Abstract: The present invention is a restoration scheme for an ad-hoc ATM LAN wherein ATM cells are transported over a wireless point-to-point link. A method for restoring communications in the ATM network includes the steps of: generating a failure message indicative of a failure of a network element, the failure message including an identification of said network element and a predetermined VPI/VCI reserved for failure reporting; communicating the failure message to all said switching nodes in said network; and referencing updated routing tables at said switching nodes, wherein said network element indicated in said failure message is eliminated from routes in said network. Each of the switching nodes is included in a network tree spanning all said switching nodes in the network, wherein each of the switching nodes is included as a root in a specific network tree, each said network tree having a tree identification, the failure message further including a tree identification field containing the tree identification.

Abstract: A facility is provided for establishing a relatively low-speed path from a user desiring to access the well-known Internet and establishing a high-speed path from the Internet to the user so that the data speed accommodates both the user's requests and a response from an Internet web/host site. Moreover, a user may be mobile, in which case the low-speed path is a conventional wireless path. In most cases, a predetermined spectrum of frequencies, such as one or more television channels, is used as the high-speed path from Internet.

Abstract: A telecommunications system capable of transmitting an N byte packet over a common communications channel by: temporally dividing the common communications channel into time slots that have a duration equal to ##EQU1## seconds, where i is a natural number greater than one, C is a constant and R is the transmission rate of the common communications channel in bytes per second; splitting the N byte packet into i p-packets; preparing an M byte training sequence; and transmitting the M byte training sequence and the p-packets over the common communications channel in consecutive time slots.

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: 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: An access method allows an end-user device (mobile or stationary) a) to place stand-alone requests for access to a communications network for transmission thereto of one or more information packets arriving at an empty buffer of the end user-device, and b) to piggyback the requests with packet transmissions for subsequent information packets arriving at a non-empty buffer of the end-user device.

Abstract: A redundancy system for use in a communications satellite. Eight traveling wave tube amplifiers are provided for five communications channels in a manner such that full service is maintained even though any three of the amplifiers have failed. A ten-switch network connects the five channels to the inputs of the eight TWT amplifiers, and a mirror-image ten-switch network connects the outputs of the eight TWT amplifiers to the five channels.