Abstract: A system for distributed control in wireless cellular and personal communication systems includes separate servers for performing call control and connection control functions, thereby obviating the need for a mobile switching or other switch to be anchored for the duration of a call. During a registration procedure, visiting location servers track only roaming mobiles, rather than tracking both roaming mobiles as well as mobiles located in their home network. Direct signalling links between servers and base stations, or other servers, located in different networks allow roaming mobiles to contact their home networks for service at all times, thereby obviating the need for passing signalling information for mobiles when they are not involved in a call. The use of multicast signalling with asynchronous transfer mode switches, permits specified channel control functions to take place concurrently in channel servers associated with base station and switches that form a segment of the route for a call.

Abstract: The tracking of mobile terminals served by base stations supported by respective switches are formed into respective peer groups of switches in which the peer groups are then formed into a hierarchical logical network having a prescribed number of levels of scope S, and in which individual ones of the switches serve as a home switch for respective ones of said wireless terminals is enhanced. Specifically, responsive to receiving a registration message sent by one of the wireless terminals, the receiving switch notifies the home switch associated with the sending terminal. The home switch, in turn, notes the current location of that terminal and sends a similar message to the switch serving the zone in which the sending wireless terminal was last located.

Abstract: A communications system for transporting connectionless datagrams over a connection-oriented network is arranged to remove the address resolution function and the connection setup function from a sending host and combine them in a third-party connection server in conjunction with channel management at connection-oriented routing points. The third party request protocol can be used for Classical connectionless over a connection oriented network, legacy LAN emulation and Routing Over Large Clouds.

Abstract: A wireless services data network supporting the mobility of an Internet Protocol (IP) over ATM networks is implemented such that a joint ATM-layer hand-off and MAC-layer hand-off are respectively used to handle in-session and inter-session mobility. In this way the effect of mobility is localized and transparent to higher-layer protocols. Also, different functions, including the so-called Address Resolution protocol, location of a mobile, and ATM connection, are combined to reduce front-end delay for connectionless packet transmissions in connection-oriented ATM networks.

Abstract: Parallel connection control ("PCC") processes and switching networks are described. Various aspects of these PCC processes and networks relate to the provision of an alternative switching connection setup to achieve bandwidth savings or lower cost networks with acceptable setup delay. The new approach provides an alternative to existing switch-by-switch sequential connection setup approaches. In the new approach, segments of the connection are set up by executing operations in parallel. The algorithm and network are also extended to address complex control connection tasks, such as the complex bearer control tasks of third-party connection control, unidirectional multicast connection setup, and multiparty-to-multiparty connection control.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for routing cells in a wireless communications network, wherein the communications network includes a plurality of switching nodes and the cells are routed according to destination-rooted virtual path identifier (VPI) trees. The present invention includes a routing protocol for determining preestablished VPI trees rooted at each destination node. The routing protocol manages the routes of these trees, while ensuring that there are at least two VPI trees from each source to each destination for reliability reasons, and that each destination node has multiple VPI trees for load-balancing reasons. The routing protocol includes an off-line procedure for the determination of the initial VPI trees. In order to handle changes in network traffic and conditions, the routing protocol updates the routes of the VPI trees in a dynamic and distributed fashion. These update procedures are triggered by congestion, link/node failures and link/node additions.

Abstract: The present invention is a signaling and control architecture for establishing a connection between mobile users in a wireless ATM LAN. The ATM LAN includes a plurality of portable base station (PBS) switching nodes coupled together to enable communication between said nodes, wherein the nodes are configurable in an arbitrary topology to form an ad-hoc network. The present invention includes network management techniques for configuration of data tables used for connection control. Mobility management techniques are disclosed to handle mobile sign-ons and idle handoffs, locate mobile users during connection and setup and perform handoffs when a mobile is actively involved in a connection. Connection control procedures are also included for setting up and releasing connections on demand.

Abstract: A system and method for routing ATM cells in a wireless ATM local area network (LAN) that use portable base station (PBS) switching nodes. Routing of cells to and from mobile users within the network is accomplished utilizing a novel routing scheme which preserves cell sequence. Each user transmitting data to another user is associated with a Source Home Station or node and each user receiving data is associated with a Destination Home Station or node. When a connection is established in the network between a first mobile user and a second mobile user, the ATM cells are routed along a fixed path from the first mobile user to the associated Source Home Station and along a fixed path between the Source Home Station to the Destination Home Station and then along a fixed path from the Destination Home Station to the second destination user. In this way cell sequence is maintain by utilizing the Source Home to Destination Home path.

Abstract: A system for distributed control in wireless cellular and personal communication systems includes separate servers for performing call control and connection control functions, thereby obviating the need for a mobile switching or other switch to be anchored for the duration of a call. During a registration procedure, visiting location servers track only roaming mobiles, rather than tracking both roaming mobiles as well as mobiles located in their home network. Direct signalling links between servers and base stations, or other servers, located in different networks allow roaming mobiles to contact their home networks for service at all times, thereby obviating the need for passing signalling information for mobiles when they are not involved in a call. The use of multicast signalling with asynchronous transfer mode switches, permits specified channel control functions to take place concurrently in channel servers associated with base station and switches that form a segment of the route for a call.

Abstract: A packet-based telecommunications architecture is disclosed that, like virtual-circuit networks, preserves the sequential order in which packets are presented to the network, but does not require node-by-node call set-up or tear-down, unlike virtual-circuit networks. Further, the packet switches which compose the architecture can be more simple than those used in datagram or virtual-circuit networks. An illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises determining the topology of a network of packet switches that are connected by communication links, associating at least two names with at least one of the packet switches, and populating the router tables in the packet switches so that for each name the packet switches and communication links form a elemental network with the topology of a sink tree with the named packet switch at the root of the tree.

Abstract: A signaling provider network which receives and transmits at least a subset of all signaling information associated with a particular call or communication service, allows the received/transmitted signaling information to be processed independently of the originating or terminating communication carrier network which originates and/or completes the call, or provides the communication service.

Abstract: A modular suite of peer-to-peer protocols that are independent of communications network architecture supported, and the type of switching systems (packet-switched or circuit-switched), is used for a broadband and/or narrowband communications network. The protocols are comprised of client-server-oriented signaling messages that are restricted to include information and parameters associated with only one particular function of traditional call processing.

Abstract: A network architecture is designed to allow a communications service subscriber to select a signaling provider independently of a) the transport carriers which control the local loops for particular communications services, and b) the providers of those services. Upon the establishment of a signaling connection from a subscriber's terminal device to the signaling provider's network, the latter requests those services from the service providers selected by the subscriber for delivery over the local loops of the transport providers.

Abstract: A distributed, server-based communications network architecture delivers broadband and narrowband communications services. In the architecture, various traditional call processing functions, such as switching fabric or channel control, call control, and connection control are separated into distinct application processes with clearly defined interfaces for communications between these application processes. Those distinct application processes may be implemented in separate physical or logically partitioned nodes. The well-defined interfaces allow communications among: a) physical or logically partitioned nodes within a network and b) physical or logically partitioned nodes of other networks.