Abstract: A wireless Local Area Network provides data service through a data LAN and also provides video broadcast service through a video LAN. A wireless LAN subscriber accesses the video LAN through one of a plurality of Video Access Points (VAPs) that broadcast multiple video programs on a channel having a frequency different than the frequency over which the subscriber accesses the data LAN. Each VAP maintains the video channel in a one-way broadcast-only mode to prevent a wireless LAN subscriber from seeking to uplink information on that channel. In this way, the wireless LAN can employ a common protocol for both data and video transmission, and deliver the video streams at the maximum permissible downlink transmission rate.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) adheres to ANSI/IEEE 802.11 standards and communicates with user terminals (UTs) in a coverage region. The WLAN communicates video and audio to the mobile terminals over a downlink channel. In order to maximize quality of service, the system provides for a method of inhibiting the mobiles terminals from attempting to gain control of the downlink channel during transmission of program information. In particular, the WLAN access point transmits data frames that are separated in inter-frame time period that is shorter than a first inter-frame period defined by the communications standard for allowing a device to gain control of the transmission channel.

Abstract: The invention provides for a receiver transmitter comprising: a plurality of logical access points; for downloading a duration into a mobile terminal in accordance with an access point determination of the maximum amount of time information linked with a downlink broadcast traffic to deliver all the broadcast/multicast information in a single communication stream. The invention also provides for a method of broadcast/multicast frames “Duration” are set to values in order to deliver all the broadcast/multicast information in a single communication stream eliminating the requirement for contending for the medium for each broadcast/multicast frame transmission. This pseudo-reservation of the wireless medium can also be made periodic for enabling broadcast/multicast services.

Abstract: A mobile wireless terminal, upon transitioning from a wireless telephony network to a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), seeks identification by sending the same identity information used for identification in the wireless telephony network. Upon receipt of the identity information, a wireless LAN Access Server in the wireless telephony network identifies a Serving General Packet Radio Service Serving Node (SGSN) that had last served the wireless terminal in the wireless telephony network prior to transition. The wireless LAN Access Server forwards the identity information to the SGSN, which, in turn, provides an identification response for validating the terminal.

Abstract: A General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network (141) includes at least one, and preferably, a plurality of radio access networks (161–16m), each providing radio access to one or more mobile terminal users (121–12n). Associated with one or more of the access networks is a corresponding one of a plurality of Serving GPRS Service Nodes (SGSNs) (241–24m), each node serving to identify and authenticate a mobile terminal user. Advantageously, each SGSN also serves to cache IP packets from a sending mobile terminal user and to examine each packet to determine if the destination IP address corresponds to another mobile terminal user in the network. If so, then that SGSN routes the packet to the destination mobile terminal user. Otherwise, if the packet destination lies outside the network, the SGSN routes the packet to a gateway (32) for routing beyond the network.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for synchronizing a digital transmission using beacon packets, and in particular, by using beacon packets utilized in communication between a wireless access point and a wireless station in accordance with operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers' IEEE standard 802.11. A communication device comprises a means for creating a plurality of logical access points; a means for downloading a SSID into a mobile terminal in accordance with a user's of communication reception; and a means to permit the mobile terminal to switch from one logical access point to second logical access point depending on the current state of the logical access point and the user's choice.

Abstract: A method for communicating between a cellular system and a mobile terminal by way of a standard wireless LAN and the Internet allows data communications to traverse the core of the cellular network, thereby allowing monitoring of the time and volume usage by the subscriber for billing purposes. The user terminal has a communication protocol for communicating with the wireless LAN, over which is a EAP/EAPOL protocol. A Radio Adaptation Layer (RAL) protocol overlies the EAP/EAPOL protocol. At the cellular system, a Serving GPRS Support Node has a RAL/EAP/TCP-IP protocol for providing communications between the wireless LAN and the cellular system by way of the Internet.

Abstract: A method for mapping from an MPEG-2 transport stream to an IP-based RTP/UDP/IP stack for broadcasting service in a WLAN. All the mapping functions may be performed in a receiver transcoder (FIG. 2). Mobile devices such as laptop computers, cell phones and PDAs have limited battery power, CPU processing and memory resources. To reduce CPU processing power and consumption battery power in these devices certain data processing functions are achieved in the communicating systems, such as the de-multiplexer function that typically prepares an MPEG-2 for retransmission at the local level. When a transcoder, capable of de-multiplexing and MPEG-2 transport stream receives a program it de-multiplexes the stream based on PIDs assigned to each transport packet. This de-multiplexing function extracts several components from a transport stream: video and audio PES/ES associated with programs and PSI (PAT and PMTs).

Abstract: A mobile wireless terminal, upon transitioning from a wireless telephony network to a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), seeks identification by sending the same identity information used for identification in the wireless telephony network. Upon receipt of the identity information, a wireless LAN Access Server in the wireless telephony network identifies a Serving General Packet Radio Service Serving Node (SGSN) that had last served the wireless terminal in the wireless telephony network prior to transition. The wireless LAN Access Server forwards the identity information to the SGSN, which, in turn, provides an identification response for validating the terminal.

Abstract: Bridge device comprising at least two interfaces for interfacing respective clusters of network devices in a network wherein said bridge device comprises at least two interface portals for connecting clusters. The bridge device comprises for each portal a first software component (SDDM) for receiving from an internal client requests for device describing configuration memory data (SDD) of at least one network device, said first software component being adapted to retrieve device describing data from other devices through a function call of a similar software component in the other devices. The invention also concerns a device in a multi-clustered network, the device comprising a software component as above, as well as a device discovery method and a method for establishing a connection between devices.

Abstract: The invention concerns methods for establishing a connection between a first and a second device in a network comprising a bridge device connecting a first sub-network to a second sub-network. According to a first embodiment, the method is characterized in that it comprises the steps, at the level of a device control module of the first device hosted by the bridge device, of: (a) receiving, from a stream manager, data permitting identification of a peer device control module of the second device; (b) determining whether the device control module and the peer device control module are of the legacy type and have a same device identifier; and (c) in the negative, deducing that the first and second devices are on different sub-networks; (d) in the affirmative, deducing that the first and second devices are on the second sub-network. According to a second embodiment, the stream manager provides the device control modules with more direct information.

Abstract: A method for performing a handover of a mobile terminal between a 3G cell and a WLAN cell when the mobile terminal moves within a 3G cell into the coverage area of the WLAN cell. The present invention proposes that the handover be performed when there are no active calls. If there are ongoing calls, method proposes to wait until the calls are terminated before the handover is performed. After the ongoing calls are terminated, the handover is performed by disassociating from the radio access network of the 3G cell and associating with the access point of the WLAN, using the relatively straightforward disassociation and association procedures. The handover method according to the present invention obviates the need for complex and expensive protocols to ensure a seamless and error free handover of calls when moving from the coverage of the 3G cell to the coverage of the WLAN cell. This method can be used with either the loose coupling arrangement or the tight coupling arrangement.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for implementing a paging mechanism in a wireless LAN, for example, a wireless LAN according to the Hiperlan 2 Technical Specification, for allowing a base station, or an access point, to page a mobile terminal that is not connected with, or associated with, the access point. The present paging mechanism is implemented by transmitting a broadcast channel message that includes an indication that a paging message is included in the current data frame, a second broadcast channel message that includes the information specific to the paging message, and a third broadcast channel message that include information regarding the location of the second broadcast channel message in the data frame. In response to the broadcast channel message indicating the presence of the paging request, the mobile terminal acquires the second and third broadcast channel messages and determines whether the paging request is intended for the mobile terminal.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for connection to a communication network, said device comprising means for obtaining a permanent identifier of the devices connected to the network and means for establishing an association table between the permanent identifier of a device and a temporary identifier of said device in the network. The invention is characterized in that the means for establishing the association table are adapted to read the permanent identifier of a device, the reading sequence of the permanent identifiers on the devices being based on a parameter pertaining to the device performing the reading. The invention also concerns a corresponding method.

Abstract: A communications network (10) advantageously provides wireless telephony service to a mobile terminal user (16) from one of a first radio access mechanism (18, 20) of a wireless telephony network (12) and a second radio access mechanism (30, 32) of a wireless Local Area Network (14). The first radio access mechanism provides service at a first quality of service (QoS) level specified in a primary Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context established with the mobile terminal user during which the mobile terminal user is assigned an address for data communication. When the mobile terminal user transitions from the first access node to the second access node, the user receives service in accordance with a secondary PDP context activated by the mobile terminal user. The secondary PDP context specifies the same data address as the primary PDP context but a different QoS level.

Abstract: A mobile terminal user (16) can trigger a handoff from a first radio access node (18) to a second radio access node (30) in a communications network by making such a request to one of the two nodes. The request made by the mobile terminal user (16) will trigger in the network (10) a command to relocate (handoff) the mobile terminal user. In response to the command, the mobile terminal user is assigned to the second radio access node (30) and is released from the first radio access node (18).

Abstract: A mobile terminal user (16) can trigger a handoff from a first radio access node (18) to a second radio access node (30) in a communications network by making such a request to one of the two nodes. The request made by the mobile terminal user (16) will trigger in the network (10) a command to relocate (handoff) the mobile terminal user. In response to the command, the mobile terminal user is assigned to the second radio access node (30) and is released from the first radio access node (18).

Abstract: Method for connecting an IEEE1394 remote device (1) to a cluster of IEEE1394 devices through a wireless link (3) comprising a first wireless device (WBox1) connected to the cluster and a second wireless device (WBox2) connected to the remote device (1), wherein the remote device and the first wireless device for a first wired bus and the device cluster and the second wireless device form a second wired bus. The method comprises the steps of, representing the remote device (1) on the cluster through the first wireless device (WBox1) and representing the devices of the cluster to the remote device (1) through the second wireless device (WBox2), such that the remote device and the devices of the cluster function as if these devices were part of a single IEEE1394 bus.

Abstract: Interworking of a wireless telephony network (12) with a wireless Local Area Network (10) serving at least one mobile terminal user (14) is accomplished by reserving a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communications channel (20) of the wireless telephony network. Control communications signals received in the WLAN (10) from the mobile terminal user are communicated across the GPRS channel (20) to the wireless telephone network (12) and likewise, control communications signals from the wireless telephony network pass to the WLAN over the channel. Using the GPRS channel to carry control communications signals between the WLAN (10) and the WLAN (12) affords the advantage of a loose coupling without the risk of sending sensitive control information over a non-secure link.

Abstract: To effect seamless transition of a mobile terminal user (16) from a first radio access network (12) to second radio access network (14), a temporary home agent (19) in the second radio access network assigns the user a co-location address which becomes the source address for all packets originated by the user while accessing the second network. Packets sent in reply to those originated with the co-location address as the source address pass directly to the mobile terminal user at the second network without first being tunneled through the first radio access network. Upon the transition of the mobile terminal user to the second radio access network, the first radio access network will forward any packets addressed to the user at the first source address.