Physical layer repeater with selective use of higher layer functions based on network operating conditions

• US 8,089,913 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr., Gainey, Kenneth M., Puig, Carlos M., Otto, James C., LaMont, Lawrence W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US11/790,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20070286110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 370/419, 370/315, 370/389, 370/535, 370/311, 370/487, 370/392, 370/387, 370/343, 370/395, 370/352, 370/232, 370/235, 370/351, 370/331, 370/401, 370/400, 370/353, 370/236, 370/229, 370/239, 370/390, 455/11.1, 455/42, 455/102, 455/445, 455/561, 455/315, 455/456, 455/522, 725/127, 725/73, 725/72, 725/74, 375/214, 375/141, 375/142, 375/150, 375/146, 375/147, 375/260
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15521 combining by calculations packets received from different stations before transmitting the combined packets as part of network coding network coding aspects for detection or prevention of errors in the information received H04L1/0076; network traffic management with optimizing of information sizing, e.g. header compression, by using assembly and disassembly of packets H04W28/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A physical layer frequency translating repeater for use in a wireless network can include a baseband section with demodulator, a processor and a memory. A portion of a packet for repeating can be processed during a physical layer repeating operation and a higher layer function performed without modification of an address. A received signal can be processed on a symbol-by-symbol basis in a first symbol interval, and regenerated after at least a second symbol interval and prior to completion of the demodulating the received signal. A hybrid network device can include a network node portion and a physical layer repeater portion.

Claims

1. A physical layer repeater comprising:

a digital baseband section including a demodulator, the digital baseband section for processing a packet for repeating during a physical layer repeating operation, the processing including demodulating a portion of the packet; and

a processor coupled to the digital baseband section, the processor configured to;

conduct one of a plurality of higher layer functions during the physical layer repeating operation including;

processing first information from the demodulated portion of the packet without modification of a source address and a destination address associated with the packet; and

determining whether to retransmit the packet and whether to transmit protocol information during the physical layer repeating operation according to one of a layer 2 protocol, and one of a plurality of higher than layer 2 protocols, based on the first information and a configuration of the repeater.

2. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the repeating operation includes a frequency translating physical layer repeating operation.

3. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of the higher layer functions includes generating an acknowledgment (ACK) of the packet.

4. The physical layer repeater according to claim 3, wherein the generating the ACK includes generating the ACK according to a media access control (MAC) protocol.

5. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the layer 2 protocol includes a media access control (MAC) protocol according to one of an 802.11 specification and a 802.16 specification.

6. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the processor, in determining whether to process the packet during the physical layer repeating operation according to the one, is further configured to regenerate a portion of the packet for the physical layer repeating operation while performing the determining.

7. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the configuration includes a setting value from one of a physical slide bar setting and a virtual slide bar setting.

8. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein:

the demodulator is configured to demodulate a source address and a destination address associated with the packet;

the digital baseband section further includes a digital delay line; and

the digital delay line is set with a predetermined delay value to compensate for the demodulation of the source address and the destination address.

9. The physical layer repeater according to claim 1, wherein the demodulator is configured to demodulate media access control (MAC) information including one or more of:

a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a layer 3 address, a quality of service (QoS) level parameter, a payload type associated with a payload contained in the packet.

10. A physical layer repeater for repeating a signal associated with a packet, the signal received on one of two receivers, comprising:

a digital baseband section including a demodulator and a signal processing section, the signal processing section including a first signal processor associated with a first of the two frequency channels and a second signal processor associated with a second of the two frequency channels; and

a processor coupled to the digital baseband section, the processor controlling the operation of the digital baseband section, the processor configured to;

control the demodulator to demodulate a received signal associated with a packet on a symbol-by-symbol basis to form a demodulated symbol in a first symbol interval; and

regenerate the demodulated symbol associated with the packet in a one of the first signal processor and the second signal processor associated with the one of the two receivers on which the signal is received after at least a second symbol interval and prior to completion of the demodulating the received signal associated with the packet to form a regenerated symbol.

11. The physical layer repeater according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to retransmit the regenerated symbol prior to completion of the demodulating the received signal associated with the packet.

12. The physical layer repeater according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine network information associated with the packet after a predetermined number of symbols are demodulated; and

perform a packet operation based on the network information.

13. The physical layer repeater according to claim 12, wherein the network information includes media access control (MAC) information, and a quality of service (QoS) parameter, and wherein the packet operation includes an acknowledgement (ACK), a withholding of the ACK, a packet redirection, and a packet direction based on the QoS parameter.

14. The physical layer repeater according to claim 10, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor and the digital baseband section, wherein the digital baseband section includes a media access control (MAC) block, and wherein processor is further configured to:

store a plurality of the processed symbols associated with the packet in the memory; and

regenerate and retransmit the plurality of processed symbol after a predetermined delay interval,

wherein the predetermined delay period is generated in the MAC block and includes an acknowledgement timeout period.

15. A hybrid network device for operating in a wireless network, the hybrid network device comprising:

a network node portion including a network interface for coupling to the wireless network and receiving packets directed to the hybrid network device, first ones of the packets for providing first information for the hybrid network device and second ones of the packets for providing second information for controlling a physical layer repeating operation; and

a physical layer repeater portion coupled to the network node portion, the physical layer repeating portion for conducting the physical layer repeating operation in the wireless network, the physical layer repeating operation including receiving a signal associated with a repeated packet and transmitting the signal associated with the repeated packet, the physical layer repeater comprising;

a digital baseband section including a demodulator; and

a processor coupled to the digital baseband section, the processor configured to process the signal to obtain one or more of a source address and a destination address contained in the repeated packet.

16. The hybrid network device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to regenerate and retransmit the repeated packet based on the second information.

17. The hybrid network device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to retransmit the packet simultaneously with the processing the signal without regenerating the packet.

18. The hybrid network device according to claim 15, wherein the first information includes multimedia content.

19. The hybrid network device according to claim 15, wherein the second information includes an address of another device in the wireless network.

20. The hybrid network device according to claim 15, wherein the hybrid network device includes an audio component, a video component, and an appliance.

21. A physical layer repeater comprising:

a digital baseband section including means for processing a packet for repeating during a physical layer repeating operation, the means for processing the packet including means for demodulating at least a portion of the packet to generate a demodulated portion of the packet; and

processing means coupled to the digital baseband section, the processing means for;

conducting one of a plurality of higher layer functions during the physical layer repeating operation including;

processing first information from the demodulated portion of the packet without modification of a source address and a destination address associated with the packet; and

determining whether to retransmit the packet and whether to transmit protocol information during the physical layer repeating operation according to one of a layer 2 protocol, and one of a plurality of higher than layer 2 protocols, based on the first information and a configuration of the repeater.

22. The physical layer repeater according to claim 21, wherein the conducting one of the plurality of the higher layer functions includes generating an acknowledgment (ACK) of the packet.

23. The physical layer repeater according to claim 22, wherein the generating the ACK includes generating the ACK according to a media access control (MAC) protocol.

24. The physical layer repeater according to claim 21, wherein the processing means is further for regenerating a portion of the packet for the physical layer repeating operation while performing the determining.

25. The physical layer repeater according to claim 21, wherein:

the means for demodulating at least a portion of the packet comprises means for demodulating a source address and a destination address associated with the packet;

the digital baseband section further includes a digital delay line; and

the digital delay line is set with a predetermined delay value to compensate for the demodulation of the source address and the destination address.

26. The physical layer repeater according to claim 21, wherein the means for demodulating at least a portion of the packet comprises means for demodulating media access control (MAC) information including one or more of:

a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a layer 3 address, a quality of service (QoS) level parameter, a payload type associated with a payload contained in the packet.

27. A physical layer repeating means for repeating a signal associated with a packet, the signal received on one of two receivers, comprising:

a digital baseband section including a demodulator and a signal processing section, the signal processing section including a first signal processor associated with a first of the two frequency channels and a second signal processor associated with a second of the two frequency channels; and

processing means coupled to the digital baseband section, the processing means for controlling the operation of the digital baseband section, the processor means for;

controlling the demodulator to demodulate a received signal associated with a packet on a symbol-by-symbol basis to form a demodulated symbol in a first symbol interval; and

regenerating the demodulated symbol associated with the packet in a one of the first signal processor and the second signal processor associated with the one of the two receivers on which the signal is received after at least a second symbol interval and prior to completion of the demodulating the received signal associated with the packet to form a regenerated symbol.

28. The physical layer repeater according to claim 27, wherein the processing means is further for retransmitting the regenerated symbol prior to completion of the demodulating the received signal associated with the packet.

29. The physical layer repeating means according to claim 27, wherein the processing means is further for:

determining network information associated with the packet after a predetermined number of symbols are demodulated; and

performing a packet operation based on the network information.

30. The physical layer repeating means according to claim 27, further comprising a memory coupled to the processing means and the digital baseband section, wherein the digital baseband section includes a media access control (MAC) block, and wherein processing means is further for:

storing a plurality of the processed symbols associated with the packet in the memory; and

regenerating and retransmitting the plurality of processed symbol after a predetermined delay interval,

wherein the predetermined delay period is generated in the MAC block and includes an acknowledgement timeout period.