Method and apparatus of multiple entity wireless communication adapter

• US 20070049339A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bachrach, Yuval, Ginzburg, Boris, Jalfon, Marc, Barak, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for a multiple-entity wireless communication adapter, including at least a first connection module to communicate first signal traffic corresponding to a basic service set station entity, a second connection module to communicate second signal traffic corresponding to an entity that is not a basic service set station, and a shared physical layer able to process both the first and the second signal traffic. Additional features are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a multiple-entity wireless communication adapter, including at least a first connection module to communicate first signal traffic corresponding to a basic service set station entity, a second connection module to communicate second signal traffic corresponding to an entity that is not a basic service set station, and a shared physical layer to process both said first and said second signal traffics.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a media access controller able to control the flow of said first and second signal traffics between said physical layer and said first and second connection modules.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said media access controller comprises:

a lower media access controller to control timing-critical tasks relating to said first and second signal traffics.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said media access controller comprises:

at least first and second media access controller components to control said first signal traffic and second signal traffic, respectively.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said media access controller comprises:

a shared media access controller component to control both said first and said second signal traffics.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a local area network software stack associated with said first connection module to process data carried by said first signal traffic.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second connection module comprises a basic service set access point connection module to communicate access point signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a personal area network software stack associated with said second connection module to process data carried in said second signal traffic.

9. A method comprising:

controlling a first signal traffic and a second signal traffic over a shared physical layer, wherein said first signal traffic corresponds to a basic service set station entity, and wherein said second signal traffic corresponds to an entity that is not a basic service set station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling comprises:

interleaving said first and second signal traffics according to a predefined protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein interleaving comprises:

performing a logical OR operation between a signal of said first signal traffic and a signal of said second signal traffic.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein interleaving comprises:

transmitting periodic beacon signals to be carried in said second signal traffic with a target beacon transmit time which is shifted relative to a target beacon transmit time of received periodic beacons carried in said first signal traffic.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a first beacon of said periodic beacons in response to at least one received transmission trigger signal carried in said second signal traffic.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting and receiving said first and second signal traffics over a shared radio channel.

15. A wireless communication system comprising:

a multiple-entity wireless communication device comprising;

an adapter, including at least a first connection module to communicate first signal traffic corresponding to a basic service set station entity, a second connection module to communicate second signal traffic corresponding to an entity that is not a basic service set station, and a shared physical layer to process both said first and said second signal traffics; and

a dipole antenna to transmit and receive signals corresponding to said first and second signal traffics.

16. A wireless communication system according to claim 15, further comprising:

one or more additional wireless communication devices to communicate with said multiple-entity wireless communication device over a link of a wireless communication network.

17. A wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein said wireless communication network is a wireless local area network.

18. A wireless communication system according to claim 16, wherein said wireless communication network is a wireless personal area network.

19. A wireless communication system according to claim 15, wherein said adapter comprises:

a media access controller able to control the flow of said first and second signal traffics between said physical layer and said first and second connection modules.

20. A wireless communication system according to claim 15, wherein said second connection module is a basic service set access point connection module to communicate access point signals.