1. A ground support vehicle (10) comprising:
an omni-directional vehicle (11) defining a vertical axis (16);
a lift (62) coupled to said omni-directional vehicle; and
a platform (37) revolvably coupled to said lift so as to rotate about said vertical axis;
whereby said lift raises and lowers the elevation of said platform with respect to said omni-directional vehicle.
2. The ground support vehicle (10) of claim 1 wherein said omni-directional vehicle comprises:
a frame (14);
first and second drive wheels (12R, 12L) rotatively coupled to said frame, each of said drive wheels capable of independent powered forward and rearward rotation about a horizontal axis (18) that intersects said vertical axis (16), said first and second drive wheels designed and arranged to revolve about said vertical axis.
3. The ground support vehicle (10) of claim 1 further comprising:
an operators station (38) disposed on said lift generally at the elevation of said platform, whereby said lift raises and lowers the elevation of said operators station;
a first control lever (31R) positioned on a first side of said operators station being operatively coupled to a first motor (26R) for controlling the speed and direction of said first drive wheel (12R); and
a second control lever (31L) positioned on a second side of said operators station being operatively coupled to a second motor (26L) for controlling the speed and direction of said second drive wheel (12L).
4. The ground support vehicle of claim 3 wherein:
said vertical axis (16) passes through said operators station (38); and
said platform (37) is characterized generally by the shape of a ring formed about said vertical axis, said operators station bounded by said platform.
5. The ground support vehicle of claim 1 wherein:
said platform (37) comprises a plurality of compartments (76) defined by a plurality of partitions (74) and dimensioned for receiving an aircraft galley service cart (350).
6. The ground support vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a housing (40) connected to said lift and substantially disposed about said platform.
7. The ground support vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of outrigger arms (23) having proximal ends coupled to said frame (14), said outrigger arms disposed along a plurality of radials of said vertical axis and circumpositioned symmetrically about the perimeter of said vehicle (10), said plurality of outrigger arms arranged and designed to extend and retract along said plurality of radials; and
a plurality of swivel casters (20) coupled to distal ends of said outrigger arms;
whereby said plurality of outrigger arms and said plurality of swivel casters cooperate to support said vehicle (10).
8. The ground support vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a gangplank (88) extendibly and retractably coupled to said lift so as to be raised and lowered with respect to said omni-directional vehicle by said lift.
9. A service vehicle (10) comprising:
an omni-directional vehicle (11) defining a vertical axis (16);
a lift (62) coupled to said omni-directional vehicle; and
an operators station (38) arranged and designed for maneuvering said omni-directional vehicle coupled to said lift so as to be raised and lowered with respect to said omni-directional vehicle by said lift.
10. The service vehicle of claim 1 wherein said vehicle (10) further comprises:
a frame (14),
first and second drive wheels (12R, 12L) rotatively coupled to said frame, each of said drive wheels capable of independent powered forward and rearward rotation about a horizontal axis (18) that intersects said vertical axis (16), said first and second drive wheels designed and arranged to revolve about said vertical axis;
a first control level (31R) positioned on a first side of said operators station being operatively coupled to a first motor (26R) for controlling the speed and rotation of said first drive wheel (12R); and
a second control lever (31L) positioned on a second side of said operators station being operatively coupled to a second motor (26L) for controlling the speed and rotation of said second drive wheel (12L).
11. The service vehicle of claim 2 further comprising:
a plurality of outrigger arms (23) having proximal ends coupled to said frame, said outrigger arms disposed along a plurality of radials of said vertical axis and circumpositioned symmetrically about the perimeter of said vehicle (10), said plurality of outrigger arms arranged and designed to extend and retract along said plurality of radials; and
a plurality of swivel casters (20) coupled to distal ends of said outrigger arms;
whereby said plurality of outrigger arms and said plurality of swivel casters cooperate to support said vehicle (10).
12. The service vehicle of claim 1 wherein:
said lift is a scissor lift.
13. In an omni-directional vehicle characterized by a generally circular shaped defining a vertical axis (16) and having a frame (14) and first and second drive wheels (12R, 12L) rotatively coupled to said frame, each of said drive wheels capable of independent powered forward and rearward rotation about a horizontal axis (18) that intersects said vertical axis, said first and second drive wheels being designed and arranged to revolve about said vertical axis, the improvement comprising:
a plurality of outrigger arms (23) having proximal ends coupled to said frame, said outrigger arms disposed along a plurality of radials of said vertical axis and circumpositioned symmetrically about the perimeter of said vehicle (10), said plurality of outrigger arms arranged and designed to extend and retract along said plurality of radials; and
a plurality of swivel casters (20) coupled to distal ends of said outrigger arms;
whereby said plurality of outrigger arms and said plurality of swivel casters cooperate to support said vehicle (10).
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. A method for providing multimedia broadcastmulticast service in a mobile telecommunication system having at least one serving support node, at least one radio network controller and means for radio communication with at least two user equipments subscribing to said multimedia broadcastmulticast service, comprising the steps of:
providing multimedia broadcastmulticast data from said at least one serving support node to said at least two user equipments,
using a common user plane between a first serving support node of said at least one serving support node and a first radio network controller of said at least one radio network controller for multimedia broadcastmulticast data to at least a first user equipment and a second user equipment of said at least two user equipments.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein all said at least two user equipments within a service area use said common user plane.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first user equipment has said first radio network controller as serving radio network controller and said second user equipment has a second radio network controller as serving radio network controller, whereby a communication path of a control plane of at least one of said first and second user equipment is separated from a communication path of said first user plane.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a communication path of said control plane of said second user equipment is separated from said communication path of said first user plane.
5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of communicating MBMS information of said second user equipment from said second radio network controller to said first radio network controller.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said MBMS information of said second user equipment (50C-D) comprises an attach request.
7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of determining, in said first radio network controller, whether use of common resources for MBMS data is favorable, based on said MBMS information communicated from said second radio network controller.
8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of communicating information associated with MBMS from said first radio network controller to said second radio network controller.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said information associated with MBMS communicated from said first radio network controller to said second radio network controller comprises an attach response.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said information associated with MBMS communicated from said first radio network controller to said second radio network controller comprises an indication of transferring between a mode using said common user plane and a mode using dedicated user planes.
11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said information associated with MBMS communicated from said first radio network controller to said second radio network controller comprises a request to remove any dedicated user planes to said second radio network controller for said at least one user equipment.
12. A controlling radio network controller in a mobile telecommunication system having at least one serving support node and means for radio communication with at least two user equipments subscribing to a multimedia broadcastmulticast service, comprising:
means for providing multimedia broadcastmulticast data from said at least one serving support node to said at least two user equipments,
means for using a common user plane between a first serving support node of said at least one serving support node and a first radio network controller of said at least one radio network controller for multimedia broadcastmulticast data to at least a first user equipment and a second user equipment of said at least two user equipments.
13. The controlling radio network controller according to claim 12, wherein said means for using a common user plane is arranged to handle communication to all said at least two user equipments within a service area.
14. The controlling radio network controller according to claim 12, wherein an interface to a second radio network controller serving as serving radio network controller of said second user equipment, and means for separating a communication path of a control plane of at least one of said first and second user equipment from a communication path of said first user plane.
15. The controlling radio network controller according to claim 14, wherein said means for separating is arranged to separate said communication path of said control plane of said second user equipment from said communication path of said first user plane.
16. The controlling radio network controller according to claim 14, wherein said interface is arranged to communicate MBMS information of said second user equipment from said second radio network controller to said first radio network controller I.
17. The controlling radio network controller according to claim 16, further comprising means for determining whether use of common resources for MBMS data is favorable, based on said MBMS information communicated from said second radio network controller.
18. Controlling radio network controller according to claim 16, wherein said interface is further arranged to communicate information associated with MBMS from said first radio network controller to said second radio network controller.
19. A serving radio network controller in a mobile telecommunication system having at least one serving support node, at least one further radio network controller and means for radio communication with at least two user equipments subscribing to a multimedia broadcastmulticast service, said serving radio network controller comprising:
means for providing multimedia broadcastmulticast service control signaling to a first of said at least two user equipments,
interface to a first of said at least one further radio network controller serving as controlling radio network controller of said at least two user equipments,
said interface is arranged to communicate MBMS information of said first said at least two user equipments from said serving radio network controller to said first of said at least one further radio network controller.
20. The serving radio network controller according to claim 19, wherein said interface is further arranged to communicate information associated with MBMS from said first of said at least one further radio network controller to said serving radio network controller.
21. The serving radio network controller according to claim 20, further comprising means for removing a user plane for multimedia broadcastmulticast data to said first of said at least two user equipments in response to said information associated with MBMS requesting such removing.