Mobile wireless base station
First Claim
1. A method of providing a LAN client access to a WAN resource comprising:
- bridging a wireless WAN, a wired WAN, a wireless LAN and a wired LAN with a first mobile wireless bridge;
causing the first mobile wireless bridge to authenticate the identity of said LAN client attempting to access a WAN resource prior to providing access to the WAN resource; and
allowing for seamless interfacing between said wired or wireless LAN client and said wired or wireless WAN resource whereby the first mobile wireless bridge is adapted to interface with a variety of WANs and to seamlessly switch between unreliable or undesirable WAN connections due to WAN failure, disconnection, and remoteness;
providing a second mobile wireless bridge interconnected to the first mobile wireless bridge;
bridging a wireless WAN, a wired WAN, a wireless LAN and a wired LAN with the second mobile wireless bridge based on cooperation between the first and second mobile wireless bridges, which interact with each other, such that the first mobile wireless bridge hands off the communication to the second mobile wireless bridge wherein the handoff occurs based on the second wireless bridge being better than the first wireless bridge to satisfy the needs of the client based on a plurality of services being available on the second wireless bridge when both the first and second mobile wireless bridges continue to be within range to communicate with the clients, wherein said plurality of services available includes a higher speed internet access compared to the first mobile wireless bridge and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge cooperate to share the higher bandwidth; and
causing the second mobile wireless bridge to authenticate the identity of a LAN client attempting to access a WAN resource prior to providing access to the WAN resource; and
allowing for seamless interfacing between said wired or wireless LAN client and said wired or wireless WAN resource whereby at least one of the first or second mobile wireless bridges are adapted to interface with a variety of WANs and to seamlessly switch between unreliable or undesirable WAN connections due to WAN failure, disconnection, and remoteness.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile wireless bridge (MWB) (110) is able to bridge traffic in either direction between a wireless LAN (140) and a wireless WAN (130), and support roaming of LAN clients (141-143, 151-153) and of the MWB (110) itself. Through the MWB (110), wired (150) and wireless LAN (140) clients (141-143, 151-153) and users are provided Internet (190) connectivity even if the LAN client (141-143, 151-153) is not otherwise able to access the wireless WAN (120). Preferred MWBs (110) will utilize mobile cellular communication networks 100 as part of a WAN (120, 130) used to obtain access to Internet (190) resources. LAN clients (141-143, 151-153) and users can also access each other through the MWB (110) with the MWB (110) functioning as a hub, switch, gateway, and/or access point. Some MWBs (110) will be adapted to access multiple types of LANs (140, 150) and multiple types of WANs (120, 130).
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of providing a LAN client access to a WAN resource comprising:
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bridging a wireless WAN, a wired WAN, a wireless LAN and a wired LAN with a first mobile wireless bridge; causing the first mobile wireless bridge to authenticate the identity of said LAN client attempting to access a WAN resource prior to providing access to the WAN resource; and allowing for seamless interfacing between said wired or wireless LAN client and said wired or wireless WAN resource whereby the first mobile wireless bridge is adapted to interface with a variety of WANs and to seamlessly switch between unreliable or undesirable WAN connections due to WAN failure, disconnection, and remoteness; providing a second mobile wireless bridge interconnected to the first mobile wireless bridge; bridging a wireless WAN, a wired WAN, a wireless LAN and a wired LAN with the second mobile wireless bridge based on cooperation between the first and second mobile wireless bridges, which interact with each other, such that the first mobile wireless bridge hands off the communication to the second mobile wireless bridge wherein the handoff occurs based on the second wireless bridge being better than the first wireless bridge to satisfy the needs of the client based on a plurality of services being available on the second wireless bridge when both the first and second mobile wireless bridges continue to be within range to communicate with the clients, wherein said plurality of services available includes a higher speed internet access compared to the first mobile wireless bridge and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge cooperate to share the higher bandwidth; and causing the second mobile wireless bridge to authenticate the identity of a LAN client attempting to access a WAN resource prior to providing access to the WAN resource; and allowing for seamless interfacing between said wired or wireless LAN client and said wired or wireless WAN resource whereby at least one of the first or second mobile wireless bridges are adapted to interface with a variety of WANs and to seamlessly switch between unreliable or undesirable WAN connections due to WAN failure, disconnection, and remoteness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A wireless bridge having an access controller and adapted to function as a bridge between at least one LAN comprising:
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a first and a second mobile wireless bridge, the first and second mobile wireless bridges interconnected with each other, and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge interact with each other to cooperate to determine when the second mobile wireless bridge should establish communications with at least two networks forming a plurality of clients such that the first mobile wireless bridge hands off the communication to the second mobile wireless bridge, and wherein the handoff occurs based on the second wireless bridge being better than the first wireless bridge to satisfy the needs of the client based on a plurality of services being available on the second wireless bridge when both the first and second mobile wireless bridges continue to be within range to communicate with the clients, wherein said plurality of services available includes a higher speed internet access compared to the first mobile wireless bridge and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge cooperate to share the higher bandwidth; and at least one WAN whereby at least one of said first and second mobile wireless bridges are adapted to interface with a plurality of WANs and to seamlessly switch between WANs if a WAN being used becomes unavailable due to disconnection, failure of the WAN signal, unreliability of the WAN signal and/or loss of signal, and further whereby the wireless bridge is adapted to couple LANs to internet resources without the need for hardware and software required to directly access a wired or wireless WAN; and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge authenticating any of the plurality of clients trying to obtain access to the WAN prior to providing WAN access. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of coupling at least two wireless networks together by providing a first mobile wireless bridge adapted to communicate with each of the at least two wireless networks comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one access controller to control the wireless network; positioning the mobile wireless bridge in a location where the mobile wireless bridge can communicate with each of the at least two wireless networks to establish a connection when a wireless signal becomes unavailable, unreliable or is lost, and can authenticate connection to the wireless network by any LAN client trying to obtain access, causing the first mobile wireless bridge to establish communications with each of the at least two networks and further wherein the first mobile wireless bridge attempts to maintain wireless network access despite the movement of the first mobile wireless bridge to a different geographic location until a handoff occurs; and providing a second mobile wireless bridge interconnected with the first mobile wireless bridge, wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge interact with each other to cooperate to determine when the second mobile wireless bridge should establish communications with each of the at least two networks such that the first mobile wireless bridge hands off the communication to the second mobile wireless bridge, and wherein the handoff occurs based on the second wireless bridge being better than the first wireless bridge to satisfy the needs of the client based on a plurality of services being available on the second wireless bridge when both the first and second mobile wireless bridges continue to be within range to communicate with the clients, wherein said plurality of services available includes a higher speed internet access compared to the first mobile wireless bridge and wherein the first mobile wireless bridge and the second mobile wireless bridge cooperate to share the higher bandwidth. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification