Multimedia server with channel control module and methods for use therewith

• US 20080082498A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Girardeau, James Ward, Dong, Sui Wu
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0022 in which mode-switching is influenced by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/02 by diversity reception

Abstract

A multimedia server module includes a first transceiver module that modulates an encoded signal to produce a first radio frequency (RF) signal and that transmits the first RF signal to a client module over a first transceiver channel when the first transceiver module is in a transceive mode. The first transceiver module includes a first channel control module that performs a first channel scan when the first transceiver module is in a scan mode, that determines at least one performance parameter of the first transceiver channel and asserts a low performance signal when the at least one performance parameter compares unfavorably to a performance threshold, and that switches the first transceiver module to a selected alternative transceiver channel when the low performance signal is asserted.

Claims

1. A multimedia server module comprising:

an encoder module for generating an encoded signal from a multimedia input signal;

a first transceiver module that modulates an encoded signal to produce a first radio frequency (RF) signal and that transmits the first RF signal, that includes a packetized video signal, to a client module over a first transceiver channel when the first transceiver module is in a transceive mode, the first transceiver module including;

a first channel control module that performs a first channel scan during a quiet time between video packet acknowledgements when the first transceiver module is in a scan mode, that determines at least one performance parameter of the first transceiver channel and asserts a low performance signal when the at least one performance parameter compares unfavorably to a performance threshold, and that switches the first transceiver module to a selected alternative transceiver channel when the low performance signal is asserted;

wherein the first transceiver channel is a channel of a broadband wireless access network that conforms to at least one of the following standards;

802.11x, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

2. The multimedia server module of claim 1 wherein the first channel scan includes determining at least one performance parameter of a plurality of alternative transceiver channels and selecting the selected alternative transceiver channel of the plurality of alternative transceiver channels.

3. The multimedia server module of claim 1 wherein the first channel control module performs the first channel scan in response to the low performance signal.

4. The multimedia server module of claim 1 wherein the first channel control module performs the first channel scan in response to the expiration of a time interval

5. The multimedia server module of claim 1 further comprising:

a second transceiver module for modulating the encoded signal to produce a second RF signal and for transmitting the second RF signal over a second transceiver channel when the second transceiver module is in a transceive mode.

6. The multimedia server module of claim 5 wherein the first transceiver module is operably coupled to a first antenna and the second transceiver module is coupled to a second antenna that is spatially diverse from the first antenna.

7. The multimedia server module of claim 5 wherein the second transceiver module includes a second channel control module that performs a second channel scan when the second transceiver module is in a scan mode and wherein the switch module is operably coupled to the second channel control module, and wherein the second channel scan includes determining at least one performance parameter of a plurality of alternative transceiver channels and selecting the selected alternative transceiver channel of the plurality of alternative transceiver channels.

8. The multimedia server module of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver module is further operable to transmit switch data to the client module.

9. The multimedia server module of claim 1 wherein the first channel control module is further operable to arbitrate the switch to the alternative transceiver channel with the client module.

10. A multimedia server module comprising:

a first transceiver module that modulates an encoded signal to produce a first radio frequency (RF) signal and that transmits the first RF signal to a client module over a first transceiver channel when the first transceiver module is in a transceive mode, the first transceiver module including;

a first channel control module that determines at least one performance parameter of the first transceiver channel and asserts a low performance signal when the at least one performance parameter compares unfavorably to a performance threshold, and that switches the first transceiver module to a selected alternative transceiver channel when the low performance signal is asserted.

a second transceiver module for modulating the encoded signal to produce a second RF signal and for transmitting the second RF signal over a second transceiver channel when the second transceiver module is in a transceive mode, the second transceiver module including;

a second channel control module that performs a second channel scan when the second transceiver module is in a scan mode, wherein the second channel scan includes determining at least one performance parameter of a plurality of alternative transceiver channels and selecting the selected alternative transceiver channel of the plurality of alternative transceiver channels.

11. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first channel scan includes determining at least one performance parameter of a plurality of alternative transceiver channels and selecting the selected alternative transceiver channel of the plurality of alternative transceiver channels.

12. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first RF signal includes a packetized video signal and the second channel control module performs the second channel scan during a quiet time between video packet acknowledgements.

13. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first channel control module performs the first channel scan in response to the low performance signal.

14. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first channel control module performs the first channel scan in response to the expiration of a time interval

15. The multimedia server module of claim 10 further wherein the first transceiver module is operably coupled to a first antenna and the second transceiver module is coupled to a second antenna that is spatially diverse from the first antenna.

16. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first transceiver module is further operable to transmit switch data to the client module.

17. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first channel control module is further operable to arbitrate the switch to the alternative transceiver channel with the client module.

18. The multimedia server module of claim 10 wherein the first transceiver channel is a channel of a broadband wireless access network that conforms to at least one of the following standards:

802.11x, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

19. The multimedia server module of claim 10 further comprising:

an encoder module for generating an encoded signal from a multimedia input signal that includes a composite video signal.

20. A method for use in a first transceiver module that modulates an encoded signal to produce a first radio frequency (RF) signal -that includes a packetized video signal and that transmits the first RF signal to a client module over a first transceiver channel when the first transceiver module is in a transceive mode, the first transceiver module, the method comprising:

performing a first channel scan when the first transceiver module is in a scan mode during a quiet time between video packet acknowledgements;

determining at least one performance parameter of the first transceiver channel;

asserting a low performance signal when the at least one performance parameter compares unfavorably to a performance threshold; and

switching the first transceiver module to a selected alternative transceiver channel when the low performance signal is asserted;

wherein the first transceiver channel is a channel of a broadband wireless access network that conforms to at least one of the following standards;

802.11x, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first channel scan includes determining at least one performance parameter of a plurality of alternative transceiver channels and selecting the selected alternative transceiver channel of the plurality of alternative transceiver channels.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of performing the first channel scan is performed in response to the low performance signal.

23. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of performing the first channel scan is performed in response to the expiration of a time interval

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

transmitting switch data to the client module.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

arbitrating the switch to the alternative transceiver channel with the client module.