RE-CONFIGURABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND MANAGING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080261537A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Kwang-Cheng
• Application Number:
  US12/107,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/68
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communication apparatus including a physical information recognizing module, an MAC information recognizing module, a coordinating module, and a re-configurable transmitting/receiving module is provided. The physical information recognizing module recognizes a set of physical information relative to at least one communication network. The MAC information recognizing module recognizes a set of MAC information relative to the at least one communication network. The coordinating module generates a set of control signals selectively based on the set of physical information and the set of MAC information. The re-configurable transmitting/receiving module is configured according to the set of control signals and is used for transmitting/receiving data via the at least one communication network.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a physical information recognizing module for recognizing a set of physical information relative to at least one communication network;

an MAC information recognizing module for recognizing a set of MAC information relative to the at least one communication network;

a coordinating module, coupled to the physical information recognizing module and the MAC information recognizing module, for generating a set of control signals selectively based on the set of physical information and the set of MAC information; and

a re-configurable transmitting/receiving module, coupled to the coordinating module and configured according to the set of control signals, for transmitting/receiving data via the at least one communication network.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the physical information recognizing module comprises:

an RF unit for receiving RF signals from the at least one communication network, the set of physical information being derived from the RF signals.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a frequency detector for detecting a carrier frequency of the RF signals, and the set of physical information comprises the carrier frequency.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a bandwidth detector for detecting a band utility rate of the at least one communication network based on the RF signals, and the set of physical information comprises the band utility rate.

5. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a received signal strength indication (RSSI) detector for detecting an RSSI of the RF signals, and the set of physical information comprises the RSSI.

6. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR) estimator for estimating an SINR of the RF signals, and the set of physical information comprises the SINR.

7. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises:

a converting unit, coupled to the RF unit, for converting the RF signals into digital baseband signals.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a symbol rate detector for detecting a symbol rate of the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the symbol rate.

9. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a carrier/timing detector for detecting a carrier/timing characteristic of the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the carrier/timing characteristic.

10. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a pilot signal detector for detecting a pilot signal in the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the pilot signal.

11. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a channel fading detector for detecting a channel fading characteristic relative to the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the channel fading characteristic.

12. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a system/user identification detector for detecting a system/user identification of the at least one communication network based on the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the system/user identification.

13. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a modulation detector for detecting a modulation parameter of the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the modulation parameter.

14. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a forward error correction (FEC) detector for detecting an FEC type/rate of the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the FEC type/rate.

15. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detector for detecting an MIMO parameter associated with the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the MIMO parameter.

16. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the physical information recognizing module further comprises a power detector for detecting a power control characteristic associated with the digital baseband signals, and the set of physical information comprises the power control characteristic.

17. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the MAC information recognizing module is also coupled to the converting unit;

the MAC information recognizing module receives the digital baseband signals and derives the set of MAC information from the digital baseband signals.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the MAC information recognizing module comprises a protocol detector for detecting, based on the digital baseband signals, a multiple access protocol associated with the RF signals, and the set of MAC information comprises the multiple access protocol.

19. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the MAC information recognizing module comprises a resource detector for detecting a radio resource allocation of the at least one communication network based on the digital baseband signals, and the set of MAC information comprises the radio resource allocation.

20. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the MAC information recognizing module comprises a pattern detector for detecting an automatic repeat request (ARQ) pattern and/or a traffic pattern of the digital baseband signals, and the set of MAC information comprises the ARQ pattern and/or the traffic pattern.

21. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the MAC information recognizing module comprises a routing/mobility detector for deriving a routing/mobility characteristic associated with the at least one communication network from the digital baseband signals, and the set of MAC information comprises the routing/mobility characteristic.

22. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the coordinating module generates the set of control signals further based on data to be transmitted by the re-configurable transmitting/receiving module.

23. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the coordinating module generates the set of control signals further based on a first location of the communication device and/or a second location of a transceiver in the at least one communication network.

24. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the re-configurable transmitting/receiving module comprises:

a re-configurable physical unit, configured according to the set of control signals, for transmitting/receiving physical signals for the communication device; and

a re-configurable MAC unit, configured according to the set of control signals, for managing MAC functions for the communication device.

25. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the re-configurable transmitting/receiving module comprises:

a re-configurable network unit, configured according to the set of control signals, for managing network functions for the communication device;

wherein the set of control signals is relative to at least one selected from the group consisting of a decision about inter-system handoff, a decision of cooperative systems/networks, a decision about switching among systems, and a decision of self-organizing routing.

26. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the set of control signals is relative to settings at a transport-layer unit, a session-layer unit, a presentation-layer unit, or an application-layer unit of the communication device.

27. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a wired network and/or a wireless network.

28. A method for managing a communication device, comprising the steps of:

recognizing a set of physical information relative to at least one communication network;

recognizing a set of MAC information relative to the at least one communication network;

generating a set of control signals selectively based on the set of physical information and the set of MAC information; and

based on the set of control signals, configuring a re-configurable transmitting/receiving module in the communication device, the re-configurable transmitting/receiving module being used for transmitting/receiving data via the at least one communication network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the set of physical information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a carrier frequency of an RF signal in the at least one communication network, a bandwidth utility rate of the at least one communication network, a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of tie RF signals, and a signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR) of the RF signals.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

converting an RF signal in the at least one communication network into digital baseband signals;

wherein the set of physical information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a symbol rate of the digital baseband signals, a carrier/timing characteristic of the digital baseband signals, a pilot signal in the digital baseband signals, a channel fading characteristic relative to the digital baseband signals, a system/user identification of the at least one communication network, a modulation parameter of the digital baseband signals, a forward error correction (FEC) type/rate of the digital baseband signals, a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) parameter associated with the digital baseband signals, and a power control characteristic associated with the digital baseband signals.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the set of MAC information is derived from the digital baseband signals, and the set of MAC information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a multiple access protocol associated with the RF signals, a radio resource allocation of the at least one communication network, an automatic repeat request (ARQ) pattern and/or a traffic pattern of the digital baseband signals, and a routing/mobility characteristic associated with the at least one communication network.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the set of control signals is generated further based on data to be transmitted by the re-configurable transmitting/receiving module.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the set of control signals is generated further based on a first location of the communication device and/or a second location of a transceiver in the at least one communication network.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the set of control signals is relative to at least one selected from the group consisting of a decision about inter-system handoff, a decision of cooperative systems/networks, a decision about switching among systems, and a decision of self-organizing routing.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one communication network comprises a wired network and/or a wireless network.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the set of control signals is relative to settings at a transport-layer unit, a session-layer unit, a presentation-layer unit, or an application-layer unit of the communication device.