Method and apparatus for communicating information

• US 6,724,833 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Cummings, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US09/624,876
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 375/340, 375/377, 455/142, 455/524, 455/517
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating information between a remote location and a user. Information from the remote location or the user is received by the inventive apparatus and processed by configurable circuitry to a form that can be received and used by the intended recipient. The reconfigurable circuitry can be changed manually by a human user or remotely through the receipt of appropriate signals. Accordingly, the apparatus can be reconfigured to be able to receive information that is transmitted in different forms from those forms that are receivable before reconfiguration.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a communication circuit to sequentially receive a set of signals associated with non-compatible wireless communications services;

a control circuit including a microcontroller to sequentially generate a set of configuration signals corresponding to said non-compatible wireless communications services; and

a reconfigurable logic circuit connected to said communication circuit and said control circuit, said reconfigurable logic circuit processing said configuration signals to sequentially facilitate communications in accordance with said set of non-compatible wireless communications services.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said reconfigurable logic circuit is reconfigurable to support different modulation/demodulation techniques, protocols, and communications frequencies associated with said non-compatible wireless communications services.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said reconfigurable logic circuit is configured to perform a security function associated with a selected wireless communications service of said non-compatible wireless communications services.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said reconfigurable logic circuit is configured to perform an identification function of a selected wireless communications service of said non-compatible wireless communications services.

5. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is programmed to respond to input signals by changing a configuration of the reconfigurable logic circuit.

6. The wireless communications device of claim 5 wherein configuration information is supplied to the microcontroller from a source external to the communications device.

7. A method of executing wireless communications on a mobile wireless communications device, said method comprising the steps of:

sequentially receiving a set of signals associated with non-compatible wireless communications services;

sequentially generating in a microcontroller a set of configuration signals corresponding to said non-compatible wireless communications services; and

sequentially reconfiguring a reconfigurable logic circuit in accordance with said configuration signals to facilitate communications in accordance with said set of non compatible wireless communications services.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said sequentially reconfiguring includes sequentially reconfiguring said reconfigurable logic circuit to support different modulation/demodulation techniques, protocols, and communications frequencies associated with said non-compatible wireless communications services.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said sequentially reconfiguring includes reconfiguring said reconfigurable logic circuit to perform a security function associated with a selected wireless communications service of said non-compatible wireless communications services.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said sequentially reconfiguring includes reconfiguring said reconfigurable logic circuit to perform an identification function of a selected wireless communications service of said non-compatible wireless communications services.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing input signals to the microcontroller to cause it to reconfigure the reconfigurable logic circuit.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein configuration information is supplied to the microcontroller from a source external to the communications device.