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EP0479477A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Distributed switching cellular communication system

Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1991-09-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-09-25
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Abstract

Abstract A cellular switching system and architecture is described in which the switching associated with a call originated within one cell (e.g.101) but now serviced within another cell (e.g. 102) is distributed among base stations which are interronnected with each other through a local area network (112). The routing procedure associated with the point of origin for a given call is stored in the memory of a switch of public switched telephone network. As an active subscriber crosses a cell boundary, the switch routes all packets of information for the given call to the originating base station for the duration of the call. Each base station then forwards each packet to the subscriber's current base station via the local area network (112). In this manner, the architecture is unaffected by the increased crossing between cell boundaries since the switching associated with those calls not within the range of the initial base station is handled in a distributed manner by each base station via the local area network.

Inventors

  • 👤 Noach Amitay

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 12:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W36/00; H04W36/0005; H04W36/0055

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 131 words
A cellular switching system for routing a call between a first subscriber and a mobile subscriber, said system comprising a plurality of base stations (101-108) each having an associated cell, each of said plurality of base stations comprising means (e.g. 101-1 to 101-4) for communicating with said mobile subscriber when said mobile subscriber is within the associated cell of said base station, and characterized in that at least one of said plurality of base stations comprises means, responsive to said mobile subscriber crossing from a first cell to a second cell, for forwarding a first communication from said first subscriber to the base station associated with said second cell such that the integrity of said call is maintained as said mobile subscriber crosses from said first cell to said second cell.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 60 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one of said plurality of base stations comprises means for forwarding a second communication received from said mobile subscriber to the original base station that established said call between said first subscriber and said mobile subscriber such that only said oriental base station directly communicates with said first subscriber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 comprising a local area network (112) for interconnecting said plurality of base stations wherein said first and second communications among said base stations are transmitted over said local area network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 64 words
A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for forwarding a first communication to the base station associated with said second cell comprises, means, responsive to information stored in said first communication, for translating said information stored in said first communication to a first route, said first route corresponding to a transmission path to the base station associated with said second cell.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 56 words
A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for forwarding a second communication to said original base station comprises means, responsive to information stored in said second communication, for translating said information stored in said second communication to a second route, said second route corresponding to a transmission path to said oriental base station.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 25 words
A system as claimed in any preceding clain wherein the cell associated with each of said plurality of base stations comprises a plurallity of microcells.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 147 words
A base station (101) for use within a cellular communication system for routing a call from a first subscriber to a mobile subscriber, said mobile subscriber crossing from a first cell to a second cell, said base station having an associated first cell and comprising means for receiving a first communication from said first subscriber, means for forwarding said first communication to the base station associated with said second cell, means for receiving a second communication from the base station associated with said second cell, said second communication corresponding to communication from said mobile subscriber to said first subscriber, and means for sending said second communication to said first subscriber, said first and second communications being exchanged between said first subscriber and said mobile subscriber such that the integrity of said call is maintained as said mobile subscriber crosses from said first cell to said second cell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
A station as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first and second communications are sent and received over a local area network (112).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 57 words
A station as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein said means for forwarding a first communication comprises means, responsive to information stored in said first communication, for translating said information stored in said first communication to a first route, said first route corresponding to a transmission path to the base station associated with said second cell.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 121 words
A method of routing a call between a first subscriber and a mobile subscriber which is crossing from a first cell to a second cell, said method comprising the steps of sending to a first base station (101), which is associated with said first cell, a first communication from said first subscriber, said first base station being in communication with said mobile subscriber when within said first cell, and forwarding said first communication from said first base station to a second base station (e.g. 102), which is associated with said second cell, when said mobile subscriber crosses from said first cell to said second cell, said second base station being in communication with said mobile subscriber when within said second cell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 comprising the steps of sending a second communication from said mobile subscriber to said second base station, and forwarding said second communication from said second base station to said first base station when said mobile subscriber crosses from said first cell to said second cell.

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