Method and apparatus for multi-access wireless communication

• US 7,009,946 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kardach, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US09/599,322
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/338, 370/352, 370/353, 370/401, 370/901, 370/908, 370/913, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/100.01, 455/517, 455/518
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided that includes a network circuit to be coupled to a local area network (LAN) through a transmission line. The transmission line to serve as wiring for the LAN. The apparatus also includes a modem to be coupled to a wide area network (WAN) through the transmission line. Additionally, the apparatus includes a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter to be coupled to a telephone network through the transmission line. Moreover, the apparatus includes a radio transceiver coupled to the network circuit, the modem and the D/A converter. The radio transceiver to receive wireless communication data and to route the wireless communication data to at least one device on the LAN, the WAN or the telephone network through the network circuit, the modem or the D/A converter, respectively.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a network circuit to couple to a local area network (LAN) through a transmission line;

a modem to couple to a wide area network (WAN) through the transmission line;

a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter to couple to a telephone network through the transmission line;

a radio transceiver coupled to the network circuit, the modem and the D/A converter, the radio transceiver to receive a service discovery request based on a BLUETOOTH standard from a wireless communication device, to establish a connection to the wireless communication device, to receive wireless communication data from the wireless communication device and to route the wireless communication data through the D/A converter across the telephone network where the wireless communication data is received through a cordless telephony connection, to route the wireless communication data to the WAN through the modem where the wireless communication data is received through a dial-up network connection, to route the wireless communication data to the LAN through the network circuit where the wireless communication data is received through a network access connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication data received by the radio transceiver is based on a BLUETOOTH standard, and wherein the radio transceiver is a BLUETOOTH access device for receiving the wireless communication data from the wireless communication device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is a Plain Old Telephone Service line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the wireless communications data is received from a group consisting of a mobile telephone, a mobile computer, and a personal digital assistant.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications data is routed to the D/A converter when the wireless communications data is voice data, wherein the voice data includes data received from the cordless telephony connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications data is routed to the modem when the wireless communications data is data being routed to the Internet.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a network circuit to couple to a transmission line, the network circuit to transmit at a first frequency range on the transmission line;

a modem to couple to a wide area network (WAN) through the transmission line, the modem to transmit at a second frequency range on the transmission line;

a digital/analog (D/A) converter to couple to a telephone network through the transmission line, the D/A converter to transmit at the second frequency range on the transmission line; and

a radio transceiver to receive a service discovery request from at least one wireless communication device, to establish a connection to the at least one wireless communication device, to receive wireless communication data based on a BLUETOOTH standard from the at least one wireless communication device, to route the wireless communication data through the D/A converter across the telephone network where the wireless communication data is received through a cordless telephony connection, to route the wireless communication data to the WAN through the modem where the wireless communication data is received through a dial-up network connection, to route the wireless communication data to the LAN through the network circuit where the wireless communication data is received through a network access connection.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the LAN is located in a residential home.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transmission line is a Plain Old Telephone Service line.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is coupled through a RJ-11 socket to the POTS line.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication data is routed to the D/A converter when the wireless communication data includes voice data, wherein the voice data includes data received from the cordless telephony connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication data is routed to the modern when the wireless communication data is data being routed to devices coupled to the WAN.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication data is routed to the network circuit when the wireless communication data is data being routed to devices coupled to the LAN.

14. A system comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory;

a network circuit coupled to the processing unit and the memory;

a filter coupled to the network circuit, the filter to couple to a local area network (LAN) through a transmission line,

a modem coupled to the processing unit and the memory, the modem to couple to a wide area network (WAN) through the transmission line;

a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter coupled to the processing unit and the memory, the D/A converter to couple to a telephone network through the transmission line;

a radio transceiver coupled to processing unit, the memory, the network circuit, the modem and the D/A converter, the radio transceiver to receive a service discovery request based on a BLUETOOTH standard from a wireless communication device, to establish a connection to the wireless communication device, to receive wireless communication data and to route the wireless communication data through the D/A converter across the telephone network where the wireless communication data is received through a cordless telephony connection, to route the wireless communication data to the WAN through the modem where the wireless communication data is received through a dial-up network connection, to route the wireless communication data to the LAN through the network circuit where the wireless communication data is received through a network access connection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication data received by the radio transceiver is based on a BLUETOOTH standard.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the transmission line is a Plain Old Telephone Service line.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a service discovery request based on a BLUETOOTH standard from at least one wireless communication device;

connecting to the at least one wireless communication device;

receiving wireless communication data from the at least one wireless communication device; and

routing the wireless communication data to at least two devices coupled to at least two different networks.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the routing is based on connections between the at least one wireless communication device and the at least two devices.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a service discovery request from at least one wireless communication device;

connecting to the wireless communication device;

receiving wireless communication data from the at least one wireless communication device;

formatting the wireless communication data into analog data at a first frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a cordless telephony service;

formatting the wireless communication data into analog data at the first frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a dial-up network service;

formatting the wireless communication data into network data packets at a second frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a network access service; and

transmitting the analog data at the first frequency range and the network data packets at the second frequency range to a number of devices on a number of networks.

20. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a service discovery request based on a BLUETOOTH standard from at least one wireless communication device;

connecting to the wireless communication device;

receiving wireless communication data from the at least one wireless communication device; and

routing the wireless communication to at least two devices coupled to at least two different networks.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the routing is based on connections between the at least one wireless communication device and the at least two devices.

22. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a service discovery request from at least one wireless communication device;

connecting to the wireless communication device;

receiving wireless communication data from the at least one wireless communication device;

formatting the wireless communication data into analog data at a first frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a cordless telephony service;

formatting the wireless communication data into analog data at the first frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a dial-up network service;

formatting the wireless communication data into network data packets at a second frequency range upon determining the wireless communication data is for a network access service; and

transmitting the analog data at the first frequency range and the network data packets at the second frequency range to a number of devices on a number of networks.