Method and system for sharing components in a time division multiplex wireless system

• US 8,018,913 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/536,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.1, 370/314, 370/321, 370/347, 370/344, 370/337, 370/342, 455/450, 455/555
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for sharing components in a time division multiplex wireless system is provided. The method may include configuring at least one component of a software programmable radio, such as a PLL, to enable communication of data using, for example, a GSM protocol during a first timeslot in a frame and reconfiguring that component to enable communication of data using a different communication protocol during an unused timeslot in the same frame. Both uplink and downlink channels of the different communication protocol may be communicated during the unused timeslots.

Claims

1. A method for processing signals in a communication system, the method comprising:

configuring at least one component of a software programmable radio to communicate using a first communication protocol during a first timeslot in a TDMA frame; and

reconfiguring said at least one component of said software programmable radio to communicate using a second communication protocol during at least a second timeslot in said TDMA frame, wherein said first communication protocol is different than said second communication protocol.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a second timeslot is unused by said first communication protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a second timeslot comprises at least one of:

a downlink channel or an uplink channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring a phase locked loop (PLL) to output a frequency corresponding to said first communication protocol.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring a phase locked loop (PLL) to output a frequency corresponding to said second communication protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said first communication protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said second communication protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said TDMA frame is at least one of:

a GSM frame, a GPRS frame, an EDGE frame, a compressed WCDMA frame, a WIMAX frame, and 4G frame.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

GSM, GPRS, EDGE, compressed WCDMA, WIMAX, and 4G.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

a Bluetooth standard, a GPS standard, a NFC standard, a WLAN standard, a Zigbee standard, and a DVB-H standard.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for processing signals in a communication system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

configuring at least one component of a software programmable radio to communicate using a first communication protocol during a first timeslot in a TDMA frame; and

reconfiguring said at least one component of said software programmable radio to communicate using a second communication protocol during at least a second timeslot in said TDMA frame, wherein said first communication protocol is different than said second communication protocol.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least a second timeslot is unused by said first communication protocol.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least a second timeslot comprises at least one of:

a downlink channel or an uplink channel.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables configuring a phase locked loop (PLL) to output a frequency corresponding to said first communication protocol.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables configuring a PLL to output a frequency corresponding to said second communication protocol.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said first communication protocol.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said second communication protocol.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said TDMA frame is at least one of:

a GSM frame, a GPRS frame, an EDGE frame, a compressed WCDMA frame, a WIMAX frame, and 4G frame.

19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said first communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

GSM, GPRS, EDGE, compressed WCDMA, WIMAX, and 4G.

20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said second communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

a Bluetooth standard, a GPS standard, a NFC standard, a WLAN standard, a Zigbee standard, and a DVB-H standard.

21. A system for processing signals in a communication system, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that enables configuring of at least one component of a software programmable radio to communicate using a first communication protocol during a first timeslot in a TDMA frame; and

said one or more circuits enables reconfiguring of said at least one component of said software programmable radio to communicate using a second communication protocol during at least a second timeslot in said TDMA frame, wherein said first communication protocol is different than said second communication protocol.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least a second timeslot is unused by said first communication protocol.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least a second timeslot comprises at least one of:

a downlink channel or an uplink channel.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enables configuring a phase locked loop (PLL) to output a frequency corresponding to said first communication protocol.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enables configuring a phase locked loop (PLL) to output a frequency corresponding to said second communication protocol.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enables configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said first communication protocol.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enables configuring at least one of:

a band pass filter, an RX processing system, a TX processing system, and a local oscillator to enable communication of information using said second communication protocol.

28. The system according to claim 21, wherein said TDMA frame is at least one of:

a GSM frame, a GPRS frame, an EDGE frame, a compressed WCDMA frame, a WIMAX frame, and 4G frame.

29. The system according to claim 21, wherein said first communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

GSM, GPRS, EDGE, compressed WCDMA, WIMAX, and 4G.

30. The system according to claim 21, wherein said second communication protocol conforms to at least one of:

a Bluetooth standard, a GPS standard, a NFC standard, a WLAN standard, a Zigbee standard, and a DVB-H standard.