Arbitrating colocated transceivers associated with different systems

• US 20070177542A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breakwaters Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Hirsch, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention provide arbitration methods, systems and devices which enable a WLAN transceiver (30) and a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver (32) to share the transmission medium. Various arbitration signals (BT, WL, RXIND and PRI) enable the transceivers to indicate a seizure of ownership of the medium as well as to accommodate special arbitration cases, e.g., priority packet transmission/reception. Some arbitration features are hardware programmable to provide design flexibility.

Claims

1. A method for arbitrating access to a wireless medium between a first transceiver and a second transceiver comprising the steps of:

(a) asserting, by said second transceiver a first arbitration signal line when said first transceiver is to be prevented from transmitting;

(b) asserting, by said first transceiver a second arbitration signal line when said second transceiver is to be prevented from transmitting;

(c) asserting, by said second transceiver a third arbitration signal line when said second transceiver is to transmit or receive a priority packet; and

(d) asserting, by said first transceiver a fourth arbitration signal line while said first transceiver evaluates an address associated with an incoming first packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second transceiver and said first transceiver are co-located in a same device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first transceiver is a WLAN transceiver and said second transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of:

(b) asserting, by said first transceiver said second arbitration signal line if said incoming first packet is addressed to said first transceiver or if said incoming first packet is a multicast packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) further comprises the steps of:

maintaining said second arbitration signal line in an asserted state for a first period until said first transceiver has transmitted a plurality of first packets and received corresponding acknowledgement packets.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

extending said first period by a second period during which said second arbitration signal remains in said asserted state to allow said first transceiver to detect fragmented frames or frame bursts.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second period is programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) further comprises the step of:

(b) asserting, by said first transceiver said second arbitration signal line at a predetermined time during a backoff period associated with transmission of a packet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined time is hardware programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined time is adaptively variable.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

preventing successive assertions of said second arbitration signal line within a predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predetermined time is hardware programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein performing step (a) is preceded by the step of:

determining that said second arbitration signal line is not asserted.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

checking, after asserting said first arbitration signal line to ensure that said first arbitration signal line has not been raised; and

transmitting a packet by said second transceiver.

15. A transceiver system comprising:

a first transceiver for transmitting and receiving first packets;

a second transceiver for transmitting and receiving second packets; and

a plurality of arbitration signal lines connecting said first transceiver with said second transceiver said plurality of arbitration signal lines including;

a first arbitration signal line asserted by said second transceiver when said first transceiver is to be prevented from transmitting;

a second arbitration signal line asserted by said first transceiver when said second transceiver is to be prevented from transmitting;

a third arbitration signal line asserted by said second transceiver when said second transceiver is to transmit or receive a priority packet; and

a fourth arbitration signal line asserted by said first transceiver while said first transceiver evaluates an address associated with an incoming first packet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said second transceiver and said first transceiver are co-located in a same device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said first transceiver is a WLAN transceiver, said first packets are WLAN packets, said second transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver and said second packets are Bluetooth packets.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said first transceiver asserts said second arbitration signal line if said incoming first packet is addressed to said first transceiver or if said incoming first packet is a multicast packet.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said first transceiver maintains said second arbitration signal line in an asserted state for a first period until said first transceiver has transmitted a plurality of first packets and received corresponding acknowledgement packets.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said first transceiver extends said first period by a second period during which said second arbitration signal remains in said asserted state to allow said first transceiver to detect fragmented frames or frame bursts.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said second period is programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said first transceiver asserts said second arbitration signal line at a predetermined time during a backoff period associated with transmission of a first packet.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said predetermined time is hardware programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said predetermined time is adaptively variable.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein said system prevents successive assertions of said second arbitration signal line within a predetermined time.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said predetermined time is hardware programmable in hardware associated with said first transceiver.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein said second transceiver determines that said second arbitration signal line is not asserted prior to asserting said first arbitration signal line.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said second transceiver checks, after asserting said first arbitration signal line to ensure that said first arbitration signal line has not been raised and then transmits a second packet.