Bluetooth communication units, wireless communication systems, wireless communication devices, bluetooth communications methods, and wireless communication methods

• US 6,683,886 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Breakwaters Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Eftimakis, Michel, Audoly, Denis, van der Tuijn, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US09/421,624
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 370/449, 370/342-346, 370/329, 370/310-315, 370/367, 370/389-395, 370/458-466, 370/354, 370/493, 370/229, 370/412, 375/322, 375/133, 375/222, 375/304, 455/519, 455/450-454, 455/62, 343/853, 343/824, 343/893, 379/102.03, 379/102.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.01, 379/93.28, 341/137, 345/89
• US Class Current: 370/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Bluetooth communication units, wireless communication systems, wireless communication devices, Bluetooth communication methods, and wireless communication methods are provided. One aspect of the invention provides a Bluetooth communication unit including communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless signals using a plurality of communication links of a piconet according to a Bluetooth communication protocol; and processing circuitry coupled with the communication circuitry and configured to at least one of provide data into packets to be communicated in slots using the communication links and retrieve data from packets communicated in slots using the communication links, the processing circuitry being further configured to analyze the communication links of the piconet and to prioritize an order of communication of the packets responsive to the analysis.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method comprising:

providing a plurality of communication devices;

providing a plurality of data packets;

establishing communication links intermediate the communication devices; and

communicating the data packets using the respective communication links comprising;

identifying one of the data packets corresponding to the communication link having a fastest transfer rate;

communicating the identified data packet; and

repeating the identifying and the communicating the remaining data packets.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising prioritizing the communication links from those having fastest data transfer rates to those having slowest data transfer rates.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the establishing comprises coupling and decoupling communication devices, and the prioritizing comprises prioritizing after individual couplings and decouplings.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the communicating comprises communicating according to a Bluetooth communication protocol.

5. A Bluetooth communication method comprising:

providing a plurality of communication units;

providing one of the communication units as a master unit;

providing others of the communication units as slave units;

establishing a plurality of communication links intermediate the master unit and the slave units;

providing a plurality of data packets to be communicated using respective communication links;

analyzing data transfer rates of respective communication links using the master station;

prioritizing the communication links from those having fastest data transfer rates to those having slowest data transfer rates using the master station;

associating the data packets with respective communication links; and

communicating the data packets using the respective communication links after the prioritizing, the communicating comprising;

identifying one of the data packets corresponding to the communication link having the fastest transfer rate;

communicating the identified data packet; and

repeating the identifying and the communicating the remaining data packets.