WIRELESS DOCKING WITH CARRIER SENSE CONTROL

• US 20150024697A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Holtman, Koen Johanna Guillaume
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/123 using adaptive balancing or compensation means adaptive filter circuits and algorithms H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]

Abstract

A wireless docking system in a shared radio spectrum environment includes a docking station (220) configured with a radio (224) connected to an antenna (222), a dockee (210) configured with a radio (214) connected to an antenna (212) and using a radio standard with a carrier sense mechanism for communications with the docking station, and a system to reduce sensitivity of the carrier sense mechanism in at least one of the radio (214) of the dockee (210) and the radio (224) of the docking station (220).

Claims

1. A docking station for wireless docking with a dockee in a shared radio spectrum environment using a radio standard with a carrier sensing mechanism for communications, the docking station comprising:

a radio;

an antenna connected to the radio, wherein the radio is configured to cause a modification of a carrier sensing mechanism detection threshold when a dockee is docked to be higher than that of a carrier sensing mechanism detection threshold when the dockee is undocked.

2. The docking station according to claim 1, further comprising a noise generator, wherein the noise generator transmits signals thereby raising the noise floor of signals received in the dockee A to a level that masks radio transmissions in the radio environment other than radio transmissions from the docking station.

3. The docking station according to claim 1, wherein the antenna of the docking station is directional so that signals transmitted from the docking station are directed toward the dockee when docked.

4. The docking station according to claim 1, wherein the docking station is configured to provide transit power control (TPC) report to a dockee that implements TPC, such that the docking station can provide feedback to the dockee for lowering the transmit power settings used by the dockee when docked.

20. The docking station according to claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises:

a sensor for detecting physical docking between the dockee and the docking station; and

a control system configured to change the modification of the carrier sensing mechanism detection threshold depending at least on a sensor.

21. The docking station according to claim 20, wherein the modification comprises increasing the carrier sensing mechanism detection threshold in a docked state compared to a normal value.

22. The docking station according to claim 21, wherein the docking station is further adapted to lower, in the docked state, a signal strength used for packet transmissions by the radio.

5. A docking station for wireless docking with a dockee in a shared radio spectrum environment using a radio standard with a carrier sensing mechanism for communication with the docking station, the docking station comprising:

a radio connected to an antenna; and

a radio absorber having a slot for the insertion of the dockee, such that upon insertion of the dockee, the radio absorber substantially surrounds the antenna of the dockee, wherein the radio absorber is made of a radio absorbing material for absorbing the energy of passing radio signals.

6. The docking station according to claim 5, wherein the absorber is made of a flexible radio absorbing material and is configured to deform so as to accept and substantially surround the antennas of different types of dockees having a range of sizes.

7. The docking station according to claim 5, further comprising a shielding element for reflecting radio signals to the radio absorber.

8. The docking station according to claim 7, wherein the shielding element is built into the radio absorber.

9. The docking station according to claim 5, wherein the radio absorber is a foam comprising a conducting material.

10. A wireless docking system in a shared radio spectrum environment wherein a dockee is configured with a radio connected to an antenna using a radio standard with a carrier sensing mechanism for communications, and a docking station is configured with a radio connected to an antenna, the docking system further comprising:

a first radio modification module for switching the operation of the dockee radio between at least a first mode and a second mode;

a sensor for detecting physical docking between the dockee and the docking station; and

a control system configured to change the mode of the first radio modification module depending at least on the readings of the sensor.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the docking system further comprises a second radio modification module for switching the operation of the docking station radio between at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the control system is further configured to change the mode of the second radio modification module depending at least on the readings of the sensor.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is configured to detect physical docking by proximity sensing.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is configured to detect physical docking by radio signal strength measurements between the antenna of the docking station and the antenna of the dockee.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the control system includes controllers in the dockee and the docking station that communicate with each other.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein in the first mode of operation a carrier detection threshold in the corresponding radio is different from that of the second mode of operation.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein in the first mode of operation a transmission power in the corresponding radio is different from that of the second mode of operation.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first or second radio modification module is configured to switch the operation mode on a per-packet basis.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the docking station further comprises a noise generator, wherein the noise generator transmits a signal that masks transmissions in the radio environment, such that within an area around the dockee the signal of the noise generator does not prevent transmissions by the radio of the docking station from being detected or received by the dockee radio, but is strong enough to reduce the ability of the carrier sensing mechanism of the dockee radio to detect transmissions by other devices in the shared radio spectrum environment.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein the docking station further comprises a radio absorber having a slot for the insertion of the dockee, such that upon insertion of the dockee the radio absorber substantially surrounds the antenna of the dockee, wherein the radio absorber is made of a radio absorbing material for absorbing the energy of passing radio signals.