Multi-frequency multi-protocol wireless communication device

• US 6,006,105 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rostoker, Michael D., Jaggi, Sandeep, Daane, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/691,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/425, 455/426, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless communication device may take the form of a cellular telephone, of a portable personal communication device, or even of a desk top personal computer which is equipped to communicate over the wireless cellular communication system in effect in a particular area. The wireless communication device is configured to self-adapt to various operating frequencies and communication protocols which may be present in the cellular communication environment so that the device is able to provide communications in several service areas even though the frequencies of operation and the communication protocols in use in the service areas may be incompatible with one another. The wireless communication device may also include facilities for transmitting and receiving video, graphics, and data files over an RF bandwidth. The various communication standards and protocols which may be used for these communications are recognized by the communication device, and it self-adapts to provide communications in the formats, standards, and operating frequencies which are available in particular cellular communication environments.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for allowing two-way communication of information including one or more of voice, data, graphics, or video signals in a cellular telephone communication system providing communication of such information in a particular format, standard, or protocol, said device comprising:

operator input means and output means, respectively allowing an operator of said device to input said information and to receive such information via communication in said cellular telephone communication system;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver for sending and receiving RF signals carrying said information in said cellular communication system;

an adaptation circuit conveying communication signals in said device between said RF transceiver and said operator input means and output means, said adaptation circuit including a first adaptation branch which comprises a first coder/decoder operable according to a first communication protocol, and a second adaptation branch which is different than said first adaptation branch and comprises a second coder/decoder operable according to a second communication protocol;

a first micro-controller selectively activating one of said first and second adaptation branches and detecting when a communication signal processed by one of said first and second adaptation branches in response to activation thereof results in a human-intelligible or machine-processable form, such that said first micro-controller thereafter maintains activation of said one adaptation branch to adapt said wireless communication device for communication of such information in the cellular telephone communication system.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein said adaptation circuit includes an adaptation branch providing conversion of information between a human-intelligible or other machine-processable form and a format, standard, or protocol selected from the group consisting of:

GSM protocol, CDMA protocol, TDMA protocol, the motion picture experts group (MPEG) MPEG1 standard, MPEG2 standard, MPEG4 (Wavelet) standard, a wireless communication system data transfer protocol, a fiber channel protocol, a serial link protocol (QAM, QPSK), and Firewire protocol.

3. The communication device of claim 1 wherein said adaptation circuit further comprises:

a second micro-controller coupled to said first micro-controller via a bus;

a third adaptation branch coupled to said second micro-controller for processing said communication signal according to a third communication protocol; and

a fourth adaptation branch coupled to said second micro-controller for processing said communication signal according to a fourth communication protocol.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3 further comprising:

a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing a speech signal coupled to said first micro-controller.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4 wherein said first adaptation branch comprises a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and said second adaptation branch comprises a second DAC and a second ADC.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5 wherein said first adaptation branch comprises a first interleaver/deinterleaver and said second adaptation branch comprises a second interleaver/deinterleaver.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6 wherein said first adaptation branch comprises a first cipher/decipher and said second adaptation branch comprises a second cipher/decipher.

8. The communication device of claim 7 wherein said third adaptation branch comprises an MPEG (motion picture experts group) compression/decompression circuit.

9. The communication device of claim 8 wherein said fourth adaptation branch comprises a compression/decompression circuit for a serial link protocol.

10. The communication device of claim 8 wherein said fourth adaptation branch comprises a compression/decompression circuit for a fiber optic protocol.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein said RF transceiver comprises:

a first RF transceiver portion having a predetermined first operating frequency band and operating under said first communication protocol, and a second RF transceiver portion having a predetermined second operating frequency band and operating under said second communication protocol, said first frequency different than said second frequency and said first communication protocol different than said second communication protocol.

12. A communication device comprising:

a first adaptation circuit for processing a received signal and outputting a first output, said first adaptation circuit comprising a first coder/decoder operable according to a first communication protocol;

a second adaptation circuit for processing said received signal and outputting a second output, said second adaptation circuit comprising a second coder/decoder operable according to a second communication protocol; and

a first micro-controller coupled to said first adaptation circuit and said second adaptation circuit for receiving said first and said second outputs, said first micro-controller providing a control connection to said first adaptation circuit and to said second adaptation circuit for selectively maintaining activation of one of said first adaptation circuit and said second adaptation circuit.

13. The communication device of claim 12 wherein said first adaptation circuit receives a transmitted signal from said first micro-controller and processes said transmitted signal according to said first communication protocol to produce a third output;

and

said second adaptation circuit receives said transmitted signal from said first micro-controller and processes said transmitted signal according to said second communication protocol to produce a fourth output.

14. The communication device of claim 13 further comprising:

operator voice input means and audio output means coupled to said first micro-controller; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver for sending and receiving RF signals coupled to said first adaptation circuit and said second adaptation circuit.

15. The communication device of claim 14 further comprising:

a second micro-controller coupled to said first micro-controller via a bus;

a third adaptation circuit coupled to said second micro-controller for processing said received signal according to a third communication protocol; and

a fourth adaptation circuit coupled to said second micro-controller for processing said received signal according to a fourth communication protocol.

16. The communication device of claim 15 wherein said third adaptation circuit comprises an MPEG (motion picture experts group) compression/decompression circuit.

17. The communication device of claim 16 wherein said fourth adaptation circuit comprises a compression/decompression circuit for a wireless data transfer protocol.

18. The communication device of claim 17 wherein said RF transceiver comprises a first RF transceiver portion having a predetermined first operating frequency band and operating under said first communication protocol, and a second RF transceiver portion having a predetermined second operating frequency band and operating under said second communication protocol, said first frequency different from said second frequency, said first and second RF transceiver portions formed of separate circuits.

19. A sampling method for a wireless communication, comprising the steps of:

activating a first adaptation circuit to process a received signal according to a first protocol and producing a first output;

detecting when said first output results in a human-intelligible or machine-processable form, and maintaining activation of said first adaptation circuit;

activating a second adaptation circuit to process said received signal according to a second protocol and producing a second output; and

detecting when said second output results in a human-intelligible or machine-processable form, and maintaining activation of said second adaptation circuit.

20. The communication method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

activating a first RF circuit to process said received signal according to a first frequency band and providing a first RF output to said first and said second adaptation circuits; and

activating a second RF circuit to process said received signal according to a second frequency band and providing a second RF output to said first and said second adaptation circuits.

21. The communication method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

when arriving at a particular combination of frequency band and communication protocol, detecting communication system set up signals provided by a downlink.

22. The communication method of claim 21 wherein said first communication protocol comprises TDMA (time division multiple access) protocol.

23. The communication method of claim 21 wherein said first communication protocol comprises CDMA (code division multiple access) protocol.

24. The communication method of claim 21 wherein said second communication protocol comprises GSM protocol.