1. A network of mobile cellular networks comprising:
a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system located within a first covered area and configured to generate a first MCN for the first covered area, the first MCN communication system comprising:
a first radio access component configured to receive wireless communications from one or more first user equipment within the first covered area,
a first control and data component in communication with the first radio access component and configured to provide first communication links between the one or more first user equipment within the first covered area, and
a first data store comprising:
authentication data of the one or more first user equipment within the first covered area,
identification data of one or more additional MCN communication systems,
location data of the one or more additional MCN communication systems, and
identification data of user equipment associated with the one or more additional MCN communication systems,
wherein the first MCN communication system independently provides the first communication links between the one or more first user equipment without communication to another MCN communication system; and
a second MCN communication system located within a second covered area and configured to generate a second MCN for the second covered area, the second MCN communication system comprising:
a second radio access component configured to receive wireless communications from one or more second user equipment within the second covered area,
a second control and data component in communication with the second radio access component and configured to provide second communication links between the one or more second user equipment within the second covered area, and
a second data store comprising authentication data of the one or more second user equipment within the second covered area,
wherein the second MCN communication system independently provides the second communication links between the one or more second user equipment without communication to another MCN communication system,
wherein the first MCN communication system and the second MCN communication system are each independently mobile with respect to each other and communicate with each other to provide third communication links between the one or more first user equipment and the one or more second user equipment, and
wherein the first MCN communication system is further configured to:
track location and movement of the second MCN communication system, and
determine whether handover operations are possible between the first and second MCN communication systems based at least in part on the tracked location and movement of the second MCN communication system with respect to the first MCN communication system.
2. A method for establishing a network of mobile cellular network (MCN) communication systems (NOM), the method comprising:
detecting a plurality of MCN communication systems for association based at least in part on at least one of location information of the plurality of MCN communication systems, responses to a broadcast query, or identification of users of the plurality of MCN communication systems, wherein each of the MCN communication systems is located within a covered area, is configured to generate an MCN for the respective covered area, and is independently mobile with respect to the other MCN communication systems, and wherein each MCN communication system comprises:
a radio access component configured to receive wireless communications from one or more user equipment (UE) within the respective covered area,
a control and data component in communication with the radio access component and configured to provide communication links between the one or more UE within the respective covered area, and
a data store comprising authentication data of the one or more UE within the respective covered area,
wherein each of the MCN communication systems independently provides the communication links between the one or more UE without communication to another MCN communication system;
identifying a master device from among the plurality of MCN communication systems, wherein the data store of the master device further comprises:
identification data of the plurality of MCN communication systems,
location data of the plurality of MCN communication systems, and
identification data of user equipment associated with the plurality of MCN communication systems;
generating NOM data based at least in part on UE data received from each of the plurality of MCN communication systems; and
providing the NOM data to each of the plurality of MCN communication systems.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the master device is identified based at least in part on at least one of elevation of each of the plurality of MCN communication systems, a range of the MCNs corresponding to the plurality of MCN communication systems, a location of the plurality of MCN communication systems, or the users of the plurality of MCN communication systems.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the NOM data comprises identification information of UE associated with each of the MCN communication systems, and location information of the plurality of MCN communication systems.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the NOM data is provided to the plurality of MCN communication systems via at least one of satellite communication or microwave or radio wave communication from the master device.
6. A method for establishing a communication link between a first user equipment and a second user equipment, the method comprising:
receiving at a first mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system a request from a first user equipment located within a first MCN corresponding to the first MCN communication system for a communication link with a second user equipment;
determining at the first MCN communication system whether the second user equipment is located within the first MCN;
upon determining that the second user equipment is located within the first MCN, establishing the communication link between the first user equipment and the second user equipment;
upon determining that the second user equipment is not located within the first MCN, determining whether the second user equipment is located within a first network of MCN communication systems (NOM);
upon determining that the second user equipment is located within the first NOM:
retrieving communication link information from NOM data previously received from a master MCN communication system within the NOM, wherein the first MCN communication system and the master MCN communication system are each independently mobile with respect to each other and the master MCN communication comprises a data store comprising:
identification data of the first MCN communication system,
location data of the first MCN communication system, and
identification data of user equipment associated with the first MCN communication system, and
establishing the communication link between the first user equipment and the second user equipment; and
upon determining that the second user equipment is not located within the first NOM:
querying a second NOM,
obtaining communication link information from the second NOM, and
establishing the communication link between the first user equipment and the second user equipment.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the NOM data comprises identification information of user equipment (UE) associated with each of the MCN communication systems, and location information of the MCN communication systems.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the querying the second NOM comprises requesting the master MCN communication system to communicate with the second NOM.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining communication link information comprises receiving the communication link information from the second NOM via the master MCN communication system.
10. A method for handing over user equipment (UE) between a moving mobile cellular network (MCN) communication system and an adjacent MCN communication system, the method comprising:
detecting movement of a moving MCN communication system;
determining a first time when handover operations will be unavailable between the moving MCN communication system and an adjacent MCN communication system, wherein the moving MCN communication system and the adjacent MCN communication system are independently mobile with respect to each other, and the adjacent MCN communication comprises a data store comprising:
identification data of the moving MCN communication system,
location data of the moving MCN communication system, and
identification data of user equipment associated with the moving MCN communication system;
identifying a first set of user equipment (UE) comprising UE associated with the moving MCN communication system;
identifying a second set of UE comprising UE associated with the adjacent MCN communication system;
identifying one or more UE within the first set of UE for handover to the adjacent MCN communication system due to the movement of the moving MCN communication system;
identifying one or more UE within the second set of UE for handover to the moving MCN communication system due to the movement of the moving MCN communication system and the movement of the identified one or more UE within the second set of UE;
handing over the identified one or more UE within the first set of UE to the adjacent MCN communication system prior to the first time; and
handing over the identified one or more UE within the second set of UE to the moving MCN communication system prior to the first time.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to the movement of the moving MCN communication system, the moving MCN communication system and the adjacent MCN communication system are adjacent to each other.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving MCN communication system detects the movement and communicates the movement to the adjacent MCN communication system.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein a master MCN communication system detects the movement and communicates the movement to the adjacent MCN communication system.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of UE comprise UE within a moving MCN corresponding to the moving MCN communication system.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of UE comprise UE within an adjacent MCN corresponding to the adjacent MCN communication system.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more UE within the first set of UE are identified based at least in part on a radio signal strength between the one or more UE within the first set of UE and the moving MCN communication system and the radio signal strength between the one or more UE within the first set of UE and the adjacent MCN communication system.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more UE within the second set of UE are identified based at least in part on a radio signal strength between the one or more UE within the second set of UE and the moving MCN communication system and the radio signal strength between the one or more UE within the second set of UE and the adjacent MCN communication system.
18. The network of mobile cellular networks of claim 1, wherein during movement of the second MCN communication system, the second MCN communication system is further configured to detect a signal strength of at least one second user equipment of the one or more second user equipment and provide the at least one second user equipment with location information of another MCN communication system upon detecting a weak signal between the second MCN communication system and the at least one second user equipment.
19. The network of mobile cellular networks of claim 1, wherein
the first MCN communication system independently provides the first communication links between the one or more first user equipment without communication to another MCN communication system when in a first operation mode,
the second MCN communication system independently provides the second communication links between the one or more second user equipment without communication to another MCN communication system when in the first operation mode, and
the first MCN communication system and the second MCN communication system communicate with each other to provide third communication links between the one or more first user equipment and the one or more second user equipment when in a second operation mode.
20. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the MCN communication system independently provides the communication links between the one or more UE without communication to another MCN communication system when in a first operation mode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An access network system comprising:
a plurality of external network relay devices, which are relay devices for connecting to other networks; and
a plurality of internal network relay devices for relaying information that is transmitted and received within the same network and that belong to any of a plurality of groups that are set to correspond to said external network relay devices;
wherein each said external network relay device comprises:
a group movement parameter measurement unit for measuring group movement parameters that are used for determining whether the need exists to change the group affiliation of said internal network relay devices; and
a group control unit for, when measurement results of said group movement parameter measurement unit meet conditions that have been set in advance, transmitting group movement notification messages instructing the change of groups to internal network relay devices of its own group and causing the internal network relay devices to change to other groups;
wherein:
said internal network relay devices each comprise a group affiliation control unit for determining that its own device is a border relay device when at least one adjacent internal network relay device or external network relay device belongs to another group, and for notifying the results of this determination to the external network relay device of the group to which said internal network relay device belongs; and
said external network relay devices each use said group control unit to designate as relay devices that are the objects of movement, which are the objects of movement to other groups, border relay devices of the border relay devices within its own group that lack a border relay device downstream and internal network relay devices that are connected downstream of the border relay devices; and notify each of internal network relay devices within its own group whether these internal network relay devices are said relay devices that are objects of movement.
2. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said internal network relay devices each comprise:
a communication control unit for both generating a plurality of forwarding tables for communicating with said external network relay devices and using the forwarding tables that correspond to the group to which said internal network relay device belongs to perform the process of forwarding said information; and
a forwarding table memory unit for storing each of said forwarding tables.
3. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said group affiliation control unit determines the group of the external network relay device that has the lowest hop count from the internal network relay device of said group affiliation control unit to be the group to which that device is to belong.
4. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein:
said group affiliation control unit, upon receiving said group movement notification message from the external network relay device of the group to which the internal network relay device of that group affiliation control unit belongs, determines whether that internal network relay device is said relay device that is the object of movement; and
when the internal network relay device of that group affiliation control unit is said relay device that is the object of movement, said internal network relay device changes to the group of another external network relay device.
5. The access network system according to claim 4, wherein said group affiliation control unit determines to change the group of the external network relay device that has the lowest hop count, with the exception of the external network relay device that transmitted said group movement notification message.
6. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said group movement parameter measurement unit measures the processing load of said external network relay devices.
7. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said group movement parameter measurement unit measures the frequency of use of resources of said external network relay devices.
8. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said group movement parameter measurement unit measures the number of frames that undergo the forwarding process within a prescribed time interval in said external network relay devices.
9. A method for moving internal network relay devices for causing said internal network relay devices to change groups of affiliation in an access network system that includes a plurality of external network relay devices, which are relay devices for connecting to other networks, and a plurality of internal network relay devices for relaying information that is transmitted and received within the same network and that belong to any of a plurality of groups that are set to correspond to said external network relay devices; the method comprising:
measuring, by said external network relay devices, group movement parameters that are used to determine whether the need exists to change group affiliation of said internal network relay devices; and
when the results of measuring said group movement parameters meet conditions that have been set in advance, transmitting group movement notification messages instructing the change of group to internal network relay devices within its own group and cause the internal network relay devices to change to other groups; and
determining, by said internal network relay devices, that its own device is a border relay device when at least one adjacent internal network relay device or external network relay device belongs to another group, and notifies the results of this determination to the external network relay device of the group to which it belongs; and
each of said external network relay devices:
designates as relay devices that are the objects of movement, which are the objects of movement to other groups, border relay devices of the border relay devices within its own group that lack a border relay device downstream and internal network relay devices that are connected downstream of said border relay devices; and
notifies each of internal network relay devices within its own group whether these internal network relay devices are said relay devices that are objects of movement.
10. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said internal network relay devices:
both generates a plurality of forwarding tables for communicating with said external network relay devices and stores the forwarding tables in respective memory units; and
performs the process of forwarding said information by using the forwarding tables that correspond to the group to which said internal network relay device belongs.
11. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said internal network relay devices determines the group of the external network relay device that has the lowest hop count from that internal network relay device to be the group to which that device is to belong.
12. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said internal network relay devices:
upon receiving said group movement notification message from the external network relay device of the group to which that internal network relay device belongs, determines whether that internal network relay device is said relay device that is the object of movement; and
when that internal network relay device is said relay device that is the object of movement, said internal network relay device changes to the group of another external network relay device.
13. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 12, wherein each of said internal network relay devices changes to the group of the external network relay device that has the lowest hop count, with the exception of the external network relay device that transmitted said group movement notification message.
14. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said external network relay devices measures the processing load of its own device as said group movement parameter.
15. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said external network relay devices measures the frequency of use of resources of its own device as said group movement parameter.
16. The method of moving internal network relay devices according to claim 9, wherein each of said external network relay devices measures the number of frames that undergo the forwarding process within a prescribed time interval in its own device as said group movement parameter.
17. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein each group of said plurality of groups is assigned exclusively to a different external network relay device of said plurality of external network relay devices.
18. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein:
said internal network relay devices each comprise said group affiliation control unit for determining which group of said plurality of groups to belong to, establishing an affiliation with said group by selecting a corresponding external network relay device which belongs exclusively to said group, and transmitting a group entry notification message to said corresponding external network relay device belonging to said group for updating group information within said corresponding external network relay device.
19. The access network system according to claim 1, wherein said group control unit of said external network relay device transmits a border relay device notification request message to all of said internal network relay devices which belong to a group assigned exclusively to said external network relay device; and
said internal network relay devices each comprise said group affiliation control unit which determines upon receipt of said border relay device notification request message whether its own said internal network relay device is a border relay device that is adjacent to an internal network relay device of another group by sending inquiries regarding group affiliation to each adjacent internal network relay device.
20. The access network system according to claim 19, wherein said group affiliation control unit of said internal network relay device sends a border relay device notification message to said external network relay device assigned to said group to which said internal network relay device belongs to notify said external network relay device that said internal network relay device is a border device of said group.