Device, system and method of establishing a wireless communication link

• US 20060223524A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ginzburg, Boris
• Application Number:
  US11/091,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections

Abstract

Briefly, some embodiments of the invention provide devices, systems and methods of selectively establishing a wireless communication link. For example, a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may include selecting to transmit data either via a direct wireless communication link or via an indirect wireless communication link based on an efficiency-related criterion associated with said direct and indirect links.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting to transmit data either via a direct wireless communication link or via an indirect wireless communication link based on an efficiency-related criterion associated with said direct and indirect links.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

estimating a first value of an efficiency-related parameter associated with said direct link;

estimating a second value of said efficiency-related parameter associated with said indirect link; and

comparing between said first value and said second value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing comprises:

comparing between a data transfer rate of said direct link and a data transfer rate of said indirect link.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing comprises:

comparing between the inverse of a data transfer rate of said direct link and a sum of the inverses of data transfer rates of a plurality of segments of said indirect link.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing comprises:

comparing between the time required for transmitting a data item through said direct link and the time required for transmitting said data item through said indirect link.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data through the link selected by said selecting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the direct link if the indirect link is selected by said selecting.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor to select to transmit data either via a direct wireless communication link or via an indirect wireless communication link based on an efficiency-related criterion associated with said direct and indirect links.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising:

an estimator to estimate a first value of an efficiency-related parameter associated with said direct link, and a second value of said efficiency-related parameter associated with said indirect link.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a comparator to compare between said first value and said second value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said efficiency-related parameter comprises data transfer rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the comparator is to compare between the inverse of a data transfer rate of said direct link and a sum of the inverses of data transfer rates of a plurality of segments of said indirect link.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the comparator is to compare between the time required for transmitting a data item through said direct link and the time required for transmitting said data item through said indirect link.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit data via the link selected by said processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is to disconnect the direct link if the indirect link is selected by said processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a wireless modem operatively associated with an antenna to send and receive signals carrying said data.

17. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication station to transmit data; and

a second wireless communication station to receive said data,

wherein said first station comprises a processor to select to transmit said data either via a direct wireless communication link or via an indirect wireless communication link based on an efficiency-related criterion associated with said direct and indirect links.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein said first station comprises an estimator to estimate a first value of an efficiency-related parameter associated with said direct link, and a second value of said efficiency-related parameter associated with said indirect link

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein said first station comprises a comparator to compare between said first value and said second value.

20. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that, if executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

selecting to transmit data either via a direct wireless communication link or via an indirect wireless communication link based on an efficiency-related criterion associated with said direct and indirect links.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the set of instructions, if executed by a machine, result in:

estimating a first value of an efficiency-related parameter associated with said direct link;

estimating a second value of said efficiency-related parameter associated with said indirect link; and

comparing between said first value and said second value.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the set of instructions, if executed by a machine, result in:

transmitting data through the link selected by said selecting.