Passive listening in wireless communication

• US 20080165780A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
• Original Assignee: Hellosoft Incorporated (Imagination Technologies Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kankipati, Sriram, Dighe, Parag Ashok, Barman, Kaushik, Aldaz, Luis, Johnson, Allan A., Malladi, Raghavendra
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Passive listening in wireless communication. An activity sensor device senses a packet. A medium access control (MAC) address parser receives the packet, processes a header of the packet, and activates a MAC device in response to recognizing a MAC address within the header, such that the MAC device is not activated if the MAC address parser does not recognize the MAC address.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an activity sensor device for sensing a packet; and

a medium access control (MAC) address parser for receiving said packet, for processing a header of said packet, and for activating a MAC device in response to recognizing a MAC address within said header, such that said MAC device is not activated if said MAC address parser does not recognize said MAC address.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a physical layer device for decoding said header of said packet.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said physical layer device is deactivated subsequent decoding said header of said packet.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said physical layer device is activated in response to said activity sensor device sensing said packet.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said activity sensor is deactivated subsequent sensing said packet, such that said activity sensor is deactivated at least for a length of said packet.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said activity sensor comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) and mixed signal module for receiving a signal comprising said packet; and

an energy detector for sensing said packet.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said MAC device is a hardware-centric MAC device comprising:

a control plane module for providing control functions of said hardware-centric MAC device; and

a hardware media access plane module communicatively coupled to said control plane module and for performing real-time data communication functions independent of a microprocessor.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said hardware media access plane module is implemented in gate logic, such that real-timing requirements of said hardware-centric MAC device are handled in gate logic.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an activity sensor device for sensing a packet;

a physical layer device for decoding at least said header of said packet, wherein said physical layer device is activated in response to said activity sensor device sensing said packet;

a medium access control (MAC) address parser for receiving said packet, for processing said header of said packet, and for activating a MAC device in response to recognizing a MAC address within said header, such that said MAC device is not activated if said MAC address parser does not recognize said MAC address; and

an activity sensor control module for controlling activation and deactivation of said activity sensor device, said physical layer device, said MAC device and said MAC address parser.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said activity sensor control module is for deactivating said activity sensor device for a length of said packet subsequent sensing said packet and for reactivating said activity sensor device upon a passing of said length of said packet.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said activity sensor control module is for deactivating said physical layer device subsequent decoding at least said header of said packet and for reactivating said physical layer device upon said activity sensor sensing said packet.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said activity sensor control module is for deactivating said MAC address parser subsequent determining whether said MAC address is recognized and for reactivating said MAC address parser for receiving said header from said physical layer device.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said activity sensor control module is for activating said MAC device if said MAC address parser recognizes a MAC address within said header.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said activity sensor comprises:

a radio frequency (RF) and mixed signal module for receiving a signal comprising said packet; and

an energy detector for sensing said packet.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said MAC device is a hardware-centric MAC device comprising:

a control plane module for providing control functions of said hardware-centric MAC device; and

a hardware media access plane module communicatively coupled to said control plane module and for performing real-time data communication functions independent of a microprocessor.

16. A method comprising:

sensing a packet at an activity sensor device;

responsive to said sensing, decoding at least a header portion of said packet at a physical layer device, said header portion including a destination medium access control (MAC) address;

determining whether said MAC address of said packet is recognized; and

responsive to recognizing said MAC address, activating a MAC device for performing data processing functions such that said MAC device is not activated if said MAC address is not recognized.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

deactivating said activity sensor device for at least a length of said packet; and

reactivating said activity sensor device upon a passing of said length of said packet.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

deactivating said physical layer device subsequent said decoding at least said header portion of said packet at said physical layer device; and

reactivating said physical layer device upon receiving a subsequent header portion from said activity sensor sensing said packet.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said determining whether said MAC address of said packet is recognized is performed by a MAC address parser.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 further comprising:

deactivating said MAC address parser subsequent said determining whether said MAC address of said packet is recognized; and

reactivating said MAC address parser for receiving said header portion from said physical layer device.