Software download for a subscriber terminal of a wireless telecommunications system

Claim 2

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station; means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration of the subscriber station, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers each of which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected.

Claim 3

A communications controller according to claim 1, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one packet management layer which is arranged to check a packet number in each received message.

Claim 4

A communications controller according to claim 2, wherein said packet management layer in said central station is arranged to allocate a sequentially increasing packet number for successive packets, said packet number being reset at the beginning of a block.

Claim 5

A communications controller according to claim 3, wherein said packet management layer in said central station is arranged repeatedly to instruct a message management layer in said central station to send a message until a complete packet has been sent.

Claim 6

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one session management layer which is arranged to check a session number in each received message.

Claim 7

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one session management layer which is arranged to check a session number in each received message.

Claim 8

A communications controller according to claim 5, wherein said session management layer in said central station communications controller is arranged to allocate a session number at the beginning of a session.

Claim 9

A communications controller according to claim 5, wherein said session management layer in said central station is arranged repeatedly to instruct a block management layer in said central station to send a block until said session is complete.

Claim 10

A communications controller according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of sessions may be conducted simultaneously.

Claim 11

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes a block management layer which is arranged to check a block number in each received message.

Claim 12

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes a block management layer which is arranged to check a block number in each received message.

Claim 13

A communications controller according to claim 9, wherein said block management layer in said subscriber station is arranged to allocate a block number in response to a start block request from a said block management layer in said central station.

Claim 14

A communications controller according to claim 10, wherein said block management layer in said central station is arranged repeatedly to instruct a packet management layer in said central station to send a packet until a complete block has been sent.

Claim 15

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one message management layer which is arranged to check a message number in each received message.

Claim 16

A communications controller for a central station of a wireless telecommunications system for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, comprising: a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception; means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one message management layer which is arranged to check a message number in each received message.

Claim 17

A communications controller according to claim 12, wherein said message management layer in said central station is arranged to allocate a sequentially increasing message number for successive messages, said message number being reset at the beginning of a packet.

Claim 18

A communications controller according to claim 13, wherein said message management layer in said subscriber terminal transmits a response message to the central station on receipt of a complete packet from said central station.

Claim 19

A communications controller according to claim 14, wherein each response message includes at least a message type field, a session number field, a block number field and an error code.

Claim 20

A communications controller according to claim 13, wherein each message transmitted by said communications controller includes message type field and at least one sequence number field.

Claim 21

A communications controller according to claim 1, wherein said central station receives a fault report from said subscriber station upon improperly configuring the subscriber station.

Claim 22

A communications controller for equipment to be configured at a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, wherein said communications controller provides a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving down-loaded software for initializing and configuring at least one device in said equipment, wherein said communications controller is responsive to a device independent boot-strap for device initialization and a set of device specific external service parameters to configure said initialization for a specific device in said equipment, wherein said communications controller is arranged initially to execute said device independent boot-strap, which on completion terminates releasing all communications controller resources for execution of device specific main code.

Claim 23

A communications controller for equipment to be configured at a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, wherein said communications controller provides a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving down-loaded software for initializing and configuring at least one device in said equipment, wherein said communications controller is responsive to a device independent boot-strap for device initialization and a set of device specific external service parameters to configure said initialization for a specific device in said equipment, wherein said communications controller is arranged initially to execute said device independent boot-strap, which on completion terminates releasing all communications controller resources for execution of device specific main code.

Claim 24

A communications controller according to claim 18, wherein said set of device specific external service parameters include at least device specific initialisation and memory read parameters.

Claim 25

A communications controller according to claim 18, wherein said communications controller is responsive to a device independent down-load protocol stack defining device initialization and a set of device specific external services to initialize and configure a specific device in said equipment.

Claim 26

A communications controller according to claim 20, wherein said device specific external services include at least hardware initialisation, hardware transmission byte read and write, and memory read and write functions.

Claim 29

The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of checking, in a session management layer, a session number in each received message.

Claim 30

The method according to claim 23, comprising allocating, in a said session management layer in said central station, a session number at the beginning of a session.

Claim 31

The method according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of sessions may be conducted simultaneously.

Claim 32

The method according to claim 22, comprising checking, in a block management layer, a block number in each received message.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 26, comprising allocating, in a said block management layer in said subscriber station, a block number in response to a start block request from a said block management layer in said central station.

Claim 34

The method according to claim 22, comprising checking, in a packet management layer, a packet number in each received message.

Claim 35

The method according to claim 28, comprising allocating, in a said packet management layer in said central station, a sequentially increasing packet number for successive packets, said packet number being reset at the beginning of a block.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 22, comprising checking, in a message management layer, a message number in each received message.

Claim 37

The method according to claim 30, comprising allocating, in said message management layer in said central station, a sequentially increasing message number for successive messages, said message number being reset at the beginning of a packet.

Claim 38

The method according to claim 22, comprising causing a said message management layer in said subscriber terminal to transmit a response message to the central station on receipt of a complete packet from said central station.

Claim 39

The method according to claim 32, wherein each response message includes at least a message type field, a session number field, a block number field and an error code.

Claim 40

The method according to claim 33, wherein each message transmitted by said station includes a message type field and at least one sequence number fields.

Claim 41

The method according to claim 22, comprising reporting a fault to the central station.

Claim 42

The method according to claim 22, comprising operating said central station as a protocol master and said subscriber station as a protocol slave.

Claim 43

The method according to claim 22, comprising restarting said message transfer from a point of interruption using said sequence numbers.

Claim 44

The method according to claim 22, comprising initializing a device in said equipment in response to a device independent boot-strap and configuring said initialization in response to a set of device specific external service parameters.

Claim 47

The method according to claim 39, wherein said set of device specific external service parameters include at least device specific initialisation and memory read parameters.

Claim 48

A method according to claim 39, comprising responding to a device independent protocol stack and a set of device specific external services to configure said subscriber station equipment.

Claim 49

The method according to claim 41, wherein said device specific external services include at least hardware initialisation, hardware transmission byte read and write and memory read and write functions.

Claim 50

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration of said subscriber station, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers each of which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected.

Claim 51

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration of said subscriber station, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers each of which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected.

Claim 52

A communications controller according to claim 43, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one packet management layer which is arranged to check a packet number in each received message.

Claim 53

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one message management layer which is arranged to check a message number in each received message.

Claim 54

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one message management layer which is arranged to check a message number in each received message.

Claim 55

A communications controller according to claim 43, wherein said subscriber station transmits a fault report upon identifying an improper configuration of the subscriber station.

Claim 56

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one session management layer which is arranged to check a session number in each received message.

Claim 57

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes at least one session management layer which is arranged to check a session number in each received message.

Claim 58

A communications controller according to claim 47, wherein a plurality of sessions may be conducted simultaneously.

Claim 59

A communications controller according to claim 47, wherein said session management layer in said subscriber station transmits a response message to the central station on receipt of a complete packet from said central station.

Claim 60

A communications controller according to claim 49, wherein each response message includes at least a message type field, a session number field, a block number field and an error code.

Claim 61

A communications controller according to claim 49, wherein each message transmitted by said communications controller includes message type field and at least one sequence number field.

Claim 62

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes a block management layer which is arranged to check a block number in each received message.

Claim 63

A communications controller for a subscriber station of a wireless telecommunications system, which subscriber terminal comprises at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with a central station, comprising: means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception; means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station in order to configure subscriber terminal equipment, each protocol layer being arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected, wherein said multi-layer down-load protocol includes a block management layer which is arranged to check a block number in each received message.

Claim 64

A wireless communications system comprising: a central station having a central station communications controller for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, which central station comprises a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, wherein said central station communications controller includes means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception and means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration of subscriber station equipment, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers each of which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected; at least one subscriber station having a subscriber terminal communications controller, which subscriber station includes at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said central station, wherein said subscriber station communications controller includes means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception, said subscriber station communications controller including means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration in subscriber station equipment, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected.

Claim 65

A wireless communications system comprising: a central station having a central station communications controller for the wireless connection of subscriber telephone lines at a remote subscriber station to said central station, which central station comprises a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said subscriber station, wherein said central station communications controller includes means arranged to process signals for transmission and/or reception and means to provide a multi-layer down-load protocol for down-loading software via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration of subscriber station equipment, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers each of which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected; at least one subscriber station having a subscriber terminal communications controller, which subscriber station includes at least one subscriber telephone line and a transmitter/receiver for wireless communication with said central station, wherein said subscriber station communications controller includes means arranged to be connected between said transmitter/receiver and said telephone line for processing signals for transmission and/or reception, said subscriber station communications controller including means providing a multi-layer down-load protocol for receiving software down-loaded from said central station via said wireless communication for device initialization and configuration in subscriber station equipment, said multi-layer down-load protocol including a plurality of protocol layers which are arranged separately to manage respective sequence numbers for said respective layers for messages transmitted during a down-load session and to report a fault when a sequence number error is detected.