Two tier hi-speed wireless communication link

• US 7,894,475 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Page, John V., Bishop, R. Adrian, Gorsuch, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US11/028,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 370/342, 370/338, 370/425, 370465-466, 370236-337, 370/401, 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/469, 370/1, 370/235.1, 370/467, 370/474, 370/471, 370/475, 370/476, 370/464, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/450, 455/426.1, 455/455, 455/464, 455/403, 455/408, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 375/130, 375/316, 340/7.43, 340/7.45
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a plurality of remote transceivers and a network is discussed including multiple types of serially-connected communication links, upon which data flows are established to communicate information between the remote transceivers and network. A hub is coupled to one end of a hardwired communication link while an access unit is coupled to the other end. In addition to supporting communications on the hardwired link, the hub supports communication with the plurality of remote transceivers over a wireless link of a first type. The access unit at the other end of the hardwired link is in further communication with a base station over a wireless communication link of a second type, while the base station is in further communication with the network. Based on this topology, data flows over this string of interconnected communication media support information transfers between the plurality of remote transceivers and the network.

Claims

1. A subscriber access unit configured to receive data messages from a hub over a hardwired link, comprising:

a protocol converter configured to aggregate data messages that include a first physical layer received from the hub and reformat the aggregated data messages to include a second physical layer; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the reformatted data messages to a base station over a wireless communication link, wherein the base station can reconstruct the reformatted data messages by stripping the extra second physical layer.

2. The subscriber access unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link comprises a plurality of subchannels for establishing data flows, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit reformatted data messages as data flows over the plurality of subchannels on an as-needed basis by transmitting at least one data flow over two or more subchannels for higher speed transfer.

3. The subscriber access unit of claim 1 configured to communicate with the hub according to the IEEE 802.3 standard.

4. The subscriber access unit of claim 1 configured to be portable in combination with the hub.