Patent ID: 6324180
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: H04L,H04Q,H04W

Abstract:
A local area network operating in the a synchronous transfer mode (ATM) for transmitting cells, said network comprising a plurality of network interfaces coupled to a ring via ring connections, the network interfaces each including a switch and a radio device for exchanging data with any one of a plurality of terminals provided that said any one of the plurality of terminals is located in the radio coverage area of the network interface, and in that the switch is provided for transporting the cells at least between ring connections and the corresponding radio device, wherein the switch includes a receive circuit assigned to a receive connection, in that each received circuit is used for evaluating the header field of a received cell and in that on the basis of the information derived from the header field at least one receive circuit is used for extracting a switch mode from an assigned path memory, and wherein the path memory which is coupled to the receive connection coming from the radio device, storesa first switch mode for a connection at least between two local terminals, in which mode the switch couples the receive and transmit connections connected to the radio device,a second switch mode for a connection at least between a local and a remote terminal, in which mode the switch couples the receive connection connected to the radio device and one transmit connection connected to a ring,a third switch mode for providing a connection between at least two local and at least one remote terminal, in which mode the switch couples the receive connection connected to the radio device to the transmit connection connected to the radio device and to a transmit connection connected to a ring,a fourth switch mode for a connection between a local terminal and the local controller, in which mode the switch couples the receive connection connected to the radio device to the local controller,a fifth switch mode for a connection between a local terminal and the local and at least one remote controller, in which mode the switch couples the receive connection connected to the radio device to the local controller and a transmit connection connected to a ring, anda sixth switch mode for deleting cells which contain non-existing connections.