Method and system for repeat request in hybrid ultra wideband-bluetooth radio

• US 20050058107A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaaja, Harald, Palin, Arto, Salokannel, Juha, Oksanen, Markku A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation

Abstract

A method and system improves data throughput when performing error control in Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications. The method and system is capable of performing communications via a first wireless communications link and a second wireless communications link. The first wireless communications link is a UWB transmission link and the second wireless communications link is a different type of wireless communications link for communicating error control data for the UWB transmission link.

Claims

1. A method of improving data throughput when performing error control in Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications, comprising:

providing a first wireless communications link;

providing a second wireless communications link;

wherein the first wireless communications link is a UWB transmission link and the second wireless communications link is a different type of wireless communications link for communicating error control data for the UWB transmission link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the error control data is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) data.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ARQ data includes Acknowledgement (ACK) data identifying a packet type, block number, sequence numbers and number of sequence numbers.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UWB communications link continuously transmits payload data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UWB data transmission is divided into at least one block comprising:

(a) at least one data field including a sequence number, actual data and error correction field; and

(b) a header portion including information identifying a number of data fields in the block, information identifying the length of the data fields, information identifying the length of the last data field, a block number, a continuation bit and an error correction field.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein UWB transmissions is adaptable according to link quality of the UWB transmission link by changing a length of the data fields in the transmission of subsequent blocks according to an evaluation of a current data block.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UWB communications link is unidirectional.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing error control processing for the UWB communications link according to the error control data received via the second wireless communications link.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communications link communicates data at significantly lower data transfer rates than the UWB transmission link.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communications link is a short-range communications link.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second wireless short-range communications link is a Bluetooth (BT) communications link.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UWB communications link provides for communications between two or more devices.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of the first wireless communications link includes establishing the first wireless communications link, and the providing of the second wireless communications link includes establishing the second wireless communications link.

14. A system for improving data throughput when performing error control in Ultra Wideband (UVB) communications, comprising:

first communications module for performing wireless communications via a first communications link;

second communications module for performing wireless communications via a second communications link;

wherein the first wireless communications link is a UWB transmission link for communicating data at very high data transfer rates and the second wireless communications link is a different type of wireless communications link for communicating error control data for the UWB transmission link.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the error control data is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) data.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the ARQ data includes Acknowledgement (ACK) data identifying a packet type, block number, sequence numbers and number of sequence numbers.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the UWB communications link continuously transmits payload data.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the UWB communications link is unidirectional.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first communications module performing communications across the UWB link performs error control processing for the UWB communications link according to the error control data received via the second wireless communications link.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the second communication module performing communications across the second wireless communications link communicates data at significantly lower data transfer rates than the first communications module performing communications across the UWB link.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein the second wireless communications link is a short-range communications link.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the second wireless short-range communications link is a Bluetooth (BT) communications link.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein the UWB communications link provides for communications between two or more devices.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second communications modules includes a link manager sub-module for establishing the first and second wireless communications links.

25. A system for improving data throughput when performing error control in Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications, comprising:

means for providing a first wireless communications link;

means for providing a second wireless communications link;

wherein the first wireless communications link is a UWB transmission link for communicating data at very high data transfer rates and the second wireless communications link is a different type of wireless communications link for communicating error control data for the UWB transmission link.

26. A computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method of improving data throughput when performing error control in Ultra Wideband (UWB) communications, performed by a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

providing a first wireless communications link;

providing a second wireless communications link;

wherein the first communications link is a UWB transmission link for communicating data at very high data transfer rates and the second wireless communications link is a different type of wireless communications link for communicating error control data for the UWB transmission link.

27. A method of improving data throughput when performing error control in a mobile environment, comprising:

providing a first wireless communications link;

providing a second wireless communications link; and

arranging the second wireless communications link to communicate error control data of the first wireless communications link,

wherein the first wireless communications link enables communication at a significantly higher data rate than the second wireless communications link.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the second wireless communications link frees the first wireless communications link from communicating bi-directional error control data overhead.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the error control data is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) data.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the ARQ data includes Acknowledgement (ACK) data identifying a packet type, block number, sequence numbers and number of sequence numbers.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first wireless communications link is a UWB communications link.