Remote access unit for wireless wide-area data networking

• US 20030195015A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Reece, John K., Fox, Brian L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/560
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system is disclosed having a remote access unit and two transceiver modes, one for implementing wireless wide area network communications and another for implementing local wireless network communications. High speed data communications with a cellular system may be maintained in the wireless wide area network mode with the advantage of a flexible and unconstrained remote access unit, which can be placed for improved wireless reception. Computers and other devices with complementary wireless personal network communications protocol units may connect to a wireless wide area network through the remote access unit.

Claims

1. A remote access unit for a wireless data networking system, comprising:

a local wireless network transceiver;

a local wireless network antenna coupled to the local wireless network transceiver;

a protocol conversion module communicatively coupled to the local wireless network transceiver;

a wireless wide area network transceiver communicatively coupled to the local wireless network transceiver through the protocol conversion module; and

a wireless wide area network antenna coupled to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

2. The remote access unit of claim 1, further comprising a slot and receptacle configured to receive the wireless wide area network transceiver.

3. The remote access unit of claim 2, further comprising an RF cable configured to couple the wireless wide area network antenna to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

4. The remote access unit of claim 2, wherein the slot and receptacle are PCMCIA compliant, and the wireless wide area network transceiver is housed in a complementary PCMCIA compliant enclosure.

5. The remote access unit of claim 2, further comprising an electrical connector configured to couple the wireless wide area network antenna to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

6. The remote access unit of claim 5, wherein the electrical connector is an RF cable, the RF cable being exposed while the wireless wide area network antenna is coupled to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

7. The remote access unit of claim 5, wherein the electrical connector is an integrated blind mate, configured to mechanically connect with the wireless wide area network transceiver when the wireless wide area network transceiver is inserted into the slot.

8. The remote access unit of claim 1, wherein data received by the wireless wide area network transceiver and the protocol conversion module are configured to only partially process the data before forwarding the data to the local wireless network transceiver, and wherein the local wireless network transceiver is configured to route the partially processed data for final processing.

9. A remote access unit, comprising:

a local wireless network transceiver;

a local wireless network antenna coupled to the local wireless network transceiver;

a protocol conversion module communicatively coupled to the local wireless network transceiver;

a wireless wide area network transceiver received in a slot in the remote access unit, the slot including an electrical receptacle communicatively coupled to the protocol conversion module and for mating with the wireless wide area network transceiver; and

a wireless wide area network antenna coupled to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

10. The remote access unit of claim 9, further comprising an RF cable configured to couple the wireless wide area network antenna to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

11. The remote access unit of claim 9, wherein the slot and receptacle are PCMCIA compliant, and the wireless wide area network transceiver is housed in a PCMCIA compliant enclosure that complements the slot and receptacle.

12. The remote access unit of claim 9, further comprising an RF cable coupled to the wireless wide area network antenna and attached to an exposed end of the wireless wide area network transceiver.

13. A system comprising:

a remote access unit including;

a wireless wide area network transceiver,

a wireless wide area network antenna coupled to the wireless wide area network transceiver,

a local wireless network transceiver,

a local wireless network antenna coupled to the local wireless network transceiver, and

a protocol conversion module configured to communicatively couple the local wireless network transceiver to the wireless wide area network transceiver; and

a computer having a second local wireless network antenna electrically coupled to a second local wireless network transceiver and linked to the local wireless network transceiver over a local wireless network, wherein the remote access unit links the computer to a wireless wide area network through the local wireless network transceiver and the wireless wide area network transceiver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote access unit further comprises a slot configured to receive the wireless wide area network transceiver and an electrical receptacle within the slot for communicatively coupling the wireless wide area network transceiver to the protocol conversion module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote access unit further comprises an RF cable configured to couple the wireless wide area network antenna to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the slot and receptacle are PCMCIA compliant, and wherein the wireless wide area network transceiver is housed in a PCMCIA compliant enclosure that complements the slot and receptacle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless wide area network transceiver from the remote access unit is configured to be removed from the remote access unit and placed in a slot in the computer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless wide area network transceiver from the remote access unit is configured to be removed from the remote access unit and placed in a slot in the computer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote access unit further comprises an RF cable configured to couple the wireless wide area network antenna to the wireless wide area network transceiver, the RF cable being exposed while the wireless wide area network antenna is coupled to the wireless wide area network transceiver.

20. A method, comprising:

implementing wireless wide area network (WWAN) communications though a WWAN transceiver coupled to a WWAN antenna;

implementing local wireless network (LWN) communications though a LWN transceiver coupled to a LWN antenna, wherein the WWAN and LWN transceivers are housed in one unit; and

using a protocol conversion module to change data formats between respective transceivers for communicatively coupling the LWN transceiver to the WWAN transceiver.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a computer having a second LWN transceiver and a second LWN antenna electrically coupled to a second LWN transceiver; and

linking the second LWN transceiver to the LWN transceiver over a local wireless network.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using the LWN transceiver and the WWAN transceiver to link the computer to a wireless wide area network to implement WWAN communications.