Systems and Methods of Combined Bluetooth and WLAN Signaling

• US 20090323569A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wentink, Maarten Menzo
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• 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

Disclosed herein are systems and methods of combined Bluetooth and WLAN signaling. Such systems and methods may use a Bluetooth connection to signal WLAN capabilities and to exchange WLAN security keys. Once the file transfer has started, the actual data may be transmitted over the WLAN connection rather than over the Bluetooth connection. The WLAN connection may have a much higher throughput than the Bluetooth connection, and WLAN capability has increasingly become present inside Bluetooth enabled devices. The Bluetooth connection may be used as a control channel, while the WLAN connection may be used for data transfer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a host processor;

a first transceiver in communication with the host processor transceiving using a first protocol networking control information for the host processor;

a second transceiver in communication with the host processor transceiving using a second protocol data packets for the host processor,

wherein the first transceiver is used to configure the second transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is Bluetooth.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second protocol is 802.11.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein networking control information

is independent basic service set (IBSS) information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the IBSS information includes at least one set of security keys, SSID, BSSID, capability information, MAC address, and channel information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver does not transmit a beacon signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver does not transmit a probe response.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver transmits unencrypted signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver transceives power save information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power save information comprises a signal to enable or disable the second transceiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at least one of

a computer, a consumer electronic device, a personal digital assistant, a printer, a fax machine, a scanner, a hub, a switch, a router, a set-top box, and a televisions with communication capability.

12. A method comprising:

initiating a first communication connection between a first station and a second station using a first protocol;

initiating a second communication connection between the first station and the second station using a second protocol;

wherein the first communication connection is used for networking control information between the first station and the second station and the second communication connection is used for data communication between the first station and the second station,

wherein the networking control information is used to configure the second communication connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first protocol is Bluetooth.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second protocol is 802.11.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication connection is unencrypted.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication connection communicates power save information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the power save information comprises on-off information for the second transceiver.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first station is at least one of

a computer, a consumer electronic device, a personal digital assistant, a printer, a fax machine, a scanner, a hub, a switch, a router, a set-top box, and a televisions with communication capability.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first communication connection is unencrypted.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising:

logic configured to initiate a first communication connection between a first station and a second station using a first protocol;

logic configured to initiate a second communication connection between the first station and the second station using a second protocol;

wherein the first communication connection is used for networking control information between the first station and the second station and the second communication connection is used for data communication between the first station and the second station,

wherein the networking control information is used to configure the second communication connection.