Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2854—Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
  • H04L12/2856—Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access
  • H04L12/2869—Operational details of access network equipments
  • H04L12/2898—Subscriber equipments
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
  • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
  • H04L41/0803—Configuration setting
  • H04L41/0806—Configuration setting for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
  • H04L41/0809—Plug-and-play configuration
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W84/00—Network topologies
  • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
  • H04W84/10—Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
  • H04W84/12—WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
  • H04W88/14—Backbone network devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
  • H04W88/16—Gateway arrangements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W92/00—Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks
  • H04W92/02—Inter-networking arrangements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an arrangement in a communications system according to the preambles of the independent claims. More specifically it relates to a communications system for home and small office and to a gateway and an application server within said system.
• RF Radio Frequency
• a system for residential environments is known from WO0041529, from now on called Dl.
• the system which is a Local Area Network (LAN), has access to voice and data communications to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via a so-called Network Control Unit (NCU) which constitutes a gateway within the system.
• the network comprises a number of Wireless Access Units (WAU), a number of handsets and conventional telephones and other electronic devices such as fax which all are connected to the gateway.
• WAU Wireless Access Unit
• the principle of this system is to distribute intelligence closer to the user level and promote the telecommunications network, which requires less centralised command and control.
• a problem is that the implementation of automation, monitoring and control devices is expensive and the units consume too much power to be permanently battery operated.
• a disadvantage with system according to Dl is that the connection to the world around turns on the PSTN access.
• a PSTN dial up results in transaction costs and time delays.
• a real-time automation, monitoring or control application cannot be run on a remote server.
• the object of the invention is to unravel the above mentioned drawbacks and provide an improved communications system for home and small office and to enable low cost terminal units.
• the gateway comprises a global interface to a broadband Internet access network, a wireless local interface to a high bit rate local area network, and a wireless local interface to a low bit rate local area network, and thanks to that the application server manages the communication system in a centralised way, an improved wireless communications system for home and small office is provided and low cost terminal units can be used.
• An advantage of the communications system according to the present invention is that it, for a home or small office, provides high bit rate for the fast data communication, a good radio coverage and a cheep cost for automation.
• An advantage of the communications system according to the present invention is that it allows real-time automation, monitoring and control applications as well as communication management tasks to be run on a remote server.
• Another advantage of the communications system according to the present invention is that it enables low cost terminal units for automation, monitoring and control.
• Yet another advantage of the communications system according to the present invention is that it provides improved Radio Frequency (RF) coverage in buildings.
• RF Radio Frequency
• Figure 1 is a diagram showing a communications system for a home or a small office, according to the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a diagram showing an application server within the communications system according to the present invention.
• Figure 3 is a diagram showing a gateway within the communications system according to the present invention.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a communications system for a home or a small office 100 according to the present invention.
• the system comprises a gateway 102 which gateway has a global interface to a broadband Internet access network 103, which enables communication to an application server 104.
• the gateway 102 has further two wireless local interfaces one to a high bit rate network 108 and one to a low bit rate network 110.
• the two latter are local area networks 108, 110 within a home or a small office.
• the two local area networks 108, 110 works at different frequency ranges and thus do not interfere in each other's traffic and capacity.
• the system is based on a layered protocol structure, e.g.
• IP Internet Protocol
• TCP Transmission Control Protocol
• UDP User Datagram Protocol
• NAT/PAT Network Address Translation/ Port Address Translation
• ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
• BOOTP Bootstrap Protocol
• DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
• DNS Domain Name System
• PPPoE Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
• ARP Address Resolution Protocol
• RARP Reverse Address Resolution Protocol
• the application server 104 may be located within the Internet 106 at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or an Application Service Provider (ASP) as illustrated in Figure 1, within the access network 103 or locally, either within a the gateway 102 or as a server connected to the local high rate network .108.
• the application server 104 is shown in Figure 2, and has means 204 for running automation, control and monitoring applications and means 202 for managing the communications system and the gateway 102 in a centralised way. It has further means 206 for providing the gateway 102 with important information such as which nodes within the local networks 108, 110 that are allowed to connect to the gateway 102. It further has means 208 for handling software download/upgrade, and means 210 for handling plug and play functionality etc. It may e.g. be an OSGiTM based server. Gateway 102
• the gateway 102 may be located inside or adjacent to the home or small office. It has a global interface to the broadband Internet access network 103 that enables communication with the application server 104.
• the global interface may be e.g. Ethernet 10/100 Mbps, cable television modem, a Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL- techniques) modem or any broadband, always on access network.
• the gateway 102 is shown more in detail in Figure 3.
• the gateway 102 has means 304 for being managed by the application server 104.
• the gateway 102 further comprises a firewall 302 towards the global interface to prevent unauthorised to gain control to local hosts (computers) on the local networks 108, 110 or to operate within the local networks, e.g. to prevent unauthorised to unlock a front door at the home.
• a firewall 302 towards the global interface to prevent unauthorised to gain control to local hosts (computers) on the local networks 108, 110 or to operate within the local networks, e.g. to prevent unauthorised to unlock a front door at the home.
• the gateway 102 comprises a private local interface to a high bit rate network 108, and a first transceiver 116 for wireless communication with units 112 within said high bit rate network.
• the interface might be a WiFiTM 11 Mbps Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) or a BluetoothTM Personal Area Network (PAN) or future standards such as IEEE802.11a and Hiperlan/2.
• the gateway 102 might also comprise means 308 for allocation of local IP addresses to the units 112 within the high bit rate network 108, preferably Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) might be used. Manual configuration is also possible.
• DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
• the gateway 102 further comprises a wireless interface to a low bit rate network 110, and a second transceiver 118 for wireless communication with units 114 within said low bit rate network. 110.
• This local interface is a proprietary gateway/protocol wrapper, from a proprietary protocol to e.g. the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
• SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
• the gateway 102 further comprises means 312 for supervision and management of the units 112, 114 within the high bit rate network 108 and the low bit rate network 110.
• Remote configuration and management of the gateway 102 and the units 112, 114 within the networks 108, 110 is supported using e.g. the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (http) or Telnet.
• the gateway 102 also comprises means 310 for authentication of a remote management application e.g. by using Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) or Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP).
• PAP Password Authentication Protocol
• CHAP Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol
• the gateway 102 has means 306 for obtaining, from the application server 104, important information such as which nodes within the local networks 108, 110 that are allowed to connect to the gateway 102.
• High bit rate network 108 The high bit rate network 108 is a private local e.g. Wi-FiTM 11 Mbits WLAN,
• IEEE802.11b network.
• Other alternatives are BluetoothTM, IEEE802.11a and
• the network 108 comprises wireless units 112, associated to the home or small office, such as terminals and adapters to interface units or functions requiring high data rate, such as IP telephony, video, Personal Computers (PC) etc. wliich units
• the low bit rate network 110 is a proprietary two-way wireless low frequency network operating at a frequency which has been set aside by international agreement for the use of industrial, scientific and medical devices (ISM).
• the network has e.g. a bit rate of 10 kbit.
• One example of such network is HomeWaveTM.
• the network 110 comprises autonomous wireless units 114, associated to the home or small office, such as sensor, input/output control, metering, remote control devices, etc.
• Each of the units 114 comprises a transceiver for wireless communication with or through the gateway 102.
• These units 114 do not require high data rate but rather extended communication range in indoor environments, including penetration of building constructions, as the units often must be located at hard-to-reach locations.
• Low frequency in combination with low bit rate provides significantly improved range and penetration at extremely low RF output power, compared to 2.4 and 5 GHz ISM bands. The low power enables devices to operate from batteries during several years without changing battery.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 2001
  • 2001-11-29 AU AU2002218605A patent/AU2002218605A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-11-29 WO PCT/SE2001/002636 patent/WO2002045367A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-11-29 EP EP01999092A patent/EP1354451A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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