High-reliability computer interface for wireless input devices
First Claim
1. A method of communication between a media access control (MAC) and a radio unit within a transceiver, comprising:
- a) writing a device ID of said receiving device to a radio unit;
b) enabling read mode, and receiving a message;
c) processing said message and preparing an acknowledgement (ACK) message;
d) disabling read mode;
e) setting up registers in said radio unit and enabling send mode; and
f) sending said ACK message and disabling send mode upon completion of sending said ACK message.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computing system wherein communication between a host computer and peripheral units, e.g. computer mouse and keyboard, is performed using RF signals. The host computer and the peripheral units each contain a transceiver for managing and transmitting the RF communication messages. An acknowledgement is sent by the receiving transceiver to the sending transceiver to signify that the message was successfully received. If no acknowledgement is received by the sending transceiver, a subsequent RF communication message is sent until an acknowledgement is received. A sleep mode is invoked between messages to conserve battery power in the peripheral units, and the peripheral units send a report message to the host when awaking periodically, or by a user demand, from the sleep mode signifying that the peripheral unit is active and ready to send or receive messages.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of communication between a media access control (MAC) and a radio unit within a transceiver, comprising:
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a) writing a device ID of said receiving device to a radio unit;
b) enabling read mode, and receiving a message;
c) processing said message and preparing an acknowledgement (ACK) message;
d) disabling read mode;
e) setting up registers in said radio unit and enabling send mode; and
f) sending said ACK message and disabling send mode upon completion of sending said ACK message. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for changing operating states of a wireless communication system under a control of a media access control (MAC) unit, comprising:
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a) operating in a high data rate (HDR) mode when a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is high and changing to a medium data rate (MDR);
b) selecting a next MDR channel when an acknowledgement (ACK) message timer expires;
c) changing to said HDR mode from said MDR mode when all available said MDR channels have been tried and said ACK timer expires for each said available MDR channels; and
d) changing to said HDR mode when RSSI is low and operating in said HDR mode when RSSI is low. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A method for collision avoidance and information handling, comprising;
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a) preparing to send a message from a peripheral RF transceiver;
b) enabling an RF receiver and waiting for locking of a phase lock loop;
c) performing a clear channel assessment CCA by the RF receiver;
d) performing a random backoff if a channel is busy and then switch to a transmit mode;
e) awaiting a window of time T, then check the CCA report from said RF receiver, if channel is not busy, then switch to transmit mode, otherwise if channel is busy, perform a random backoff, then switch to transmit mode;
f) transmitting said message and after switching to said RF receiver to wait for an acknowledgement (ACK) that the message transmitted was received and ending if an ACK is received;
g) returning to step c) if there is no ACK and a number of transmissions has not exceeded a maximum;
h) exiting process if the number of transmissions has exceeded the maximum and waiting for a new message. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for dynamically adjusting a clear channel assessment (CCA), comprising:
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a) setting a CCA threshold to a default value;
b) measuring performance and backoff rates for a plurality of sent radio frequency (RF) messages;
c) increasing said CCA threshold to threshold=threshold plus a specified decibel level if the backoff rate is greater than a first backoff amount and said performance is less than a first performance amount, and returning to step b) to measure performance and backoff rates; and
d) decreasing said CCA threshold to threshold=threshold minus a specified decibel level if the backoff rate is less than a second backoff amount and said performance is greater than a second performance amount, and returning to step b) to measure performance and backoff rates. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for interference handling, comprising:
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a) receiving a received signal strength indication (RSSI) at an radio frequency (RF) transceiver;
b) applying a high data rate (HDR) or a medium data rate (MDR) when said RSSI is high, which signifies a relatively high degree of RF interference; and
c) checking conditions to go between a spreading mode and an MDR mode when said RSSI is low, which signifies a relatively low degree of RF interference. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for switching between a high data rate (HDR) and a medium data rate (MDR) at an RF transceiver, comprising:
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a) continuing use of a HDR when a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is low;
b) switching to a MDR when the RSSI is high and resetting a data encryption;
c) listening for a first period of time on a first channel of a plurality of communication channels after switching to the MDR mode;
d) continuing to communicate in said first channel when said RF message is received, listening for a second period of time, and receiving additional RF messages;
e) switching to a second channel of said plurality of communication channels and resetting said encryption after listening and receiving no RF messages on said first channel, then returning to step c);
f) switching the HDR mode after switching through all available channels of said plurality of channels when in the MDR mode until said all available channels have been used and no RF messages have been received; and
g) switching to the HDR mode and resetting the encryption when the RSSI is low. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for performing in a medium data rate (MDR) mode, comprising;
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a) transmitting a first RF message in a MDR mode over a first communication channel and listening for an first acknowledgement (ACK);
b) remaining in said first communication channel if said first ACK is received, transmitting a second RF message and waiting for a second ACK;
c) remaining in said first communication channel if said second ACK is received;
d) retransmitting said second RF message as a first retransmission of said second RF message and waiting for a third ACK and remaining in said first communication channel if said third ACK is received; and
e) retransmitting said second RF message as a second retransmission of the second RF message if a first timer has not expired and if said third ACK is not received, otherwise switch a second communication channel and reset encryption. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 28, 29)
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26. A method for a host transceiver in suspend mode, comprising:
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a) waiting for a first period of time and entering an awake state;
b) listening for RF messages during a second period of time, detecting no valid header data, entering a sleep state, and returning to step a);
c) validating a header of a message, listening for a third period of time, receiving no data packet, entering a sleep state and returning to step a); and
d) validating said header of a message, listening for a third period of time, receiving a packet of data, remaining in said awake state and returning to step b). - View Dependent Claims (27)
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30. A method for modifying messaging protocol of a mouse transceiver upon entry of a host transceiver into a suspend mode, comprising:
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a) transmitting a first message from a mouse to a host transceiver and if an acknowledgement ACK is received by said mouse continue transmitting additional messages;
b) re-transmitting said first message if ACK is received, then continue transmitting additional messages;
c) re-transmitting said first message if ACK not received and if a predefined number of retransmissions has not been exceeded;
d) sending a link reset from said mouse to said host transceiver if a predefined number of retransmissions has not been exceeded;
e) receiving ACK from said host transceiver for said link reset and returning to transmitting messages from said mouse to said host;
f) sending said link reset from said mouse to said host transceiver if no ACK for link reset received from said host transceiver and if said predetermined number of said link reset not exceeded;
then g) transmitting a second message if said second message packet is in a queue; and
h) sending said link reset for a period of time if no said message packet is in the queue. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A computing system using radio frequency (RF) signals to communicate between a plurality of computing units, comprising:
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a) a plurality of transceivers located in a plurality of computing units and communicating between said plurality of computing units with RF signals;
b) each transceiver of said plurality of transceivers contain a software ROM that controls operations of said each transceiver; and
c) a software patch EEPROM added to said each transceiver to allow modifications and additions to commands contained within said software ROM. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A method for using a patch EEPROM for controlling operations of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, comprising:
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a) initializing a transceiver in a computing unit;
b) copying an EEPROM into RAM if a patch EEPROM exists then resuming initialization from a ROM; and
c) continuing operation using said ROM if a patch EEPROM does not exist. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A method for using null function pointers to substitute a new function into an operation of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, comprising:
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a) calling a substitute function if a function pointer is not equal to null and continuing operation of a RF transceiver; and
b) running an original function if said function pointer is null and continuing operation of said RF transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification