Wireless communication between stations of differing protocols

• US 20050185671A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, Christopher J., Markison, Timothy W., Trachewsky, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method for wireless communication between stations of differing protocols begins by determining whether protocols of target stations of a wireless communication are different than a protocol of a source station. The method continues by, when at least one of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determining whether the wireless communication is a direct wireless communication or an indirect wireless communication. The method continues with the source station transmitting a frame to an access point, wherein the frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the source station, when the wireless communication is the indirect wireless communication. The method continues with the access point converting the frame into at least one alternate frame based on the protocol of the at least one of the target stations having the different protocol. The method continues with the access point transmitting the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication between stations of differing protocols, the method comprises:

determining whether protocols of target stations of a wireless communication are different than a protocol of a source station;

when at least one of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determining whether the wireless communication is a direct wireless communication or an indirect wireless communication;

when the wireless communication is the indirect wireless communication, transmitting, by the source station, a frame to an access point, wherein the frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the source station;

converting, by the access point, the frame into at least one alternate frame based on the protocol of the at least one of the target stations having the different protocol; and

transmitting, by the access point, the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting, by the access point, the frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

transmitting, by the access point, the at least one alternate frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determining whether the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible; and

when the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible;

converting, by the access point, the frame into the at least one alternate frame based on a legacy protocol of the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, converting, by the access point, the frame into a plurality of alternate frames based the different protocols of the plurality of target stations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame comprises:

determining frame length of the frame;

determining data rate of the frame;

determining data amount being conveyed in the frame; and

determining number of the at least one alternative frame based on the data amount of the frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame comprises:

determining whether frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than a frequency band of the protocol of the source station; and

when the frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than the frequency band of the protocol of the source station, concurrently transmitting the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations and transmitting the frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame comprises:

determining whether frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than a frequency band of the protocol of the source station; and

when the frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is not different than the frequency band of the protocol of the source station, determining whether another channel in the frequency band of the protocol of the source station is available;

when the another channel in the frequency band of the protocol of the source station is available, concurrently transmitting the alternate frame via the another channel to the at least one of the target stations and transmitting the frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station via a channel within the frequency band of the protocol of the source station.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when the wireless communication is the direct wireless communication, converting, by the source station, the frame into at least one alternate frame based on the protocol of the at least one of the target stations having the different protocol; and

transmitting, by the source station, the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

transmitting, by the source station, the frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

transmitting, by the source station, the at least one alternate frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determining whether the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible; and

when the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible;

converting, by the source station, the frame into the at least one alternate frame based on a legacy protocol of the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprises:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, converting, by the source station, the frame into a plurality of alternate frames based the different protocols of the plurality of target stations.

14. A station for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the station comprises:

a radio transmitter section operably coupled to convert outbound digital symbols into outbound radio frequency (RF) signals;

a radio receiver section operably coupled to convert inbound RF signals into inbound digital symbols;

baseband processing module operably coupled to convert the inbound digital symbols into inbound data in accordance with a WLAN protocol and to;

determine whether protocols of target stations of a wireless communication are different than the WLAN protocol of a source station;

when at least one of the target stations has a different protocol than the WLAN protocol, determine whether the wireless communication is a direct wireless communication or an indirect wireless communication; and

when the wireless communication is the direct wireless communication, convert the frame into at least one alternate frame based on the protocol of the at least one of the target stations having the different protocol, wherein the at least one alternate frame is transmitted via the transmitter section to the at least one of the target stations.

15. The station of claim 14, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

provide the frame to the transmitter section for transmission to other stations of target stations that use the WLAN protocol.

16. The station of claim 14 further comprises:

transmitting, by the transmitter section, the at least one alternate frame to other stations of target stations that use the protocol of the source station.

17. The station of claim 14, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determining whether the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible; and

when the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible;

convert the frame into the at least one alternate frame based on a legacy protocol of the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations.

18. The station of claim 14, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, convert the frame into a plurality of alternate frames based the different protocols of the plurality of target stations.

19. The station of claim 14, wherein the converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame comprises:

determining frame length of the frame;

determining data rate of the frame;

determining data amount being conveyed in the frame; and

determining number of the at least one alternative frame based on the data amount of the frame.

20. The station of claim 14, wherein the baseband processing module further functions to:

when the wireless communication is the indirect wireless communication, providing the frame to the transmitter section for transmission to an access point, wherein the frame is formatted in accordance with the WLAN protocol.

21. An access point for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprises:

means for receiving a frame that is formatted in accordance with a WLAN protocol of a source station;

means for determining whether protocols of target stations of the frame are different than the WLAN protocol;

means for converting the frame into at least one alternate frame based on the protocol of the at least one of the target stations having the different protocol when at least one of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station; and

means for transmitting the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations.

22. The access point of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting further functions to:

transmit the frame to other stations of target stations that use the WLAN protocol.

23. The access point of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting further functions to:

transmit the at least one alternate frame to other stations of target stations that use the WLAN protocol.

24. The access point of claim 21, wherein the means for determining whether protocols of target stations of the frame are different than the WLAN protocol further functions to:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, determine whether the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible; and

when the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations are backward compatible;

convert the frame into the at least one alternate frame based on a legacy protocol of the different protocols of each of the plurality of target stations.

25. The access point of claim 21, wherein the means for determining whether protocols of target stations of the frame are different than the WLAN protocol further functions to:

when each of a plurality of the target stations has a different protocol than the protocol of the source station, convert the frame into a plurality of alternate frames based the different protocols of the plurality of target stations.

26. The access point of claim 21, wherein the means for converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame further functions to:

determine frame length of the frame;

determine data rate of the frame;

determine data amount being conveyed in the frame; and

determine number of the at least one alternative frame based on the data amount of the frame.

27. The access point of claim 21 further comprises:

the means for converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame further functions to determine whether frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than a frequency band of the WLAN protocol; and

the means for transmitting further functions to, when the frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than the frequency band of the WLAN protocol, concurrently transmit the at least one alternate frame to the at least one of the target stations and transmit the frame to other stations of target stations that use the WLAN protocol.

28. The access point of claim 21 further comprises:

the means for converting the frame into the at least one alternative frame further functions to;

determine whether frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is different than a frequency band of the WLAN protocol; and

when the frequency band of the protocol of the at least one of the target stations is not different than the frequency band of the WLAN protocol, determine whether another channel in the frequency band of the WLAN protocol is available;

the means for transmitting further functions to, when the another channel in the frequency band of the WLAN protocol is available, concurrently transmit the alternate frame via the another channel to the at least one of the target stations and transmit the frame to other stations of target stations that use the WLAN protocol via a channel within the frequency band of the WLAN protocol.