed-site subscriber station, the large area network transceiver receiving the first wireless signals and transmitting the fourth wireless signals upon a large area radio link between the fixed-site base station and the first fixed-site subscriber station,

wherein the first local network radio transceiver is coupled to the large area network radio transceiver such that the first communication signals from the fixed-site base station, communicated as the first wireless signals upon the large area radio link and received at the large area network radio transceiver, are routed to the first local area network transceiver to be communicated as the second wireless signals to the mobile station upon a local radio link between the first fixed-site subscriber station and the mobile station.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second communication signals from the mobile station, communicated as the third wireless signals upon the local radio link to the first local network transceiver, are routed to the large area network transceiver to be communicated as the fourth wireless signals upon the large area radio link to the fixed-sited base station.

23. A wireless communications system including the apparatus according to claim 20, the wireless communications system including the fixed-site base station, the first fixed-site subscriber station, and a second fixed-site, fixed wireless access communication system subscriber station, the wireless communications system further comprising:

a second local network radio transceiver positioned at the second fixed-site subscriber station, wherein the second local network radio transceiver, when the mobile station is positioned outside a selected range of the first fixed-site subscriber station and within a selected range of the second fixed-site subscriber station,

receives fifth wireless signals representative of the first communications signals from the fixed-site base station and selectively transmits sixth wireless signals representative of the first communications signals to the mobile station, and

receives seventh wireless signals representative of the second communications signals from the mobile station and selectively transmits eighth wireless signals representative of the second communications signals to the fixed-site base station.