Controlling wireless communications between linked devices

• US 7,532,611 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2000
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Jacks, Edwin L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi; Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/614,826
• Time in Patent Office: 3,226 Days
• Field of Search: 710 5- 9, 710/24, 710 62- 74, 370/259, 370/277, 370/278, 370310-313, 370/328, 370/395, 370/52, 370352-356, 370342-349, 370/350, 370392-394, 370/409, 370/389, 370/390, 700/12, 700/17, 700/83, 700/296, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/2.1, 340/825.98, 379/88.26, 379/93.08, 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A system for implementing a relatively reliable wireless transmission protocol for a processor-based system includes generating commands associated with a predetermined number of command identifiers. Thus, no more than the predetermined number of commands may be issued until a responding device responds with a previously used command identifier. When a device responds that it has received a command with a given identifier, that identifier then becomes available for reuse. Thereafter, a new command may be issued by re-using that command identifier. In this way, the system may keep track of all the outstanding commands, ensuring that a lost command will be detected. By limiting the number of command identifiers, the requirements of the receiving and transmitting devices in terms of processing power and/or memory capacity may be effectively limited.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining if one of a predetermined number of command identifiers is available for transmission to a receiving device;

if not, awaiting a response from a receiving device including the command identifier;

upon receipt of the response including the command identifier, assigning the command identifier as the command identifier for a communication over a wireless link; and

causing a device receiving a command and command identifier to respond to the command with that command identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 including transmitting a command to at least two devices, each of said devices maintaining a record of previously used command identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting said command over a wireless link includes transmitting a command from a processor-based system to a display device.

4. The method of claim 1 including developing a command sequence made up of packets of predetermined length.

5. The method of claim 4 including providing a header for said command sequence that includes the command packet length and a command identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 including assigning said command identifiers in a sequence.

7. The method of claim 6 including determining whether one of the commands in the sequence was not received.

8. The method of claim 6 including determining whether one of the commands in the sequence was not responded to by a receiving device.

9. A system comprising:

a controller; and

a communications interface coupled to said controller such that said controller determines whether one of a plurality of command identifiers is available and if not, awaits a response from a receiving device including said command identifier to issue a communication using said same command identifier over a wireless link and to require a device receiving the command to respond to the command with the command identifier.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said communications interface receives commands from an external device.

11. The system of claim 9 including a second device communicating with said interface through a wireless protocol.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said controller determines whether one of a predetermined number of command identifiers is available.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said system includes a processor-based station and a peripheral, each having communications interfaces such that said station and said peripheral communicate over said communications interfaces.

14. The system of claim 9 including a storage that stores a record of previously utilized command identifiers.

15. The system of claim 9 including a housing storing said controller and a display device coupled to said controller through a wireless protocol.

16. The system of claim 9 including a housing storing said controller and a wireless keyboard which communicates with said controller through a wireless protocol.

17. The system of claim 9 including a pair of devices each having a controller and a communications interface, said devices adapted to exchange commands between said devices, each of said commands having a command identifier, each of said devices responding to a command from the other of said devices by returning said command identifier.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein one of said devices determines whether or not a command has been responded to.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said device that determines whether a command has been responded to, maintains a record of the command identifiers tnat have been issued and a record of the command identifiers utilized to respond to commands.