METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS MODES OF OPERATION

• US 20090040996A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Richardson, Thomas, Laroia, Rajiv, Wu, Xinzhou, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• 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

Methods and apparatus for supporting multiple modes of communication operation, e.g., with different parameters and/or frequency bands being used in the different modes of operation are described. One or more adjustments are made based on a signal or signals received in a first frequency band from a second communications device, e.g., an access router with reliable timing. The communications device selects between and operates in either the first frequency band, e.g., a WAN frequency band, or in a second frequency band, e.g., a LAN frequency band. The WAN and LAN frequency bands may be non-overlapping. One or more parameters used in the second frequency band have a predetermined relationship to one or more parameters used for communications in the first frequency band making the adjustment based on the signal received in the first frequency band relevant and useful to support communications in the second frequency band.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first communications device, comprising:

selecting between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

making at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an adjustment operation based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said making at least one device setting change comprises:

changing at least one control parameter used to control communications device operation by an amount that is based on said predetermined relationship to implement a switch from the current mode of operation to the selected mode of operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjustment is at least one of a first communication device frequency adjustment operation or first communications device timing adjustment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one device setting change is one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change or frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein in the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in a second frequency band is supported.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation:

communicating with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation, said communicating being in accordance with the at least one of a first communications device frequency adjustment and first communications device timing adjustment and said at least one device setting change.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first and second frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the first mode of operation is a Wide Area Network mode of operation;

and

wherein the second mode of operation is a Local Area Network mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 9, where the Local Area Network mode of operation is a peer to peer mode of operation.

12. A first communications device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

select between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

make at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The first communications device of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform an adjustment operation based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

14. The first communications device of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

change at least one control parameter used to control communications device operation by an amount that is based on said predetermined relationship to implement a switch from the current mode of operation to the selected mode of operation.

15. The first communications device of claim 12, wherein said adjustment is at least one of a first communication device frequency adjustment operation or first communications device timing adjustment.

16. The first communications device of claim 12 wherein said at least one device setting change is one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change or frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

17. The first communications device of claim 16,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein in the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in a second frequency band is supported.

18. The first communications device of claim 17, wherein when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation, the at least one processor is further configured to:

communicate with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation, in accordance with the at least one of a first communications device frequency adjustment and first communications device timing adjustment and said at least one device setting change.

19. The first communications device of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received, prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

20. A first communications device, comprising:

means for selecting between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

means for making at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation.

21. The first communications device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for performing an adjustment operation based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

22. The first communications device of claim 20, wherein said means for making at least one device setting change comprises:

means for changing at least one control parameter used to control communications device operation by an amount that is based on said predetermined relationship to implement a switch from the current mode of operation to the selected mode of operation.

23. The first communications device of claim 20, wherein said adjustment is at least one of a first communication device frequency adjustment operation or first communications device timing adjustment.

24. The first communications device of claim 20 wherein said at least one device setting change is one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change or frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

25. The first communications device of claim 24,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein in the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in a second frequency band is supported.

26. The first communications device of claim 25, further comprising:

means for communicating with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation, when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation, in accordance with the at least one of a first communications device frequency adjustment and first communications device timing adjustment and said at least one device setting change.

27. The first communications device of claim 26, further comprising:

means for transmitting data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

28. A computer program product for use in a first communications device, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to select between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

code for causing the at least one computer to make at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises:

code for causing the at least one computer to perform an adjustment operation based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises:

code for causing the at least one computer to change at least one control parameter used to control communications device operation by an amount that is based on said predetermined relationship to implement a switch from the current mode of operation to the selected mode of operation.