Telecommunications – Carrier wave repeater or relay system – Portable or mobile repeater
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2003-06-03
Cumming, William (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Carrier wave repeater or relay system
Portable or mobile repeater
C455S517000, C455S518000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06574452
ABSTRACT:
The present invention concerns a method and device for communicating on a network. It applies in particular to local wireless networks with centralised architecture, for which each communication is organised between a so-called base communication station, also referred to as the “fixed part”, and a mobile communication station, also referred to as the “portable part”.
An example of such a communication network is given by the telephones using the European DECT standard (“Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication”).
In such a local network, a base station supplies a synchronisation signal to all the mobile stations in the network. The set of stations (the base station and one or more mobile stations) which thus synchronise themselves with each other, constitutes a cell.
A particular problem with these networks is that, in the absence of a base station, there is no communication possible between the mobile stations since they are not synchronised.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,407 is known, which describes a local wireless network using the European DECT standard. The network consists there of a fixed base station and mobile stations. In the absence of a central station, no communication is possible between the mobile stations present in the network.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,066 is also known, which describes a local wireless network in which the master node can be changed dynamically. In this system, all the nodes are equal and the master node remains the master definitively once it has been chosen.
The present invention aims to remedy this drawback by enabling a mobile station, in the absence of a base station, to fulfill the role of base station. Thus a network can be established even in the absence of a permanent base station.
Another aim of the invention is to make it possible to establish a local wireless network dynamically in the absence of a base station.
To this end, the present invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method of communicating between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of said communication stations supplies a control signal, said station then functioning in “base station” mode and the stations not supplying a control signal then functioning in “mobile station” mode, characterised in that it includes, performed by at least one communication station initially functioning in base station mode:
an operation of determining the presence of a station functioning in mobile station mode, and
when, during the presence determination operation it is determined that no station is functioning in mobile station mode, an operation of switching into mobile station mode, during which said station goes into mobile station mode.
By virtue of these provisions, when a communication station which is functioning in base station mode cannot communicate with any mobile station, it switches into mobile station mode, which enables it:
on the one hand to save its energy, and
on the other hand, to enable a base station to enter into communication with it.
According to particular characteristics, in the communication method as briefly disclosed above, for at least one communication station functioning in mobile station mode:
an operation of determining the presence of a station functioning in base station mode, and
when during the presence determination operation it is determined that no station is functioning in base station mode, an operation of switching into base station mode, during which said station goes into base station mode.
By virtue of these provisions, this station can take the role of base station in order to determine whether at least one communication station functioning in mobile station mode is in a position to communicate with it.
According to particular characteristics, following the operation of switching into mobile station mode, said communication station performs:
an operation of determining the presence of a station functioning in base station mode, and
when, during the presence determination operation, it is determined that no station is functioning in base station mode, an operation of switching into base station mode, during which said station goes into base station mode.
According to other particular characteristics, between two successive operations of determining the presence of a station functioning in base station mode, the said station performs a waiting operation, during which it does not change functioning mode.
By virtue of each of these provisions, said station adopts successively the role of base station and of mobile station, which enables it to enter into contact with any communication station, whether the latter is functioning in mobile station mode or in base station mode.
According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for communicating between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of the said communication stations supplies a control signal, said station then functioning in “base station” mode and the stations not supplying a control signal then functioning in “mobile station” mode, characterised in that it has, in at least one communication station functioning initially in base station mode, a processing means adapted:
to determine the possible presence of a station functioning in mobile station mode, and
when it has determined that no station is functioning in mobile station mode, to switch into mobile station mode.
The invention also relates to a network, a computer, a camera, a facsimile machine, a photographic apparatus, a television receiver, a printer, a scanner and an audio/video player, characterised in that they have a device as briefly disclosed above.
The invention also relates to:
a means of storing information which can be read by a computer or a microprocessor storing instructions of a computer program characterised in that it implements the method of the invention as briefly disclosed above, and
a means of storing information which is removable, partially or totally, and which can be read by a computer or a microprocessor storing instructions of a computer program characterised in that it implements the method of the invention as briefly disclosed above.
The preferential or particular characteristics, and the advantages, of said device, said computer, said camera, said facsimile machine, said photographic apparatus, said television receiver, said printer, said scanner, said audio/video player and said information storage means being identical to those of the method as briefly disclosed above, these advantages are not repeated here.
For a facsimile machine which has a means of communicating on a network (see communication preamble) the communication stations on this network may have to access the telephone line of the facsimile machine. To this end, these stations send many access request messages and thus take up a large amount of passband.
The invention sets out to remedy this drawback by enabling each communication station to know the state of the telephone line.
More generally, the invention concerns any interface between two networks.
To this end, according to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a method of communicating between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of said communication stations supplies a control signal, said station then functioning in “base station” mode and the stations not supplying any control signal then functioning in “mobile station” mode, characterised in that it includes, performed by a first communication station able to transmit facsimiles on an external line, and functioning in base station mode:
an operation of determining the occupation of said external line for facsimile transmission, and
when, during said determination operation, it is determined that said external line is occupied for facsimile transmission, a request operation during which said first communication station transmits, to a second communication station, a message representing a request to change communication station functioning
Caillerie Alain
Morvan Isabelle
Tocze Lionel
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Cumming William
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Le Lana
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