Co-located frequency-agile system and method

• US 6,792,247 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microtune, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwan, Dennis, Law, Hock
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/851,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418-420, 455/426--42, 455/435.1, 455/461, 455/41-- 4, 455/66.1, 455/517-519, 455/502-503, 370/350, 370/503-520
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method is described comprising: receiving a synchronization packet transmitted form a first device; receiving a data packet transmitted from the first device, the data packet being offset from the synchronization packet by a particular amount of time; and identifying the first device based on the amount of time from which the data packet is offset from the synchronization packet. Also disclosed is a method implemented on a first wireless device comprising: transmitting a synchronization packet to a second wireless device; and transmitting a first data packet to the second wireless device, the first data packet being offset from the synchronization packet by a first amount of time, wherein the first amount of time from which the first data packet is offset from the synchronization packet identifies first wireless device to second wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a synchronization packet transmitted from a first device;

receiving a first data packet transmitted from said first device, said first data packet being offset from said synchronization packet by a first amount of time; and

identifying said first device based on said first amount of time from which said data packet is offset from said synchronization packet.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising listening for said synchronization packet periodically within a predetermined window of time.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising processing data stored within said data packet.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second data packet transmitted from a second device, said second data packet being offset from said synchronization packet by a second amount of time; and

identifying said second device based on said second amount of time from which said second data packet is offset from said synchronization packet.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein said first data packet and said second data packet are transmitted at different frequencies.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second data packet transmitted from said first device, said second data packet being offset from said synchronization packet by said first amount of time; and

identifying said first device based on said first amount of time from which said second data packet is offset from said synchronization packet.

7. The method as in claim 5 wherein said first data packet and said second data packet are transmitted at different frequencies.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said first device is a wireless input device.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said first device is a wireless mouse.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein said first device is a wireless keyboard.

11. A method implemented on a first wireless device comprising:

transmitting a synchronization packet to a second wireless device; and

transmitting a first data packet to said second wireless device, said first data packet being offset from said synchronization packet by a first amount of time, wherein said first amount of time from which said first data packet is offset from said synchronization packet identifies said first wireless device to said second wireless device.

12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising transmitting said synchronization packet periodically to said second wireless device.

13. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting a second data packet to said second wireless device, said second data packet being offset from said synchronization packet by said first amount of time, wherein said first amount of time from which said second data packet is offset from said synchronization packet identifies said first wireless device to said second wireless device.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein said first data packet and said second data packet are transmitted at different frequencies.

15. The method as in claim 11 further comprising transmitting a second data packet to said second wireless device following transmission of said first data packet, said second data packet being identical to said first data packet.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein said first data packet and said second data packet are transmitted sequentially within a predefined transmission window.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein said predefined transmission window is approximately 8.33 msec in duration.

18. The method as in claim 16 further comprising transmitting a third data packet to said second wireless device following transmission of said second data packet, said third data packet being different from said first and second data packets.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein said third data packet is transmitted at a specified time following transmission of said second data packet, said specified time being equal to a multiple of said predefined transmission window.

20. A wireless apparatus comprising:

synchronization packet detection logic configured to detect a synchronization packet transmitted from a second wireless device; and

identification logic configured to identify said second wireless device based on a timing offset between said synchronization packet and a subsequent data packet transmitted by said second wireless device.

21. The wireless apparatus as in claim 20 further comprising:

Bluetooth protocol logic configured to communicate with wireless devices according to the Bluetooth protocol.

22. The wireless apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said identification logic is comprised of a lookup table stored in memory, said lookup table associating one or more offsets with one or more wireless devices.

23. The wireless apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said second wireless device is an input device.

24. The wireless apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said second wireless device is a wireless keyboard.

25. The wireless apparatus as in claim 20 further comprising:

interface logic for interfacing with a host processor environment.

26. The wireless apparatus as in claim 25 wherein said interface logic includes a physical bus interface.

27. The wireless apparatus as in claim 26 wherein said physical bus interface is a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) interface.