Programmable bridging apparatus to connect multiple networks of different protocols

[0003] The present invention relates in general to communications systems and, more particularly, to communications systems that utilize signal bridging techniques.

[0004] A bridge is a communications device for connecting two or more communications networks together to enable communication between the networks. In a typical bridge, a message is received from one of the connected networks and is delivered to one or more other networks via a bridge connection. Bridges do not normally choose a specific path within a destination network by which to deliver a message to a destination node, but instead “broadcast” the message to all nodes within the destination network. The destination node within the destination network, knowing its own address, then accepts the message from the broadcast medium.

[0005] In wireless applications, bridges can be used to connect two or more wireless communications networks. Normally, such bridges are implemented manually by an operator having enough analog equipment to support two or more external wireless communications channels. The operator determines which external networks are to be connected and configures the analog equipment to perform the desired bridging function. As can be appreciated, such bridges are very specialized and require a costly and time consuming redesign whenever system requirements change. In addition, these bridges are relatively slow, expensive to maintain, non-adaptable, and generally non-reliable. Further, these bridges do not generally provide interoperability between incompatible networks.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a bridge that can be easily adapted to changing system requirements. In addition, there is a need for a bridge that is capable of supporting networks utilizing different, and possibly varying, signal formats. Further, there is a need for a bridge that does not require manual setup by an operator. Still further, there is a need for a bridge that can fill the above needs in a wireless environment.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a bridging apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a software bridge in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0009] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a bridging apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] The present invention relates to a bridging apparatus that satisfies the above-identified needs. The bridging apparatus includes a bridge that utilizes a digital processor for implementing a desired bridging function. The digital processor includes a memory for storing at least one bridging program for execution by the digital processor. A plurality of network interfaces are coupled to the bridge for providing an interface to a plurality of external communications networks. Each network interface is capable of converting between the signal format of an associated external network and a common signal format recognized by the bridge. The digital processor, while executing a bridging program, establishes at least one bridge connection between two or more of the external communications networks. In general, a particular bridge connection (or set of bridge connections) will be maintained until there is a change in system requirements (such as the need to add a new network to or remove an old network from the bridged connection). When such a change occurs, the bridging program can be modified or a new bridging program can be supplied to support the change.

[0011] Because the bridging apparatus converts all received signals to a common signal format, the apparatus is capable of providing interoperability between a plurality of previously incompatible networks. In addition, because the bridging function is implemented in software, the bridging apparatus is easily adapted to changing system requirements, rarely requiring expensive bridge redesigns and/or manual equipment reconfiguration. Furthermore, the bridging apparatus provides a high level of software-based control to a user for providing a wide range of bridging functions between networks. The bridging apparatus of the present invention is also highly reliable, easy to use, and cost effective. While having value in virtually any bridging application, the bridging apparatus of the present invention is of particular value in wireless applications.

[0012] As used herein, the term “signal format” refers to a unique combination of signal characteristics that distinguish one signal from another. In general, systems that utilize a particular signal format cannot recognize signals having other formats. In this regard, a signal format can include, for example, a designation of one or more of the following signal characteristics: waveform type (e.g., center frequency, modulation type, etc.), information type (e.g., voice, video, data, etc.), signal protocol, multiple access type (e.g., CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, etc.), signal encryption type, signal vocoder type, and others.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a bridging apparatus 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bridging apparatus 10 is capable of providing bridging services between a plurality of external communications networks 20a-20n. That is, the bridging apparatus 10 is operative for establishing bridging connections between the external networks 20a-20nin accordance with system requirements. In addition, the bridging apparatus 10 is capable of interfacing with a user at user device 24 for establishing connections between the user and one or more of the external networks 20a-20nor for receiving configuration commands from the user. It should be noted that the blocks illustrated in FIG. 1 represent functional elements that do not necessarily correspond to discrete hardware units. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, all of the illustrated functionality is implemented within a single processor.

[0014] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bridging apparatus 10 includes: a plurality of network interfaces 12, a bridge 14, and a user interface 16. Preferably, the plurality of network interfaces 12, the bridge 14, and the user interface 16 are all located within a single support structure. The plurality of network interfaces 12 includes at least two interface functions for interfacing with external communications networks. During operation, each of the plurality of network interfaces 12 communicates with at least one of the external communications networks 20a-20nvia a corresponding communications channel. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, network interface 18acommunicates with external network 20avia communications channel 22a; network interface 18bcommunicates with external network 20bvia communications channel 22b; and network interface 18ncommunicates with external network 20nvia communications channel 22n. The communications channels 22a-22ncan each include virtually any form of communications medium, either wired or wireless. Likewise, the external communications networks 20a-20ncan be either wired or wireless networks. In one embodiment of the invention, all of the communications channels 22a-22nare wireless channels.

[0015] In accordance with the present invention, each of the network interfaces 18a-18nis capable of converting communications signals between a signal format used by an associated external communications network and a common signal format supported by the bridge 14. The individual network interfaces 18a-18ncan be implemented in hardware, software, or a hybrid hardware/software approach can be used. In addition, the network interfaces 18a-18ncan be implemented using analog processing, digital processing, or both analog and digital processing. In a preferred embodiment, the network interfaces 18a-18nare each capable of performing any of the functions necessary to convert a signal received from an external communications network to the common signal format. Likewise, the network interfaces 18a-18nare each capable of performing any of the functions necessary to convert a signal having the common signal format to an appropriate transmit signal format for delivery to an external communications network. In this regard, the network interfaces 18a-18ncan each include functionality for performing one or more of the following tasks: signal reception/transmission, signal upconversion/downconversion, signal amplification, signal modulation/demodulation, error correction coding/decoding, signal encryption/decryption, vocoder encoding/decoding, protocol conversion, and others. In one embodiment of the invention, as will be described in greater detail, each of the network interfaces 18a-18nincludes an individual radio channel adapted for use with a predetermined signal format.

[0016] The bridge 14 is operative for establishing at least one bridge connection between external communications networks. As used herein, the term “bridge connection” refers to a connection that allows information to flow from one of the external communications networks to any one or more of the other external communications networks via the bridge 14. For example, a bridge connection can be established that always transfers signals received by network interface 18b(from external network 20b) to both external network 20aand external network 20n. Preferably, the signal transfer is automatic to support real-time communication between networks. In one implementation, bridge connections are established by the bridge 14 whereby signals received by any one of the plurality of network interfaces 12 are automatically transferred to all of the other network interfaces in the plurality 12 for delivery to corresponding external networks. As will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, many other connection configurations are also possible.

[0017] As described above, the user interface 16 provides an interface between the bridge 14 and the user device 24. Among other things, the user interface 16 performs the required signal conversions needed for communication between the bridge 14 and the user device 24 to occur. As will be described in more detail, a user at user device 24 can deliver configuration commands to the bridge 14 over the user interface 16 instructing the bridge 14 to establish a particular bridge connection between external communications networks 20a-20n. In addition, the user can deliver new or modified bridging programs to the bridge 14 via user interface 16. In addition to these control-based functions, the user interface 16 can also be used as a communications medium for transferring communication signals between user device 24 and one or more of the external networks 20a-20n. In one embodiment of the invention, for example, all communications signals received from any of the external communications networks 20a-20nare automatically delivered to the user device 24 for consideration by the user. Similarly, all communications signals generated by the user can be delivered to all of the external communications networks 20a-20n. Other user connections are also possible.

[0018] In accordance with the present invention, the functionality of the bridge 14 is implemented in software within a digital processor. The digital processor can include, for example, a general purpose microprocessor (GPP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), a complex instruction set computer (CISC), or any other type of digital processing device. In general, the digital processor will include a memory (such as a random access memory (RAM)) that is capable of storing one or more bridging routines. To establish one or more bridge connections, the digital processor executes a corresponding bridging routine stored in the memory.

[0019] It should be appreciated that the bridging apparatus of the present invention does necessarily convert all received signals to the common signal format for purposes of bridging the signals. For example, if two or more external networks that utilize the same signal format are being bridged, the signals can be directly bridged without conversion. In addition, if two or more external networks are being bridged that utilize some, but not all, of the same signal formatting (such as, for example, using different modulation types but the same voice coding type), received signals can be converted down to an intermediate signal format that is common to the two or more external networks before bridging. Intelligence can be provided within the bridge 14 for determining when one of the above arrangements can be performed.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a bridge 14 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the bridge 14 includes a processor 30 with associated RAM 32 and a hardware bus 34. The processor 30 is coupled to a mass storage unit 38 located outside the bridge 14. The processor 30, the user interface 16, and the plurality of network interfaces 12 are coupled to the hardware bus 34 for use in transferring information between the units. In a preferred embodiment, the various elements are connected to the hardware bus 34 via standard hardware interfaces, such as standard input/output (I/O) ports. In addition, further I/O ports can be provided for supporting, among other things, additional external communications networks in the future.

[0021] Using the hardware bus 34, bridging commands and/or routines can be transferred from a user to the processor 30. For example, in one scenario the user can instruct the processor 30 to execute a different bridging routine in the RAM 32 than it is currently executing. In another possible scenario, the user can instruct the processor 30 to download a bridging routine from the mass storage unit 38 to the RAM 32 for execution. In yet another possible scenario, the user can deliver a new bridging routine to the processor 30 for storage in the RAM 32 and/or the mass storage unit 38 via hardware bus 34. Hardware bus 34, under the control of the processor 30, is also used to implement the bridge connections between external communications networks. The processor 30 knows the port addresses of each of the plurality of network interfaces 12. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the hardware bus 34, the processor 30 can establish any desired connection between network interfaces. As can be appreciated, the number of different connection configurations that can be implemented within the bridge 14 is only limited by the number of external networks that are coupled to the bridging apparatus 10. In addition, because the bridging connections are established through software, the connections can be quickly and easily changed based on current system requirements. In this regard, the bridging apparatus of the present invention provides a level of bridging control that has not heretofore been realized.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the interface functionality is implemented in software within the same processor as the bridging functionality. That is, the processor stores some programs that are capable of performing bridging functions and some that are capable of performing interface functions. The processor then executes the different programs as needed. Other interface functions can be implemented outside of the processor using, for example, discrete digital or analog hardware elements. In one approach, discrete analog hardware elements (such as, for example, mixers, low noise amplifiers, and analog filters) are used to process a signal received from an external communications network. The resulting signal is then converted to digital form (in an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, for example) before being delivered to the processor. The processor can then perform further interface functions on the signal, such as demodulation, decryption, error correction, and/or protocol conversion. The processor will know how to process a given signal based on the port through which the signal was received. In another approach, separate digital processors are used to perform the interface functions and the bridging functions. As can be appreciated, a number of other processing alternatives are also possible in accordance with the present invention.

[0023] In one aspect of the present invention, the plurality of network interfaces 12 includes at least one interface that is electronically reconfigurable. That is, the network interface can be reprogrammed in the field for changing, for example, the signal format supported by the interface. This feature is advantageous in situations where, for example, the signal format used by one of the external communications networks has been revised. In addition, this feature allows an old network to be quickly and easily replaced by a new network using a different signal format. If the network interfaces are wholly or partially software-based, reconfiguration can be as simple as changing the program being used to implement the interface. In another approach, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are used to provide the desired reconfigurability. To be reconfigured, an FPGA generally requires a new configuration file to be delivered to an input of the unit. If a signal format change occurs in a particular external network, for example, a new configuration file can be delivered to a corresponding FPGA to maintain bridge compatibility with the external network. Other types of reconfigurable equipment may also be appropriate. A library of configuration files and/or interface programs can be maintained within the bridging apparatus 10 for use in configuring the plurality of network interfaces 12.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a multi-channel radio system 50 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The multi-channel radio system 50 is capable of supporting radio communications between a user of the radio system 50 (located at user device 53) and any one or more of a plurality of external wireless networks 52a-52n. In addition, the multi-channel radio system 50 is capable of setting up bridging connections between external wireless networks 52a-52nin accordance with system requirements.

[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the radio system 50 includes: a plurality of radio channels 54, a bridge 56, and a user interface 58. Each of the plurality of radio channels 54 is connected to an antenna for communication with one or more of the external wireless networks 52a-52nvia a corresponding wireless communications channel. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, radio channel 58ais coupled to antenna 60afor communication with wireless network 52avia wireless channel 62a; radio channel 58bis coupled to antenna 60bfor communication with wireless network 52bvia wireless channel 62b; and radio channel 58nis coupled to antenna 60nfor communication with wireless network 52nvia wireless channel 62n. It should be appreciated that other antenna arrangements, such as antenna sharing arrangements, can also be used in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, for example, a single array antenna having multiple fixed or independently steerable beams is utilized.

[0026] Each of the radio channels 58a-58ncomprises a radio transceiver capable of receiving/transmitting communications signals (from/to a corresponding wireless channel) having a signal format defined by a corresponding external wireless network 52a-52n. The radio channels 58a-58nare each capable of converting a received signal into a baseband data representation for delivery to the bridge 56. Likewise, the radio channels 58a-58nare each capable of converting a baseband data signal received from the bridge 56 into an appropriate transmit signal format for delivery to a corresponding external communications network 52a-52n. Each of the radio channels 58a-58ncan be configured for use with a different wireless signal format or two or more (or all) can be adapted for use with the same wireless signal format. The radio channels 58a-58ncan include, for example, off-the-shelf radio slices that can be plugged directly into an expansion slot on a hardware bus. Alternatively, one or more of the radio channels 58a-58ncan be implemented using an FPGA, or other reconfigurable resource. Likewise, some or all of each radio channel can be implemented in software. In addition, standard hardware implementations can be utilized.

[0027] The bridge 56 performs substantially the same functions as the bridge 14 of FIG. 1. That is, the bridge 56 establishes at least one bridge connection between external wireless networks 52a-52n. In addition, the bridge 56 can establish communications connections between the user device 53 and any one or more of the external wireless networks 52a-52n. As before, the functionality of the bridge 56 is implemented in software within a digital processor. Also as before, the bridge 56 can receive configuration commands and/or bridging programs from a user via user interface 58.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of radio channels 54, the bridge 56, and the user interface 58 are all included within a single box. That is, the elements are all supported by a single support structure, such as a radio housing. By including the bridging functionality within the same box as the radio equipment, the efficiency of data delivery between external networks can be significantly increased. In addition, the “single box” approach allows complex control by a user of the radio system 50. The radio system 50 of the present invention can be implemented in, for example, (i) a rack mountable housing for use in basestation and/or other stationary applications or (ii) a relatively compact, portable housing for use in mobile applications. In one embodiment, a handheld, multi-channel bridging radio is provided. Other implementations, such as those involving marine and/or airborne applications, also exist.