Multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC
First Claim
1. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
- a PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver;
wherein the MAC includes at least two functional blocks to support at least two different operational modes corresponding to at least two different communication system types in which the communication device may operate; and
wherein the PHY receiver includes at least two PHY receiver portions that are cooperatively operable to process received signals from other communication devices within each of the at least two different communication system types and to provide the processed received signals to the MAC.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC. A novel solution is presented in which a MAC (Medium Access Controller) is implemented that includes multiple functionality types. This MAC may include functionality supporting communication according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) related standards and also to one or more of the standards generated by the IEEE 802.15.3 PAN (Personal Area Network) working group. By providing this dual functionality of a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC, a communication device may adaptively change the manner in which it communicates with other communication devices. For example, in an effort to maximize throughput and overall efficiency of communication within a communication system, certain of the various devices may change from using the WLAN related standards to using the PAN related standards, and vice versa, based on any one or more of a variety of operational parameters including system configuration.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
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a PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver;
wherein the MAC includes at least two functional blocks to support at least two different operational modes corresponding to at least two different communication system types in which the communication device may operate; and
wherein the PHY receiver includes at least two PHY receiver portions that are cooperatively operable to process received signals from other communication devices within each of the at least two different communication system types and to provide the processed received signals to the MAC. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
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a PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a first MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver;
a second MAC that is also communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver;
wherein the first MAC supports a first operational mode corresponding to a first communication system type in which the communication device may operate;
wherein the second MAC supports a second operational mode corresponding to a second communication system type in which the communication device may operate;
wherein the PHY receiver includes at least two PHY receiver portions that are cooperatively operable to process received signals from other communication devices within each of the first communication system type and the second communication system type and to provide the processed received signals selectively to the first MAC and the second MAC; and
wherein, at any given time, the PHY receiver provides the processed received signals to only one of the first MAC and the second MAC. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
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a PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver;
wherein the MAC includes a first functional block to support an IEEE (Institute of Electrical &
Electronics Engineers) 802.11 type operational mode when the communication device operates within an IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network);
wherein the MAC includes a second functional block to support an IEEE 802.15 type operational mode when the communication device operates an IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN (Personal Area Network); and
wherein the PHY receiver includes at least two PHY receiver portions that are cooperatively operable to process received signals from other communication devices within each of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN and the IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN and to provide the processed received signals to the MAC. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
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a PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a first MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver a second MAC that is communicatively coupled to the PHY receiver wherein the first MAC support an IEEE (Institute of Electrical &
Electronics Engineers) 802.11 type operational mode when the communication device operates within an IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network);
wherein the second MAC supports an IEEE 802.15 type operational mode when the communication device operates an IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN (Personal Area Network); and
wherein the PHY receiver includes at least two PHY receiver portions that are cooperatively operable to process received signals from other communication devices within each of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN and the IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN and to provide the processed received signals to the MAC. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A communication device including a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC (Wireless Local Area Network/Personal Area Network Medium Access Controller), the communication device comprising:
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a first PHY (PHYsical layer) receiver;
a first MAC (Medium Access Controller) that is communicatively coupled to the first PHY receiver;
a second PHY receiver;
a second MAC that is communicatively coupled to the second PHY receiver;
wherein the first MAC supports an IEEE (Institute of Electrical &
Electronics Engineers) 802.11 type operational mode corresponding to a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) in which the communication device may operate;
wherein the second MAC supports an IEEE 802.15 type operational mode corresponding to a piconet/PAN (Personal Area Network) in which the communication device may operate;
wherein the first PHY receiver is operable to process received signals from other communication devices within the first communication system type and to provide the processed received signals to the first MAC; and
wherein the second PHY receiver is operable to process received signals from other communication devices within the second communication system type and to provide the processed received signals to the second MAC. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method for supporting both IEEE (Institute of Electrical &
- Electronics Engineers) 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.3 functionality within a wireless communication system, the method comprising;
determining relative locations of an AP (Access Point) and a plurality of STAs (wireless STAtion) with respect to each other within a communication system that initially operates as an IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network);
grouping the AP and any STA of the plurality of STAs located within a relative proximity of the AP of approximately less than a radius of 10 meters thereby forming an IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN (Personal Area Network);
supporting communication between the AP and any STA of the plurality of STAs within the formed IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN at a first data rate; and
supporting communication between the AP and any STA of the plurality of STAs that is not grouped within the formed IEEE 802.15.3 piconet/PAN at a second data rate. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74)
- Electronics Engineers) 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.3 functionality within a wireless communication system, the method comprising;
Specification