Multi-function wireless terminal

• US 20070275746A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Altair Semiconductor Ltd. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bitran, Yigal
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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 communication method includes establishing a first communication session over a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station (BS) of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames. Based on the time frames defined by the BS, time slots are allocated for establishing a second communication session over a second connection between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device, which operates in accordance with a second, short-range time-slotted communication protocol different from the first protocol.

Time intervals are allocated within the time frames for communication between the BS and the wireless terminal over the first connection, such that the allocated time intervals are interleaved with and do not overlap the allocated time slots. The first and second communication sessions are concurrently conducted in the allocated time intervals and the assigned time slots, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

establishing a first communication session over a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station (BS) of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames;

allocating time slots, based on the time frames defined by the BS, for establishing a second communication session over a second connection between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device, which operates in accordance with a second, short-range time-slotted communication protocol different from the first protocol;

allocating time intervals within the time frames for downlink and uplink transmission between the BS and the wireless terminal over the first connection such that the allocated time intervals are interleaved with and do not overlap the allocated time slots; and

concurrently conducting the first and second communication sessions in the allocated time intervals and the assigned time slots, respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the long-range wireless data network comprises a WiMAX network that operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard, and wherein the second connection operates in accordance with a Bluetooth Core Specification.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with at least one of a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) mode and an Asynchronous Connectionless Link (ACL) mode of the Bluetooth core specification.

4. The method according to claim 1, and comprising establishing a third communication session over a third connection with an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a third protocol different from the first and second protocols, during time periods that do not overlap the time slots of the first connection and the time intervals of the second connection, and conducting the third communication session concurrently with the first and second sessions.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the third protocol comprises a protocol in which the time periods used by the third communication session are initiated by the wireless terminal, and wherein establishing the third communication session comprises selecting the time periods by the wireless terminal so as not to overlap the time slots of the first connection and the time intervals of the second connection.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the WLAN operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. The method according to claim 4, and comprising allocating additional optional time slots to one of the first, second and third connections when not previously allocated to another of the first, second and third connections.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the third connection operates in accordance with an Unscheduled Power Save Delivery (UPSD) mode of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein establishing the first communication session comprises handing over the wireless terminal from the WLAN to the long-range wireless data network while the third communication session is in progress.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein establishing the third communication session comprises handing over the wireless terminal from the long-range wireless data network to the WLAN while the third communication session is in progress.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein allocating the time slots based on the time frames comprises synchronizing the allocated time slots with the time frames defined by the BS.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second communication session comprises a voice connection between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device, and wherein allocating the time slots for the second communication session comprises allocating the time slots at regular intervals.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein allocating the time intervals within the time frames comprises notifying the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS outside the allocated time intervals.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises initially establishing the second connection such that a timing of the time slots is determined by the peripheral device, and subsequently causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal, so as to enable the time slots to be synchronous with the time frames of the first protocol defined by the BS.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal comprises invoking a Master-Slave Switching (MSS) procedure defined in the second protocol.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal comprises aborting establishment of the second connection by the wireless terminal after receiving an address of the peripheral device, and initiating a paging procedure by the wireless terminal using the received address, so as to re-establish the second connection with the timing of the time slots determined by the wireless terminal.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises carrying out an inquiry procedure by the wireless terminal in order to identify the peripheral device, and coordinating the allocated time slots and time intervals during the inquiry procedure.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises transmitting synchronization transmissions from the wireless terminal to the peripheral device in a low-power mode of the second protocol, and giving a priority to the synchronization transmissions over the time intervals of the first connection.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises transmitting paging transmissions between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device for establishing the second connection, while coordinating the exchange of the paging transmissions with the time intervals of the first connection.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises defining a subset of the time frames of the first connection as reduced-availability frames, notifying the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS during the reduced-availability frames, and giving a priority to establishing the second communication session during the reduced-availability frames.

21. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit; and

a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF unit to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first communication session over a first connection with a base station (BS) of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames, and to establish a second communication session over a second connection between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device, which operates in accordance with a second, short-range time-slotted communication protocol different from the first protocol; and

a coexistence processor, which is arranged to allocate time slots based on the time frames defined by the BS, for the second session and to allocate time intervals within the time frames for downlink and uplink transmission between the BS and the wireless terminal over the first connection such that the allocated time intervals are interleaved with and do not overlap the allocated time slots, so as to concurrently conduct the first and second communication sessions in the allocated time intervals and the assigned time slots, respectively.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the long-range wireless data network comprises a WiMAX network that operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard, and wherein the second connection operates in accordance with a Bluetooth Core Specification.

23. The terminal according to claim 22, wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with at least one of a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) mode and an Asynchronous Connectionless Link (ACL) mode of the Bluetooth core specification.

24. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is further arranged to establish a third communication session over a third connection with an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a third protocol different from the first and second protocols, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate time periods for the third communication session that do not overlap the time slots of the first connection and the time intervals of the second connection, so as to conduct the third communication session concurrently with the first and second sessions.

25. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the third protocol comprises a protocol in which the time periods used by the third communication session are initiated by the wireless terminal, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to select the time periods so as not to overlap the time slots of the first connection and the time intervals of the second connection.

26. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the WLAN operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

27. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate additional optional time slots to one of the first, second and third connections when not previously allocated to another of the first, second and third connections.

28. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the third connection operates in accordance with an Unscheduled Power Save Delivery (UPSD) mode of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

29. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the baseband processing circuit and the coexistence processor are arranged to hand over the wireless terminal from the WLAN to the long-range wireless data network while the third communication session is in progress.

30. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the baseband processing circuit and the coexistence processor are arranged to hand over the wireless terminal from the long-range wireless data network to the WLAN while the third communication session is in progress.

31. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein the baseband processing circuit comprises first, second and third transceivers, which are respectively arranged to communicate with the BS, the peripheral device and the AP, and wherein the coexistence processor is connected to the transceivers using respective coexistence interfaces and is arranged to allocate the time intervals, time slots and time periods by signaling to the transceivers over the coexistence interfaces.

32. The terminal according to claim 31, wherein the baseband processing circuit comprises a first sub-circuit comprising the second and third transceivers, and a second sub-circuit comprising the first transceiver and the coexistence processor, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to control the second and third transceivers using the coexistence interfaces, which are connected between the first and second sub-circuits.

33. The terminal according to claim 31, wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to synchronize the allocated time slots with the time frames defined by the BS.

34. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the second communication session comprises a voice connection between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate the time slots of the second connection at regular intervals.

35. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to notify the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS outside the allocated time intervals.

36. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to initially establish the second connection such that a timing of the time slots is determined by the peripheral device, and to subsequently cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal, so as to enable the time slots to be synchronous with the time frames of the first protocol defined by the BS.

37. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal by invoking a Master-Slave Switching (MSS) procedure defined in the second protocol.

38. The terminal according to claim 36, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal by aborting establishment of the second connection by the wireless terminal after receiving an address of the peripheral device, and initiating a paging procedure by the wireless terminal using the received address, so as to re-establish the second connection with the timing of the time slots determined by the wireless terminal.

39. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to carry out an inquiry procedure in order to identify the peripheral device, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to coordinate the allocated time slots and time intervals during the inquiry procedure.

40. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to transmit synchronization transmissions to the peripheral device in a low-power mode of the second protocol, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to give a priority to the synchronization transmissions over the time intervals of the first connection.

41. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to exchange paging transmissions between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device for establishing the second connection, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to coordinate the exchange of the paging transmissions with the time intervals of the first connection.

42. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to define a subset of the time frames of the first connection as reduced-availability frames, to notify the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS during the reduced-availability frames, and to give a priority to establishing the second communication session during the reduced-availability frames.