Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-30
2004-11-02
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S406000, C455S067110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06813497
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved business method, operations method, network and system for delivering wireless communications services. The business method, operations, and network and system of the present invention may be used separately, or in combination. The invention is adapted to higher overall network capacity, lower peak capacity, and higher overall network usage, relative to prior known methods, networks, and systems for delivering wireless communications services. The present invention may feature flat rate billing of users. This is in contrast to prior known wireless services, in which services are delivered on a per call or per minute usage charge basis. This change in pricing model affects usage and capacity of the network in certain ways. In a preferred embodiment, the system and network of the present invention employs flat rate billing, achieves high capacity utilization of network components, and achieves lower peak capacity. These features enable the network and system of the present invention to handle a higher overall volume of calls with less costly central network components and more streamlined operations than conventional cellular systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wireless communications services represent the fastest growing segment of the telecommunications industry worldwide. Although the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to open the competitive environment in the United States, allowing many new entrants into the local access loop, growth has been constrained by several factors. Some of these factors are endemic to any communications system (limited bandwidth, high capital costs, etc.). Other constraints are imposed by the business models that have come to be generally accepted in the industry. Most land line and wireless operators typically derive the majority of their revenues and profits from a relatively few—“heavy” and “business”—users of their networks. The heavy and business user segments have come to be considered the most desirable segment of the wireless customer population, due to their relative price inelasticity. Land line providers have typically focused on business users. Accordingly, per minute of usage pricing of cellular services has been adapted to that conventional business model, which was introduced in the late 1980's. That conventional model, however, imposes constraints on operations and networks, and presents high usage charges to casual users. These patterns have, in fact, been favored by cellular operators due to the high profitability levels they offer.
A conventional wireless system of the type known prior to the present invention is described by Robert C. Raciti, in CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY (July 1995), which is incorporated herein by reference. Prior known cellular networks are typically constructed to achieve a relatively uniform level of coverage over a preselected service area. The service area is extended to a greater metropolitan area, namely, major population centers and major highway connections. Generally, the service area is specifically adapted to serve roaming traffic, which is billed at a higher rate. Consequently, roaming is favored in prior known systems. The service has been marketed on the breadth of coverage as well as complex features, targeted at the heavy and business users.
Network capacity is rationed, to avoid over use of the network, by maintaining pricing levels that tend to limit casual usage. Use is metered by price, and constrained by that pricing within the design limits of the system. When the existing wireless communications operators have looked at moving their market focus from the typical business users to a broader market, they have typically introduced prepaid services that allow the consumer to control the costs but have required very high per minute usage charges.
Wireless communications networks using this conventional business model typically comprise three basic components: Cell sites with RF base stations; Mobile Telephone Switching Offices (MTSO); and mobile phones that are provided to subscribers. Each base station contains a radio transceiver and controller, and provides radio communications to the mobile phone units operating in its cell. The cells are typically engineered into a network that is deployed in a hexagonal cell pattern, in order to provide local, regional, or national cellular coverage.
The MTSO links calls together using traditional copper, fiber optic, and/or microwave technology and acts as a central office exchange, allowing users to place a call on the local and long distance public telephone systems or mobile to mobile traffic. It allows mobile communication devices in the cell to dial out and alerts devices in the cell of incoming calls. The MTSO continuously monitors the quality of the communications signal and transfers the call to another base station that is better suited to provide communications services to the mobile device.
The mobile communication devices comprise hand-held phones, car phones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, pen-based computers, palm-top computers, pagers, hand-held e-mail devices (such as those produced under the Blackberry™ brand), and portable data collection devices. The present inventors anticipate that, although the majority of cellular traffic has traditionally been voice communications, the relative proportion of traffic that comprises data, text, and potentially video, messages is increasing and is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. The present invention is intended to work with all wireless communications devices. When these various types of mobile units communicate with the network, they must register with the system by subscribing with a wireless operator.
Most wireless operators of prior known systems have arrangements with other operators allowing users to roam. Roaming occurs when the mobile unit is outside the coverage area of their “home” cellular service provider and an alternative cellular provider handles the communication. Mobile units may also be connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) operated by an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC), Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC), Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), long distance carrier, or other telecommunications provider.
The radio spectrum used for wireless (cellular) communications comprises many bands that are allocated and used for commercial, personal, and military use. Fifty (50) MHZ of spectrum is allocated to cellular networks in the 824-849 MHZ and the 869-894 MHZ bands. This spectrum has been allocated into two 25 Mhz bands and has generally been allocated to very large service providers. Other bands of spectrum have been allocated for wireless communications. PCS is a wireless communications network that operates at a radio frequency of 1.9 GHz. This spectrum has been subdivided into three 30 Mhz and three 10 Mhz bands that are used by both large service providers and many new, more innovative service providers. The allocation of radio spectrum in the United States is described in the NTIA Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management, Ch. 4, at 4-4 to 4-91 (2000), which is incorporated herein by reference.
Several types of network access are available in the United States including, without limitation: Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) (in two formats), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). AMPS is the cellular standard that has been extensively deployed in North America and has been commercially available since 1983. The current cellular standard describing access methods to the network is IS-553. It divides 50 MHZ of spectrum into 832 frequency channels, each 30 KHz wide. Various organizations, such as the Portable Computer and Communications Association (PCCA), modem manufacturers, computer manufactures, and service providers, have worked together in defining the IS-553 interoperability standard.
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a digital access me
Hutcheson Doug
Saboe John
Leap Wirelesss International
Rampuria Sharad
Reed Smith LLP
Trost William
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