Patent ID: 7206294

Claim:
A mobile access point, adapted for use with a packet-switched communications network comprising at least one fixed access point, to provide a mobile wireless user terminal with access to the network while said mobile access point is moving, said mobile access point comprising: at least one transceiver, adapted to transmit and receive communications signals to and from said wireless user terminal, and including a wireless backhaul, adapted to communicate with said fixed access point to enable said at least one transceiver to operate as a communications link between said wireless user terminal and said fixed access point, to provide said wireless user terminal with access to said network via said communications link while said mobile access point is moving; and a structure, adapted to house said at least one transceiver, and being adapted to mount on or in a mobile vehicle, wherein the packet-switched communications network includes a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network, and said mobile access point and said at least one fixed access point operate in the wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer network and communicate with each other via the wireless backhaul.