Radio frequency local area network

• US 7,483,397 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Innovatio IP Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, Robert C., Luse, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/965,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1098 the scanning arrangement having a modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/44 Distributed routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/488 using root node determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/08 : based on transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 : Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 : Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.

Claims

1. In a network having wireless communication capability for providing communication pathways within a premises in which the network comprises a plurality of wireless portable terminals and a plurality of bridges, the plurality of bridges being located in spaced relation within the premises and comprising at least two wireless bridges, a particular bridge of the plurality of bridges comprising:

a wireless bridge that is configured to form a spanning tree to maintain communication pathways between any two of the plurality of wireless portable terminals as the wireless portable terminals roam within the premises,

wherein the wireless bridge is configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of wireless portable terminals when selected by the at least one of the plurality of the wireless portable terminals.

2. The particular bridge according to claim 1, wherein the wireless bridge is in the network in which the network comprises a host computer.

3. The particular bridge according to claim 2, wherein, in the network, the communication pathways do not involve relaying by the host computer.

4. The particular bridge according to claim 1, wherein, in the network, at least one of the plurality of wireless portable terminals includes a keyboard.

5. The particular bridge according to claim 1, wherein, in the network, at least one of the plurality of wireless portable terminals comprises a bar code reader.

6. The particular bridge according to claim 5, wherein, in the network, the bar code reader is integrated into the at least one of the plurality of wireless portable terminals.

7. In a network having wireless communication capability to provide communication pathways within a premises in which the network comprises a first wireless portable terminal, a second terminal and a plurality of bridges that are located in spaced relation within the premises, a particular bridge of the plurality of bridges comprising:

a wireless bridge that is configured to form wireless communication pathways between at least one other of the plurality of bridges to permit the first wireless portable terminal and the second terminal to communicate as the first wireless portable terminal and the second terminal roam within the premises,

wherein the wireless bridge is configured to communicate with the first wireless portable terminal or the second terminal when selected by the first wireless portable terminal or the second terminal.

8. The particular bridge according to claim 7,

wherein the wireless bridge is in the network in which the network comprises a host computer, and

wherein, in the network, the wireless communication pathways do not involve the host computer.

9. The particular bridge according to claim 7, wherein, in the network, the first wireless portable terminal or the second terminal comprises a keyboard.

10. The particular bridge according to claim 7, wherein, in the network, the first wireless portable terminal or the second terminal comprises a bar code reader.

11. The particular bridge according to claim 10, wherein, in the network, the bar code reader is integrated with the first wireless portable terminal or the second terminal.

12. In a network having spread spectrum wireless communication capability that provide communication pathways in which the network comprises wireless mobile communication devices and a plurality of bridges, the plurality of bridges comprising at least two wireless bridges, a particular bridge of the plurality of bridges comprising a wireless bridge that is configured to form a spanning tree to maintain communication pathways between any two of the wireless mobile communication devices as the wireless mobile communication devices roam, the wireless bridge being configured to communicate with at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices when selected by the at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices.

13. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge is in the network and wherein the network comprises a host computer.

14. The particular bridge according to claim 13, wherein, in the network, the communication pathways do not involve relaying by the host computer.

15. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein, in the network, at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices comprises a keyboard.

16. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein, in the network, at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices comprises a bar code reader.

17. The particular bridge according to claim 16, wherein, in the network, the bar code reader is integrated into the at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices.

18. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge comprises software that implements a spread spectrum wireless communications protocol.

19. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge comprises software that comprises a medium access control layer, a bridging layer and a logical link control layer.

20. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge comprises software that uses a HELLO protocol.

21. The particular bridge according to claim 20, wherein the software implements HELLO synchronization.

22. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge comprises software that implements a polling protocol.

23. The particular bridge according to claim 12, wherein the wireless bridge comprises software that implements a spanning tree protocol.

24. In a network having spread spectrum wireless communication capability to provide communication pathways in which the network comprises a first wireless mobile communication device, a second wireless mobile communication device and a plurality of bridges, a particular bridge of the plurality of bridges comprising:

a wireless bridge that is configured to form wireless communication pathways with at least one other of the plurality of bridges to permit the first wireless mobile communication device and the second wireless mobile communication device to communicate as the first wireless mobile communication device and the second wireless mobile communication device roam, the wireless bridge being configured to communicate with the first wireless mobile communication device or the second wireless mobile communication device when selected by the first wireless mobile communication device or the second wireless mobile communication device.

25. The particular bridge according to claim 24, wherein the wireless bridge is in the network, wherein the network comprises a host computer, and wherein, in the network, the wireless communication pathways do not involve the host computer.

26. The particular bridge according to claim 24, wherein, in the network, the first wireless mobile communication device or the second wireless mobile communication device comprises a keyboard.

27. The particular bridge according to claim 24, wherein, in the network, the first wireless mobile communication device or the second wireless mobile communication device comprises a bar code reader.

28. The particular bridge according to claim 24, wherein, in the network, the bar code reader is integrated with the first wireless mobile communication device or the second wireless mobile communication device.