SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS IN COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20090262753A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirHop Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AirHop Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Hui, Yan, On, Hanson
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing and designing protocols in such communications systems which can be wireless or wired. The systems and methods can include fundamental changes in the traditional protocol design approaches with their constraints of one-to-one mapping in protocols. By doing so, embodiments of the present invention enable an efficient way to design and implement a system to support single or multiple protocols.

Claims

1. A multimode communication device comprising:

a first network layer configured to route data between nodes on a network according to a first network layer protocol;

a first data link layer in communication with the first network layer and transmitting data to and from the first network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a first data link layer protocol;

a second network layer configured to route data between nodes on the network according to a second network layer protocol;

a second data link layer in communication with the second network layer and transmitting data to and from the second network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a second data link layer protocol; and

a physical layer configured to transform data received from the first data link layer into signals for transmission and transmit the signals, to transform data received from the second data link layer into signals for transmission and transmit the signals, to receive signals from the network, convert the received signals into data and identify whether the data should be provided to the first data link layer or the second data link layer.

2. The multimode communication device of claim 1 wherein the physical layer comprises a first service access point for communicating with the first data link layer and a second service access point for communicating with the second data link layer wherein the first service access point and the second service access point coordinate access the resources of the physical layer between the first data link layer and the second data link layer.

3. A multimode communication device comprising:

a network layer to route data between nodes on a network according to a network layer protocol;

a data link layer in communication with the network layer, transmitting data to and from the first network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a first data link layer protocol;

a first physical layer configured to transform data received from the data link layer into signals for transmission according to a first physical layer protocol, to receive signals from the first network connection and convert the received signals into data, to provide the data from the received signals to the data link layer; and

a second physical layer configured to transform data received from the data link layer into signals for transmission according to a second physical layer protocol, to receive signals from the second network connection and convert the received signals into data, to provide the data from the received signals to the data link layer.

4. The multimode communication device of claim 3 wherein the first physical layer further comprises a first service access point for communicating with the first data link layer and the second physical layer further comprises a second service access point for communicating with the data link layer;

wherein the first service access point and the second service access point coordinate access between first physical layer, the second physical layer and the data link layer.

6. The multimode communication device of claim 4 wherein the media access control layer comprises a first service access point for communicating with the first logical link control layer and a second service access point for communicating with the second logical link control layer wherein the first service access point and the second service access point coordinate access the resources of the media access control layer between the first logical link control layer and the second logical link control layer.

5. A multimode communication device comprising:

a first network layer configured to route data between nodes on a network according to a first network layer protocol;

a first logical link control layer in communication with the first network layer and transmitting data to and from the first network layer and providing data flow control;

a second network layer configured to route data between nodes on the network according to a second network layer protocol;

a second logical link control layer in communication with the first network layer and transmitting data to and from the first network layer and providing data flow control;

a media access control layer providing channel access control and transmitting data to and from the first logical link control layer and the second logical link control layer;

a physical layer configured to transform data received from the media access control layer into signals for transmission and transmit the signals, to receive signals from the network, convert the received signals into data and provide the data to the media access control layer.

7. A multiple physical layer communication system comprising:

a network layer providing a communication interface to at least one application;

a data link layer in communication with the first network layer and transmitting data to and from the first network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a data link layer protocol;

an entity management module comprising a network unified application program interface (Network UAPI) to provide communication between the network layer and the data link layer, a data link layer unified application program interface (DLL UAPI) providing communication between the data link layer and a first physical layer and a second physical layer, the entity management module configured to request an amount of network data from network layer via the Network UAPI according to the needs of the first and second physical layers, deliver data received from the network layer to the data link layer through the plurality of input/output ports of the data link layer, deliver data received from the plurality of input/output ports of the data link layer to the first physical layer and the second physical layer via the DLL UAPI, receive data from the first physical layer and the second physical layer deliver the received data to the data link layer, deliver data received from the to the network layer via the Network UAPI.

8. A multiple data link layer communication system comprising:

a network layer providing a communication interface to at least one application;

a first data link layer in communication with the network layer and transmitting data to and from the network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a first data link layer protocol;

a second data link layer in communication with the network layer and transmitting data to and from the network layer and routing said data between adjacent nodes on the network according to a second data link layer protocol;

an entity management module comprising a network unified application program interface (Network UAPI) to provide communication between the network layer and the first data link layer and to provide communication between the network layer and the second data link layer, a physical layer unified application program interface (PHY UAPI) providing communication between the first data link layer and a physical layer and the second data link layer and the physical layer, the entity management module configured to determine which data link layer to deliver data received from the network layer and deliver it, deliver data received from the first data link layer and the second data link layer to the physical layer via the PHY UAPI, receive data from the physical layer, determine which data link layer it should be delivered to and deliver.