Two-way wireless data network having a transmitter having a range greater than portions of the service areas

Claim 2

A wireless data network serving a service area, comprising: a network control center; a plurality of cellular base stations, each serving a portion of said service area, each of said cellular base station communicating with said network control center; a plurality of mobile wireless terminals each capable of two-way communication with said cellular base stations over a first radio link, each of said mobile wireless terminals also capable of receiving a broadcast message over a second radio link; and a broadcast network, including a transmitter having a range greater than each of said portions of said service areas, for sending said broadcast message to said mobile wireless terminals over said second radio link.

Claim 3

A wireless data network as in claim 1, wherein each of said mobile wireless terminals is assigned a periodically occurring time slot during which the wireless terminal is activated to receive said broadcast message.

Claim 4

A wireless data network as in claim 1, wherein said first radio link uses a predetermined radio channel common to all of said mobile wireless terminals and said cellular base stations.

Claim 5

A wireless data network as in claim 1, wherein said first radio link is accessed using a multiple access protocol.

Claim 6

A wireless data network as in claim 1, wherein said first radio link is a secured communication link in which an acknowledgement packet is sent by a recipient in response to each message received, and a message is retransmitted if a sender does not received said acknowledgement packet after a predetermined time of sending said message.

Claim 7

In a wireless data network as defined in claim 1, a method comprising the steps of: sending over said first radio link, from a first one of said mobile wireless terminal, to a first one of said cellular base station, a data packet designated for a second one of said wireless terminal; upon receiving said data packet at said first cellular base station, sending said data packet from said first cellular base station to said network control center; sending a notification message from said network control center to said broadcast network, said notification message including an identification code of said second mobile wireless terminal; broadcasting, from said transmitter of said broadcast network, said notification message as said broadcast message designating said second mobile wireless terminal; receiving at said second mobile wireless terminal said notification message; upon receiving said broadcast message, sending a control message from said second mobile wireless terminal over said first radio link to a second cellular base station, said control message including a request to said network control center to forward said data packet; upon receiving said control message, sending said data packet from said network control center to said second cellular base station; and upon receiving said data packet at said second cellular base station, sending said data packet from said second cellular base station, over said first radio link, to said second mobile wireless terminal.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a radio transceiver.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a handheld terminal having a display and a keyboard.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a two-way pager.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a hand-held facsimile terminal.

Claim 14

The method of claim 7, wherein said base station comprises: a first radio transceiver; and a second radio transceiver.

Claim 15

The method of claim 7, wherein said first communication link is a low power local radio link.

Claim 16

The method of claim 7 wherein said second communication link is a high power backhaul radio link.

Claim 17

The method of claim 8, wherein said base station comprises: a two-way local interface adapted for interfacing with said first communication link for receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a local area, wherein said local area is contained within a service area; a backhaul interface adapted for interfacing with said second communication link between said base station and said network control center; and a control unit which controls said two-way local interface to communicate with said wireless terminal within said local area and relays information from said wireless terminal in said local area, to said network control center, via said backhaul interface.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15, wherein said second communication link comprises a telephone link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 19

The method claim 15, wherein said second communication link comprises a wireless link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15, wherein said backhaul interface is adapted for communications with said network control center such that said network control center directs information to a transmission tower for transmitting said information over said third communication link.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, wherein said two-way local interface further provides two-way communications between said base station and a second base station.

Claim 22

The method of claim 8, further comprising: interfacing said network control center with an information and communication application.

Claim 23

The method claim 20, wherein said information and communication application is an existing one-way communications network.

Claim 24

The method of claim 20, wherein said information and communication application is an information dissemination network.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20, wherein said information and communication application is a monitoring system.

Claim 26

The method of claim 20, wherein said information and communication application is an electronic map\positioning system.

Claim 29

The method of claim 25, wherein said wireless terminal is a two-way pager.

Claim 30

The method of claim 25, wherein said base station comprises: a first radio transceiver; and a second radio transceiver.

Claim 31

The method of claim 25, wherein said first communication link is a low power local radio link.

Claim 32

The method of claim 28, wherein said second communication link is a high power backhaul radio link.

Claim 33

The method of claim 28, wherein said high power backhaul radio link operates at a power of approximately 3 watts.

Claim 34

The method of claim 28, wherein said high power backhaul radio link has a range of approximately 10 kilometers.

Claim 35

The method of claim 25, wherein said base station comprises: a two-way local interface adapted for interfacing with said first communication link for receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a local area, wherein said local area is contained within said service area; a backhaul interface adapted for interfacing with said second communication link between said base station and said network control center; and a control unit which controls said two-way local interface to communicate with said wireless terminal within said local area and relays information from said wireless terminal in said local area to said network control center via said backhaul interface.

Claim 36

The method of claim 32, wherein said second communication link comprises a telephone link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 37

The method of claim 32, wherein said second communication link comprises a wireless link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 38

The method of claim 32, wherein said backhaul interface is adapted for communications with said network control center such that said network control center directs information to said transmitter via said third communication link.

Claim 39

The method of claim 32, wherein said two-way local interface further provides two-way communication between said base station and a second base station.

Claim 40

The method of claim 33, wherein said third communication link comprises a wireless link between said network control center and said transmitter.

Claim 41

The method of claim 33, wherein said third communication link comprises a telephone link between said network control said and said transmitter.

Claim 42

A two-way wireless data network comprising: a wireless terminal; a base station; a first communication link between said wireless terminal and said base station, said first communication link being effective over a predetermined range; a network control center; and a second communication link between said base station and said network control center, and a third communication between said network control center and a radio frequency transmitter having a range greater than said predetermined range wherein said first and second communication links are two-way communication links.

Claim 43

A two-way wireless data network comprising: a wireless terminal; a base station; a first communication link between said wireless terminal and said base station, said first communication link being effective over a predetermined range; a network control center; and a second communication link between said base station and said network control center, and a third communication between said network control center and a radio frequency transmitter having a range greater than said predetermined range wherein said first and second communication links are two-way communication links.

Claim 44

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a radio transceiver.

Claim 45

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a handheld terminal having a keyboard and a display.

Claim 46

The two-way wireless data network of claim 41, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a two-way pager.

Claim 47

The two-way wireless data network of claim 41, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a hand-held facsimile terminal.

Claim 48

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said base station further comprises: a first radio transceiver; and a second radio transceiver.

Claim 49

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said first communication link is a low power local radio link.

Claim 50

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said second communication link is a high power backhaul radio link.

Claim 51

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said high power backhaul radio link operates at a power of approximately 3 watts.

Claim 52

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said high power backhaul radio link has a range of approximately ten kilometers.

Claim 53

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, wherein said base station further comprises: a two-way local interface adapted for interfacing with said first communication link for receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a local area, wherein said local area is contained within said service area; a backhaul interface adapted for interfacing with said second communication link between said base station and said network control center; and a control unit which controls said two-way local interface to communicate with said wireless terminal within said local area and relays information from said wireless terminal in said local area, to said network control center, via said backhaul interface.

Claim 54

The two-way wireless data network of claim 49, wherein said second communication link comprises a telephone link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 55

The two-way wireless data network of claim 49, wherein said second communication link comprises a wireless link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 56

The two-way wireless data network of claim 49, wherein said backhaul interface is adapted for communications with said network control center such that said network control center directs information to said transmitter.

Claim 57

The two-way wireless data network of claim 49, wherein said two-way local interface further provides two-way communications between said base station and a second base station.

Claim 58

The two-way wireless data network of claim 39, further comprising: a interface, wherein said interface interfaces said network control center with an information and communication application.

Claim 59

The two-way wireless data network of claim 54, wherein said information and communication application is an existing one-way communications network.

Claim 60

The two-way wireless data network of claim 54, wherein said information and communication application is an information dissemination network.

Claim 61

The two-way wireless data network of claim 54, wherein said information and communication application is a monitoring system.

Claim 62

The two-way wireless data network of claim 54, wherein said information and communication application is an electronic map/positioning system.

Claim 63

A two-way paging system over a service area, comprising: a wireless terminal; a base station; a first communication link between said wireless terminal and said base station, said first communication link being effective over a first range; a network control center; a second communication link between said base station and said network control center; a transmitter having a range greater than said first range; and a third communication link between said network control center and said said transmitter, wherein said first and second communication links are two-way communication links.

Claim 64

A two-way paging system over a service area, comprising: a wireless terminal; a base station; a first communication link between said wireless terminal and said base station, said first communication link being effective over a first range; a network control center; a second communication link between said base station and said network control center; a transmitter having a range greater than said first range; and a third communication link between said network control center and said said transmitter, wherein said first and second communication links are two-way communication links.

Claim 65

The two-way paging system of claim 59, wherein said wireless terminal comprises a two-way pager.

Claim 66

The two-way paging system of claim 59, wherein said base station further comprises: a first radio transceiver; and a second radio transceiver.

Claim 67

The two-way paging system of claim 59, wherein said first communication link is a low power local radio link.

Claim 68

The two-way paging system of claim 62, wherein said second communication link is a high power backhaul radio link.

Claim 69

The two-way paging system of claim 59, wherein said base station further comprises: a two-way local interface adapted for interfacing with said first communication link for receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a local area, wherein said local area is contained within said service area; a backhaul interface adapted for interfacing with said second communication link between said base station and said network control center; and a control unit which controls said two-way local interface to communicate with said wireless terminal within said local area and relays information from said wireless terminal in said local area, to said network control center, via said backhaul interface.

Claim 70

The two-way paging system of claim 64, wherein said second communication link comprises a telephone link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 71

The two-way paging system of claim 64, wherein said second communication link comprises a wireless link between said base station and said network control center.

Claim 72

The two-way paging system of claim 64, wherein said backhaul interface is adapted for communications with said network control center such that said network control center directs information to said transmitter.

Claim 73

The two-way paging system of claim 64, wherein said two-way local interface further provides two-way communications between said base station and a second base station.