Hierarchical communications system

• US 7,924,783 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morris, Michael D., Mahany, Ronald L., Danielson, Arvin D., Bunte, Alan G., West, Guy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Toan D
• Application Number:
  US09/723,930
• Time in Patent Office: 3,787 Days
• Field of Search: 370/436, 370/443, 370/445, 370/447, 370/449, 370/478, 370/320, 370/321, 370/329, 370/347, 370/253, 370/256, 370/314, 370/330, 455/509, 455/510, 455/435.3, 455/441, 375/130, 375/140, 375/200, 375/368
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70705 Rate detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0032 Without explicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0038 Blind format detection for detection of modulation format H04L27/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Two wireless local area networks exhibiting different characteristics link portable or mobile computer devices. An infrastructure network comprising radio base stations, and at least one portable computer device make up the first wireless network, which communicates using spread spectrum frequency hopping communication. A second local area network supports radio communication between a portable computer and peripheral devices with built-in transceivers. The networks use a reservation access protocol that facilitates frequency hopping synchronization, supports adaptive data rate selection based on communication quality, and prevents interference between the wireless networks. In a premises LAN, an infrastructure network comprises radio base stations and a backbone LAN. A higher-power LAN using frequency hopping comprises the infrastructure network and at least one mobile computing device. A lower-power LAN uses single-frequency spread spectrum communication between a mobile computing device and peripheral devices. A vehicular LAN supports short-range communication between vehicle and portable terminals.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device for communication of digital information, the terminal comprising:

a wireless interface supporting direct sequence spread spectrum communication via a first radio frequency network at a first signal power;

a processor communicatively coupled to the wireless interface, the processor facilitating communication of digital information comprising one or both of digitized voice and data;

wherein the digital information is communicated using a series of time intervals each comprising at least a portion for receiving digital information and at least a portion for transmitting digital information;

wherein the mobile terminal device wirelessly receives information identifying a position within each of the series of time intervals of one or both of the at least a portion for receiving digital information and/or the at least a portion for transmitting digital information, and wherein the position is dynamically assigned for each time interval; and

wherein timing of the at least a portion for receiving and timing of the at least a portion for transmitting, within the time interval, are dynamically assigned to the device.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the duration of each time interval is approximately 10 milliseconds.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the wireless interface communicates using a radio frequency signal of approximately 2.4 gigahertz.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein a single radio frequency is used for both transmitting and receiving the digital information.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein each time interval uses a different one of a sequence of radio frequencies.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device supports communication with at least one peripheral device via a second radio frequency network at a second signal power.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein the first signal power is a relatively higher signal power and the second signal power is a relatively lower signal power.

8. The device according to claim 6 wherein the processor coordinates the exchange of digital information via both the first radio frequency network and the second radio frequency network so that activity on the two radio frequency networks takes place at different times.

9. The device according to claim 6 wherein the wireless interface supports both the first and second radio frequency networks.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one peripheral device comprises one of a graphics scanner, a text scanner, a code reader, and a voice command interface.

11. One or more circuits for use in a mobile terminal device supporting spread spectrum communication of digital information, the one or more circuits comprising:

at least one wireless interface enabling communication over at least one radio frequency network;

at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one wireless interface, the at least one processor operable to;

wirelessly receive digital information over a first radio frequency network during a receive portion of each of a series of time intervals;

wirelessly transmit digital information over the first radio frequency network at a first transmit power level during a transmit portion of each of the series of time intervals;

wirelessly receive information identifying a position, within each of the series of time intervals of one or both of the receive portion and/or the transmit portion, wherein the position is dynamically assigned for each time interval; and

wherein timing of the receive portion and timing of the transmit portion, within the time interval, are dynamically assigned to the device.

12. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to coordinate wireless reception of digital information over a second radio frequency network, and wireless transmission of digital information over the second radio frequency network at a second transmit power level, while maintaining communication over the first radio frequency network.

13. The one or more circuits of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor coordinates the exchange of digital information via the first radio frequency network and the second radio frequency network so that activity on the two radio frequency networks takes place at different times.

14. The one or more circuits of claim 12, wherein the first transmit power level is a relatively higher power level and the second transmit power level is a relatively lower power level.

15. The one or more circuits of claim 12, wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises a single receiver and a single transmitter.

16. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein the duration of each of the series of time intervals is approximately 10 milliseconds.

17. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless interface communicates using a radio frequency signal comprising one of about 900 megahertz and about 2.4 gigahertz.

18. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein a single radio frequency is used by the mobile terminal device for both transmitting and receiving digital information over the first radio frequency network.

19. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein a single radio frequency is used by the mobile terminal device for both transmitting and receiving digital information over a second radio frequency network.

20. The one or more circuits of claim 11, wherein a different one of a sequence of radio frequencies is used for communication over the first radio frequency network, during each of the series of time intervals.