Company network using time slot reuse

• US 7,844,679 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 20 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Kvaser Consultant Aktiebolag
• Original Assignee: Xinshu Management LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fredriksson, Lars-Berno
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US10/450,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20040076135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,288 Days
• Field of Search: 709208-211, 709/224, 709/248, 709/226, 709/227, 709/230, 709/237, 709/249, 455452-455, 455/404.2, 455436-444, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An arrangement and a device comprises a mobile data and communication network within a predetermined geographical area. The device operates with first and second functions that can consist of, for example, company and/or customers functions and communication and/or slave functions respectively. Two or more units in the first function are synchronized with each other as regards time and frequency in order to act, from the point of view of connection and disconnection functions, as a common first unit for second units that carry out the second function. Time consuming handshaking procedures are then avoided for the second units when these one'"'"'s are moving and shifting between part areas of said predetermined area and the total system will operate rapidly in this respect.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of master nodes comprising wireless communication devices;

at least one slave node comprising at least one wireless communication device;

the plurality of master nodes arranged to provide communication coverage for at least subsidiary geographic areas that are located within an overall geographical area wherein at least some of the subsidiary geographic areas are non-adjacent to one another, at least one of the plurality of master nodes configured to activate and deactivate the at least one slave node for communication within an associated portion of the overall geographic area;

wherein all of the plurality of master nodes are configured to in operation operate continuously with a coordinated time slot and a common Bluetooth frequency, wherein shifting of each of the plurality of master nodes to a different Bluetooth frequency is synchronized;

wherein the plurality of master nodes are configured to communicate with the at least one slave node using said coordinated time slot and said common Bluetooth frequency so as to appear to the at least one slave node as a common master node with respect to the at least one slave node having moved between the subsidiary geographic areas of said predetermined geographic area.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a time and frequency synchronizing node configured to coordinate time slot usage and frequency utilization.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the time and frequency synchronizing node comprises a GPS receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of master nodes are operatively connected to a network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database accessible by at least one of the plurality of master nodes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the database is accessible by said at least one of the plurality of master nodes through the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one slave node is synchronized through any of the plurality of master nodes via a Bluetooth standard synchronization method.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein, responsive to synchronizing the at least one slave node, the system is configured to exchange information, the information including one or more of a name, an account number, and a customer profile that is updated in a central database.

9. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a GPS node that synchronizes a Bluetooth system time to a GPS time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein responsive to the at least one slave node being synchronized to GPS time, the at least one slave node is synchronized with respect to time to the plurality of master nodes with data sent from the at least one of the plurality of master nodes, wherein the at least one slave node that is synchronized to the GPS time synchronizes an associated Bluetooth time to the GPS time so as to achieve synchronization to the plurality of master nodes for data exchange therebetween.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising overlapping coverage areas between two or more of the plurality of master nodes, wherein an adjacent master node may assume control of the at least one slave node from the particular master node in response to a received signal strength measured at the adjacent master node.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to the at least one slave node being synchronized to GPS time, the at least one slave node is synchronized with respect to time to the plurality of master nodes with data sent from the at least one of the plurality of master nodes.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of master nodes are further configured to operate with a second coordinated time slot associated with a second common frequency, wherein the plurality of master nodes shift to a different second common frequency substantially simultaneously, and wherein the master nodes comprise a plurality of separate and parallel networks configured to communicate with the at least one slave node.

14. A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

first units comprising wireless communication devices;

second units comprising wireless communication devices;

the first units arranged to carry out base station functions within subsidiary geographical areas that are located within a predetermined geographical area wherein at least some of the subsidiary geographic areas are non-adjacent to one another;

the second units arranged to carry out communication and data functions within the predetermined geographic area;

wherein the first units are configured to communicate with the second units using a Bluetooth compatible protocol;

wherein all of the first units are configured to in operation operate continuously with a coordinated time slot and a common Bluetooth frequency, wherein shifting of each of the plurality of master nodes to a different Bluetooth frequency is synchronized; and

wherein the first units are configured to communicate with at least one of the second units using said coordinated time slot and said common Bluetooth frequency so as to appear to the at least one second unit as a common base station with respect to the at least one second unit having moved between the subsidiary geographic areas of said predetermined geographic area.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second units operating within said predetermined geographical area are synchronized to a common time reference.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said common time reference corresponds to a Bluetooth time reference.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said first and second units use identical address functions.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a common network accessible by one or more of the first units.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the common network comprises a wireless Bluetooth network, wherein Bluetooth time slot schedules for each of the first and second units are allocated such that selected time slots are reserved for communication between adjacent first units.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein responsive to the second units being synchronized to GPS time, the second units are synchronized to the first units with respect to time in response to data sent from the first units.

21. A communications system within a predetermined total geographic area, the system comprising:

first units comprising wireless communication devices;

second units comprising wireless communication devices;

the first units each comprising a base station having base station capacity therein that covers a portion of the total geographic area, wherein different overlapping portions of the total geographic area are covered by associated first units and at least some of the portions are non-adjacent to one another;

said first units being configured to be in operation operatively connected to an external network;

said first units being configured to be in operation synchronized with each other to operate continuously with a coordinated time slot and a common Bluetooth frequency, wherein shifting of each of the plurality of first nodes to a different Bluetooth frequency is synchronized;

wherein the second units comprise slave units which are configured to in operation be positioned in or enter into the different overlapping portions of the total geographic area; and

wherein the first units are configured to communicate with at least one of the second units using said coordinated time slot and said common Bluetooth frequency so as to appear to the at least one of the second units as a common master node with respect to the at least one of the second units having moved between portions of the total geographic area.

22. A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

first units comprising a wireless communication devices;

the first units configured to carry out base station functions within overlapping geographical areas located within a predetermined geographical area wherein at least some of the overlapping geographical areas are non-adjacent to one another; and

wherein the first units are configured to;

communicate using a Bluetooth compatible protocol with at least one second unit comprising a wireless communication device within the predetermined geographical area;

operate continuously with a coordinated time slot and a common Bluetooth frequency, wherein shifting of each of the first nodes to a different Bluetooth frequency is synchronized; and

communicate with at least one of the second units using said coordinated time slot and said common Bluetooth frequency so as to appear to the at least one second unit as a common master node with respect to the at least one second unit having moved between overlapping geographical areas.