Systems and methods for facilitating simultaneous communication over multiple wired and wireless networks

• US 7,489,902 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Heon, Robert D., Zinni, Michel A. Jr., Shlayen, Jeffrey, Dymov, Murat, Amani, Majid, Lamontagne, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/236,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/63.1, 455/557, 455/464, 455/515, 455/114.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/436, 455/426.1, 370/338, 370/341
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• 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

A device is provided that is capable of simultaneous communication over multiple wired and wireless networks. The device is capable of processing data received simultaneously over multiple networks by storing the data in data buffers and using a polling routine to retrieve the data from the data buffers. The device is capable of preventing interference when communicating over multiple wireless networks in the same frequency band by monitoring the frequency channel used by one of the wireless networks and controlling the frequency channels used by the other wireless networks.

Claims

1. A device for communicating over at least two wireless communication interfaces comprising:

a first communication interface configured to operate at one of a plurality of frequency channels within a frequency band;

a second communication interface configured to operate at one of the plurality of frequency channels within the frequency band; and

a communication controller configured to determine at which one of the plurality of frequency channels the first communication interface is configured to operate, exclude the frequency channel at which the first communication interface is configured to operate from the frequency channels of the frequency band that are available at which the second communication interface is to be configured to operate, and direct the second communication interface to operate at a different one of the frequency channels of the frequency band other than the frequency channel of the frequency band at which the first communication interface is configured to operate.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface are chosen from the group comprising wireless Ethernet, Bluetooth, and general packet radio service.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first communication interface is wireless Ethernet and the second communication interface is Bluetooth.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the frequency band is 2.4 GHz.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is a portable printer.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication controller performs the step of excluding the one of the plurality of frequency channels at which the first communication interface is configured to operate from the frequency channels available to the second communication interface for only so long as the first communication interface is operating at the one of the plurality of frequency channels.

7. A device for communicating over at least two communication interfaces comprising:

a first communication interface having a first communication driver and a first data buffer such that the first communication driver is configured to retrieve first data from the first communication interface and store the first data in the first data buffer;

a second communication interface having a second communication driver and a second data buffer such that the second communication driver is configured to retrieve second data from the second communication interface and store the second data in the second data buffer; and

a main processor configured to retrieve data by polling the first and second data buffers and process the data, such that the main processor is configured to retrieve first data from the first data buffer, then retrieve second data from the second data buffer, and then process the first and second data.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface are chosen from the group comprising wireless Ethernet, Bluetooth, general packet radio service, serial, and universal serial bus.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the device is a portable printer.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the first communication driver and the second communication driver are each interrupt driven.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the first communication driver immediately retrieves the first data upon receipt at the first communication interface and stores the first data in the first data buffer and wherein the second communication driver immediately retrieves the second data upon receipt at the second communication interface and stores the second data in the second data buffer.

12. A printer comprising:

a housing including a core printer assembly wherein the core printer assembly includes a media support assembly, a drive assembly, and a print head assembly; and

a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to provide functional support for a plurality of wireless communication devices selected from the group consisting of a wireless Ethernet device, a Bluetooth device, and a general packet radio service device,

wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, and wherein the printer further comprises a first communication driver and a first data buffer such that the first communication driver is configured to retrieve first data from the first wireless communication device and store the first data in the first data buffer, and wherein the printer further comprises a second communication driver and a second data buffer such that the second communication driver is configured to retrieve second data from the second wireless communication device and store the second data in the second data buffer, and wherein the printer further comprises a main processor configured to retrieve data by polling the first and second data buffers and process the data, such that the main processor is configured to retrieve first data from the first data buffer, then retrieve second data from the second data buffer, and then process the first and second data.

13. A printer comprising:

a housing including a core printer assembly wherein the core printer assembly includes a media support assembly, a drive assembly, and a print head assembly; and

a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to provide functional support for a plurality of wireless communication devices selected from the group consisting of a wireless Ethernet device, a Bluetooth device, and a general packet radio service device,

wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, and wherein the printer further comprises a communication controller configured to determine which one of a plurality of frequency channels within a frequency band the first wireless communication device is configured to operate, exclude the frequency channel at which the first wireless communication device is configured to operate from the frequency channels of the frequency band that are available at which the second wireless communication device is to be configured to operate, and direct the second wireless communication device to operate at a different one of the frequency channels within the frequency band other than the frequency channel of the frequency band at which the first wireless communication device is configured to operate.

14. The printer of claim 13, wherein the first wireless communication device is a wireless Ethernet device and the second wireless communication device is a Bluetooth device.

15. The printer of claim 13, wherein the frequency band is 2.4 GHz.

16. The printer of claim 13, wherein the communication interface is further configured to provide functional support for a plurality of wired communication devices selected from the group consisting of a serial device and a universal serial bus device.

17. A device comprising:

a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to provide functional support for a plurality of wireless communication devices selected from the group consisting of a wireless Ethernet device, a Bluetooth device, and a general packet radio service device,

wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, and wherein the printer further comprises a first communication driver and a first data buffer such that the first communication driver is configured to retrieve first data from the first wireless communication device and store the first data in the first data buffer, and wherein the printer further comprises a second communication driver and a second data buffer such that the second communication driver is configured to retrieve second data from the second wireless communication device and store the second data in the second data buffer, and wherein the printer further comprises a main processor configured to retrieve data by polling the first and second data buffers and process the data, such that the main processor is configured to retrieve first data from the first data buffer, then retrieve second data from the second data buffer, and then process the first and second data.