UWB-based wireless bridge

• US 20050141553A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Won, Jun, Yong-Il, Park, Bong-Hyuk, Lee, Hyeong-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Provided is an ultra wide band (UWB)-based wireless bridge that converts wired serial data into a UWB signal with a quality of service, transmits it wirelessly, inverts the UWB signal into wired serial data. The UWB-based wireless bridge includes: a physical layer processing means; the protocol converting means; the UWB signal transceiving means; and a controlling means.

Claims

1. An ultra wide band (UWB)-based wireless bridge, comprising:

a physical layer processing means for encoding a physical layer signal transmitted from a serial bus device connected through wire into link layer data and decoding link layer data into a physical layer signal;

a protocol converting means for separating link layer data transmitted from the physical layer processing means into isochronous data and asynchronous data, performing path establishment and synchronization, multiplexing the isochronous data and the asynchronous data into protocol adaptation layer (PAL) data, and converting the PAL data into media access control (MAC) data, converting MAC data into PAL data, separating the PAL data into isochronous data and asynchronous data, performing path establishment and synchronization, and multiplexing the isochronous data and asynchronous data into link layer data;

a UWB signal transceiving means for converting MAC data transmitted from the protocol converting means into UWB signals, transmitting the UWB signals through an antenna, and converting UWB signals received through the antenna into MAC data; and

a controlling means for controlling and managing the physical layer processing means, the protocol converting means, and the UWB signal transceiving means.

2. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol converting means includes:

a link layer processing means for separating the link layer data transmitted from the physical layer processing means into synchronous data and asynchronous data, and multiplexing synchronous data transmitted from a serial bus bridge means and asynchronous data into link layer data;

a first transaction processing means for converting the asynchronous data transmitted from the link layer processing means into asynchronous sub-action data, and converting the asynchronous sub-action data into asynchronous data;

a serial bus bridge means for establishing a path by analyzing frame information of asynchronous data and isochronous data which are transmitted from the first transaction processing means and the link layer processing means, performing synchronization based on a cycle timer, establishing a path by analyzing frame information of asynchronous sub-action data and isochronous data, performing synchronization based on a cycle timer;

a second transaction processing means for converting the asynchronous sub-action data transmitted from the serial bus bridge means into asynchronous data, and converting asynchronous data into asynchronous sub-action data;

a PAL processing means for multiplexing isochronous data and asynchronous data transmitted from the serial bus bridge means and the second transaction processing means, converting the multiplexed data into PAL data, and separating PAL data into isochronous data and asynchronous data; and

a medium access control (MAC) processing means for converting PAL data transmitted from the PAL processing means into MAC data, and converting MAC data transmitted from the UWB signal transceiving means into PAL data.

3. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 2, wherein the MAC processing means includes:

an MAC transmitting means for converting PAL data transmitted from the PAL processing means into MAC data at a corresponding time point based on a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) method or a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) method and transmitting the MAC data to the USB signal transceiving means; and

an MAC receiving means for converting MAC data transmitted from the USB signal transceiving means into PAL data, separating the PAL data into control data, management data, asynchronous data and isochronous data, transmitting the asynchronous data and the isochronous data to the PAL processing means, and performing a function of managing a management information base (MIB) of an MAC layer, a function of scanning a UWB-based piconet coordinator, a function of performing piconet synchronization/combination with other UWB devices, and a function of authentication by using the control data and the management data.

4. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 3, wherein the MAC transmitting means includes:

a transmission storing means for temporarily storing PAL data, control data and management data which are transmitted from the PAL processing means and a transmission protocol managing means, and transmitting the PAL data, control data and management data to a transmission protocol controlling means sequentially;

the transmission protocol managing means for generating control data based on the control of the controlling means and generating control/management data for communication with a USB-based piconet coordinator, and transmitting the control data and the control/management data to the transmission storing means;

the transmission protocol controlling means for transmitting PAL data transmitted from the transmission storing means and the control/management data to an MAC data generating means at a corresponding time point based on the CSMA/CA method or the TDMA method; and

the MAC data generating means for converting the data transmitted from the transmission protocol controlling means into MAC data and transmitting the MAC data to the UWB signal transceiving means.

5. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 4, wherein the transmission protocol controlling means transmits command data and/or asynchronous data to the MAC generating means among the PAL data transmitted from the transmission storing means based on the CSMA/CA method in a selective contention access (CA) period established in a piconet superframe;

and transmits command data, management data, asynchronous data and/or real-time isochronous audio/video data to the MAC generating means among the PAL data transmitted from the transmission storing means based on the TDMA method in a basic channel time allocation (CTA) period.

6. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 3, wherein the MAC receiving means includes:

a PAL data converting means for converting the MAC data transmitted from the UWB signal transceiving means into PAL data by performing frame address identification, redundant frame detection, and frame check sequence;

a reception protocol controlling means for separating the PAL data transmitted from the PAL data converting means into control data, management data, asynchronous data, and isochronous data, and transmitting the asynchronous data and the isochronous data to a reception storing means and transmitting the control data and the management data to a reception protocol management means;

the reception storing means for temporarily storing the asynchronous data and the isochronous data transmitted from the reception protocol controlling means and transmitting the stored asynchronous data and isochronous data to the PAL processing means sequentially; and

the reception protocol managing means for performing a function of managing the MIB of an MAC layer, a function of scanning the UWB-based piconet coordinator, a function of performing piconet synchronization/combination with other UWB-based devices and a function of authentication by using the control data and the management data transmitted from the reception protocol controlling means.

7. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 1, wherein the UWB signal transceiving means includes:

a UWB signal transmitting means for converting the MAC data transmitted from the protocol converting means into UWB signal and transmitting the UWB signal through an antenna; and

a UWB signal receiving means converting a UWB signal transmitted through the antenna into MAC data and transmitting the MAC data to the protocol converting means.

8. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 7, wherein the UWB signal transmitting means includes:

a modulating means for modulating the MAC data transmitted from the protocol converting means into a pulse signal of a UWB signal band;

a pulse generating means for generating a series of pulse signals by adding time information to a modulated signal transmitted from the modulating means; and

a filtering means for removing noise from the pulse signals transmitted from the pulse generating means and transmitting the pulse signals without noise through the antenna.

9. The UWB-based wireless bridge as recited in claim 8, wherein the UWB signal receiving means includes:

a low noise amplifying means for performing low noise amplification on a UWB signal transmitted from the antenna;

a signal detecting means for detecting a UWB signal transmitted from the low noise amplifying means and calculating a signal to noise ratio and phase difference;

a synchronizing means for synchronizing a pulse of the signal transmitted from the signal detecting means, generating a synchronized signal to compensate time delay generated on an UWB channel, and transmitting the synchronized signal to the signal detecting means; and

a demodulating means for demodulating the signal transmitted from the signal detecting means into a series of pulse signals based on the synchronized signal transmitted from the synchronizing means, converting the pulse signals into MAC data, and transmitting the MAC data to the protocol converting means.