Short-range radio communications system and method of use

• US 5,896,375 A
• Filed: 07/23/1996
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Haartsen, Jacobus Cornelis, Dent, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/685,069
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/312, 370/314, 370/321, 370/324, 370/326, 370/329, 370/337, 370/341, 370/346, 370/347, 370/350, 370/216, 370/237, 370/319, 370/330, 370/332, 370/333, 370/344 , 370/343, 370/349, 370/389, 370/468, 370/475, 370/477, 370/478, 370/480, 370/442, 370/276, 370/280, 370/281, 370/294, 370/295, 370/297, 370/296, 370/503, 379/58-60, 379/95, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 375/200, 395/181
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

A short-range wireless radio communications system is provided that can carry data, voice, or data and voice traffic simultaneously. The band is divided into a plurality of channels or hops, and a burst composed of either voice information, data information, or a combination of data and voice information is transmitted during one of the hops. The system operates preferably in a simplex mode, but full duplex operation can also be employed. The present system can also be operated in a cellular, TDMA system. A multiple time slot method is employed whereby one time slot can carry data and another time slot can carry voice information.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneously communicating voice information and data between a first terminal and a second terminal in a short-range wireless communications system, comprising the steps of:

defining a repetitive frame of predetermined time duration;

dividing the repetitive frame into a plurality of time slots;

in a first time slot of a first said frame, transmitting from one of the first and second terminals directly to the other of the first and second terminals a first quantity of voice information produced at the one terminal in response to a voice stimulus provided at the one terminal by a voice-sending party operating the one terminal, and the other terminal receiving the first quantity of voice information directly from the one terminal and reproducing therefrom the voice stimulus to be heard by a voice-receiving party operating the other terminal; and

communicating data directly between the first and second terminals simultaneously with the communication of voice information directly between the first and second terminals, including, in a second time slot of said first frame, transmitting a first quantity of data from one of the first and second terminals directly to the other of the first and second terminals, and the other terminal receiving the first quantity of data directly from the one terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a second quantity of voice information from the second terminal to the first terminal in a third time slot of said first frame.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a second quantity of data from the second terminal to the first terminal in a third time slot of said first frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second time slot comprises a reception time slot for said second terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first quantity of voice information comprises digitally encoded speech information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first quantity of data comprises a packet of data.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

assembling data for transmission from said second terminal to said first terminal into a packet, said packet including a packet number and acknowledgment code indicative of packets previously received at said second terminal; and

transmitting said packet for reception by said first terminal using said third time slot.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said third time slot comprises a reception time slot for said first terminal.

9. The method of according to claim 1, wherein said first quantity of data further comprises combined voice information and data.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein said second quantity of data further comprises combined voice information and data.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said combined voice information and data comprises voice information when data is unavailable.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said combined voice information and data comprises voice information when data is unavailable.

13. A method for retransmitting erroneous voice information and data between a first terminal and a second terminal in a short-range wireless radio communications system, comprising the steps of:

defining a repetitive frame of predetermined time duration;

dividing the repetitive frame into a plurality of time slots;

in a first time slot of a first said frame, transmitting from the first terminal directly to the second terminal a first quantity of voice information produced at the first terminal in response to a voice stimulus provided at the first terminal by a voice-sending party operating the first terminal, the second terminal receiving the first quantity of voice information directly from the first terminal and reproducing therefrom the voice stimulus to be heard by a voice-receiving party operating the second terminal;

communicating data directly between the first and second terminals simultaneously with the communication of voice information directly between the first and second terminals, including, in a second time slot of said first frame, transmitting a first quantity of data from the first terminal directly to the second terminal, the second terminal receiving the first quantity of data directly from the first terminal;

upon detection at the second terminal of an erroneous payload in at least one of said first quantity of voice information and said first quantity of data, transmitting an error indication and said payload from the second terminal to the first terminal in a third time slot of said first time frame; and

retransmitting said at least one of said first quantity of voice information and said first quantity of data in a time slot of a second said frame.

14. A method for permitting a first terminal to simultaneously communicate with a plurality of other terminals in a short-range wireless radio communications system, comprising the steps of:

defining a repetitive frame of predetermined time duration;

dividing the repetitive frame into a plurality of time slots;

selecting a first time slot of a first said frame for the first terminal to transmit data directly to one of the other terminals;

selecting a second time slot of said first frame for the first terminal to receive directly from one of the other terminals voice information that is produced at the one other terminal in response to a voice stimulus which is provided at the one other terminal by a voice-sending party operating the one other terminal, and which voice stimulus is to be reproduced from the voice information by the first terminal and heard by a voice-receiving party operating the first terminal;

selecting said second time slot independently of said first time slot;

selecting a first frequency for transmitting in said first time slot;

selecting a second frequency for receiving in said second time slot; and

selecting said second frequency independently of said first frequency.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said second frequency comprises said first frequency.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the communications system comprises a simplex system.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said time slots are randomly selected.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of selecting a first time slot further comprises the step of selecting N time slots for the first terminal to transmit voice or data information to N terminals of the plurality of other terminals.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of selecting a second time slot further comprises the step of selecting N time slots for the first terminal to receive voice or data information from N terminals of the plurality of other terminals.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein said first and second frequencies are randomly selected.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said first and second frequencies are selected using a random number generator including an encryption key to hinder interception or jamming of the voice or data information.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein said second time slot is selected orthogonally to said first time slot.

23. A terminal for communicating with other terminals in a short-range wireless radio communications system, comprising:

a resource allocation section operable to define a repetitive frame of predetermined time duration and divide the repetitive frame into a plurality of time slots;

a transmitting section operable to transmit a first quantity of data directly to one of the other terminals in a first time slot of a first said frame; and

a receiving section operable to receive directly from one of the other terminals in a second time slot of said first frame a first quantity of voice information produced at the one other terminal in response to a voice stimulus provided at the one other terminal by a voice-sending party operating the one other terminal, and said receiving section further operable to reproduce from the first quantity of voice information the voice stimulus to be heard by a voice-receiving party operating the terminal.

24. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein said resource allocation section is operable to select a first time slot during which said transmitting section can transmit at least one of voice and data information, and a second time slot during which said receiving section can receive at least one of voice and data information, said second time slot selected independently of said first time slot.

25. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein said resource allocation section includes a random number generator operable to randomly select said first and second time slots.

26. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein said resource allocation section further comprises:

a random number generator;

an orthogonal offset generator;

a mixer coupled to an output of said random number generator and an output of said orthogonal offset generator; and

a memory section coupled to an output of said mixer, said memory section operable to map an output signal from said mixer to a memory location containing one of said time slots.

27. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein said output signal is an orthogonally offset random number.

28. The terminal according to claim 26, wherein said memory section further comprises a two-dimensional array, said memory section operable to map an output signal from said mixer to at least one of two memory locations, a first of said locations containing a frequency and a second of said locations containing a time slot.

29. The terminal according to claim 27, wherein a plurality of rows in said memory comprises a plurality of time slots, and a plurality of columns in said memory comprises a plurality of frequencies.