System and apparatus for performing broadcast and localcast communications

• US 20040242163A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mitchell, William H., Karr, Lawrence J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described is a communication system including mobile communication devices. In the described system, the mobile devices may be wrist-worn watches such as are in common use today, except that the watches are specially configured to receive data in a “broadcast” mode and transmit and/or receive data in a “localcast” mode. The localcast mode includes the ability to transmit and receive data in a peer-to-peer fashion, allowing mobile devices to communicate directly with each other. The ability to combine two of these communication modes in a small, integrated and hence inexpensive and low-power package provides many advantages over existing personal communication device solutions.

Claims

1-29. -29 (canceled)

30. :

A method of re-broadcasting data transmitted over an FM subcarrier, comprising the steps of;

receiving at a localcast transmitter said transmitted data;

locally formatting said transmitted data for local-area wireless transmission; and

retransmitting said locally formatted data from said localcast transmitter to a local area.

31. :

The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of adding local content information in said localcast transmitter to said locally formatted data for transmission over a local area.

32. :

The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of adding application information in said localcast transmitter to said locally formatted data for broadcast over a local area.

33. :

The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of;

receiving said locally formatted data at a first mobile device; and

retransmitting said locally formatted data from the first mobile device to a second mobile device.

44. :

The method of claim 30, wherein retransmitting said locally formatted data further comprises retransmitting using a locally-unused FM frequency.

45. :

The method of claim 30, wherein locally formatting said transmitted data further comprises setting a desired transmission frequency, transmission mode, and signal power.

46. :

The method of claim 30, wherein locally formatting said transmitted data further comprises formatting the transmitted data into baseband samples.

47. :

The method of claim 30, wherein locally formatting said transmitted data further comprises adding correlation information to the transmitted data for synchronization.

48. :

The method of claim 30, wherein locally formatting said transmitted data further comprises interleaving the transmitted data into segments.

49. :

The method of claim 30, wherein locally formatting said transmitted data further comprises generating an FM frequency output from the transmitted data.

34-43. -43 (canceled)

50. :

a method, comprising;

receiving at a localcast transmitter broadcast data over an FM subcarrier;

locally formatting the broadcast data for local-area wireless transmission; and

retransmitting the locally formatted data from the localcast transmitter to a mobile device.

51. :

The method of claim 50, wherein locally formatting the broadcast data further comprises adding local content information to the broadcast data after the broadcast data is locally formatted.

52. :

The method of claim 50, wherein locally formatting the broadcast data further comprises adding application information to the broadcast data after the broadcast data is locally formatted.

53. :

The method of claim 50, wherein retransmitting the locally formatted data further comprises receiving said locally formatted data at a first mobile device and retransmitting the locally formatted data from the first mobile device to a second mobile device.

54. :

The method of claim 53, wherein the locally formatted data is retransmitted from the first mobile device to a second mobile device when the first mobile device is in a localcast mode.

55. :

The method of claim 53, wherein the locally formatted data is retransmitted from the first mobile device to a second mobile device when the second mobile device is in a localcast mode.

56. :

An apparatus for re-broadcasting data transmitted over an FM subcarrier, comprising;

a broadcast transmitter that is arranged to broadcast data over the FM subcarrier;

a localcast transmitter that is arranged to receive the broadcast data and locally format the broadcast data for local-area wireless transmission; and

a mobile device that is arranged to receive the locally formatted data.

57. :

The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the mobile device is further arranged to re-broadcast the locally formatted data to additional mobile devices over a locally unused FM frequency.

58. :

The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the localcast transmitter is further arranged to add at least one of local content information and application information to the broadcast data to produce the locally formatted data.

59. :

The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the mobile device is further arranged to operate in at least one of a broadcast mode and a localcast mode, wherein the mobile device receives the data broadcast over the FM subcarrier when the mobile device is in the broadcast mode, and the mobile device receives the locally formatted data when the mobile device is in the localcast mode.