Information transfer between and end user and a radio network, involving the user's wlan-or corresponding identifier and a sub-base station server

• US 20040057410A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Radionet Oy/Ab/Limited
• Original Assignee: Radionet Oy/Ab/Limited
• Inventors: Nieminen, Marko Kalervo, Kaipiainen, Miska Juho Topias, Salin, Sakari Tuomas Johannes
• Application Number:
  US10/296,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057410A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A method and equipment for transferring information between base stations and between a base station and an end user using a wireless network solution. The base station is divided into sectors, in which case each sector of a base section is separately a base station. In this case, each sector has its own transmitter/receiver and server or cache memory, at least. Many tasks that have loaded the whole network earlier, such as user identification, are now transferred to the server of the sub-base station. The invention is especially meant to be used with the assistance of WLAN-cards, in which case the identification is performed through both the number of the WLAN-card and the user name and password.

Claims

1. A method for transferring information between an end user and a radio network, comprising the user'"'"'s WLAN-identifier or other data terminal equipment giving a usable identifier and an antenna and sub-base station connected to it, the field of the transmitter/receiver of which is divided into sectors, in which case the sub-base station is linked in a suitable way with possible other base stations and through the main station to the network, in which case a transmitter and receiver have been arranged in each directional segment at least in a sub-base station interacting with a customer and if desired also in other base stations, characterized in that a local server situated in each sector segment or at least a cache memory/cache memory logic is used for information transfer.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the traffic between an end user and a sub-base station is arranged to function wirelessly using directional antennas.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the traffic between a sub-base station and possible regional base stations, and between the aforesaid and the main base station is also arranged to function wirelessly using directional antennas.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that each sector of each base station is fed with the maximum allowed output power.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sector channels f the base stations are separated from each other by a 5 channel channel-difference in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

6. A method according to any of the above claims, characterized in that each equipm nt of a sector segment of a base station is given its own IP-number or corresponding type of identifier.

8. A method according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the server of a sub-base station is used to take care of the alarm and monitoring tasks of a customer.

9. A method according to any of the above claims, characterized in that customers are given, according to their need, rights belonging to different prioritization categories.

10. A method according to any of the above claims, characterized in that a customer is always identified by the server of the sub-base station nearest to th customer.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that a customer is identified by the WLAN-card number he is using, as well as by a user name and password..

7. A method according to any of the abov claims, characterized in that in a case of malfunction of ordinary information transfer, the information passag is routed again automatically, for example, from the antenna sector segment of the same antenna directed in the same direction, but situated in a different layer, or from an antenna sector segment directed in a different direction through another sub-base station or main base station.

12. Equipment for transferring information between an end user and a radio network comprising a terminal device (4) which gives the user'"'"'s WLAN-identifier and an antenna (5) and sub-base station (3) attached to it, the transmitter/receiver field of which is divided into sectors, in which case the sub-base station is linked, in a suitable way, to possible other base stations (2) and through the main station (1) to the network, in which case a transmitter and a receiver is in at least each sector segment (s) of a sub-base station (3) interacting with a customer, characterized in that each sector segment also comprises a local server or at least a cache memory/cache memory logic.

13. Equipment according to claim 12, haracterized in that each base station( 1, 2, 3) comprises the transmission/receiver equipment and directional antenna system divided into the desired sector s gments, in ord r to arrange reciprocal communication.

14. Equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that each equipment-part of a sector segment of a base station has its own IP-number.

15. Equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises also the so-called Blue Tooth-type or corresponding wireless close-range information transfer equipment within the rooms of a customer, in order to perform different kinds of monitoring, control and alarm tasks as controlled by the network.

16. Equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that at least some of the base stations are equipped with their own energy source independent of the electric power network, such as a solar cell, fuel cell or windmill.

17. Equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that it also comprises a device or program to set the maximum allowed transmission power for each sector of the base station.