KR20040017136A - Dual mode network modem - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A dual mode network modem is provided to be operated in two or radio networks such as a packet switching network and a line switching network. CONSTITUTION: One or more radio wave connection units(320,325) connect to one or antennas(310,315). A modem control unit(330) connects to one or more radio wave connection units(320,325). A modem connection unit(335) connects to the modem control unit(330). The second network is a line switching network. The second network is a CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access) network. The first network uses an IP(Internet Protocol) packet. The radio wave connection unit(320) is connected to a packet switching network. The radio wave connection unit(325) is connected to the line switching network. The radio wave connection unit(320) packetizes data to be transmitted to the first radio network.

Description

Dual Mode Network Modem {DUAL MODE NETWORK MODEM}

The present invention relates to a wireless modem and a wireless data network.

Not only data but also voice may be transmitted through an existing wireless data network. Typically, such a network refers to a circuit switched network or the most recent packet switched network. In circuit-switched networks, temporary connections are established for communication between two terminals. This connection is maintained for a period of time. Circuit-switched networks are generally designed for voice communications. Examples of wireless circuit switched networks include CDMA networks such as IS-95, IS-95B, CDMA2000, and GSM networks using TDMA. In a typical circuit-switched network, one cell phone has one phone number. In a packet-switched network, information is divided into small packets and packets are sent to each destination individually. The path of each packet through the network can vary between packets. Packets are recombined at the destination. Wireless packet-switched networks are typically designed for data transmission. Wireless packet-switched networks also generally have faster data rates than wireless circuit-switched networks.

Examples of wireless packet switching networks include iBurst from Array Comm, flash OFDM from Flarion Technology, and networks using Ricochet from Mericom. In a typical packet switched network, one terminal has one address, such as a dynamically assigned IP address.

Some conventional cell phones are capable of dual mode and roaming. A typical dual mode cellular phone can send and receive voice over two compatible circuit switched networks. The cell phone then selects two networks to use, based on factors such as connectivity possibilities and call quality at the time of connection. Therefore, the user can roam through the area covered by each of the two networks and can stay connected without interruption.

It is an object of the present invention to implement a method and apparatus for implementing a wireless modem operating within two or more wireless networks, such as a packet switched network and a circuit switched network.

1 shows the availability zones for two overlapping networks.

2 illustrates a network system showing two data paths between one terminal and one server according to the present invention.

3 shows a block diagram of one wireless modem according to the present invention.

4 shows a block diagram of one wireless modem according to the present invention.

5 shows a flowchart for establishing a connection between a wireless modem and a server through one wireless network according to the present invention.

6 shows a flow chart for maintaining a connection between a wireless modem and a server via one wireless network according to the present invention.

To implement the present invention, one modem includes one or more antennas and a plurality of radio connection components, a modem control component, and a modem connection. Radio access components are connected to the antenna and at least one is associated with each radio network, which is a packet switched network. The modem control component is connected to each radio connection component. The modem connection is connected with the modem control component.

An implementation of the method of transmitting and receiving data includes the following functions. Monitor the availability of the first and second wireless networks when the first wireless network is a packet-switched network, send and receive data through the first radio connection associated with the first wireless network when the first wireless network is available, and when the first wireless network is unavailable Data is transmitted and received through a second radio connection associated with a second wireless network.

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for implementing a wireless modem operating within two or more wireless networks, such as a packet switched network and a circuit switched network. A terminal device such as a telephone handset connected to the wireless modem can transmit and receive data through various networks. A terminal can roam between networks while maintaining a data connection through a modem

1 shows the availability zones for two overlapping networks. Each network is a wireless data network. For example, the first network can be a packet-switched network that carries data such as IP packets, and the second network can be a circuit-switched network such as cdmaOne. The first network has available areas 105, 110 and 115. The second network has an available area 120. Availability zones 105, 110, and 115 overlap with availability zone 120. Figure 1 also shows three substantial zones, represented by points A, B, and C. Points A and C are in Availability Zones 105 and 110, respectively, for the first network and within Availability Zone 120 for the second network. Point B is in the second network availability zone 120 but not in the availability of the first network. Thus, users at points A and C can send and receive data to or from the first or second network. The user at point B can send and receive data using the second network rather than the first. Similarly, when a user moves from point A to point C, data can be transmitted and received using the first network and the second network interaction or using only the second network.

When the first network has a faster transmission speed than the second network, it is preferable to use the first network if possible. It is also desirable to continue to send and receive data outside of the first network's available area.

Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a user with a terminal capable of roaming through various wireless data networks. The present invention provides a wireless modem capable of transmitting and receiving data through a packet switched network and a circuit switched network. In addition, the modem can transmit and receive data as long as it moves within the area of compatible networks by switching connections between networks. The wireless modem can switch connections without disconnection from the user's perspective.

2 is a network system illustrating two data paths between a mobile station 205 and a server 210. Mobile station 205 includes a wireless modem in accordance with the present invention. Mobile station 205 is implemented in a variety of mobile portable equipment, such as telephones, PDAs, and notebook computers. In another implementation, mobile station 205 is fixed and only a wireless modem is portable.

The mobile station 205 may transmit and receive data to (a) base station 220 and (b) base station 225. (A) Base station 220 belongs to wireless (a) network 230. (B) Base station 225 belongs to wireless (b) network 235. (A) The base station 220 and (B) the base station 225 are access points for wireless communication with the (A) network 230 and the (B) network 235, respectively. In one implementation example, (a) network 230 is a packet-switched network and (b) network 235 is a circuit-switched network. (A) The network 230 and (B) the network 235 is connected to the server 210 via the Internet 240. (A) The network 230 and (B) the network 235 may communicate with each other through the Internet 240 or through a direct connection indicated by a dotted line 245.

The mobile station 205 may (a) send data to the server 210 in connection with the base station 220. (A) The base station 220 provides (A) data from the mobile station 205 to the server 210 via the network 230 and the Internet 240. Similarly, the server 210 may send data to the mobile station 205 through the connection of the Internet 240, (a) the network 230, and (a) the base station 220 and the mobile station 205. (A) When the network 230 is a packet switched network, data transmitted and received to the mobile station 205 is transmitted to the packet through various paths through the (A) network 230.

The mobile station 205 may (b) send data to the server 210 in a connection setup with the base station 225. (B) The base station 225 provides data from the mobile station 205 to the server 210 via the network 235 and the Internet 240. Similarly, the server 210 may send data to the mobile station 205 through the connection of the Internet 240, (b) network 235, and (b) base station 225 and mobile station 205. (B) When the network 235 is a circuit switched network, data transmitted and received to the mobile station 205 is transferred through the network 235 using a temporarily occupied connection.

In one implementation example, (a) The network 230 is the main network or the basic network. (B) The network 235 is either a buoy or an auxiliary network. The mobile station 205 is registered with the main network and may also use the sub-network for improving roaming or roaming under adverse conditions of the main network. The mobile station 205 selects a network to use according to the selection criteria. For example, if the mobile station 205 attempts to establish a connection to the main network (A) network 230 and fails, it attempts to establish a connection to the secondary network (B) network 235. In addition, the mobile station 205 selects according to which network provides better service such as high speed or low cost.

The main network stores the registration information and provides that information to the sub-network or multiple networks upon request. When the mobile station 205 is connected via the network (235) (b) the network (235) (a) requests registration information from the network (230). (B) The network 235 may request and receive registration information from the network 230 through the Internet 240, and may be through the direct connection 245 with the network 230. (A) Both network 230 and (B) network 235 can store the registration information. It is also possible to implement two or more networks with one main network and multiple side networks.

3 is a block diagram of a wireless modem 305. The wireless modem 305 includes two antennas of (a) antenna 310 and (b) antenna 315. Each antenna transmits and receives a radio signal within a predetermined frequency range. For example, (A) the antenna 310 transmits and receives in the 1.8 ~ 2 GHz region and (B) the antenna 315 transmits and receives within the 800 ~ 900 MHz region.

Wireless modem 305 includes two radio connections. (A) The antenna 310 is connected to the (A) radio wave connection unit 320. (B) The antenna 315 is connected to the (b) radio wave connection portion 325. Each radio connection is responsible for encoding and processing for communication with the wireless network. The radio interface 320 and 325 are determined to be compatible with the network for the wireless modem 305. The network compatible with the wireless modem 305 refers to a network capable of communicating with the wireless modem 305.

In one embodiment, (a) the radio connection 320 provides communication with a wireless packet-switched network, such as an iBurst network. In transmission, (a) the radio wave connection unit 320 cuts the data to send as a packet. (A) The radio access unit encrypts the packet including information useful for packet delivery such as the destination information, and then transmits the encrypted data to the antenna (A) for transmission through the network (230), which is a packet switching network. Upon reception (a), the radio wave connection unit 320 decodes and reassembles the data received in a packet to provide complete data to the connected device and the modem controller 330. In another embodiment, the data is divided into packets and reassembled in (a) network 230, such as (a) base station 220, rather than wireless modem 305. (B) The radio wave connection unit 325 provides communication with a wireless circuit switched network such as a cdmaOne network. (B) The radio wave connection unit 325 encrypts and decrypts the data transmitted and received through the line connection with the network (235).

Each radio connection 320 and 325 is connected to a modem control unit 330. The modem controller 330 controls a combination of an antenna and a radio wave connection to be used for data transmission and reception. The modem controller 330 observes whether the modem controller 330 is connected to the wireless network corresponding to the radio wave connection units 320 and 325. The modem controller 330 selects a wireless network to be used based on selection criteria such as a main network and a subnetwork relationship, transmission speed, price, and power consumption. The choice of network and the changes for other network usage are determined by the user of the wireless modem 305. Alternatively, the modem controller 330 may wait for a decision of a user or connected equipment to select or confirm a wireless network.

The modem control unit 330 is connected to the modem connection unit 335. Modem connection 335 provides a connection between wireless modem 305 and a terminal, such as mobile station 205.

The wireless modem 305 may be implemented as a single chip or a combination of connected components. The wireless modem 305 is implemented in various forms. In one embodiment, the wireless modem 305 may be embedded in the terminal to be a component of the terminal. In another embodiment, the wireless modem 305 may be part of a removable card inserted into the terminal, such as a card compatible with a memory card connection standard such as a PCMCIA card or a Toshiba SmartMedia card. As another example, the wireless modem 305 may be an individual device connected to a terminal by a wired / wireless combination such as Bluetooth.

In another implementation, the wireless modem 305 may have more than one antenna and a radio connection. In another case, two or more propagation connections may share antennas for networks operating at similar frequencies.

4 is another implementation of a wireless modem 405. Compared to the wireless modem 305 in FIG. 3, the wireless modem 405 has one antenna 410. Wireless modem 405 operates within a single frequency domain, such as 1.8-2 GHz. Like the wireless modem 305 of FIG. 3, the wireless modem 405 has (a) a radio connection unit 420, (b) a radio connection unit 425, a modem control unit 430, and a modem connection unit 435. The radio connection sections 420 and 425, the modem control section 430, and the modem connection section 435 operate on the wireless modem 405 as described in the wireless modem 305 of FIG. 3. However, the radio wave connections 420 and 425 share the antenna 410. The data of the radio wave connection units 420 and 425 transmit and receive data through the antenna 410.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a connection setup between a wireless modem such as the wireless modem 305 of FIG. 3 and a server and a wireless modem via the wireless network of FIG. 2. The wireless modem determines the quality and whether it can connect to a compatible network (block 505). Wireless modems monitor signals received from compatible networks. The wireless modem stores connection information indicating which network is an acceptable signal and at a reasonable rate. The access information also includes other information about the current state of the network to be connected, such as price and power consumption. The wireless modem can continue to audit the network while power is applied, or can verify network availability on demand, such as when attempting to establish a connection. For example, in FIG. 2, the wireless modem in the mobile station 205 may measure whether (a) network 230 and (b) network 235 are available and the currently available transmission speed.

Based on the stored connection information and selection criteria, the wireless modem determines the radio interface and antenna combination to use to communicate with the available wireless network (block 510). The selection criteria may be predefined by the manufacturer or operator and may be updated by the user when establishing a connection via a wireless modem. Various selection criteria are used. In one embodiment, the network is selected to have a high transmission rate. For example, in FIG. 2, when (a) network 230 is a main network (b) network 235 is a sub-network, a wireless modem is (a) when network 230 has a high transmission rate. Select the radio wave connection related to). The wireless modem (b) selects the radio connection associated with the (b) network 235 when the network 235 has a high transmission rate. If the transmission speed is the same within the predetermined area, the main network (A) selects the network 230. In another embodiment, the main network is selected if the main network is available even if the secondary network has a higher transmission rate. The radio modem may use other selection criteria (low cost, low power consumption, or a combination of selection criteria) to select a combination of radio access and antenna. If all networks are unavailable, the wireless modem informs the user that the connection is unavailable.

The wireless modem connects to the server through a wireless network that matches the selected radio access using the selected radio access and antenna (515). In FIG. 2, when the wireless modem of mobile station 205 selects (a) network 230, mobile station 205 establishes a connection to server 210 via (a) base station 220. The wireless modem transmits and receives data with the server through the established connection (520). As described, as an embodiment, a wireless modem divides data into packets and reassembles packets while using a packet switched network. Do not packetize or packet recombination while using circuit-switched networks.

6 is a flow diagram of maintaining a connection between a wireless modem, such as wireless modem 305 of FIG. 3, and a server via one or more wireless networks, such as the network system of FIG. The selection criterion of the network in Figure 6 is a high transmission rate. In other implementations, the wireless modem may be changed by the user if other selection criteria are available. The wireless modem collects access information such as the availability of compatible networks and the suitability of the transmission speed (block 605). The physical environment of the wireless modem changes, such as the user's location, the availability of compatible wireless networks, or the transmission speed. For example, in FIG. 1, when the user moves from point A to point B, the user leaves the available range 105 and (i) can no longer use the network. As another example, at point A, the network's baud rate is faster than at network B, and at point C, the network's b is faster than at network B. In this case, when using the high transmission rate as the network selection criterion, the wireless modem uses (A) at point A and (B) at point C. The wireless modem monitors the network and collects the connection information to maintain the connection as it does when the network is monitored and the connection information is obtained. The wireless modem monitors the network and stores access information indicating the current state of connectivity such as network availability and transmission rate at regular intervals.

Depending on the selection criteria, the wireless modem determines if the main network is available (block 655). It also determines whether the main network provides a high transmission rate (block 610). When the main network is available and provides a transmission rate higher than or equal to the secondary network, the radio modem determines whether it is already using the main network (block 615). If the wireless modem is already using the main network, it continues to send and receive data through the radio connection associated with the main network (block 620). If the wireless modem is not using the main network, it initiates a handoff from the other network to the main network (block 625). And transmit and receive data via a radio connection associated with the main network (block 620). The wireless modem continues to monitor the availability of compatible networks while the connection with the server is open (block 605).

If the primary network is unavailable at block 655, then it is determined whether the secondary network is available (block 660). At block 610, when the secondary network provides a higher transmission rate, the wireless modem determines if the secondary network is available (block 630). If the subnetwork is available, the wireless modem determines if it is already using the subnetwork (block 635). If the wireless modem is already using the secondary network, it continues to transmit and receive data over the radio connection associated with the secondary network (block 640). If the wireless modem is not using a secondary network, it starts a handoff from the current network to the secondary network (block 645). And transmit and receive data via a radio connection associated with the secondary network (block 640). The wireless modem continues to monitor the availability of compatible networks while the connection with the server is open (block 605).

When the secondary network is unavailable at block 660, the wireless modem loses signal and notifies the user or connected equipment that the connection has been terminated (block 650). To open a new connection, the wireless modem determines the availability of a compatible network as described in block 505 of FIG.

5 and 6 are diagrams for establishing and maintaining a connection with two compatible networks. In another implementation, a wireless modem may have more than one compatible network. Or there may be a plurality of aspirations.

Various embodiments of the invention have been described. It is mainly about the interaction between two wireless data networks and a wireless modem. However, various modifications are possible, for example, a wireless modem may be compatible with three wireless networks. As already described, one or more wireless networks may be a packet switched network. The present invention is implemented by a combination of an electric circuit and a program. For example, the modem controller 330 of FIG. 3 may be implemented in various ways by using an FPGA, a wiring design, a microprocessor structure, or a combination thereof. However, additional implementations other than the general description are included in the scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the implementation method described above.

Claims (24)

One or more antennas; A plurality of propagation connections coupled to said at least one antenna, said propagation connections associated with each radio network in which one or more propagation connections is a packet switched network; A modem control unit connected to the one or more radio wave connection components; And A modem configured with a modem connection coupled to the modem control component. 2. The modem of claim 1 wherein the second network is a circuit switched network. 3. The modem of claim 2 wherein the second network is a CDMA network. 2. The modem of claim 1 wherein the first network uses IP packets. 2. The modem of claim 1 wherein the first radio wave connection portion is associated with a packet switched network and the second radio wave connection portion is associated with a circuit switched network, wherein the first radio wave connection portion packetizes data sent to the first wireless network. 6. The modem of claim 5 wherein the second radio connection does not packetize data sent to a second wireless network. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem control unit determines availability of a wireless network related to the radio wave connection unit. 2. The modem according to claim 1, wherein said modem control section selects any one of said radio wave connections for communicating with an available wireless network. 2. The modem of claim 1 wherein the modem control section selects one of the radio access sections for communicating with a wireless network providing a higher transmission rate. The modem according to claim 8, wherein said modem control section selects one of said radio wave connection portions for communicating with a wireless network which can be used at low cost. 10. The modem of claim 8, wherein the modem control unit selects one of the radio wave connections to communicate with a wireless network having a low power consumption rate. 9. The modem according to claim 8, wherein said modem control section selects any one of said radio wave connection portions for communicating with said radio network when a primary network to be used preferentially is available. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem connection is compatible with the PCMCIA standard. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem connection is compatible with a memory card standard. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem connection unit is compatible with a USB standard. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem connection unit is compliant with the IEEE-1394 standard. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem connection unit is compatible with a local area network standard. The modem of claim 1 consisting of two antennas. 19. The modem of claim 18 wherein each respective radio connection is connected to the respective antenna. Monitoring availability of the first wireless network and the second wireless network when the first wireless network is a packet switched network; Transmitting and receiving data through a first radio connection associated with the first wireless network when the first wireless network is available; And And transmitting and receiving data through a second radio connection associated with the second wireless network when the first wireless network is unavailable. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data is packetized when data is sent through the first radio wave connection unit. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second wireless networks are monitored for availability and determining which network currently provides a high transmission rate. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless network is selected when the first wireless network provides a higher transmission rate than the second wireless network. Means for monitoring the availability of the first and second wireless networks when the first wireless network is a packet switched network; Means for transmitting and receiving data over a first radio connection associated with a first wireless network when the first wireless network is available; And And means for transmitting and receiving data over a second radio connection associated with a second wireless network if the first wireless network is unavailable.