Simultaneous operation of wireless LAN and long-range wireless connections
First Claim
1. A method for communication, comprising:
- establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station;
sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and
during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol,wherein establishing the first connection comprises transmitting first data between the wireless terminal and the base station during the time frames outside the interval, and wherein establishing the second connection comprises transmitting second data between the wireless terminal and the access point during the interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for communication includes establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station. A signal is sent from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval including one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station. During the interval, a second connection is established between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein establishing the first connection comprises transmitting first data between the wireless terminal and the base station during the time frames outside the interval, and wherein establishing the second connection comprises transmitting second data between the wireless terminal and the access point during the interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein sending the signal comprises sensing periodic beacons transmitted by the access point, and adjusting the interval responsively to a transmission period of the beacons. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol; and transmitting a bandwidth request from the wireless terminal to the base station in order to resume the transmission of the data between the wireless terminal and the base station over the first connection after conclusion of the sleep interval.
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14. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein the long-range wireless data network is a WiMAX network, and wherein sending the signal comprises sending a reduced availability message indicating a starting time and a duration of the interval during which the second connection is to be established.
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15. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein establishing the first connection comprises assigning time slots within the time frames for communication between the base station and the wireless terminal, and comprising identifying periods within the time frames outside the interval that are not included in the assigned time slots, and transmitting the data over the second connection during the periods.
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16. A method for communication, comprising:
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establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station; sending a signal from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station; and during the interval, establishing a second connection between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein establishing the second connection comprises transmitting a radio frequency (RF) probe signal from the wireless terminal requesting a response from the access point, and during a predetermined time period following the probe signal, intermittently switching a RF receiver of the wireless terminal on and off, and sampling radio signals received while the RF receiver is on so as to determine a probability that the radio signals comprise a response to the probe signal transmitted by the access point.
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17. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein the long-range wireless data network is a WiMAX network, and wherein the signal comprises a reduced availability message indicating a starting time and a duration of the interval during which the second connection is to be established.
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18. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocols wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to cause the terminal to exchange first data with the base station over the first connection during the time frames outside the interval, and to exchange second data with the access point over the second connection during the interval. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to sense periodic beacons transmitted by the access point, and to cause the base station to adjust the interval responsively to a transmission period of the beacons. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to transmit a bandwidth request to the base station in order to resume the transmission of the data between the terminal and the base station over the first connection after conclusion of the sleep interval.
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31. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein time slots are assigned by the base station within the time frames for communication between the base station and the terminal, and wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to identify periods within the time frames outside the interval that are not included in the assigned time slots, and to transmit the data over the second connection during the periods.
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32. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:
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a radio freciuency (RF) transceiver; and a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF transceiver to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to establish a first connection between the terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the terminal and the base station, and to send a signal to the base station identifying an interval comprising one or more of the time frames during which the terminal will not receive data from the base station, and to establish, during the interval, a second connection between the terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol, wherein the RF transceiver is arranged to transmit a RF probe signal requesting a response from the access point, and to switch intermittently on and off during a predetermined time period following the probe signal, and wherein the baseband circuit is coupled to sample radio signals received while the RF transceiver is on so as to determine a probability that the radio signals comprise a response to the probe signal transmitted by the access point.
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Specification