Multi-Network Shared Phy Layer

• US 20120182955A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,705,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0059 Convolutional codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0068 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2626 Arrangements specific to the transmitter only
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

A system and method is provided for processing a physical (“PHY”) layer signal. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a PHY layer signal, analyzing a non-content characteristic of the PHY layer signal, and determining a communication protocol associated with the PHY layer signal. The PHY layer signal may be processed according to the communication protocol to obtain a processed PHY layer signal. In one embodiment, when the communication protocol is a first communication protocol, the PHY layer signal may be processed according to the first communication protocol. When the communication protocol is a second communication protocol, the PHY layer signal may be processed according to the second communication protocol. The processed PHY layer signal may be outputted.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a communication module operable to;

receive a physical (“

PHY”

) layer signal;

analyze a non-content characteristic of the PHY layer signal;

determine a communication protocol for processing the PHY layer signal based on the non-content characteristic;

process the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol to obtain a processed PHY layer signal; and

output the processed PHY layer signal.

2. The system of claim 1, where the communication module is further operable to receive a control signal indicative of the communication protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, where the communication module is operable to process the PHY later signal by performing a signal processing operation on the PHY layer signal in multiple manners according to the communication protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver module, communicatively coupled to the communication module, operable to perform Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output Radio Frequency processing on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, where the communication module comprises a Fast Fourier Transform (“

FFT”

) engine operable to perform FFT processing on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, where the communication module comprises a symbol mapper operable to perform symbol mapping on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, where the communication module comprises a Viterbi decoder operable to perform Viterbi decoding on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, where the communication module comprises a Digital-to-Analog Converter (“

DAC”

) operable to perform DAC processing on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol, an Analog-to-Digital Converter (“

ADC”

) operable to perform ADC processing on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol, or both.

10. The system of claim 1, where the communication protocol comprises WiFi or WiMAX.

6. The system of claim, where the communication module comprises a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (“

MIMO”

) processor operable to perform MIMO demodulation processing, equalization processing, or both on the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol.

11. A method comprising:

in a communication device;

receiving a physical (“

PHY”

) layer signal;

analyzing a non-content characteristic of the PHY layer signal;

determining a communication protocol for processing the PHY layer signal based on the non-content characteristic;

processing the PHY layer signal according to the communication protocol to obtain a processed PHY layer signal; and

outputting the processed PHY layer signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a control signal indicative of the communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, where processing the PHY layer signal comprises performing, according to the communication protocol, demodulation processing, equalization processing, time domain correction processing, Fast Fourier Transform processing, symbol mapping, Viterbi decoding, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, where processing the PHY layer signal comprises performing, according to the communication protocol, Digital-to-Analog processing, Analog-to-Digital processing, or both.

15. The method of claim 11, where the communication protocol comprises WiFi or WiMAX.

16. A system comprising:

an input module configured to receive a physical (“

PHY”

) layer signal;

an output module configured to output a processed PHY layer signal; and

a signal processing module, in communication with the input module and the output module, configured to;

analyze a non-content characteristic of the PHY layer signal;

determine a communication protocol for processing the PHY layer signal based on the non-content characteristic; and

when the communication protocol is a first communication protocol;

process the PHY layer signal according to the first communication protocol to obtain the processed PHY layer signal;

when the communication protocol is a second communication protocol;

process the PHY layer signal according to the second communication protocol to obtain the processed PHY layer signal.

17. The system of claim 16, where the input module is further configured to receive a control signal indicative of the communication protocol.

18. The system of claim 17, where the signal processing module is configured to determine a communication protocol for processing the PHY layer signal based on the control signal.

19. The system of claim 16, where the signal processing module is configured to process the PHY layer signal by:

when the communication protocol is the first communication protocol;

performing, according to the first communication protocol, demodulation processing, equalization processing, time domain correction processing, Fast Fourier Transform processing, symbol mapping, Viterbi decoding, or any combination thereof; and

when the communication protocol is the second communication protocol;

performing, according to the second communication protocol, demodulation processing, equalization processing, time domain correction processing, Fast Fourier Transform processing, symbol mapping, Viterbi decoding, or any combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 16, where the first communication protocol comprises WiFi and the second communication protocol comprises WiMAX.