Concurrent association with multiple wireless networks

• US 20080137555A1
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SiBEAM, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gllbert, Jeffrey M., Gilb, James, Mahesh, Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A wireless station has a media access controller (MAC) and a concurrent association manager. The concurrent association manager concurrently associates the wireless station with two or more wireless coordinators. Each wireless coordinator forms its respective wireless network. The concurrent association manager sets the wireless station in a sleep mode operation with respect each wireless network and detects a selection for operation with respect to one of the wireless coordinator.

Claims

1. A station comprising:

a media access controller (MAC); and

a concurrent association manager coupled to the MAC, and configured to concurrently associate the station with a plurality of coordinators, with each coordinator forming its respective wireless network.

2. The station of claim 1 wherein the MAC is configured to generate a packet to carry audio, video, and data traffic.

3. The station of claim 1 wherein the station includes a wireless HD station, and the plurality of coordinators include a plurality of wireless HD coordinators.

4. The station of claim 1 wherein the wireless network includes a wireless video area network (WVAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN).

5. The station of claim 1 wherein the wireless network operates at a frequency of about 60 GHz.

6. The station of claim 1 wherein the wireless network includes beam-forming wireless networks.

7. The station of claim 6 further comprising:

a storage configured to cache multiple beam vectors.

8. The station of claim 1 wherein the concurrent association manager is configured to set the station in a sleep mode operation with respect each wireless network.

9. The station of claim 8 wherein the concurrent association manager is configured to detect a selection for an operation with respect to one of the coordinator.

10. The station of claim 9 wherein the concurrent association manager is configured to dissociate the station with all other coordinators and to relinquish the sleep mode operation with respect to the coordinator where selection for the operation was detected,

wherein, upon completion of the operation, the concurrent association manager is configured to re-associate the station with the plurality of coordinators, and to set the station in the sleep mode operation with respect each wireless network.

11. The station of claim 9 wherein the concurrent association manager is configured to maintain the station'"'"'s association with respect to all other coordinators while the station has been selected for the operation with respect to one of the coordinator.

12. The station of claim 1 further comprising:

an audio video processor coupled to the MAC;

a physical device interface (PHY) coupled to the MAC, the PHY to encode and decode between a digital signal and a modulated analog signal, the PHY comprising a high rate physical layer circuit (HRP) and a low rate physical layer circuit (LRP); and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter coupled to the PHY to transmit data.

13. A method comprising:

detecting a plurality of wireless network with a station, each wireless network associated with a respective coordinator; and

concurrently associating the station with each coordinator.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the station includes a wireless HD station, and each coordinator includes a wireless HD coordinator.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the wireless network includes a wireless video area network (WVAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN).

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the wireless network operates at a frequency of about 60 GHz.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the wireless network includes beam-forming wireless networks.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

caching multiple beam vectors.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

operating in a sleep mode with respect to each wireless network.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

detecting a selection for an operation with respect to one of the coordinator.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

dissociating with all other wireless HD coordinators;

relinquishing the sleep mode with respect to the coordinator where the selection for the operation was detected;

upon completion of the operation, re-associating with the plurality of coordinators; and

operating in the sleep mode with respect each wireless network.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

maintaining the station'"'"'s association with respect to all other coordinators while the station has been selected for the operation with respect to one of the coordinator.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

renewing an association with each wireless coordinator within every association timeout period.

24. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible storage medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising;

detecting a plurality of wireless network, each wireless network associated with a respective coordinator; and

concurrently associating with each wireless network.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein the station includes a wireless HD station, each coordinator includes a wireless HD coordinator, the wireless network includes a wireless video area network (WVAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating at a frequency of about 60 GHz.