Abstract:
The invention provides both a fixed and a mobile data telecommunication service using a fixed code, direct sequence spread spectrum, connection-free data protocol as an overlay on cellular or PCS wireless services. A wide band connectionless data protocol is employed to transmit packetized digital data from a variety of home sources e.g. www inputs, e-mail, utility meter readings, security system data, to a local cellular or PCS communications hub station. From the hub station the cellular/PCS provider routes the packet data into packet networks for delivery to a variety of recipient parties designated by address within the packets themselves. The data capability is provided as a supplement to the existing communications capability of the cellular/PCS system and overlays, but does not destructively interfere with, the pre-existing voice connection oriented services.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/039,393, filed Feb. 27, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Prior art, Spread ALOHA CDMA Data Communications, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,397, has resolved the problems associated with providing multiple access to a data communications channel without prearranging times or querying availability, and with automatic offsetting of the identical form signals. 
     This invention now provides a fixed and mobile data telecommunication service using a fixed code (or several fixed codes), direct sequence spread spectrum, connection free data protocol as an overlay on cellular or PCS wireless services. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides both a fixed data telecommunication service, Home Data Service (HDS), and a mobile data telecommunication service, Personal Data Service (PDS), using a fixed code (or several fixed codes), direct sequence spread spectrum, connection free data protocol as an overlay on cellular or PCS wireless services. 
     The new overlay is designed for providing cost effective broad band fixed and mobile data services by overlaying a Spread Aloha Multiple Access (SAMA) network on existing cellular or PCS systems. It provides two-way data communication to customer premises for AMR and other services and utilizes existing cellular/PCS installations. In the home, interface to applications can be wired (including powerline signals), wireless or a mix. 
     In the Home Data Service, a wide band connectionless data protocol (&gt;100 Kbps peak aggregate data rate at the hub) is employed to transmit packetized digital data from a variety of home sources (e.g. www inputs, e-mail, utility meter readings, security system data, in-home medical data, response and/or control data for cable or direct TV (direct broadcast satellite TV), and other “upstream” data signals through a building-mounted transmitter to a local cellular or PCS communications hub station. From the hub station the cellular/PCS provider routes the packet data into packet networks for delivery to a variety of recipient parties designated by address within the packets themselves. 
     The HDS provider supplies the building hardware and software required to gather and transmit the data to the cellular/PCS hub as well as the add-on hardware and software needed at the hub to receive and decode the data from the hundreds or thousands of buildings within the cell boundaries. The system is capable of both one- and two-way communications. 
     The data capability is provided as a supplement to the existing communications capability of the cellular/PCS system and overlays, but does not destructively interfere with, the preexisting voice (and/or other) connection oriented services. 
     Two options are used for the radio design. The HDS shares the spectrum allocated to the cellular or PCS system, or it is implemented using an entirely separate licensed or unlicensed frequency. In the former case, much of the radio system of the cellular or PCS hub station may be shared with the HDS (e.g., antenna, transmitter, receiver, amplifiers, etc.). In the latter instance, most of these systems are separately provided as part of the HDS. 
     In the Personal Data Service, the data service is delivered directly to individuals through mobile and/or portable devices which may either be moving (as in the case of the normal cellular or PCS subscriber) or be moveable from place to place. All other elements of the above description for the HDS implementation apply, other than the typical applications. 
     In this configuration, the PDS either is integrated into the portable voice hand sets used in cellular and PCS today, or is implemented in stand alone devices such as wireless modems, two-way pagers and other wireless mobile data devices. Such implementations serve to provide mobile individuals with two-way paging, e-mail, Internet access (including www), medical monitoring, and other services. Additionally, the PDS is utilized for efficient data communications for package or asset tracking, vehicle tracking, and other commercial or industrial mobile data services. 
     The preferred invention is focussed on overlaying Spread ALOHA data communications with broad band, connectionless data transmission on top of existing connection oriented cellular or PCS systems or on dedicated cellular-like structures, rather than using and therefore displacing their existing connection oriented services. Power, alarm and in-home health monitoring are some of many sources of data within the home. The invention is focussed on the digital telecommunication system between the home and the pre-existing and modified cell hub. The invention in the form of the Personal Data System provides the overlay data service for mobile users. 
     The Spread ALOHA system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,397 preferably is used to separate the data packets arriving substantially simultaneously at the hub from the HDS and PDS data devices. 
     These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with the claims and the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the new overlay system showing the PDS and HDS systems used with the cellular, PCS or packet network hub and a packet data system. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the data device which is a card with an antenna connection, a chip set for a mobile telephone or a stand-alone device. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic detail of the cellular phone with a personal monitor. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic detail of a PDS card for inserting in a portable computer. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic detail of a chip set for installation in an automobile. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic detail of a watt meter and sender and a controller and switch for use with electrically operated devices. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic detail of an alarm system and sender. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic detail of a patient monitoring system for an HDS system. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of a hub installation. 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of HDS operation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a data communication service  1  which may either be a fixed data communication service  10 , also referred to as a Home Data Service or HDS or a mobile data communication service  20 , also designated as a Personal Data Service or PDS. Each service uses data communication transmitters or transceivers  30 , also called data devices. Within a home  11 , several devices, for example a water heater  12 , a television descrambler  13  and a freezer  14 , may be connected to the home data device  15 , which is shown schematically mounted on an outside of a wall of a home. 
     An alarm system  16  and a medical patient  17  may be connected to the home data device  15 . an antenna  18  sends and receives signals. In the Personal Data System, the data device  30  may be a stand-alone hand carried device  21 . The data device may be a chip set within a cellular or PCS telephone which is portable and hand carried by a person  22 . Antenna  23  sends and receives signals in the mobile or PCS. Data device  30  may be permanently mounted in an automobile  24  as part of an onboard cellular or PCS telephone or as a stand-alone data device with no voice capability. The data device  30  may be a separate system of chips embedded in the automobile  24  to send and receive data packets via antenna  25 . The data device may be a card in a computer  26  by which antenna  27  sends and receives data packets. The device is especially useful when working at a remote location, for example in motel  28 . The data devices  30  provide connectionless data transmission. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, when an HDS fixed data transmission system  10  is used in a factory  31  or warehouse, the data device  32  may transmit and receive via antenna  33  data packets which are related to particular operations  34  and machines  35  within the factory. The data device  32  receives data inputs. The data device may be used to supply information to production machinery  36  and warehousing devices  37  for control of manufacture and inventory and for reporting. 
     All of the data devices  30  send addressed data packets using a wide band connectionless data protocol using identical spreading codes in transmissions  40 . The data packet transmissions are received by antenna  41  of cellular, PCS or packet data network hubs  42 , which are mounted on existing or specially erected vertical structures  43 . The data packets are provided by communications  44  to a data packet system  45 , which directs the data packets via communication links  46  to main users  50 , such as utility  47  and hospital or clinic  48 , or places the addressed data packets on internet  49 . 
     Preferably each data device  30  has a modulator for converting the information which it transmits into Spread ALOHA Multiple Access (SAMA) data packets. 
     Each cellular site or hub  42  has a demodulator/modulator for converting the multiplexed SAMA data packets that it receives substantially concurrently from the multiple data devices  30  to addressed data packets, which are provided by microwave, satellite or wire or fiber optic communications  44  to a packet data system  45 . The packet data system directs the addressed data packets to a number of different recipients  50 , for example a utility  47  or hospital  48 . 
     The communications  46  between the packet data system  45  and the number of different recipients  50  may be conducted by microwave, satellite communications or other wire or fiber optic communications. 
     The large users or recipients  50  and the internet  49  provide addressed data packets over the same communication links  46  to the data packet system  45 , the communication links  44  and the modulator in the cell site hub  42 . The cell site antenna  41  broadcasts the addressed data packets to the data devices  30 . Each data device  30  adds its own address to the transmitted data packets it transmits and recognizes its own address in data packets broadcast from the hub. 
     In the Home Data System  10  used in a home  11 , for example, the demodulated digitized information may be delivered to a patient  17  for changing instructions or intravenous drips altering the monitoring of the patient. 
     Demodulated information signals may be directed to water heater  12 , a descrambler on television  13  or freezer  14  to start or stop the systems according to the broadcast signal, or to request a reading of the status of the system. Each data device  30  recognizes its own address and demodulates the signals intended for that data device. The electrical meter in the home may provide digital information to the data device  30  for near real time transmission of data packets having current power usage information. 
     The hub may broadcast data from the utility for turning on and off electric power uses such as water heaters, freezers, air conditioners and clothes dryers which are capable of using power during excesses and minimizing use during maximum consumption periods on power usage. The broadcast data can also provide displays of power costs compared with time of day so that power users may select times of usage. 
     The data packets sent to the data devices may include acknowledgement of data received by the SAMA demodulators at the hub  42 , as well as downlink information for the devices in the home. Part of the downlink information to home  11 , for example, might be to reset or query the security system  16 . In the case of the factory  31 , the data device  32  includes a modulator/demodulator for converting digitized information from the sources  34 - 37  into spread multiple access codes which are transmitted for reception by the cell, PCS or packet data site hub. 
     The spread multiple access data packets are then demodulated and passed to the end user  50 . Acknowledgements are sent back by the modulator within the cell site or hub  42  over digital broadcast communication links  44  and  46  and are received by antenna  33 . The data device  32  recognizes its address and demodulates the broadcast data packets to digital information which it provides to the locations  34 - 37 , such as for altering process controls or starting, stopping or directing machinery. 
     In the Personal Data System  20  the data devices  30  such as hand-held units  21  which may be chip sets in cellular phones, for example, transmit personal medical data which is modulated in the data device  21  and transmitted by antenna  23  as the spread multiple access data packets. A demodulator/modulator in the site or hub  42  receives the data and broadcasts an acknowledgement, and at the same time may provide downlink information in the same data packet broadcast on antenna  41  and addressed to the data device  21 . 
     A person working away from home in a motel  28 , for example, stores information or composes correspondence in a computer  27  and sends that information via antenna  27  to a hub  42  for communicating with a data packet system or the Internet. Hub  42  broadcasts addressed downlink data packets acknowledging receipt of the data packets, and instructing, advancing or delaying the data packet transmission and providing messages from incoming faxes or e-mail to the computer  26 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the data device  30  has an input-output device  51  which receives digital data from the varied sources throughout a home or a factory, or sources associated with the mobile PDS. The input-output device provides signals to the signal processor  53 , which packetizes and modulates the digital information in the form required for Spread ALOHA Multiple Access (SAMA) signals, which are amplified by amplifier  55  and transmitted from antenna  57 . The amplifier  55  and the signal processor are supplied with power from a power source  59 . 
     Incoming signals are amplified and provided to the signal processor  53 , which recognizes signals addressed to the particular data device  30  and delays or advances outgoing data packets according to the information in the inbound data packets. The signal processor also delivers signals through the input-output device  51  to the appropriate peripheral device. 
     An analog-digital converter  61  may be provided in the data device  30  to accept and send appropriate analog signals. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, a convention cellular phone  63  has an embedded signal processor chip  65  to provide continuous monitoring from wristband  69  by superimposing SAMA signals from antenna  67 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a computer card  71  has an input and output chip  73  and a signal processor chip  74 , with an amplifier  75  and an antenna fitting  76  to transmit SAMA signals over antenna  77 . Inbound data packets broadcast by the cell are amplified and demodulated by the signal processor  74 , and when addressed to the particular signal processor, are sent to the input-output device for storing in the computer memory or displaying on the computer screen. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, a mobile automobile data device  81  has a sequence generator  83 , a signal processor  85  and an amplifier  87 , which leads to an antenna  89 . The antenna  89  repeatedly transmits SAMA data packets indicating the identification of the automobile, whenever the system is powered or under certain events when the automobile is started without an appropriate keying, or when the signal processor  85  recognized its address in data packets received on antenna  89  to start the transmitting of data packets with the vehicle identification. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, an HDS system such as a machine or processor, water heater or freezer has a package  91 , which includes a digital watt meter  93 , a sender  95 , a controller  97  and a switch  99 . The sender  95  sends digital data to the input-output device  51  of the data device  30  shown in FIG. 8, and the controller  97  receives control signals from the input-output device  51  to turn switch  99  on or off, as controlled by demodulated signals from the signal processor  53 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7, an alarm system  16  has a sender  100  which sends signals to the input-output device  51  or analog signals to the analog digital converter  61 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a patient monitor  101  which, if it provides analog signals, is connected to an analog digital converter  103  and a sender  105  for providing digital signals to the input-output device  51  of data device  30 . The data device  30  sends repetitive signals on antenna  57 , indicating the patient status. Inbound data packets may be addressed to an intravenous drip controller  107  from the input-output device  51  to control an IV drip  109  according to timing or patient monitoring. 
     FIG. 9 shows a hub  42  with a modulator/demodulator  111  and signal processor  113  connected to the antenna  41  for receiving data packets. The modulator/demodulator and the signal processor demodulate the incoming data packets and provide them to a communications link  115 , where the signals are sent by microwave  117  or wire or fiber optic cables  119  to the packet data system and main users. Inbound signals from the communication link  115  are fed to the signal processor and the modulator/demodulator  111 , which convert the incoming digital signals to data packets for broadcasting on antenna  41 . The entire system shown in FIG. 9 is used as an overlay to the existing cell or PCS hub and does not materially interfere with the digital voice system communications. 
     The signal processor  113  in the hub additionally creates advance or retard signals addressed to individual data devices with the acknowledgement data to enhance signal separation of the SAMA data packets. 
     FIG. 10 shows an overlay schematic for an HDS. Patient monitoring  17 , energy management  121 , TV back channel  13  and web surfing  123  are provided by data packet transmissions from the transceivers  15  and broadcasts from hub  42  to and from large users  50 , which include video service  125 . 
     The invention provides Fixed Data Service, a new Home Data Service (HDS), and Mobile Data Telecommunication Service, a Personal Data Service (PDS). Data devices, in both systems, convert information inputs to direct sequence spread spectrum data packets and transmit the packets on shared frequencies using a connection free protocol such as SAMA. The data devices also receive spread spectrum data packets and send the packets to relevant systems or convert the incoming data packets to signals which are directed to the relevant systems. In preferred new PDS systems the data devices are integrated into laptop or hand held computers or are embedded in vehicles or containers. Alternatively, the data devices may be hand carried and plugged into computers, telephones or other systems. 
     The new fixed or Home Data Services is a wide band connectionless, multiple access data protocol system which transmits direct sequence spread spectrum data packets from a fixed home data device. The data device is composed of input/output signal processing, transceiver and antenna systems and can be connected to one or several home inputs. Examples of these inputs include, but are not limited to, a computer, one or more utility meters, a security system, an in-home patient monitoring system, and a television or other service control and/or response system. 
     The data device converts the multiple inputs and other computer-added information into spread spectrum data packets with distinct destination addresses. The transmitter transmits the data packets to a local commercial cellular, PCS or other data hub. The hub station directs the data packets to packet networks for delivery to recipients designated by addresses within the data packets. Similarly, the data device would receive signals from the hub and route the packets to the relevant system within the home or business. An example of such signals would be the electric utility sending commands to control energy-consuming appliances within the home or business. 
     The new Mobile or Personal Data Service performs directly analogous services to people and devices in mobile environments. The data device is embedded in laptop computers, cellular or PCS handsets and enables data packets to be transmitted and received as the person or vehicle moves with a cellular, PCS or other data network. 
     The data packets include, but are not limited to, e-mail, two-way paging, internet data, faxes, medical or other status monitoring data. The personal data services can also be used for efficient data communications for package, asset and vehicle tracking and other commercial-industrial mobile data communications. 
     The data packet transmissions from the Home Data Service or Personal Data Service are received by existing cellular, PCS or other data networks and operate as an overlay, which does not interfere with existing voice or other services. 
     Reception may be provided by stand-alone or dedicated networks with separate frequencies, antennae and hubs. 
     The systems are one-way or two-way data communication systems using a wideband connection free multiple access protocol such as SAMA from the home, business or mobile user to the hub station and a digital broadcast protocol from the hub station to the home, business or mobile unit. The home system, for example, may be used to control power-consuming equipment to facilitate cost effective energy conservation. The system provides near real-time power consumption data, allowing variable power billing according to utility costs. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.