Enhanced mobility and address resolution in a wireless premises based network

• US 7,885,242 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: West, Guy J., Gollnick, Charles D., Luse, Ronald E., Hanson, George E., Salvay, Steven H., Miller, Phillip, Koenck, Steven E., Wolf, Roger L., Cargin, Keith K. Jr., Meier, Robert C., Mahany, Ronald L., Danielson, Arvin D., Bunte, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russell; Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US10/653,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,716 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/310, 370/311, 370/313, 370/315, 370/329, 370/338, 370/340, 370/341
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• 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 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A mobile customer service station operating within a wireless multi-hop communication network includes a console on a wheeled chassis. The console carries and houses a number of components which are used in merchandising operations to conclude customer purchase transactions. The items supported externally on the console are a printer for printing purchase receipts, customer credit charge agreements and records of transactions, and a magnetic card reader for reading information from a magnetic stripe of a customer'"'"'s credit card. In one embodiment, the operation of the printer, credit card reader and the cash drawer is controlled by a multi-function control unit located within an enclosure of the console. The control unit is electrically powered by a self-contained power source which is preferably a deep cycle rechargeable battery. The console also houses a transceiver unit which under the control of the control unit is capable of interactive communication with a premises network. In another embodiment, the mobile service station comprises an access device which participates with a variety of peripherals at the station in a lower power communication LAN, while providing higher power communication to other network devices via a premises network with routing via a wireless spanning tree configuration.

Claims

1. A roaming network device comprising:

a radio unit providing radio communication;

the roaming network device, when in proximity to second and third roaming network devices, operating to establish a multiple direct link localized radio network with the second and third network devices wherein the radio unit has a direct radio communication link with the second network device and a direct radio communication link with the third network device and wherein the roaming network device and the second and third roaming network devices together comprise a roaming workgroup while the multiple direct link localized radio network is established and while the roaming network device and the second and third roaming network devices remain in proximity to each other.

2. The roaming network device of claim 1 wherein the radio unit is operable to directly communicatively couple to a second wireless network that operates independently of the multiple direct link localized radio network, the roaming network device enabling the second and third roaming network devices, when communicatively coupled to the multiple direct link localized radio network, to communicate with the second wireless network via the roaming network device.

3. The roaming network device of claim 2 wherein each of the roaming network devices, when communicatively coupled to the multiple direct link localized radio network, are capable of communicating with any other of the roaming network devices via the multiple direct link localized radio network.

4. The roaming network device of claim 2 wherein the multiple direct link localized radio network operates according to a first communication characteristic and the second wireless network operates according to a second communication characteristic.

5. The roaming network device of claim 2 wherein the second wireless network operates at a relatively high power and the multiple direct link localized radio network operates at a relatively low power.

6. The roaming network device of claim 2 wherein the roaming network device is sized to operate while being carried by a user.

7. The roaming network device of claim 6 wherein the roaming network device comprises a battery-powered, hand-held computing device.

8. A network device for communicating with second and third network devices, each of the second and third network devices having a wireless transceiver and capable of roaming, the network device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

the network device capable of roaming;

the network device, when having roamed within proximity to the second and third network devices, establishing a multiple link network in which the network device establishes a direct wireless communication link with the second network device via the wireless transceiver of the network device and the wireless transceiver of the second network device, and establishes a direct wireless communication link with the third network device via the wireless transceiver of the network device and the wireless transceiver of the third network device, the network device and the second and third network devices together comprising a roaming workgroup while the network device and the second and third network devices remain in proximity to each other.

9. The network device of claim 8 wherein the wireless transceiver is operable to directly communicatively couple to a second wireless network that operates independently of the multiple link network, the network device enabling the second and third network devices, when communicatively coupled to the multiple link network, to communicate with the second wireless network via the network device.

10. The network device of claim 9 wherein the multiple link network operates according to a first communication characteristic and the second wireless network operates according to a second communication characteristic.

11. The network device of claim 9 wherein the second wireless network operates at a relatively high power and the multiple link network operates at a relatively low power.

12. The network device of claim 9 wherein the wireless transceiver comprises:

a high power radio unit that enables the network device to communicate on the second wireless network; and

a low power radio unit that enables the network device to communicate on the multiple link network.

13. The network device of claim 9 wherein the network device is sized to operate while being carried by a user.

14. The network device of claim 13 wherein the network device comprises a battery-powered, hand-held computing device.

15. The network device of claim 9 wherein each of the network devices, when communicatively coupled to the multiple link network, are capable of communicating with any other of the network devices via the multiple link network.

16. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising first, second and third roaming network devices having first, second and third radio units, respectively, operably connected to the first, second and third network devices and providing radio communication links for the first, second and third network devices, respectively, the method comprising:

when the first, second and third roaming network devices are in proximity to each other, establishing a multiple direct link localized radio network wherein the first radio unit has a direct radio communication link with the second network device via the second radio unit, and a direct radio communication link with the third network device via the third radio unit; and

maintaining a roaming workgroup comprising the first, second and third network devices while the multiple direct link localized radio network is established and while the first, second and third network devices remain in proximity with each other.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein establishing a multiple direct link localized radio network is performed by the first roaming network device.

18. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising a first network device including a first wireless transceiver and capable of roaming, a second network device including a second wireless transceiver and capable of roaming and a third network device including a third wireless transceiver and capable of roaming, the first and second network devices being in proximity with respect to each other and having a direct wireless communication link between the first and second wireless transceivers, the method comprising:

when the third network device roams within proximity of the first and second network devices, establishing a multiple link network in which a direct wireless communication link is established between the first and third network devices via the first and third wireless transceivers, and in which a direct wireless communication link is established between the second and third network devices via the second and third wireless transceivers;

maintaining a roaming workgroup comprising the first, second and third network devices while the first, second and third network devices remain in proximity with each other.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein establishing a multiple link network is performed by the third roaming network device.