Abstract:
A wireless communication system which provides a plurality of wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) users with access to the Internet via a wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth™ or ultra-wideband (UWB) interface. The system includes a short-range access point (AP) in communication with the WTRUs, multiplexer in communication with the Internet and the AP, and a plurality of mobile platforms in communication with the multiplexer and the Internet. The system may further include a mapping unit for correlating routable medium access control (MAC) addresses to specific universal serial bus (USB) interfaces associated with the mobile platforms. The system may be incorporated in a mass-transit vehicle, whereby the WTRU users are passengers in the vehicle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/677,287, filed May 3, 2005, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention is related to a wireless communication system which provides a plurality of wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) users with access to the Internet via a wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth™ or ultra-wideband (UWB) interface. More particularly, the present invention is related to a smart multiplexer used to map medium access control (MAC) addresses to specific universal serial bus (USB) interfaces to provide the WTRU users with Internet access.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Ultra-wideband (UWB) is gaining popularity as the next personal area networking technology. The key advantages that give it a better chance at success is the extremely high data rates supported, (i.e., 100-480 Mbps), at considerably lower power budgets.  
         [0004]     The next generation of mobile platforms can accept Internet access connections from trusted WTRUs in mass-transit vehicles such as cars, buses and trains over a UWB interface.  
         [0005]     Local access can be provided on mass-transit vehicles by using IEEE 802.11 based access points (APs). However, a feasible mechanism currently does not exist for connecting a plurality of mobile WTRU users to the Internet in a mass-transit vehicle.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     The present invention is related to a wireless communication system which provides a plurality of WTRU users with access to the Internet via a WLAN, Bluetooth™ or UWB interface. The system includes a short-range AP in communication with the WTRUs, multiplexer in communication with the Internet and the AP, and a plurality of mobile platforms in communication with the multiplexer and the Internet. The system may further include a mapping unit for correlating routable MAC addresses to specific USB interfaces associated with the mobile platforms. The system may be incorporated in a mass-transit vehicle, whereby the WTRU users are passengers in the vehicle. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     A more detailed understanding of the invention may be had from the following description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of example and to be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a smart multiplexer and an external WLAN AP which are configured to provide WTRU users with access to the Internet in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system which incorporates the features of the smart multiplexer and the external WLAN of  FIG. 1  for providing Internet access on mass-transit vehicles using a USB hub and a plurality of U100 slaves in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system similar to the system of  FIG. 2  except that a WLAN AP is embedded in the U100 master;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a system similar to the system of  FIG. 2  except that it includes a Bluetooth™ gateway in the U100 master; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system similar to the system of  FIG. 2  except that it includes a UWB gateway in the U100 master.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     Hereafter, the terminology “WTRU” includes but is not limited to a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a laptop, a personal data assistant (PDA), a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a pager, or any other type of device capable of operating in a wireless environment. When referred to hereafter, the terminology access point (AP) includes but is not limited to a base station, a Node-B, a site controller, an access point or any other type of interfacing device in a wireless environment.  
         [0014]     The features of the present invention may be incorporated into an integrated circuit (IC) or be configured in a circuit comprising a multitude of interconnecting components.  
         [0015]     The present invention implements a mobile platform as an Internet gateway in closed short-range mobile applications. Typical usage scenarios envisaged are in private and public transportation vehicles.  
         [0016]     A mobile platform, such as the Ericsson Mobile Platform U100, can access the Internet using a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/general packet radio service (GPRS) interface or the Third Generation (3 G) interface. The Ericsson Mobile Platform U100 is dual-mode enabled, and supports both GSM/GPRS and WCDMA. Connectivity for U100 is currently provided by Bluetooth™, USB, RS232, and infrared data association (IrDA).  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a smart multiplexer  100  which is configured to provide a plurality of WTRU users access to the Internet in accordance with the present invention. The smart multiplexer  100  includes a hardware router  105  and a controller  110  which controls the hardware router  105 . The controller  100  acts based on the intelligence provided internally, as to which users need to be authenticated and accepted, or based on connection to an external device such as an AAA server. The smart multiplexer includes an Ethernet interface  115  and a plurality of USB interfaces (ports)  120 . The Ethernet interface  115  is provided to connect the hardware router  105  to the WLAN AP  130 . The number of USB interfaces  120  included in the smart multiplexer  100  dictates the number of mobile platforms, (i.e., U100 devices), that may be connected to the smart multiplexer  100  via a USB interface (port)  120 , and the associated data rate requirements.  
         [0018]     The hardware router  105  includes a MAC address/USB port mapping unit  125 . The Ethernet connection  115  of the smart multiplexer  100  is connected to a WLAN AP  130 , which may be IEEE 802.11 compatible. When a WTRU user, (located in a mass-transit vehicle in which the smart multiplexer  100  is installed), wishes to connect to the Internet, the WTRU sends a request to the WLAN AP  130  which is connected to the Ethernet connection  115  of the smart multiplexer  100 . The MAC address of the user is received by the hardware router, which forwards the MAC address to a corresponding USB interface/port  120  to which a specific U100 device is connected.  
         [0019]     Each U100 in a WCDMA  3 G network can support up to 384 kbps data rate (macro cell). A WLAN/UWB/Bluetooth™ user is provided this bandwidth via a specific U100 and is mapped to a particular USB port. This way, there is no confusion as to where particular user traffic has to be routed in the smart multiplexer  100 . The hardware router  105  inputs the MAC address into the mapping unit  125  which includes a routing table, (see Table 1 below), that correlates routable MAC addresses to respective USB interfaces  120 .  
                           TABLE 1                                   User MAC Address   Associated USB port                           MAC Address #1   USB Port #1           MAC Address #2   USB Port #2           MAC Address #3   USB Port #3           . . .           . . .           MAC Address #n   USB Port #n                      
 
         [0020]     If the MAC address is not found in the routing table of Table 1, the hardware router  105  sends the MAC address to the controller  110 , which authenticates and authorizes the user depending on the information, either stored locally in the smart multiplexer  100  or by accessing an external server, such as an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server. The controller  110  selects a USB interface  120  and its associated U100 over which traffic will be routed to and from the Internet. The controller  110  also sends the MAC address of this user to be added in the routing table of the mapping unit  125  of the hardware router  105 . From then on, any traffic for this MAC address will be routed by the hardware router  105  to the corresponding USB interface  120  without the intervention of the controller  110 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system  200  which incorporates the features of the smart multiplexer  100  and the external WLAN  130  of  FIG. 1  for providing Internet access. The system  200  includes a U100 master  205 , a USB hub  210  and a plurality of U100 slaves  215 ,  220  in accordance with the present invention. The U100 platform connectivity is extended by adding Ethernet interfaces to it in the case of U100 master  205 . Also, a software module, (i.e., the controller  110 ), is incorporated into the U100 master  205 . No modifications are needed to the U100 slaves  215 ,  220 . There is no relationship between the WTRU(s)  135 , the U100 master  205  and the U100 slaves  215 ,  220 , except for the fact that each WTRU traffic path is routed through a particular U100 slave  215 ,  220 .  
         [0022]     The system  200  incorporates the features of the smart multiplexer  100  of  FIG. 1  for providing Internet access, such as on mass-transit vehicles. A controller  110  in the U100 master  205  dictates how the USB hub  210  should behave. The mapping unit  125  is located in the USB hub and operates in the same fashion described above.  
         [0023]     The data rates supported by 2.5 G/3 G networks for the U100 master  205  and the U100 slaves  215 ,  220  is the rate limiting factor. The highest data rate in a 3 G network macro cell is 384 kbps, which is not sufficient for supporting multiple WLAN/UWB/Bluetooth™ data rates. Thus, the present invention uses the USB hub  210  and a plurality of U100 slaves  215 ,  220  such that traffic can be routed either through path  225  or paths  230 ,  235  as long these paths are not currently assigned to an existing WLAN/UWB/Bluetooth™ user (i.e., WTRU  135 ). The path between the U100 master  205  to the USB hub  210  is through a USB interface  120  to facilitate communication therebetween.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system  300  similar to the system  200  of  FIG. 2  except that a WLAN AP  130 ′ is embedded in a U100 master  305  to provide a WLAN interface  310  for at least one WTRU  135 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a system  400  similar to the system  200  of  FIG. 2  except that a Bluetooth™ gateway  410  is embedding in a U100 master  405  to provide a Bluetooth™ interface  415  for at least one WTRU  135 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system  500  similar to the system  200  of  FIG. 2  except that it includes a UWB gateway  510  is embedded in a U100 master to provide a UWB interface  515  for at least one WTRU  135 .  
         [0027]     One problem of using a mobile platform WLAN interface as an AP is that battery life is significantly diminished, since a sleep mode cannot be implemented. This can be easily mitigated by necessitating the use of a battery charger during use when charging the WLAN AP  130 . Additional power savings may be achieved by reducing the transmit power and reducing the coverage radius from 100 m to 5 m or 10 m, or by using lower data rates (1/2/5.5 Mbps) instead of 10 Mbps. The outgoing 3 G pipe is typically only 384 kbps.  
         [0028]     Although the features and elements of the present invention are described in the preferred embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the preferred embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features and elements of the present invention.