WIRELESS GRAPHICS CARD

• US 20090066704A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wiquest Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Daniel, Wayne Thomas, Christison, Gregory L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,497,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points

Abstract

A device is provided for use in a portable computer. The device includes a wireless graphics card that includes a connector for coupling to an expansion slot of the portable computer and for receiving a plurality of signals from the portable computer, the plurality of signals including video, audio, and data signals and an ultra wideband (UWB) chipset coupled to the connector for processing the plurality of signals and for generating an OFDM modulated signal that includes at least the video signal, where the OFDM modulated signal including the video signal is wirelessly transmitted over an UWB link to a monitor for display.

Claims

1. A device suitable for use in a portable computer, comprising a wireless graphics card that includes:

a connector for coupling to an expansion slot of the portable computer and for receiving a plurality of signals from the portable computer, the plurality of signals including video, audio, and data signals; and

an ultra wideband (UWB) chipset coupled to the connector for processing the plurality of signals and for generating an OFDM modulated signal that includes at least the video signal;

wherein the OFDM modulated signal including the video signal is wirelessly transmitted over an UWB link to a monitor for display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless graphics card further includes a mini card form factor for supporting the connector and UWB chipset.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the mini card form factor is a full mini card form factor.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the mini card form factor is an extended half mini card form factor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector includes a PCI Express interface.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the connector includes input/output pin connections that are defined to be compatible with PCI Express, USB, HD Audio, and DisplayPort interface standards.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the connector includes input/output pin connections that are defined to support one of a Bluetooth specification only configuration, WUSB and Bluetooth specification configuration, and Wireless Video, WUSB, and Bluetooth specification configuration.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless graphics card further includes encoding circuitry for encoding the video signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the UWB chipset includes:

an RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio signals over the UWB link;

a PHY layer for configuring a plurality of communication channels in an UWB spectrum for the RF transceiver; and

a Media Access Control (MAC) layer for providing a mechanism for addressing and channel access for the PHY layer.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the UWB chipset further generates an OFDM modulated signal that includes the audio and data signals for wireless transmission over the UWB link.

11. A method for use with a portable computer, comprising:

providing a wireless graphics card into an expansion slot of the portable computer;

receiving video, audio, and data signals from the portable computer;

processing the received signals to generate a video signal suitable for transmission over an UWB link; and

wirelessly transmitting the generated video signal to a monitor for display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing step includes configuring the wireless graphics card to include a PCI Express connector for connecting to the expansion slot.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the processing step further includes generating an audio and data signal for wireless transmission.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving step includes receiving a video signal via a DisplayPort standard, receiving an audio signal via an HD Audio standard, and receiving a data signal via a PCI Express/USB standard.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the wirelessly transmitting step includes wirelessly transmitting OFDM modulated signals.

16. A wireless graphics card for use with a laptop computer, comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having dimensions that comply with a mini card form factor;

a connector secured to the PCB that includes a plurality of pins that comply with a PCI Express specification, the connector for connecting to an expansion slot of the laptop computer; and

a UWB chipset for receiving video, audio, and data signals from the laptop computer via the connector and for processing the video, audio, and data signals for transmission over a UWB link to a UWB-enabled device, the UWB chipset including;

an RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio signals over the UWB link;

a PHY layer for configuring a plurality of communication channels in an UWB spectrum for the RF transceiver; and

a Media Access Control (MAC) layer for providing a mechanism for addressing and channel access for the PHY layer.

17. The wireless graphics card of claim 16, wherein the mini card form factor is a full mini card form factor.

18. The wireless graphics card of claim 16, wherein the mini card form factor is an extended half mini card form factor.

19. The wireless graphics card of claim 16, wherein the connector includes input/output pin connections that are defined to be compatible with USB, HD Audio, and DisplayPort interface standards.

20. The wireless graphics card of claim 16, wherein the connector includes input/output pin connections that are defined to support one of a Bluetooth specification only configuration, WUSB and Bluetooth specifications configuration, and Wireless Video, WUSB, and Bluetooth specifications configuration.