Advance Notification of Transmit Opportunities on a Shared-Communications Channel

• US 20100118853A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Timothy Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A technique is disclosed that enables both an IEEE 802.11 transceiver and a Bluetooth transceiver to be employed in a single wireless telecommunication station (e.g., a device supporting a wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, etc.) without interfering on each other. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables standard “off-the-shelf” IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth transceivers to work in a coordinated fashion in a single telecommunications terminal. In the illustrative embodiment, an IEEE 802.11 transceiver that uses a shared-communications channel notifies a Bluetooth transceiver that a transmit opportunity exists and that the Bluetooth transceiver has permission to use the shared-communications channel. The technique disclosed is also applicable to communications protocols other than IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, via a shared-communications channel, a beacon frame in accordance with a first communications protocol, the beacon frame comprising a beacon interval; and

means for sending a notification of a transmit opportunity for transmissions in accordance with a second communications protocol, wherein the transmit opportunity is based on the beacon interval and a time at which the beacon frame is received.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for powering down a transceiver in response to the means for sending the transmit opportunity.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for determining that the transmit opportunity has ended.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for muting the means for receiving in response to receiving the transmit opportunity.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one request to transmit, wherein the transmit opportunity is further based on the at least one request to transmit.

27. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a transceiver via a shared-communications channel, a beacon frame in accordance with a first communications protocol, the beacon frame comprising a beacon interval; and

sending a notification of a transmit opportunity in accordance with a second communications protocol, wherein the transmit opportunity is based on the beacon interval and a time at which the beacon frame is received.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to sending the transmit opportunity, powering down the transceiver.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a notification that the transmit opportunity is at an end.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

muting the transceiver based on the transmit opportunity.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving at least one request to transmit; and

wherein the transmit opportunity is further based on the at least one request to transmit.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, via a shared-communications channel, a first beacon frame in accordance with a first communications protocol, the first beacon frame comprising a beacon interval; and

means for determining a transmit opportunity, wherein the transmit opportunity is based on the beacon interval and a time at which the beacon frame is received;

means for sending, via the shared-communications channel, a frame in accordance with a second communications protocol during the transmit opportunity,

wherein the first communications protocol is not the same as the second communications protocol.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for receiving further comprise:

means for relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for receiving further comprise:

means for powering down the means for receiving in response to relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for receiving further comprise:

means for maintaining power to the means for receiving in response to relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for determining the transmit opportunity has ended; and

wherein the means for receiving a first beacon frame further comprise;

means for receiving a second beacon frame in response to the means for determining the transmit opportunity has ended.

37. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a first transceiver via a shared-communications channel, a first beacon frame in accordance with a first communications protocol, the first beacon frame comprising a beacon interval; and

determining a transmit opportunity, wherein the transmit opportunity is based on the beacon interval and a time at which the beacon frame is received;

sending, at a second transceiver via the shared-communications channel, a frame in accordance with a second communications protocol during the transmit opportunity,

wherein the first communications protocol is not the same as the second communications protocol.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein receiving the first beacon frame further comprises:

relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein receiving the first beacon frame further comprises:

powering down the first transceiver in response to relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein receiving the first beacon frame further comprises:

maintaining power to the first transceiver in response to relinquishing the shared-communications channel.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the transmit opportunity has ended; and

responsively receiving, at the first transceiver via the shared-communications channel, a second beacon frame.