Method and system for VoIP over WLAN to bluetooth headset using ACL link and sniff for aligned eSCO transmission

• US 20060194538A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Reunamaki, Jukka, Palin, Arto, Honkanen, Mauri
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/733 with a plurality of base stations connected to a plurality of lines for selection in cordless PBX H04W84/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for reducing interference in simultaneous wireless LAN (WLAN) and wireless personal area network (PAN) signal handling in mobile wireless terminals having both a WLAN and a PAN interface. The wireless terminal includes a first transceiver operating in the PAN network in a communications band and a first communications protocol transmitting first data units. The wireless terminal also includes a second transceiver operating in the WLAN network in substantially the same communications band and a second communications protocol transmitting second data units. The wireless terminal further includes a controller coupled to the first and second transceivers, assigning a higher transmission priority to the second data units than to the first data units when transmission of the second data units overlaps a first occurring transmission of the first data units, to abort transmission of the first occurring data unit. The controller assigns a higher transmission priority to the aborted first data unit than to the second data units when transmission of the second data units overlaps the retransmission of the aborted first data unit, to transmit the aborted first data unit.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal, comprising:

a first transceiver operating in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band;

a second transceiver operating in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band;

said first transceiver establishing predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units; and

a controller coupled to said first and second transceivers, assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units;

said controller assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

2. The wireless terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

7. The wireless terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

8. The wireless terminal of claim 7, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 7, further comprising:

said ACL packets transporting voice data between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

said terminal being programmed to automatically flush aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

said terminal determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

said terminal increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

3-6. -6. (canceled)

11. A method in a wireless terminal, comprising:

operating a first transceiver in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band;

operating a second transceiver in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band;

establishing with said first transceiver predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units;

assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units; and

assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

12. The method in a wireless terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

17. The method in a wireless terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

18. The method in a wireless terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

19. The method in a wireless terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

transporting voice data in said ACL packets between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

automatically flushing aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

20. The method in a wireless terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

13-16. -16. (canceled)

21. A system, comprising:

a wireless terminal;

a wireless headset;

a first transceiver in said wireless terminal operating in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band to communicate with said wireless headset;

said first transceiver establishing predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units;

a wireless access point;

a second transceiver in said wireless terminal operating in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band to communicate with said wireless access point; and

a controller in said wireless terminal coupled to said first and second transceivers, assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units;

said controller assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

said ACL packets transporting voice data between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

said terminal being programmed to automatically flush aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

said terminal determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

said terminal increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

23-26. -26. (canceled)

31. A chipset for a wireless terminal, comprising:

a first transceiver circuit chip operating in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band;

a second transceiver circuit chip operating in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band;

said first transceiver establishing predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units; and

a controller circuit chip coupled to said first and second transceivers, assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units;

said controller assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

32. The chipset for a wireless terminal of claim 31, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

37. The chipset for a wireless terminal of claim 31, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

38. The chipset for a wireless terminal of claim 37, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

39. The chipset for a wireless terminal of claim 37, further comprising:

said ACL packets transporting voice data between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

said terminal being programmed to automatically flush aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

said terminal determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

said terminal increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

40. The chipset for a wireless terminal of claim 31, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

33-36. -36. (canceled)

41. A program product for a wireless terminal, comprising:

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for operating a first transceiver in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band;

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for operating a second transceiver in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band;

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for establishing with said first transceiver predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units;

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units; and

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

42. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 41, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

47. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 41, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

48. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 47, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

49. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 47, further comprising:

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for transporting voice data in said ACL packets between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for automatically flushing aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

program code for execution in a wireless terminal for increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

50. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 41, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

43-46. -46. (canceled)

51. A program product for a wireless terminal, including program code which, when executed, performs the steps comprising:

operating a first transceiver in a wireless PAN network for communicating first data units in accordance with a first communications protocol and operating in a wireless communications band;

operating a second transceiver in a wireless LAN network for communicating second data units in accordance with a second communications protocol and operating in a band substantially the same as said wireless communications band;

establishing with said first transceiver predefined slot times to listen for traffic for timing an assignment of relative priorities to the first data units and the second data units;

assigning a higher priority to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed during one of said predefined slot times, to abort transmission of one of said first data units; and

assigning a higher priority to said aborted first data unit than to said second data units if one of said second data units is sensed while attempting to retransmit said aborted first data unit in a slot following said one of said predetermined slots, to retransmit said aborted first data unit.

52. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 51, further comprising:

said first communications protocol is a Bluetooth standard and said first data units are Bluetooth ACL packets.

57. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 51, further comprising:

said wireless terminal exchanging voice over internet (VoIP) packets as said second data units with a wireless access point using IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard as said second communications protocol; and

said wireless terminal exchanging encoded audio data in Bluetooth ACL packets as said first data units with a wireless headset using a Bluetooth standard as said first communications protocol.

58. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 57, further comprising:

said wireless terminal establishing a connection with said headset and performing a role switch to assume a master role to set up an ACL link with said headset in a sniff mode.

59. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 57, including program code which, when executed, performs the steps further comprising:

transporting voice data in said ACL packets between the terminal and the headset having time-based characteristics that may be retransmitted until received or expired;

automatically flushing aborted ACL voice packets after the packets have expired because of waiting too long for an available slot for retransmission;

determining if a frequency of occurrence of flushed ACL voice packets is greater than a predetermined value; and

increasing a duration of a listening window following said predefined slot times if said frequency of occurrence is greater than said predetermined value.

60. The program product for a wireless terminal of claim 51, further comprising:

said wireless PAN band being selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency band, infrared band, and optical band.

53-56. -56. (canceled)