Short-range RF access point design enabling dynamic role switching between radio modules to optimize service delivery
First Claim
1. A short-range RF access point dynamically managing communication capacity in establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
- at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal;
at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module, operating in the access point as a fixed master device and having a maximum capacity for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices;
at least one third wireless transceiver module coupled to the second wireless transceiver module operating in a first state as an inquiry/paging master for establishing connections with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries and handing off the connections to the second wireless transceiver module, and a coordinating module calculating current communication load of the second wireless transceiver module and changing the first state of the third wireless transceiver module to a second state as a master device establishing connections with mobile devices when the mobile devices establish a communication load that exceeds the maximum capacity of the second wireless transceiver module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A short-range RF access point contains a plurality of wireless transceiver devices. At least one device is programmed to remain a master device. At least a second device is programmed to remain a scanning slave device. At least a third device is responsive to a control signal provided by a coordinating module to switch between an inquiry/paging state and a master device state according to the communication load of the first device as calculated by the coordinating module. When the calculated load exceeds a threshold, the control signal is sent to the third device which is programmed to switch from an inquiry/paging state to a master device state for reducing the communication load. The coordinating module balances the load of the first and third devices in the master device state. When the communication load falls below the threshold, the coordinating module sends a signal to the third device to return to the inquiry/paging state.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A short-range RF access point dynamically managing communication capacity in establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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at least one first wireless transceiver module operating as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal;
at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module, operating in the access point as a fixed master device and having a maximum capacity for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices;
at least one third wireless transceiver module coupled to the second wireless transceiver module operating in a first state as an inquiry/paging master for establishing connections with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries and handing off the connections to the second wireless transceiver module, and a coordinating module calculating current communication load of the second wireless transceiver module and changing the first state of the third wireless transceiver module to a second state as a master device establishing connections with mobile devices when the mobile devices establish a communication load that exceeds the maximum capacity of the second wireless transceiver module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method dynamically managing communication capacity in a short-range RF access point establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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operating at least one first wireless transceiver module as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal;
operating at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module in the access point as a fixed master device and having a maximum capacity for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices;
operating at least one third wireless device transceiver module coupled to the second wireless transceiver module in a first state as an inquiry/paging master for establishing connections with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries and handing off the connections to the second wireless transceiver module, and calculating the current communication load of the second wireless transceiver module in a coordinating module and changing the first state of the third wireless transceiver module to a second state as a master device establishing connections with mobile devices when the mobile devices establish a communication load that exceeds the maximum capacity of the second wireless transceiver module. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A medium, executable in a computer system for dynamically managing communication capacity in a short-range RF access point establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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program code for operating at least one first wireless transceiver module as an access point slave device for scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point and in response to a packet, outputting a control signal;
program code for operating at least one second wireless transceiver module coupled to the first module in the access point as a fixed master device and having a maximum capacity for transmitting messages in response to the control signal, for establishing wireless connections with mobile devices;
program code for operating at least one third wireless device transceiver module coupled to the second wireless transceiver module in a first state as an inquiry/paging master for establishing connections with mobile devices that respond to its inquiries and handing off the connections to the second wireless transceiver module, and program code for calculating current communication load of the second wireless transceiver module in a coordinating module and changing the first state of the third wireless transceiver module to a second state as a master device establishing connections with mobile devices when the mobile devices establish a communication load that exceeds the maximum capacity of the second wireless transceiver module. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A short-range RF access point dynamically managing communication capacity in establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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at least one wireless transceiver module programmed to operate as an access point master device performing inquiries for detecting and servicing mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point;
at least one wireless transceiver switchable module coupled to the access point master devices and programmed to selectively operate (1) as an access point slave device scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point for establishing a connection and passing the connection to the at least one access point master device, and (2) switchable to a master device role; and
a coordinating module coupled to the at least one access point master device and the at least one access point switchable module, the coordinating module switching the at least one switchable module to a master device-role based on the communication load of the at least one access point master device. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A method dynamically managing communication capacity in a short-range communication system establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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operating at least one wireless transceiver module programmed as an access point master device performing inquiries for detecting and servicing mobile devices within a coverage area of the access point;
operating at least one wireless transceiver switchable module coupled to the access point master device as (1) an access point slave device scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point for establishing a connection and passing the connection to the at least one access point master device, and (2) switchable to a master device role; and
switching the at least one switchable module to a master device role based on the communication load of the access point master device. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A short-range RF access point dynamically managing communication capacity in establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless transceiver modules for communicating with devices over short-range communication links within a coverage of the short-range RF access point, the plurality of wireless transceiver modules including at least one wireless transceiver module programmed to operate as an access point master device performing inquiries for detecting and servicing mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point; and
a coordinating module coupled to the at least one access point master device and other wireless transceiver modules of the short range RF access point, the coordinating module switching the operation of the other modules based on the communication load of the at least one access point master device. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A method dynamically managing communication capacity in a short-range communication system establishing connections with mobile devices, comprising:
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operating a plurality of wireless transceiver modules for communicating with devices over short-range communication links within a coverage of a short-range RF access point, wherein at least one wireless transceiver module of the plurality of wireless transceiver modules is programmed to operate solely as an access point master device performing inquiries for detecting and servicing mobile devices within a coverage area of said access point;
coupling a coordinating module to the at least one access point master device and the other wireless transceiver modules of the short range RF access point; and
switching, by the coordinating module, the operation of the other modules based on the communication load of the at least one access point master device. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
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61. A medium, executable in a computer system, for dynamically managing communication capacity in a short-range communication system establishing connections with mobile devices, the medium comprising:
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program code for operating at least one wireless transceiver module programmed as an access point master device performing inquiries for detecting and servicing mobile devices within coverage area of the access point;
program code for operating at least one wireless transceiver switchable module coupled to the access point master device as (1) an access point slave device scanning packets initiated by mobile devices within the coverage area of the access point for establishing a connection and passing the connection to the at least one access point master device, and (2) switchable to a master device role; and
program code for switching the at least one switchable module to a master device role based on the communication load of the access point master device. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification