Universal serial bus dongle device with wireless telephony transceiver and system for use therewith

• US 7,617,342 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred; Alford W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abad; Farley J
• Application Number:
  US11/770,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710/100, 235/492, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/74, 455/66.1
• US Class Current: 710/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB

Abstract

A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device includes a wireless telephony transceiver that receives an inbound RF signal and that generates inbound data based on the inbound RF signal and receives outbound data and that generates an outbound RF signal in response thereto. A USB plug is connectable to a host device. A USB controller circuit formats the inbound data in the USB format for communication to the host device and to recover the outbound data from outbound data received in the USB format from the host device. A millimeter wave interface includes a first millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the wireless transceiver and a second millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the USB controller circuit that wirelessly communicates the inbound data and the outbound data between the wireless telephony receiver and the USB controller circuit.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device comprising:

a wireless telephony transceiver that receives an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal and that generates inbound data based on the inbound RF signal and receives outbound data and that generates an outbound RF signal in response thereto, wherein the inbound RF signal and the outbound RF signal are formatted in accordance with a wireless telephony protocol;

a USB plug for connecting to a host device;

a USB controller circuit coupled to format the inbound data in a USB format for communication to the host device and to recover the outbound data from outbound data received in the USB format from the host device; and

a millimeter wave interface, coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit, including a first millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and a second millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the USB controller circuit;

wherein the wireless telephony transceiver, the millimeter wave interface and the USB controller circuit are included in an integrated circuit package; and

wherein the millimeter wave interface wirelessly communicates the inbound data and the outbound data between the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit via intra-chip signaling in a millimeter wave frequency band.

2. The USB dongle device of claim 1 further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, coupled to the USB controller circuit via the millimeter wave interface that receives a GPS signal and that generates GPS position data based on the GPS signal;

wherein the USB controller circuit formats the GPS position data in the USB format for communication to the host device.

3. The USB dongle device of claim 2 wherein the GPS receiver and the wireless telephony transceiver share a receiver section.

4. The USB dongle device of claim 1 wherein the wireless telephony transceiver, the millimeter wave interface and the USB controller circuit are powered by a current received from the host device via the USB plug.

5. The USB dongle device of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing coupled to support the wireless telephony transceiver, the USB plug and the USB controller circuit, wherein the housing conforms to a USB flash drive form factor.

6. The USB dongle device of claim 5 wherein the USB dongle further comprises:

a cap that is couplable with the housing in a first position to cover the USB plug when not in use.

7. The USB dongle device of claim 5 wherein the cap is couplable with the housing in a second position to store the cap and to leave the USB plug uncovered.

8. The USB dongle device of claim 5 wherein the cap includes an opening for accepting a key ring.

9. A system comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) dongle device that includes;

a wireless telephony transceiver that receives an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal, that generates inbound data based on the inbound RF signal, that receives outbound data and that generates an outbound RF signal in response thereto, wherein the inbound RF signal and the outbound RF signal are formatted in accordance with a wireless telephony protocol;

a first USB interface coupled to format the inbound data in a USB format and to recover the outbound data from outbound data received in the USB format wherein the first USB interface includes a USB controller circuit coupled to format the inbound data in the USB format for communication to a host device and to recover the outbound data from the outbound data received in the USB format; and

a millimeter wave interface, coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit, including a first millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and a second millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the USB controller circuit that wirelessly communicates the inbound data and the outbound data between the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit via intra-chip signaling in a millimeter wave frequency band;

wherein the wireless telephony transceiver, the millimeter wave interface and the USB controller circuit are included in an integrated circuit package;

the host device includes;

a second USB interface, when connected to the first USB interface, receives the inbound data in the USB format, formats the outbound data in the USB format and transfers the outbound data in the USB format to the first USB interface; and

a processor coupled to execute an application based on the inbound data received by the second USB interface and that transfers outbound data to the second USB interface.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first USB interface includes:

a USB plug.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second USB interface includes:

a USB jack that is couplable to the USB plug.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the USB dongle device further includes:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, coupled to the USB controller circuit that receives a GPS signal and that generates GPS position data based on the GPS signal;

wherein the USB controller circuit formats the GPS position data in the USB format for communication to the host device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the GPS receiver and the wireless telephony transceiver share a receiver section.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the host device further includes:

a power source coupled to generate a voltage to the second USB interface;

wherein the USB dongle device is powered by the voltage.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the USB dongle device is an on-the-go USB device.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the host device is one of:

a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, and an automobile.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the application is one of:

a voice communication application, and a data communication application.

18. A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device comprising:

a wireless telephony transceiver that receives an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal and that generates inbound data based on the inbound RF signal and receives outbound data and that generates an outbound RF signal in response thereto, wherein the inbound RF signal and the outbound RF signal are formatted in accordance with a wireless telephony protocol;

a USB interface that, when coupled to a host device, communicates the inbound data to the host device and receives the outbound data from the host device, wherein the USB interface includes;

a USB connector for connecting to the host device; and

a USB controller circuit coupled to format the inbound data in the USB format for communication to the host device and to recover the outbound data from outbound data received in the USB format from the host device; and

a millimeter wave interface, coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit, including a first millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the wireless telephony transceiver and a second millimeter wave transceiver coupled to the USB controller circuit that wirelessly communicates the inbound data and the outbound data between the wireless telephony transceiver and the USB controller circuit via intra-chip signaling in a millimeter wave frequency band;

wherein the wireless telephony transceiver, the millimeter wave interface and the USB controller circuit are included in an integrated circuit package.

19. The USB dongle device of claim 18 further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, coupled to the USB controller circuit that receives a GPS signal and that generates GPS position data based on the GPS signal;

wherein the USB controller circuit formats the GPS position data in the USB format for communication to the host device.

20. The USB dongle device of claim 19 wherein the GPS receiver and the wireless telephony receiver share a receiver section.

21. The USB dongle of claim 18 wherein the wireless telephony receiver and the USB interface are powered by a current received from the host device via the USB interface.

22. The USB dongle device of claim 18 further comprising:

a housing coupled to support the wireless telephony receiver and the USB interface, wherein the housing conforms to a USB flash drive form factor.

23. The USB dongle device of claim 22 wherein the USB interface includes a USB plug and wherein the USB dongle further comprises:

a cap that is couplable with the housing in a first position to cover the USB plug when not in use.

24. The USB dongle device of claim 23 wherein the cap is couplable with the housing in a second position to store the cap and to leave the USB plug uncovered.

25. The USB dongle device of claim 23 wherein the cap includes an opening for accepting a key ring.