LAN by ultra-wideband system and method

• US 8,085,830 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ametsitsi, Julius
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US11/668,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20070177495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 370/208, 370/338
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An ultra-wideband (UWB) system and method provide a local area network (LAN) and/or LAN access. LAN access versions of the UWB system includes an emulator layer and bridge that allow data to be transmitted between a LAN-UWB hybrid device and a LAN network switch, such as an IEEE 802 network switch, through in part a UWB node of a UWB WPAN that can receive UWB super-frames from the LAN-UWB hybrid device. In some implementations the LAN-UWB hybrid device uses Wi-Fi protocol layers above the emulator layer and a WiNet Peer IP PAL layer below the emulator layer.

Claims

1. A system for use with an infrastructure network, the system comprising:

a first device connected to the infrastructure network, the first device including a first ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to transmit routing data in a first ultra-wideband super-frame using a first ultra-wideband band group; and

a second ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive other data in a second ultra-wideband super-frame using a second ultra-wideband band group being different than the first ultra-wideband band group, the first device being configured to extract infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data in the second ultra-wideband super-frame, and provide the infrastructure network addressing instructions to the infrastructure network, the infrastructure network addressing instructions being other than peer-to-peer network addressing instructions;

a second device including a first ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive the routing data in the first ultra-wideband super-frame using the first ultra-wideband band group;

the second device being configured to maintain routing information based upon routing data received by the first ultra-wideband radio transceiver; and

a second ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive other data in a third ultra-wideband super-frame, extract the infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data of the third ultra-wideband super-frame, and transmit the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the second ultra-wideband super-frame to the first device using the second ultra-wideband band group based upon the routing information and the infrastructure network addressing instructions; and

a third device comprising an ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to transmit the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the third ultra-wideband super-frame to the second device using the second ultra-wideband band group.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the third device is configured to generate the infrastructure network addressing instructions, and place the infrastructure network addressing instructions into the other data of the third ultra-wideband super-frame.

3. A system for use with an infrastructure network, the system comprising:

a first device connected to the infrastructure network, the first device including a first radio transceiver configured to transmit routing data using WiFi protocols; and

a second ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive other data in a first ultra-wideband super-frame, the first device being configured to extract infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data in the first ultra-wideband super-frame, and provide the infrastructure network addressing instructions to the infrastructure network, the infrastructure network addressing instructions being other than peer-to-peer network addressing instructions;

a second device including a first radio transceiver configured to receive the routing data transmitted by the first device using the WiFi protocols, the second device being configured to maintain routing information based upon the routing data received by the first radio transceiver of the second device; and

a second ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive other data in a second ultra-wideband super-frame, extract the infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data of the second ultra-wideband super-frame, and transmit the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the first ultra-wideband super-frame to the first device based upon the routing information and the infrastructure network addressing instructions; and

a third device comprising an ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to transmit the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the second ultra-wideband super-frame to the second device using the second ultra-wideband band group.

4. A system for use with a first device, and a second device, the system comprising:

a first portion having a first radio transceiver configured to receive routing data from the first device using WiFi protocols; and

a second portion configured to maintain routing information based upon routing data received by the first radio transceiver; and

a third portion having a second ultra-wideband radio transceiver configured to receive other data in a first ultra-wideband super-frame from the second device, extract infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data of the first ultra-wideband super-frame, and transmit the infrastructure network addressing instructions in other data in a second ultra-wideband super-frame based upon the routing information and the infrastructure network addressing instructions, the infrastructure network addressing instructions being other than peer-to-peer network addressing instructions.

5. A method comprising:

from a first device, transmitting routing data using wireless communication protocols comprising IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, or IEEE 802.11i protocols;

receiving with the first device, other data in a first ultra-wideband super-frame, extracting infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data in the first ultra-wideband super-frame, and providing the infrastructure network addressing instructions to an infrastructure network, the infrastructure network addressing instructions being other than peer-to-peer network addressing instructions;

with a second device, receiving the routing data using the wireless communication protocols, maintaining routing information based upon the routing data received, receiving other data in a second ultra-wideband super-frame, extracting the infrastructure network addressing instructions from the other data of the second ultra-wideband super-frame, and transmitting the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the first ultra-wideband super-frame to the first device based upon the routing information and the infrastructure network addressing instructions; and

from a third device transmitting the infrastructure network addressing instructions in the other data in the second ultra-wideband super-frame to the second device.