EP0521610A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital cellular overlay network
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1992-05-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-05-26
Abstract
Abstract According to one aspect of the invention, methods and apparatus are provided for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN), i. e., identifying, collecting and utilizing otherwise unused or unusable air time, in an existing Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS). According to another aspect of the invention, a Digital Cellular Overlay Network (DCON) is provided for performing CDN utilizing an underlying AMPS, where the DCON is transparent, with respect to the AMPS, and takes full advantage of existing AMPS equipment to keep the cost of performing CDN to a minimum. The resulting digital network may be used for high speed non-interfering data communications, i.e., data communications that do not degrade the underlying system's capacity and capability (qualitatively) to handle voice traffic. The invention also is directed to methods and apparatus which contemplate the expanded use of well known radio control signals, in particular "busy bits" and "dotting sequences", to provide a DCON capable of performing CDN that in both a reliable and flexible manner.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Victor Miller
- 👤 Victor Stuart Moore
- 👤 Thomas Kent Pate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W72/00; H04W72/04; H04W72/044; H04W72/0446; H04W36/00; H04W36/24; H04W36/30; H04W36/302; H04W72/50; H04W72/54; H04W72/542; H04W84/00; H04W84/02; H04W84/04; H04W84/042; H04W16/00; H04W16/02; H04W16/04; H04W16/14; H04W76/00; H04W76/20; H04W92/00; H04W92/02; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising the steps of: (a) identifying time slots that are unused and unusable by said AMPS on each of said channels; and (b) assigning selected unused and unusable time slots identified in step (a) for data transmission purposes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising the steps of: (a) identifying time slots that are unused and unusable by said AMPS on each of said channels; and (b) assigning selected unused and unusable time slots identified in step (a) for data transmission purposes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of identifying further comprises the steps of: (a) determining which of said channels in said AMPS are not being utilized by said voice transceivers; and (b) placing each of said channels that is not being utilized by a voice transceiver into an assignment pool from which a channel may be assigned for data transmission purposes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of assigning further comprises the steps of: (a) selecting an available channel from said pool to be used for data transmission purposes; (b) tuning a data transceiver to the selected channel; and (c) transmitting data, via said data transceiver, over said selected channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of identifying further comprises the step of sensing RF signals on at least one of the channels associated with the voice transceivers in said set of cellular telephone voice transceivers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of assigning further comprises the step of analyzing the RF signals sensed in said step of identifying to determine which of the channels assigned to the respective voice transceivers are not being used.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising the steps of: (a) determining if a particular voice transceiver in said set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, tuned to a channel selected for data transmission purposes, is demanding the selected channel; and (b) terminating any data transmission on said selected channel whenever said particular voice transceiver has been determined to be demanding the selected channel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising the step of removing said selected channel from said assignment pool whenever said particular voice transceiver has been determined to be demanding the selected channel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of determining further comprises the step of sensing RF signals on the channel associated with said particular voice transceiver in said set of cellular telephone voice transceivers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising: (a) means for identifying time slots that are unused and unusable by said AMPS on each of said channels; and (b) means for assigning, coupled to said means for identifying, selected unused and unusable time slots for data transmission purposes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising: (a) means for identifying time slots that are unused and unusable by said AMPS on each of said channels; and (b) means for assigning, coupled to said means for identifying, selected unused and unusable time slots for data transmission purposes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said means for identifying further comprises: (a) means for determining which of said channels in said AMPS are not being utilized by said voice transceivers; and (b) means for placing each of said channel that is not being utilized by a voice transceiver into an assignment pool from which a channel may be assigned for data transmission purposes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means for assigning further comprises: (a) means for selecting an available channel from said pool to be used for data transmission purposes; (b) a set of data transceivers; and (c) means for tuning a particular data transceiver, in said set of data transceivers, to a selected channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for identifying further comprises a monitor receiver.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for identifying comprises at least one RF sensor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said means for assigning further comprises a digital computer, coupled to said at least one RF sensor, wherein said digital computer is capable of analyzing RF sensor input to determine which of the channels assigned to the respective voice transceivers are not being used.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further comprising: (a) means for determining if a particular voice transceiver in said set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, tuned to a channel selected for data transmission purposes, is demanding the selected channel; (b) means for terminating any data transmission on said selected channel whenever said particular voice transceiver has been determined to be demanding the selected channel; and (c) means for removing said selected channel from said assignment pool, coupled to said means for determining and said means for terminating, whenever said particular voice transceiver has been determined to be demanding the selected channel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for determining comprises a switch receiver.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for terminating comprises a digital computer coupled to said switch receiver.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for removing comprises a digital computer coupled to said particular data transceiver.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising: (a) a set of CDN companion data transceivers each of which may be utilized in place of a transceiver in said set of voice transceivers; (b) a set of RF sensors, each for detecting the presence of RF signals on the channel to which a given transceiver in said set of voice transceivers is tuned; and (c) analyzer means, coupled to said set of RF sensors, for determining the presence of an RF signal on the channel to which a particular transceiver in said set of voice transceivers is tuned and for selectively assigning a companion data transceiver to occupy the same frequency as said particular transceiver, for data transmission purposes, in an unused time slot.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for performing Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS), wherein said AMPS includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels, comprising: (a) a set of CDN companion data transceivers each of which may be utilized in place of a transceiver in said set of voice transceivers; (b) a set of RF sensors, each for detecting the presence of RF signals on the channel to which a given transceiver in said set of voice transceivers is tuned; and (c) analyzer means, coupled to said set of RF sensors, for determining the presence of an RF signal on the channel to which a particular transceiver in said set of voice transceivers is tuned and for selectively assigning a companion data transceiver to occupy the same frequency as said particular transceiver, for data transmission purposes, in an unused time slot.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said analyzer means further comprises means for maintaining a record of which channels in said AMPS are not being actively utilized by said set of cellular voice transceivers based on input from said set of RF sensors.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said analyzer means further comprises means for switching an active companion data transceiver off whenever the companion voice transceiver operating at the same frequency demands the channel.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
180 words
A Digital Cellular Overlay Network (DCON), for supporting the performance of Cellular Data Networking (CDN) in an underlying Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMPS) as claimed in claim 19 comprising a host processor and a set of data radios (DRs) within range of said AMPS, wherein said AMPS includes a set of cell sites, and further wherein each of said cell sites includes a set of cellular telephone voice transceivers, each tuned to one of a preselected set of communication channels, and means for coupling each transceiver in said set of transceivers to an antenna to facilitate the performance of duplex radio communications over said set of channels with each DR located within range of said AMPS, comprising: (a) host processing means capable of executing applications software and engaging in data communications with a data radio in said set of data radios; and (b) a Digital Mobile Telephone Switching Office (DMTSO), coupled between said host processing means and the set of cell sites included in said AMPS, for managing the data network between said host processing means and each cell site.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 22 wherein said DMTSO is operative to receive messages from said host processing means and direct the messages to host specified target data radios via the cell sites in which the target data radios are located.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 73 wherein said DMTSO is operative to receive return messages from said data radios, received via said cell sites, and is further operative to transmit said return messages to said host processing means, including an identification of the data radio transmitting a given return message.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said DMTSO includes network manager means for managing the data network between said host processing means and said set of cell sites by utilizing information accessible to said network manager means which indicates the most likely cells in which a data radio can be reached.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 25 said network manager means has access to information regarding all cell sites that surround a given cell site so that a given data radio can be located by the DMTSO when roaming between cell sites.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 26 said network manager means has access to information regarding a set of nicknames to uniquely identify each data radio and reduce the addressing overhead of said network manager.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said DMTSO receives an acknowledgement signal from the cell to which a message is directed for a particular data radio if and only if the message is actually received by the particular data radio without error.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein said acknowledgement signal includes dotting sequence, word synchronization and data radio identification information.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein said DMTSO receives a non-acknowledgement signal from the cell to which a message is directed for a particular data radio whenever an acknowledgement signal can not be generated.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 30 wherein said non-acknowledgement signal includes dotting sequence, word synchronization and data radio identification information.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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