SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONDUCTING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140065962A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Le, Huy B., Lashkari, Hassan, Giles, Michael J., Richey, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface

Abstract

A system and method for improved wireless communications at a host device (e.g., a portable computing device, a mobile communications device) having multiple wireless communication abilities (e.g., Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi®). When a component (e.g., a monitor, an Ethernet dongle) having Bluetooth capability is coupled to the host device (e.g., wired or wirelessly), the host device copies its Bluetooth link keys to the component, deactivates its own Bluetooth module and activates (or initiates activation of) the component'"'"'s. The component'"'"'s Bluetooth module is operated using a software stack executing on the host device. Thereafter, the component handles Bluetooth operations and the host device communicates with Bluetooth devices via the component. Greater radio isolation is thus provided between antennae used by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first communication module;

a first antenna used by the first communication module; and

control logic executed by a processor of the electronic device when a first external component is coupled to the electronic device to;

deactivate the first communication module of the electronic device; and

initiate activation of a first communication module of the first external component;

wherein the first communication module of the electronic device and the first communication module of the first external component conduct wireless communications according to a first wireless communication protocol.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

configuration data for establishing a wireless communication connection according to the first wireless communication protocol;

wherein the control logic is further executable by the processor to copy the configuration data to the first external component.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the configuration data includes one or more Bluetooth®

link keys.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is Bluetooth and the second wireless communication protocol is Wi-Fi®

.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second communication module for conducting wireless communications according to a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a second antenna used by the second communication module; and

comparison logic executable by the processor of the electronic device to determine which of the following is further isolated from the second antenna;

(a) an antenna used by the first communication module of the first external component; and

(b) an antenna used by a first communication module of a second external component coupled to the electronic device, wherein the first communication module of the second external component conducts wireless communications according to the first wireless communication protocol.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

transfer logic executable by the processor of the apparatus to copy the configuration data to the first external component.

8. A method of conducting wireless communications at a host electronic device, the method comprising:

coupling the host electronic device to a first external peripheral component;

deactivating a first communication module of the host device;

initiating activation of a first communication module of the first peripheral component; and

operating the host electronic device to exchange communications with a first wireless device via the first communication module of the first peripheral component;

wherein the first communication module of the host electronic device and the first communication module of the first peripheral component conduct wireless communications according to a first wireless communication protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

copying, from the host electronic device to the first peripheral component, data necessary for establishing a communication connection with the first wireless device according to the first wireless communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data includes a set of link keys.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

operating a second communication module of the host electronic device for conducting communications according to a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining which of the first peripheral component and the one or more additional peripheral components coupled to the host electronic device offers greater radio frequency isolation from the second communication module of the host electronic device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying wireless communication capabilities of the first peripheral component, the wireless communication capabilities including the first communication module of the first peripheral component.

14. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of conducting wireless communications at a host electronic device, the method comprising:

coupling the host electronic device to a first external peripheral component;

deactivating a first communication module of the host device;

initiating activation of a first communication module of the first peripheral component; and

operating the host electronic device to exchange communications with a first wireless device via the first communication module of the first peripheral component;

wherein the first communication module of the host electronic device and the first communication module of the first peripheral component conduct wireless communications according to a first wireless communication protocol.

15. A system for conducting wireless communications, the system comprising:

a host device including;

a processor;

a first communication module; and

a second communication module;

a first electronic component coupled to the host device and including a first communication module;

a first set of wireless devices, wherein each device in the first set of wireless devices includes a first communication module; and

logic executable by the processor of the host device to;

copy to the first electronic component data for establishing wireless communication connections with the first set of wireless devices;

deactivate the first communication module of the host device; and

initiate activation of the first communication module of the first electronic component;

wherein the first communication module of the host device, the first communication module of the first electronic component and the first communication module of each device in the first set of wireless devices conduct wireless communications according to a first wireless communication technology; and

wherein the second communication module of the host device conducts wireless communications according to a second wireless communication technology.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second set of wireless devices, wherein each device in the second set of wireless devices includes a second communication module for conducting wireless communications according to the second wireless communication technology.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

logic executable by the processor of the host device to determine which of the following is further from an antenna used by the second communication module of the host device;

(a) an antenna used by the first communication module of the first electronic component; and

(b) an antenna used by a first communication module of a second electronic component coupled to the host device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data for establishing wireless communication connections includes individual link keys for each device in the first set of wireless devices.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first communication module of the first electronic component automatically establishes a wireless communication link with each device in the first set of wireless devices after the first communication module of the first electronic component is activated.