Method and apparatus of multi-entity wireless communication adapter

• US 20070076597A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bachrach, Yuval, Ginzburg, Boris, Barak, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• 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 multi-entity wireless communication adapter having a traffic management configuration to selectively associate at least first and second signal traffics corresponding to a basic service set station entity and an independent basic service set entity, respectively, with a shared physical layer which is able to process said first and second signal traffics. Additional features are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a traffic management mechanism to selectively associate at least first and second signal traffics corresponding to a basic service set station entity and an independent basic service set entity, respectively, with a shared physical layer which is to process said first and second signal traffics.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a transmission arbitration unit to selectively transfer to said physical layer data signals to be transmitted from said basic service set station entity or from said of said independent basic service set entity, according to an arbitration policy.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said arbitration policy comprises a random selection arbitration policy.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said arbitration policy comprises a round-robin access arbitration policy.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a logical AND gate to provide a combined channel cleat assessment signal to said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities based on a channel clear assessment signal from said physical layer and a transmission clear signal from said transmission arbitration unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said transmission clear signal is responsive to transmission of a data signal corresponding to at least one of said first and second signal traffics.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a logical AND gate to provide a combined receive enable signal to said physical layer based on a receive enable signal from at least one of said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities, and a transmission cleat signal from said transmission arbitration unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said transmission clear signal is responsive to transmission of a data signal corresponding to at least one of said first and second signal traffics.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a multiplexer to transfer data signals to be received by said basic service set station entity and said independent basic service set entity, said signals corresponding to a data signal from said transmission arbitration unit or to a received data signal from said physical layer.

10. A method comprising:

managing at least a first signal traffic corresponding to a basic service set station entity and a second signal traffic corresponding to an independent basic service set entity, to be communicated over a shared physical layer.

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

selectively transferring to said physical layer data signals to be transmitted from said basic service set station entity or from said of said independent basic service set entity.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising combining a channel clear assessment signal from said physical layer and a transmission clear signal responsive to transmission of a data signal corresponding to at least one of said first and second signal traffics, to provide a combined channel clear assessment signal to said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising combining a receive enable signal from at least one of said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities and a transmission clear signal responsive to transmission of a data signal corresponding to at least one of said first and second signal traffics, to provide a combined receive enable signal to said physical layer.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising transferring a data signal produced by either said basic service set station entity or said independent basic service set entity back to said entities to enable intercommunication.

15. A wireless communication system comprising:

a multi-entity wireless communication device comprising;

a traffic management mechanism to selectively associate at least first and second signal traffics corresponding to a basic service set station entity and an independent basic service set entity, respectively, with a shared physical layer which is to process said first and second signal traffics; and

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

16. A system according to claim 15, comprising:

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

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

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

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a transmission arbitration unit to selectively transfer to said physical layer data signals to be transmitted from said basic service set station entity or from said of said independent basic service set entity, according to an arbitration policy.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a logical AND gate to provide a combined channel clear assessment signal to said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities based on a channel clear assessment signal from said physical layer and a transmission clear signal from said transmission arbitration unit.

21. A system according to claim 19, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a logical AND gate to provide a combined receive enable signal to said physical layer based on a receive enable signal from at least one of said basic service set station and independent basic service set entities, and a transmission clear signal from said transmission arbitration unit.

22. A system according to claim 19, wherein said traffic management mechanism comprises a multiplexer to transfer data signals to be received by said basic service set station entity and said independent basic service set entity, said signals corresponding to a data signal from said transmission arbitration unit or to a received data signal from said physical layer.