System and method for supporting coexistence of multiple radio

• US 10,021,710 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Gajanan, Sushanth, Patro, Ranjeet Kumar, Arunan, Thenmozhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lalchinthang, Vanneilian
• Application Number:
  US14/458,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20150043493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

For a system providing coexistence between a WPAN coordinator and WLAN Access Point (AP), the WPAN coordinator requests WLAN AP for WPAN operation in a selected WLAN channel. The WLAN AP responds with the allocated time limit for which the WPAN operation can be performed. After expiration of the allocated time limit, the WPAN coordinator relinquishes the channel to the WLAN AP. A method addresses the operation of the WPAN system in 2.4 GHz ISM band when a non-overlapping WPAN channel selection is infeasible.

Claims

1. A second radio module for supporting coexistence between a first radio module and the second radio module, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive at least one signal;

a controller configured to;

select a channel allocated to the first radio module for an operation of the second radio module based on a minimum number of first radio devices connected to the first radio module;

control to transmit a request for an allocation of the selected channel to the first radio module;

control to receive a response including the allocation of the selected channel from the first radio module; and

release the allocated channel after completing the operation of the second radio module in the allocated channel,

wherein, in a contention period (CP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module the request includes a first time duration during which the second radio module uses the selected channel, and the response includes a second time duration for allocating the selected channel to the second radio module,

wherein, in a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes traffic characteristic of a session associated with the second radio module, the controller further configured to control to receive information associated with a transmit opportunity allocated to the second radio module, and the information associated with a transmit opportunity is based on the traffic characteristic.

2. The second radio module of claim 1, wherein the first radio module is a wireless local area network access point (WLAN AP) and the second radio module is a wireless personal access network (WPAN) coordinator, which comprises a WPAN radio transceiver and WLAN radio transceiver.

3. The second radio module of claim 2, wherein the controller performs a transmission of a packet using at least one second radio device in the channel.

4. The second radio module of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the request in one of the CP and the CFP of a superframe provided by the first radio module.

5. The second radio module of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a Request to Send-Ultra Low Power (RTS-ULP) frame during the CP to the first radio module.

6. The second radio module of claim 5, wherein the RTS-ULP comprises a ULP allocation vector (UAV) field to indicate a channel duration for the operation of the second radio module.

7. The second radio module of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to receive a Clear to Send-Ultra Low Power (CTS-ULP) frame in response to the RTS-ULP frame during the CP of the superframe.

8. The second radio module of claim 7, wherein the CTS-ULP comprises a ULP allocation vector (UAV) field to indicate a granted channel allocation duration for the operation of the second radio module during the CP.

9. The second radio module of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to transmit an ADD traffic streams-ULP (ADDTS-ULP) request frame for the channel allocation during the CFP of the superframe provided by the first radio module, wherein an ADD-TS request frame comprises a traffic specification (TSPEC).

10. The second radio module of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive the response including the allocation of the selected channel from the first radio module by receiving an ADD traffic streams-ULP(ADDTS-ULP) response frame from the first radio module in response to the ADDTS-ULP request during the CFP.

11. The second radio module of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to wait for a beacon frame from the first radio module after successful channel allocation, locates the CFP and waits for a CF-Poll frame from the first radio module.

12. The second radio module of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to receive the CF-Poll frame from a WLAN AP with a transmit opportunity (TXOP) value allocated to the second radio module indicating a duration for a granted operation of the second radio module.

13. The second radio module of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to allow the at least one second radio device to perform a transmission of a packet in the channel during one of a contention period (CP) and a contention free period (CFP).

14. A method for supporting coexistence between a first radio module and a second radio module, wherein the method comprises:

selecting, by the second radio module, a channel allocated to the first radio module for an operation of the second radio module based on a minimum number of first radio devices connected to the first radio module;

transmitting, by the second radio module, a request for an allocation of the selected channel to the first radio module;

receiving, by the second radio module, a response including the allocation of the selected channel from the first radio module; and

releasing, by the second radio module, the allocated channel after completing the operation of the second radio module in the allocated channel,

wherein, in a contention period (CP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes a first time duration during which the second radio module uses the selected channel, and the response includes a second time duration for allocating the selected channel to the second radio module,

wherein, in a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes traffic characteristic of a session associated with the second radio module information associated with a transmit opportunity allocated to the second radio module is further received, and the information associated with a transmit opportunity is based on the traffic characteristic.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first radio module is a wireless local area network access point (WLAN AP) and the second radio module is a wireless personal access network (WPAN) coordinator which comprises a WPAN radio and a WLAN radio.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second radio module performs a transmission of a packet using the second radio device in the channel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the request in one of the CP and the CFP of the superframe provided by the first radio module.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a Request to Send-Ultra Low Power (RTS-ULP) frame during the CP to the first radio module.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the RTS-ULP comprises a ULP allocation vector (UAV) field to indicate a channel duration for the operation of the second radio module.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving comprises receiving the response including the allocation of the selected channel from the first radio module by receiving a Clear to Send-Ultra Low Power (CTS-ULP) frame in response to the RTS-ULP frame during the CP of the superframe.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the CTS-ULP comprises a ULP allocation vector (UAV) field to indicate a granted channel allocation duration for the operation of the second radio module during the CP.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting an ADD traffic streams-ULP (ADDTS-ULP) request frame for the channel allocation during the CFP of the superframe provided by the first radio module, wherein an ADD-TS request frame comprises a traffic specification (TSPEC).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving comprises receiving the response including the allocation of the selected channel from the first radio module by receiving an ADDTS-ULP response frame from the first radio module in response to the ADDTS-ULP request during the CFP.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprises:

waiting for a beacon frame from the first radio module after a successful channel allocation;

locating the CFP; and

waiting for a CF-Poll frame from the first radio module.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving the CF-Poll frame from the WLAN AP with a transmit opportunity (TXOP) value allocated to the second radio module indicating a duration for a granted operation of the second radio module.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

allowing the second radio device to perform a transmission of a packet in the selected channel during one of a contention period (CP) and a contention free period (CFP).

27. A first radio module for supporting coexistence between a first radio module and a second radio module, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive at least one signal;

a controller configured to receive a request for an allocation of a channel allocated to the first radio module from the second radio module, to transmit a response including the requested allocation of the channel to the second radio module, and

wherein the second radio module selects the channel for an operation of the second radio module based on a minimum number of first radio devices connected to the first radio module, releases the allocated channel after completing the operation of the second radio module in the allocated channel, wherein, in a contention period (CP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes a first time duration during which the second radio module uses the selected channel, and the response includes a second time duration for allocating the selected channel to the second radio module, and wherein, in a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes traffic characteristic of a session associated with the second radio module, the second radio module further receives information associated with a transmit opportunity allocated to the second radio module, and the information associated with a transmit opportunity is based on the traffic characteristic.

28. A method for supporting coexistence between a first radio module and a second radio module, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by the first radio module, a request for an allocation of a channel allocated to the first radio module from the second radio module; and

transmitting, by the first radio module, a response including the allocation of the requested channel to the second radio module,

wherein the second radio module selects the channel for an operation of the second radio module based on a minimum number of first radio devices connected to the first radio module, and releases the allocated channel after completing the operation of the second radio module in the allocated channel, wherein, in a contention period (CP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes a first time duration during which the second radio module uses the selected channel, and the response includes a second time duration for allocating the selected channel to the second radio module, and wherein, in a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe provided by the first radio module, the request includes traffic characteristic of a session associated with the second radio module, the second radio module further receives information associated with a transmit opportunity allocated to the second radio module, and the information associated with a transmit opportunity is based on the traffic characteristic.