Enterprise Cognitive Radio Integrated With Laser Communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017230859-A1
Application number	US-201715495040-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2005
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wireless data access system is provided to ameliorate bursty traffic occurring in a radio communications link such as a WiFi, WiMAX, 3G or cellular telephone link to a wireless network access device. A data traffic event is detected relating to traffic in the link. The traffic event may be a traffic burst exceeding a predetermined threshold. Based on detecting the data traffic event, a free-space optical communications link is established to the network access device to handle the traffic burst. The established radio link may be used to set-up and coordinate the free-space optical link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
establishing a first wireless radio link for transmitting data traffic between a network access device and a first wireless access point, the first wireless radio link being part of a first communications link between the network access device and a second network access device independent from the network access device, the first communications link comprising the first wireless radio link and a second wireless radio link for transmitting the data traffic between the second network access device and the first wireless access point; based on a detection of a data traffic event relating to the data traffic in the first communications link, establishing a direct free-space optical communications link transmitting a portion of the data traffic from the network access device to the second network access device, whereby the portion of the data traffic transmitted by the free-space optical communications link bypasses the first wireless access point; and receiving by the network access device, via a link with a coordinating wireless access point, session management information for coordinating the free-space optical communications link.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinating wireless access point is the first wireless access point.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinating wireless access point is a wireless access point different from the first wireless access point.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the session management information comprises location information for aiming a beam carrying the free-space optical communications link.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the session management information comprises beam timing information.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the detection of a data traffic event comprises a detection of a threshold minimum traffic level.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the detection of a data traffic event comprises a detection of a metric relating to power consumption.

8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
establishing a first wireless radio link for transmitting data traffic between a network access device and a first wireless access point, the first wireless radio link being part of a first communications link between the network access device and a second network access device independent from the network access device, the first communications link comprising the first wireless radio link and a second wireless radio link for transmitting the data traffic between the second network access device and the first wireless access point; establishing a direct free-space optical communications link for transmitting a portion of the data traffic from the network access device to the second network access device upon detection of a data traffic event relating to the data traffic in the first communications link, whereby the portion of the data traffic transmitted by the free-space optical communications link bypasses the first wireless access point; and receiving by the network access device, via a link with a coordinating wireless access point, session management information for coordinating the free-space optical communications link.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the session management information comprises location information for aiming a beam carrying the free-space optical communications link.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the session management information comprises beam timing information.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the first and second wireless radio links are Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-compliant radio links.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the first and second wireless radio links are radio links selected from a group consisting of wireless local area networks, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), third generation (3G) and cellular telephone radio links.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the detection of a data traffic event comprises a detection of a threshold minimum traffic level.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the detection of a data traffic event comprises a detection of a metric relating to power consumption.

15 . A network access device, comprising:
a processor; a radio transceiver connected for control by the processor; a free-space optical transceiver connected for control by the processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by the processor causes the network access device to perform operations comprising: establishing a first wireless radio link for transmitting data traffic via the radio transceiver between the network access device and a first wireless access point, the first wireless radio link being part of a first communications link between the network access device and a second network access device independent from the network access device, the first communications link comprising the first wireless radio link and a second wireless radio link for transmitting the data traffic between the second network access device and the first wireless access point; based on a detection of a data traffic event relating to the data traffic in the first communications link, establishing a direct free-space optical communications link transmitting a portion of the data traffic from the network access device to the second network access device, whereby the portion of the data traffic transmitted by the free-space optical communications link bypasses the first wireless access point; and receiving, via a link between the network access device and a coordinating wireless access point, session management information for coordinating the free-space optical communications link.

16 . The network access device of claim 15 wherein the coordinating wireless access point is the first wireless access point.

17 . The network access device of claim 15 wherein the coordinating wireless access point is a wireless access point different from the first wireless access point.

18 . The network access device of claim 15 , wherein the session management information comprises location information for aiming a beam carrying the free-space optical communications link.

19 . The network access device of claim 15 , wherein the session management information comprises beam timing information.

20 . The network access device of claim 15 , wherein the detection of a data traffic event comprises a detection of a threshold minimum traffic level.

Assignees

• At & T Ip Ii Lp

Inventors

• Nadji Behzad
• Tofighbakhsh Mostafa

Classifications

• H04B10/112

  Line-of-sight transmission over an extended range · CPC title

• H04W28/0268 Primary

  using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24) · CPC title

• H04W28/0215

  based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices (services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51) · CPC title

• H04W76/023

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/026 Primary

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title