Wireless packet communications system and method

• US 7,406,069 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TCM Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: TCM Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Shani, Abraham, Yashar, Haim, Meiner, Meir
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contee; Joy K
• Application Number:
  US11/075,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/432.1, 455/433.1, 455/561, 455/414.1, 370/352, 370/508, 370/331, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless packet communication system conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard includes a plurality of access points (APs) most of which have wired connections only for power and an ISDN telephone line. The APs communicate at 8.5 Ghz with a regional point-of-presence that is one end of a VPN through the internet to a national office. The registered users'"'"' data and control of the system including the IP assignment and SIP proxy and the control of the 802.11 communication reside in the national office. By retaining for a short period the SIP connection, IP address and key encryption information after a user has disassociated from an AP, the user can quickly reauthenticate and reassociate using the same SIP connection, IP address, and encryption key at a different AP. Voice data and computer data can both be processed through an AP by the addition on another 802.11 frame encoder/decoder.

Claims

1. A wireless packet data communication system for providing communication to a mobile communication device, comprising:

a) a regional point-of-presence;

b) a plurality of base stations; and

c) a separate base station, which is separate from the plurality of base stations, comprising a broad beam antenna, wherein;

i) the plurality of base stations comprise;

1) a plurality of sectors, each of the sectors comprising a sector antenna capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication with the mobile communication device; and

2) a narrow beam antenna capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication with the broad beam antenna of the separate base station; and

ii) the separate base station comprises a frame encoder and decoder coupled to the broad beam antenna for encoding and decoding frames of data passing through each of the narrow beam antennas, and for passing IP data contained within each of the wireless communications through each of the plurality of base stations to and from the regional point-of-presence.

2. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

d) a national office; and

e) an out of band network having a wired connection to each of the plurality of base stations, to the regional point-of-presence, and to the national office for monitoring and controlling electronic modules in the plurality of base stations.

3. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one base station, of the plurality of base stations comprises four sectors and four corresponding sector antennas; and

the sector antennas have beam patterns which are of substantially equal angles in a horizontal plane from a point at the one base station.

4. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one base station, of the plurality of base stations comprises six sectors and six corresponding sector antennas; and

the sector antennas have beam patterns which are of substantially equal angles in a horizontal plane from a point at the one base station.

5. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

d) an internet coupled to the regional point-of-presence; and

e) a national office coupled to the internet for receiving the IP data contained within each of the wireless communications through each of the plurality of base stations via the regional point-of-presence and the internet.

6. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 5, wherein the IP data contained within each of the wireless communications is voice encoded data and not computer data.

7. The wireless packet data communication system of claim 1, further comprising a multiprotocol label switching network for passing the IP data contained within each of the wireless communications to other locations remote from the regional point-of-presence.

8. The wireless packet data communication system, of claim 7, wherein the IP data contained within each of the wireless communications is computer data and not voice encoded data.