Wireless communications system having reduced noise mode operation capability

• US 20040053578A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Klostermann, Daniel J., Rohde, John K., Erb, Patrick R., Grabon, Robert J., Traeger, Robert J., Alt, Daniel E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/066 by stopping a clock generator

Abstract

A wireless communication system having a terminal unit operates in a reduced noise state during receipt of a wireless transmission from a control unit. The terminal unit includes terminal circuitry, a radio and noise management circuitry. The noise management circuitry partially or fully disables operation of the terminal circuitry during a receipt by the radio. Noise management circuitry may disable a terminal processor, disable interrupts, buffer interrupts and otherwise modify operation of the terminal circuitry to reduce generated radio noise that would otherwise interfere with receipt of data by the radio. The wireless communication system includes noise management circuitry located in a control unit that operates in conjunction with noise management circuitry in a first terminal unit and a second terminal unit to schedule transmissions from the control unit. These scheduled transmissions allow the terminal units to perform required processing functions outside of the reduced noise period.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

terminal circuitry;

a radio operably coupled to the terminal circuitry; and

noise management circuitry coupled to the terminal circuitry and radio that selectively alters operation of the terminal circuitry to reduce generated background noise during a wireless receipt by the radio.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the terminal circuitry comprises a terminal processor and wherein the noise management circuitry places the terminal processor in a sleep mode.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry selectively adjusts terminal circuitry operating frequency.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry selectively masks interrupts.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the noise management circuitry provides interrupt persistence.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the radio further comprises a received signal strength indicator, wherein the noise management circuitry selectively disables operation of the terminal circuitry based upon an output of the received signal strength indicator.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry schedules radio operation based upon terminal circuitry processing requirements and terminal unit data receipt requirements.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry coordinates, with a control unit, the receipt of transmissions from the control unit.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry causes the radio to periodically listen for hello messages.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the noise management circuitry may be interrupted by a higher priority terminal unit event to exit a reduced noise state.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the terminal noise management circuitry causes the radio to periodically listen for hello messages.

11. A wireless communication system comprising:

a terminal unit comprising;

terminal circuitry;

a radio operably coupled to the terminal circuitry; and

terminal unit noise management circuitry coupled to the terminal circuitry and radio that selectively alters operation of the terminal circuitry to reduce generated background noise during a wireless receipt by the radio; and

a control unit comprising;

a control unit radio operably coupled to the control unit circuitry; and

control unit noise management circuitry operably coupled to the control unit radio that operates in cooperation with the terminal unit noise management circuitry to coordinate transmissions from the control unit to the terminal unit.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry and the control unit noise management circuitry cooperatively schedule data transfers.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry and the control unit noise management circuitry cooperatively adjust poll interval durations.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry and the control unit noise management circuitry cooperatively adjust data packet sizes.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal circuitry comprises a terminal processor and wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry places the terminal processor in a sleep mode.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry selectively adjusts terminal circuitry operating frequency.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry selectively masks interrupts.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry provides interrupt persistence.

19. The wireless communication system unit of claim 11, wherein the radio of the terminal unit further comprises a received signal strength indicator, wherein the terminal unit noise management circuitry selectively disables operation of the terminal circuitry based upon an output of the received signal strength indicator.