Wireless network system and method for providing same

• US 20040062224A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Co., LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IP Co., LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Thomas W., Brownrigg, Edwin B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A wireless network system includes a server having a server controller and a server radio modem, and a number of clients each including a client controller and a client radio modem. The server controller implements a server process that includes the receipt and the transmission of data packets via the radio modem. The client controllers of each of the clients implements a client process that includes the receipt and transmission of data packets via the client radio modem. The client process of each of the clients initiates, selects, and maintains a radio transmission path to the server that is either a direct path to the server, or is an indirect path or “link” to the server through at least one of the remainder of the clients. A method for providing wireless network communication includes providing a server implementing a server process including receiving data packets via a radio modem, sending data packets via the server radio modem, communicating with the network, and performing housekeeping functions, and further includes providing a number of clients, each implementing a client process sending and receiving data packets via a client radio modem, maintaining a send/receive data buffer, and selecting a radio transmission path to the server. The radio transmission path or “link” is either a direct path to the server, or an indirect path to the server through at least one of the remainder of the clients. The process preferably optimizes the link to minimize the number of “hops” to the server.

Claims

1. A wireless network system comprising:

a server including a server controller and a server radio modem, said server controller implementing a server process that includes the control of said server radio modem, said server process including the receipt and transmission of data packets via said server radio modem; and

a plurality of clients each including a client controller and a client radio modem, said client controller implementing a client process that includes the control of said client radio modem, said client process including the receipt and transmission of data packets via said client radio modem, wherein said client process of each of said clients initiates and selects a radio transmission path to said server that is one of a direct link to said server and an indirect link to said server through at least one the remainder of said plurality of clients.

2. A wireless network system comprising:

server means providing a server process including receiving data packets via a server wireless communication means, sending data packets via said wireless communication means, communicating with a network, and performing housekeeping functions; and

a plurality of client means, each client means providing a client process including sending and receiving data packet via a client wireless communication means, maintaining a send/receive data buffer in digital memory, and selecting a link to said server means that is one of a direct link to said server and an indirect link to said server through at least one of the remainder or said plurality of client means.

3. A method for providing wireless network communication comprising:

providing a server implementing a server process including receiving data packets via r.f. transmission, sending data packets via r.f. transmission, communicating with a network, and performing housekeeping functions; and

providing a plurality of clients, each client providing a client process including sending and receiving data packet via r.f. transmission, maintaining a send/receive data buffer in digital memory, and selecting a transmission path to said server via that is one of a direct link to said server and an indirect link to said server through at least one of the remainder of said plurality of clients.

4. A method for providing wireless network communication comprising the steps of:

a server process including a data packet reception step, a data packet transmission step, a network communication step, and a housekeeping step; and

a plurality of clients each providing a client process including a data sending and receiving step, a send and receive data buffer maintenance step, and a link selection step that is one of a direct link to a server and an indirect link to said server through at least one of the remainder of said plurality of clients.

5. A server providing a gateway between two networks, where at least one of the two networks is a wireless network, said server comprising:

a radio modem capable of communicating with a first network that operates, at least in part, by wireless r.f. communication;

a network interface capable of communicating with a second network; and

a digital controller coupled to said radio modem and to said network interface, said digital controller communicating with said first network via said radio modem and communicating with said second network via said network interface, said digital controller passing data packets received from said first network that are destined for said second network to said second network, and passing data packets received from said second network that are destined for said first network to said first network, said digital controller maintaining a map of data packet transmission paths of a plurality of clients of said first network, where a transmission path of a client of said first network to said server can be through one or more of other clients of said first network.

6. A server providing a gateway between a wireless network and a TCP/IP protocol network comprising:

means for receiving a data packet from a client of a wireless r.f. network, means for converting said data packet to a TCP/IP format if it is destined for an IP address on a TCP/IP protocol network, and means for sending said TCP/IP format data packet to said IP address on said TCP/IP protocol network; and

means for receiving a data packet from said TCP/IP protocol network, means for adding a header to said packet including a reverse link and a data packet type if said data packet is destined for a client of said wireless r.f. network, said reverse link being one of a direct link to said client and an indirect link to said client through one or more other clients of said r.f. network, and means for transmitting said data packet with said header.

7. A method providing a gateway between a wireless network and a TCP/IP protocol network comprising:

receiving a data packet from a client of a wireless r.f. network, converting said data packet to a TCP/IP format if it is destined for an IP address on a TCP/IP protocol network, and sending said TCP/IP format data packet to said IP address on said TCP/IP protocol network; and

receiving a data packet from said TCP/IP protocol network, adding a header to said packet including a reverse link and a data packet type it said data packet is destined for a client of said wireless r.f. network, said reverse link being one of a direct link to said client and an indirect link to said client through one or more other clients of said r.f. network, and transmitting said data packet with said header.

8. A network client for a wireless network comprising:

a radio modem capable of communicating with at least one server and at least one additional client of a wireless network; and

a digital controller coupled to said radio modem, said digital controller sending and receiving data packets to said wireless network via said radio modem, said digital controller determining an optimal path to said at least one server via one of a direct path to said server and an indirect path to said server through said at least one additional client.

9. A client apparatus for a wireless network comprising:

means for receiving a data packet at a client that includes a header having a link to a server;

means for determining if said data packet belongs to said client and, if so, processing said data packet;

means for determining if said client is part of said link and, if so, repeating said data packet if said client has not already repeated said data packet; and

means for determining whether the link of said data packet provides information which permits a link of said client to be improved and, if so, improving said link of said client.

10. A method for providing client services on a wireless network comprising:

receiving a data packet at a client that includes a header having a link to a server;

determining if said data packet belongs to said client and, if so, processing said data packet;

determining if said client is part of said link and, if so, repeating said data packet if said client has not already repeated said data packet; and

determining whether the link of said data packet provides information which permits a link of said client to be improved and, if so, improving said link of said client.