-Method and Carrier for Implementing a Wireless Network

Technical field

The present invention is regarding wire-less networks comprising nodes that indirectly Ot directly communicates with each, other said in particular mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) and pecr-to-pεer networks (P2P).

Standpoint of the technology

Ad-hoc- and P2P-networks are decentralised networks that , instead of coπnectkig to a base- station, viz mobileruast/basestatioa for GSM, 3G, Bluetooth , 3RF, IR, IP, connects to several nodes and thereby creates a network:, A peer-to-peer network is a network, without my particular sever, where every basestation perform sender duties while an ad-hoc network completely eliminates the need for a network operator. An example to be mentioned is a mobile phone that not onϊy acts as a transmitter and receiver that connects to a mast but also acts as a nodes for other mobile phones, Even data communication -via wireless networks can work in an ad-hoc network where every computer acts as a nodes in the network.

A mobile ad-hoc network is an autonomous system consisting of mobile routers and thereto belonging hosts connected to vireless links There are mainly no restrictions concerning the mobility of these routers and they can organise themselves in an arbitrary way resulting in a fast and unforeseeable change in the topology of the network. A mobile ad-koc network can act independently or be connected to other networks such as Internet. What makes these mobile networks so interesting is that they don't need any fixed infrastructure but the participating nodes themselves creates their own, cooperating infrastructure by accepting the transmission of -each others data packages.

Though that there today exist infrastructure for data- and telecomπmmcation, are there several situations when there is a need for ad-hoc networks, The number of users in a geographical area can be to small or to big to economically motivate a change in the infrastructure, the existing infrastructure can be in need of service due to technical malfunction and the existin Structure might not be sufficiently good or is to expensive,

The mobile ad-hoc networks are shortly characterised as follows:

1. New members can at any time join or leave the network ^,

2. No base station is needed for to join to the net host or to other mobile hosts. 3 No need for delivery aαd position management

4. Each node acts as a router and transmits packages from other nodes.

A mobile phone is a very suitable carrier why It's very proper to incorporate a function making the mobile phone act as a node since it has a large geographical ejtfead

A large problem for ad-hoc networks in the form of mobile phones that limits its use, is the power supply- For a mobile phone, to be used as a node in a network with other phones, the mobile phone to constantly be in "talkingmode". Hence the mobile phone has to be connected and must not be in stand by mode.The battery in a mobile phone is discharged in a couple of hours when in "speaking mode" resulting in that a user can only he connected during a limited time before recharging αfthe battery is needed. Some nodes might therefore decide to enter "power save mode" when they have nothing to transmit or nothing of high priority occurs- This can in tarn affect the whole network since each node is responsible to transmit others

packages as well as its owns See further in "Critical ad-hoc networking features" in Computiag UøpJugged, March 2005 by Humayun Bakht

Tn "Maximum Battery Life Routing to Support Ubiquitous Mobile Computing in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks" by CK-Toh, different solutions for the power supply problem are proposed in which routing algorithms to choose the best route between the nodes regarding battery capacity, power consumption for transmission, stability etc, is used.

See also "A Comparative Study of Ad Hoc & Peer to Peer Networks" by Joseph Borg

The essence of the existing solutions is to optimize the power consumption through choice of node in transmission of signals and by energy conservation Since the nodes are using batteries with very limited capacity this does not provide a substantial solution

The Invention

Hence there is a need of a solution that provides, to a ad-hoc network or a similar wireless network, nodes whose power suppiy capacity is substantially larger than the today existing ones

There is a need of a solution that provides an ad- hoc network ( or similar network) that is stable and does not loose nodes due to lack of power supply. ltn the present invention a method is provided that is mainly characterised by that it comprises the following steps, placing osαe or several nodes in or in connection with One or several vehicle batteries and to let these nodes accomplish the transfer of information, in said wireless network.

According to the present invention also a device provided for transmission of signals/datapackages in. a wireless network hat is mainly characterised by that the device , at least, comprises a transmitter and/or receiver in or in connection with a vehicle battery

The present invention also provides a wireless network consisting of nodes that indirectly or directly communicates with each other and that mainly is characterised by that said nodes consists of tranceivers that are arranged in or in connection with vehicle batteries.

The submitted realizations forms are stated in the underclaims

Summarized legends for figures.

The invention will in the following and in a nonlimiting way and illustrative reasons be described by reference to the attached figures in which"

Fig 1 shows an example of how a zone based routing procedure can be done I an ad- hoc network,

Fig-2 showg a wireless network according to a submitted realizationform of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention.

In fig 1 an example is showed on how a zonebased routing procedure can _. take place in an ad- hoc network. A transmitter 1 wishes to send a messages to a receiver 2 The transmitting node 1 starts by seeking the receivernode within its routingzone 1'. ^" When it notices that the recervernode is not located within routingzonel ' it sends a question to the peripheral nodes 3,4 and 5 which then starts search for received within their respective zones 3',4'and 5'. When they don't find receiver 2 they in their turn sends a question to their peripheral nodes etc, Finally node 6 locates receiver 2 in its routingszone 6 'and answers by the way 2-6-3- 1 , Transmissionnode 1 communicates thereby indirectly with receivernode 2, but directly with nodes 3,4 and 5 There exists Several other types of routing procedures why this routing procedure only should he considered as an example

According to the present invention a wireless network is provided that consists of nodes that indirectly or directly communicates with each other. Instead of as in a conventional network, let the communicating terminals-in this case mobile phones-constitute the nodes of the network, external transceivers are attached to power supplies which in turn are not in physical, contact with the said user terminals. Thereby is a network accomplished that consists of nodes m the form of transmitters and receivers-transceivers-attached to these power supplies, The advantage by this is that the battery in the mobile phone will last essentially as the mobile phones in a traditional GSM-network since the mobile phones themselves do not constitute the nodes and nol constantly have to be in "speaking mode, It is sufficient that the mobile phone is in standdby mode since the transmission of the signals, within the network is prosecuted via nodes which are not in physical contact with the mobile phones However when a. mobile phone is contacted by a node the phone is activated in the same way as in a conventional GSM-net.

In Fig.2 is a submitted realization form shown of the present invention where the above mentioned power supplies is constituted of car batteries. A transceiver is integrated with the cars battery and connected to it and thereby receives the power needed to fulfil the function as. node. The car battery is preferably a battery that is arranged in or nx direct connection with the car and is charged upon running of the car and preferably also acts as ignition ^" battery The transceiver can also be located outside the casing of the battery One could εdso consider a specially designed transceiver that easily can be connected to an ordinary, traditional car battery, Hence the transceiver can be arranged in or Ln connecton with the car battery which results in that the car battery provides the transceiver with power and the car battery aets as bothly carrier of the node and power supply, A person 7 who wishes to talk to or transmit a raessage/signal/datapackage from its u§er terminal to an other user terminal belonging to person 8, who is in the wireless network, establishes a connection between the two user terminals since information sent from terminal 1 is passed over via transceivers or nodes arranged in or ks connection to the cats batteries , to the other terminal.

The advantages by using a car battery are several'

The node obtains a very long battery runtime, even when the car is not running

One gets a very powerful powersupply that makes high power in transmission and reception feasible

The battery is automatically charged whrn the caris running

Since cars are present at most places where people exist, a very large geographical spread is obtained

Very large band width for, for instance, telephone, data and tv is obtained.

By using car batteries and other power supplies that are not physically connected to the user terminals, one does not have to build masts for communication since the mobile phone, computer, tv etc, communicates with the network that the nodes creates. Preferrably one can use the following welltoiown techniques for nodes within, for example,: GSM, 3G, Bluetooth, KF, IR, IP telephone etc, Probably will these also be based on future technologies for transmission of digital signals.

An advantage by using car batteries as earner of nodes, is that the network becomes highly mobile, to cities, the large presence of cars results in that the coverage becomes at least as large as if the terminals were used as nodes. Due to the high power of the car batteries, also areas were no cars exist -will be incorporated m the network. If an area -would happen to not be covered by the network, a solution could be a node attached to an external power supply that is strategically positioned An example to this is a node attached to a car battery that is charged by solarcells.

An other advantage is that the possibility is large for coverage in almost nonpopulated areas, A house far out in the forest will be covered by the network provided there are cars -within the range of the node

Even in places were cqr$ cannot run, as in archipelagos, in the mountains etc, coverage be obtained nodes attached to snow scooter batteries or batteries in boats. Through this realizationform the band width wϊll be large in coastal regions during the summer when a lot of boats are around Areas in the mountains will probably have better during the winter when a lot of snow scooters and cars are around

Other earners of nodes could e- batteries for military vehicles, truck batteries, ship batteries motorcycle batteries etc, etc

If the vehicle in question has not been running for a long time the battery might have been decharged since the node needs power continuously. In other to avoid decharging of the battery one could connect a time-function or a detector for charging level that m that case disconnects the nodefunction.

An other submitted redi^atiouform according to the invention is to construct the transceivers and/or batteries in such a way that a user ^" by simple means can connect or disconnect the transceiver to or from lhe battery respectively, in such a form the user could bring the transceiver on a boating tour and by doing so improve possibilities for large coverage.

An other submitted realizationform is to design the transceiver 50 that they can be connected to the cigarettlighter or similar in a car. In this way a user can easily bring the transceiver when changing vehicle and hence improve coverage when, for instance change to rental car.

The invention is of course not limited to the above described designs. Modifications are possible in particular when it comes to the constitution of the different components, or by using equivalent technology, within the limits of protection for the invention, as defined by the claims