Communication network having wireless access to a service center
View Patent ↗A communication network has an open-ended communication loop coupled to a communication ring at separate points on the ring. The communication network has wireless access points that are coupled to the loop. The wireless access points exchange user communications in a wireless communication format with user wireless communication devices. The wireless access points exchange the user communications with a service center over the communication loop and the communication ring. The wireless access points re-route the user communications to avoid a fault on the loop.
1. A communication network comprising:
a communication ring including a first communication node, a second communication node, a third communication node, and a fourth communication node;
a first communication loop coupled to separate points on the communication ring through the first communication node and the second communication node, wherein the first communication node and the second communication node are each at an end of the first communication loop;
a second communication loop coupled to separate points on the communication ring through the third communication node and the fourth communication node, wherein the third communication node and the fourth communication node are each at an end of the second communication loop, and wherein the first communication loop and the second communication loop are not closed to form rings;
a service center coupled to the communication ring;
a first set of wireless access points coupled to the first communication loop;
a second set of wireless access points coupled to the second communication loop;
wherein the wireless access points are configured to exchange user communications in a wireless communication format with user wireless communication devices, wherein the wireless access points and the communication nodes are configured to exchange the user communications over the communication loops, and wherein the communication nodes and the service center are configured to exchange the user communications over the communication ring.
2. The wireless communication network of claim 1 wherein the wireless access points and the communication nodes are configured, in response to a fault on one of the communication loops, to re-route the user communications to avoid the fault on the one communication loop.
3. The wireless communication network of claim 2 wherein the communication nodes and the service center are configured, in response to a fault on the communication ring, to re-route the user communications to avoid the fault on the communication ring.
4. The wireless communication network of claim 1 wherein the wireless access points and the communication nodes each include internet protocol routers that are configured to exchange the user communications over the communication loops using the internet protocol, and in response to a fault on one of the communication loops, to re-route the user communications using the internet protocol to avoid the fault on the one communication loop.
5. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the service center includes an internet protocol router and wherein the internet protocol routers in the communication nodes and the service center are configured to exchange the user communications over the communication ring using the internet protocol, and in response to a fault on the communication ring, to re-route the user communications using the internet protocol to avoid the fault on the communication ring.
6. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the communication loops comprise Ethernet links.
7. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the communication ring comprises an optical ring.
8. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the communication ring comprises a Synchronous Optical Network ring.
9. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the communication ring comprises a metropolitan area network.
10. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication format comprises Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).
11. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication format comprises WIFI.
12. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication format comprises WIMAX.
13. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the service center provides telephony service.
14. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the service center provides Internet access service.
15. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the service center provides video streaming service.
16. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the service center comprises a mobile switching center.
17. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the user wireless communication devices comprise mobile telephones.
18. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the user wireless communication devices comprise personal digital assistants.
19. The wireless communication network of claim 4 wherein the user wireless communication devices comprise laptop computers.