Priority setting scheme for a wireless terminal

• US 7,468,963 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics Belgium N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Capretta, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US11/146,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20050271010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/310, 370/329, 370/394, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 455/419, 455/420
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

First and second wireless transceiver units operate in the same portion of the RF spectrum. An arbitration device controls when the first and second wireless transceiver units can operate. An interface connects the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device and receives requests for operation. The interface permits the transceiver unit o use one of N possible priority levels for requests. The transceiver associates a transceiver priority level to a series of packets which is chosen from a range of M possible priority levels. The transceiver unit sends a sequence of requests to operate to the arbitration device, each request in the sequence having a priority level chosen from the range of N possible priority levels. The average value of the priority levels used in the sequence depends on the associated transceiver priority level.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless transceiver unit which operates in a shared portion of an RF spectrum, with a second wireless transceiver unit operating in the shared portion of the RF spectrum, an arbitration device controlling when the first and second wireless transceiver units can access the shared portion of the RF spectrum and an interface connecting the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device, wherein the first transceiver supports a plurality of connection links, the interface supports a first plurality of interface priority levels and carries a plurality of access requests from the first transceiver to the arbitration device, and each access request is associated with an interface priority level from the first plurality of the interface priority levels, the method comprising:

associating a connection link from the plurality of connection links with a transceiver priority level from a second plurality of transceiver priority levels;

associating the transceiver priority level of the connection link with a sequence of access requests from the plurality of access requests carried by the interface, wherein the transceiver priority level positively correlates with an average value of interface priority levels of the access requests forming the sequence; and

communicating the transceiver priority level of the connection link to the arbitration device sending the sequence of the access requests to the arbitration device.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first plurality of the interface priority levels comprises a high priority level and a low priority level and a number of high priority level requests sent during the sequence corresponds to the associated transceiver priority level.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the sequence is a sequence of access requests each taking a value of 0 or 1, and wherein the number of the access requests taking a value of 0 or 1 is equal to a number of the transceiver priority levels of the second plurality of transceiver priority levels minus one.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving a transceiver priority level which is to be associated with the series of access requests.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the transceiver priority level is chosen by a host of the first wireless transceiver unit.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transceiver priority level is chosen by the first wireless transceiver unit, based on a type of packets intended for transmission.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second wireless transceiver units are co-located.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first wireless transceiver unit supports a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) protocol.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the WPAN protocol is based on IEEE 802.15.1 or Bluetooth™

.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the second wireless transceiver unit supports a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocol.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the WLAN protocol is IEEE 802.11.

12. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for use with a processor of a first wireless transceiver unit which operates in a shared portion of an RE spectrum, with a second wireless transceiver unit operating in the shared portion of the RE spectrum, an arbitration device controlling when the first and second wireless transceiver units can access the shared portion of the RF spectrum and an interface connecting the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device, wherein the first transceiver supports a plurality of connection links, the interface supports a first plurality of interface priority levels and carries a plurality of access requests from the first transceiver to the arbitration device, and each access request is associated with an interface priority level from the first plurality of the interface priority levels, the computer program comprising:

means for associating a connection link from the plurality of connection links with a transceiver priority level from a second plurality of transceiver priority levels;

means for associating the transceiver priority level of the connection link with a sequence of access requests from the plurality of access requests carried by the interface, wherein the transceiver priority level positively correlates with an average value of interface priority levels of the access requests forming the sequence; and

means for communicating the transceiver priority level of the connection link to the arbitration device by sending the sequence of the access requests to the arbitration device.

13. A control apparatus for a first wireless transceiver unit which operates in a shared portion of an RF spectrum, with a second wireless transceiver unit operating in the shared portion of the RF spectrum, an arbitration device controlling when the first and second wireless transceiver units can access the shared portion of the RF spectrum and an interface connecting the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device, wherein the first transceiver supports a plurality of connection links, the interface supports a first plurality of interface priority levels and carries a plurality of access requests from the first transceiver to the arbitration device, and each access request is associated with an interface priority level from the first plurality of the interface priority levels, the control apparatus being arranged to:

associate a connection link from the plurality of connection links with a transceiver priority level from a second plurality of transceiver priority levels;

associating the transceiver priority level of the connection link with a sequence of access requests from the plurality of access requests carried by the interface, wherein the transceiver priority level positively correlates with an average value of interface priority levels of the access requests forming the sequence; and

communicate the transceiver priority level of the connection link to the arbitration device by sending the sequence of the access requests to the arbitration device.

14. A control apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising means for supporting a high priority level and a low priority level and for sending a number of high priority level requests during the sequence corresponding to the associated transceiver priority level.

15. A control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sequence is a sequence of access requests each taking a value of 0 or 1, and wherein the number of the access requests taking a value of 0 or 1 is equal to a number of the transceiver priority levels of the second plurality of transceiver priority levels minus one.

16. A control apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for receiving the transceiver priority level which is to be associated with the series of access requests.

17. A control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the transceiver priority level is chosen by a host of the first wireless transceiver unit.

18. A control apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means of the first wireless transceiver unit for choosing the transceiver priority level based on a type of packets intended for transmission.

21. A first wireless transceiver unit according to claim 18 which supports a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) protocol.

22. A first wireless transceiver unit according to claim 18 wherein the WPAN protocol is IEEE 802.15.1 or Bluetooth™

.

19. A first wireless transceiver unit incorporating a control apparatus, with the first wireless transceiver unit operating in a shared portion of an RE spectrum, a second wireless transceiver unit operating in the shared portion of the RE spectrum, an arbitration device controlling when the first and second wireless transceiver units can access the shared portion of the RE spectrum and an interface connecting the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device, wherein the first transceiver supports a plurality of connection links, the interface supports a first plurality of interface priority levels and carries a plurality of access requests from the first transceiver to the arbitration device, and each access request is associated with an interface priority level from the first plurality of the interface priority levels, the control apparatus being arranged to:

associate a connection link from the plurality of connection links with a transceiver priority level from a second plurality of transceiver priority levels;

associating the transceiver priority level of the connection link with a sequence of access requests from the plurality of access requests carried by the interface, wherein the transceiver priority level positively correlates with an average value of interface priority levels of the access requests forming the sequence; and

communicate the transceiver priority level of the connection link to the arbitration device by sending the sequence of the access requests to the arbitration device.

20. A first wireless transceiver unit according to claim 19 which is co-located with the second wireless transceiver unit which operates in the same RF band or overlaps therewith.

23. An arrangement of a first wireless transceiver unit which operates in a shared portion of an RF spectrum, with a second wireless transceiver unit operating in the shared portion of the RE spectrum, an arbitration device controlling when the first and second wireless transceiver units can access the shared portion of the RE spectrum and an interface connecting the first transceiver unit to the arbitration device, wherein the first transceiver supports a plurality of connection links, the interface supports a first plurality of interface priority levels and carries a plurality of access requests from the first transceiver to the arbitration device, and each access request is associated with an interface priority level from the first plurality of the interface priority levels, comprising:

means for associating a connection link from the plurality of connection links with a transceiver priority level from a second plurality of transceiver priority levels;

means for associating the transceiver priority level of the connection link with a sequence of access requests from the plurality of access requests carried by the interface, wherein the transceiver priority level positively correlates with an average value of interface priority levels of the access requests forming the sequence; and

means for communicating the transceiver priority level of the connection link to the arbitration device by sending the sequence of the access requests to the arbitration device.