Hierarchical Data Collection Network Supporting Packetized Voice Communications Among Wireless Terminals And Telephones

Abstract

A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of code sections, each code section comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a processor, the instructions causing the processor to perform a method of operating a portable terminal device that supports voice and data communication via a wireless packet network, the method comprising:
 producing outgoing digital voice packets from a converted first analog voice stream, wherein the outgoing digital voice packets comprise destination information used for routing the outgoing digital voice packets through the wireless packet network;   assembling digital data into outgoing data packets;   evaluating a message wirelessly received from at least one access device, and sending to the at least one access device an indication of a data rate based on the evaluation;   receiving from the wireless packet network digital voice packets and data packets;   transmitting the outgoing digital voice packets and the outgoing data packets via the wireless packet network at a data rate selected by the at least one access device based upon the indication of a data rate;   reproducing digital data from the received data packets, and reproducing sound from a second analog voice stream converted from the received digital voice packets; and   wherein the outgoing digital voice packets, the outgoing data packets, the received digital voice packets, and the received data packets are units of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another over the wireless packet network.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the wireless packet network uses an Internet protocol (IP). 
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23  wherein the Internet protocol is the transmission control protocol (TCP)/Internet protocol (IP) protocol. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the wireless packet network communicates at a frequency of approximately 2.4 gigahertz. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a frequency hopping spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a direct sequence spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein conversion of the first analog voice stream to the outgoing digital voice packets comprises:
 converting the first analog voice stream to digital voice data; and   assembling the digital voice data to produce the outgoing digital voice packets.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein conversion of the received digital voice packets to the second analog voice stream comprises:
 extracting digital voice data from the received digital voice packets; and   converting the extracted digital voice data to produce the second analog voice stream.   
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the data packets are not used for the management of voice calls. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein a packet is transmitted via the wireless packet network without regard to whether the packet is a data packet or a digital voice packet. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the indication of a data rate is a data rate. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein the evaluated message is received periodically from the at least one access device. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 33  wherein the message received periodically is a polling message. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22  wherein evaluating a message evaluates reception of a message preamble. 
     
     
         36 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of code sections, each code section comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a processor, the instructions causing the processor to perform a method of operating an access device that supports voice and data communication via a wireless packet network, the method comprising:
 receiving digital voice packets and data packets from the wireless packet network, wherein at least the digital voice packets comprise destination information used for routing the digital voice packets through the wireless packet network;   transmitting digital voice packets and data packets to the wireless packet network;   individually routing digital voice packets received from one of at least one wired network for transmission via the wireless packet network, and for individually routing digital voice packets received from the wireless packet network for transmission via the one of the at least one wired network, the one of the at least one wired network being based upon destination information in the digital voice packets;   receiving, from a terminal device via the wireless packet network, an indication of a data rate based on an evaluation of a message sent by the access device;   selecting a data rate for transmitting the digital voice packets and the data packets to the terminal device via the wireless packet network, based upon the indication of a data rate; and   wherein the digital voice packets, the data packets, the received digital voice packets, and the received data packets are units of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another over the wireless packet network.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the wireless packet network communicates at a frequency of approximately 2.4 gigahertz. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a frequency hopping spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a direct sequence spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using an Internet protocol (IP). 
     
     
         41 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 40  wherein the Internet protocol is the transmission control protocol (TCP)/Internet protocol (IP). 
     
     
         42 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the at least one wired network comprises a conventional switched telephone network. 
     
     
         43 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the at least one wired network comprises an Ethernet network. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the routing is based upon information received via the wireless packet network. 
     
     
         45 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the routing is based upon a cost of use of a communication path. 
     
     
         46 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the indication of a data rate is a data rate. 
     
     
         47 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein the evaluated message is sent periodically by the at least one access device. 
     
     
         48 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 47  wherein the message sent periodically is a polling message. 
     
     
         49 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36  wherein evaluating a message evaluates reception of a message preamble. 
     
     
         50 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of code sections, each code section comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a processor, the instructions causing the processor to perform a method of operating a portable terminal device that supports voice and data communication via a wireless packet network, the method comprising:
 packetizing data representative of sound to outgoing digital voice packets;   assembling digital data into outgoing data packets;   sending the outgoing digital voice packets and the outgoing data packets to at least one access device via the wireless packet network;   receiving incoming digital voice packets and incoming data packets from the at least one access device via the wireless packet network at a selected data rate;   evaluating a message wirelessly received from the at least one access device;   transmitting to the at least one access device an indication of a data rate based upon the evaluation;   depacketizing the incoming digital voice packets for conversion to sound;   wherein the outgoing digital voice packets, the outgoing data packets, the incoming digital voice packets, and the incoming data packets are units of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another over the wireless packet network; and   wherein the at least one access device selects the selected data rate, based upon the indication of a data rate.   
     
     
         51 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the wireless packet network communicates at a frequency of approximately 2.4 gigahertz. 
     
     
         52 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a frequency hopping spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         53 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using a direct sequence spread spectrum technique. 
     
     
         54 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the wireless packet network communicates using an Internet protocol. 
     
     
         55 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the Internet protocol comprises transmission control protocol (TCP) over Internet protocol (IP). 
     
     
         56 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the data packets are not used for the management of voice calls. 
     
     
         57 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 56  wherein a packet is transmitted via the wireless packet network without regard to whether the packet is a data packet or a digital voice packet. 
     
     
         58 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the indication of a data rate is a data rate. 
     
     
         59 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein the evaluated message is received periodically from the at least one access device. 
     
     
         60 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 59  wherein the message received periodically is a polling message. 
     
     
         61 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 50  wherein evaluating a message evaluates reception of a message preamble.