Methods and apparatus for communicating via a radio channel

• US 20040204031A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rajamani, Krishnan, Chinn, Gordon, Kardach, James P., Durrant, Randy, Monroe, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for communicating via a radio channel to reduce radio frequency (RF) interference between transceiver systems within an electronic device.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system, a method for communicating via a first radio channel, the method comprising:

providing a wired communication link between a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system, the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system being in the same electronic device;

providing channel information indicative of a second radio channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via the wired communication link; and

communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein providing a wired communication link between a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system comprises providing a wired communication link between a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol and a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the same electronic device comprises one of a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein providing channel information indicative of a second radio channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via the wired communication link comprises providing channel information associated with one of a reference corresponding to the second radio channel, an operating mode of the second radio channel, and a priority level of communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein providing channel information indicative of a second radio channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via the wired communication link comprises providing one of a number, a letter, and an alphanumeric character corresponding to the second radio channel.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein providing channel information indicative of a second radio channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via the wired communication link comprises providing channel information indicative of a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel comprises communicating via a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the FHSS channel and a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel comprises communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being absent from an interference zone of the second radio channel.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel comprises communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being in an interference zone of the second radio channel and indicative of the second radio channel being inactive for communication associated with the second transceiver system.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel comprises communicating via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being in an interference zone of the second radio channel, indicative of the second radio channel being active for communication associated with the second transceiver system, and indicative of the communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel being higher priority than the communication associated with the first transceiver system via the first radio channel.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 further comprises:

providing operating information indicative of the first transceiver system operating the first radio channel to the second transceiver system; and

suspending communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel in response to the operating information.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein providing operating information indicative of the first transceiver system operating the first radio channel to the second transceiver system via the wired communication link comprises providing operating information indicative of the first transceiver system operating the first radio channel to the second transceiver system via the wired communication link in response to one of a device discovery, a connection establishment, a connection maintenance, and a human interface device (HID) profile.

13. A method for scheduling communication from transceiver systems within an electronic device, the method comprising:

selecting a first radio channel for communication associated with a first transceiver system;

receiving an operating signal from a second transceiver system via a wired communication link, the operating signal having channel information indicative of a second radio channel, the second radio channel configured for communication associated with the second transceiver system; and

communicating via the first radio channel in response to the channel information being indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein selecting a first radio channel for communication associated with a first transceiver system comprises selecting a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel for communication associated with a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol.

15. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein receiving an operating signal from a second transceiver system via a wired communication link comprises receiving an operating signal from a transceiver system operating in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol via a wired communication link.

16. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein receiving an operating signal from a second transceiver system via a wired communication link comprises receiving an operating signal including information associated with one of a reference corresponding to the second radio channel, an operation mode of the second radio channel, and a priority level of communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel from the second transceiver system via a wired communication link.

17. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein receiving an operating signal from a second transceiver system via a wired communication link comprises receiving an operating signal including information associated with one of a reference corresponding to a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel, an operation mode of the DSSS channel, and a priority level of communication associated with the second transceiver system via the DSSS channel from the second transceiver system via a wired communication link.

18. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein communicating via the first radio channel in response to the channel information being indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system comprises communicating via a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel in response to the channel information being indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system.

19. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein communicating via the first radio channel in response to the channel information being indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system further comprises:

transmitting a priority signal to the second transceiver system in response to a high priority communication associated with the first transceiver system; and

communicating via the first radio channel in response to transmission of the priority signal.

20. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the device is one of a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

21. An electronic device comprising:

a wired communication link;

a first transceiver system, the first transceiver system being operable to provide channel information indicative of a first radio channel; and

a second transceiver system in communication with the first transceiver system via the wired communication link, the second transceiver system being responsive to the channel information to communicate via a second radio channel if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel.

22. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 wherein the wired communication link comprises one of a hardwire link and a communication bus.

23. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 wherein the first transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol, and the second transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with Bluetooth communication protocol.

24. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 wherein the first radio channel is a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel and the second radio channel is a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel.

25. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 wherein the channel information indicative of a first radio channel comprises information associated with one of a reference corresponding to the first radio channel, an operation mode of the first radio channel, and a priority level of communication associated with the first transceiver system via the first radio channel.

26. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 wherein the second transceiver system is operable to transmit a priority signal to the first transceiver system via the wired communication link in response to high priority communication associated with the second transceiver system.

27. An electronic device as defined in claim 26 wherein the first transceiver system is operable to suspend communication associated with the first transceiver system via the first radio channel in response to the priority signal from the second transceiver system.

28. An electronic device as defined in claim 26 wherein the high priority communication associated with the second transceiver system is one of a device discovery, a connection establishment, a connection maintenance, and a human interface device (HID) profile.

29. An electronic device as defined in claim 21 is one of a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

30. In an electronic device including a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system, a processor operates in accordance with a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for a computer program for communicating via a first radio channel, the computer program comprising:

a first routine that directs the processor to provide channel information indicative of a second radio channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a wired communication link operatively coupled to the first and second transceiver systems; and

a second routine that directs the processor to communicate via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the first radio channel and the second radio channel.

31. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the electronic device comprises one of a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

32. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the first routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to provide channel information indicative of a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel from a transceiver system operating in accordance with the 802.11b communication protocol to a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol via a wired communication link operatively coupled to the transceiver systems.

33. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the first routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to provide channel information associated with one of a reference corresponding to the second radio channel, an operating mode of the second radio channel, and a priority level of communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel.

34. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the first routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to provide providing channel information indicative of a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system.

35. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the second routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to communicate via a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of a lack of radio interference between the FHSS channel and a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel.

36. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the second routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to communicate via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being absent from an interference zone of the second radio channel.

37. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the second routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to communicate via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being in an interference zone of the second radio channel and indicative of the second radio channel being inactive for communication associated with the second transceiver system.

38. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the second routine comprises a routine that directs the processor to communicate via the first radio channel with the first transceiver system if the channel information is indicative of the first radio channel being in an interference zone of the second radio channel, indicative of the second radio channel being active for communication associated with the second transceiver system, and indicative of the communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel being higher priority than the communication associated with the first transceiver system via the first radio channel.

39. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the second routine further comprises:

a routine that directs the processor to provide operating information indicative of the first transceiver system operating the first radio channel to the second transceiver system; and

a routine that directs the processor to suspend communication associated with the second transceiver system via the second radio channel in response to the operating information.

40. A computer program as defined in claim 30 wherein the computer-readable medium is one of paper, a programmable gate array, application specific integrated circuit, erasable programmable read only memory, read only memory, random access memory, magnetic media, and optical media.