Multi-function wireless terminal

• US 8,160,001 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Altair Semiconductor Ltd. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bitran, Yigal
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US11/647,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20070275746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/331, 370/350, 370/321, 370/337, 370/444, 370346-347, 370/328, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication method includes establishing a first communication session over a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station (BS) of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames. Based on the time frames defined by the BS, time slots are allocated for establishing a second communication session over a second connection between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device, which operates in accordance with a second, short-range time-slotted communication protocol different from the first protocol.

Time intervals are allocated within the time frames for communication between the BS and the wireless terminal over the first connection, such that the allocated time intervals are interleaved with and do not overlap the allocated time slots. The first and second communication sessions are concurrently conducted in the allocated time intervals and the assigned time slots, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

receiving a sequence of time frames at a wireless terminal from a Base Station (BS) of a long-range wireless network using a first communication protocol;

establishing a communication session between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device using a second, short-range communication protocol different from the first communication protocol;

allocating at the wireless terminal time slots of the second communication protocol for communication with the peripheral wireless device, and time intervals of the first communication protocol for communication with the BS, by deriving a timing of the time slots from the time frames of the first communication protocol transmitted by the BS while giving the time slots of the second communication protocol precedence over the time intervals of the first communication protocol; and

concurrently communicating between the wireless terminal and the BS and the peripheral device in the allocated time intervals and the allocated time slots, respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the long-range wireless data network comprises a WiMAX network that operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard, and wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with a Bluetooth Core Specification.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with at least one of a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) mode and an Asynchronous Connectionless Link (ACL) mode of the Bluetooth core specification.

4. The method according to claim 1, and comprising establishing an additional communication session with an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a third protocol different from the first and second protocols, during time periods that do not overlap the time slots of the first protocol and the time intervals of the second protocol, and communicating with the AP over the allocated time periods concurrently with communication with the BS and the peripheral device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the third protocol comprises a protocol in which the time periods are initiated by the wireless terminal, and wherein establishing the additional communication session comprises selecting the time periods by the wireless terminal so as not to overlap the time slots and the time intervals.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the WLAN operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. The method according to claim 4, and comprising allocating additional optional time slots to one of the first, second and third protocols when not previously allocated to another of the first, second and third protocols.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the third protocol operates in accordance with an Unscheduled Power Save Delivery (UPSD) mode of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein communicating between the wireless terminal and the BS comprises handing over the wireless terminal from the WLAN to the long-range wireless data network while the additional communication session is in progress.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein establishing the additional communication session comprises handing over the wireless terminal from the long-range wireless data network to the WLAN while the additional communication session is in progress.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second communication session comprises a voice connection between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device, and wherein allocating the time slots comprises allocating the time slots at regular intervals.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein allocating the time intervals comprises notifying the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS outside the allocated time intervals.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the communication session comprises initially establishing the communication session such that the timing of the time slots is determined by the peripheral device, and subsequently causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal, so as to enable the time slots to be synchronous with the time frames transmitted by the BS.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal comprises invoking a Master-Slave Switching (MSS) procedure defined in the second protocol.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein causing the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal comprises aborting establishment of the communication session by the wireless terminal after receiving an address of the peripheral device, and initiating a paging procedure by the wireless terminal using the received address, so as to re-establish the communication session with the timing of the time slots determined by the wireless terminal.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the communication session comprises carrying out an inquiry procedure by the wireless terminal in order to identify the peripheral device, and coordinating the allocated time slots and time intervals during the inquiry procedure.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the communication session comprises transmitting synchronization transmissions from the wireless terminal to the peripheral device in a low-power mode of the second protocol, and giving a priority to the synchronization transmissions over the time intervals of the first protocol.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication session comprises transmitting paging transmissions between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device for establishing the second communication session, while coordinating the exchange of the paging transmissions with the time intervals of the first protocol.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the communication session comprises defining a subset of the time frames of the first protocol as reduced-availability frames, notifying the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS during the reduced-availability frames, and giving a priority to establishing the communication session during the reduced-availability frames.

20. A wireless communication terminal, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit;

a baseband processing circuit, which is coupled to cause the RF unit to transmit and receive signals over the air so as to receive a sequence of time frames from a Base Station (BS) of a long-range wireless network using a first communication protocol, and to establish a communication session between the wireless terminal and a peripheral wireless device using a second, short-range communication protocol different from the first communication protocol; and

a coexistence processor, which is arranged to allocate time slots of the second communication protocol for communication with the peripheral wireless device, and time intervals of the first communication protocol for communication with the BS, by deriving a timing of the time slots from the time frames of the first communication protocol transmitted by the BS while giving the time slots of the second communication protocol precedence over the time intervals of the first communication protocol, so as to concurrently communicate between the wireless communication terminal and the BS and the peripheral device in the allocated time intervals and the allocated time slots, respectively.

21. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the long-range wireless data network comprises a WiMAX network that operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.16 standard, and wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with a Bluetooth Core Specification.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the second protocol operates in accordance with at least one of a Synchronous Connection-Oriented (SCO) mode and an Asynchronous Connectionless Link (ACL) mode of the Bluetooth core specification.

23. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is further arranged to establish a third an additional communication session with an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a third protocol different from the first and second protocols, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate time periods for the additional communication session that do not overlap the time slots of the first protocol and the time intervals of the second protocol, so as to communicate with the AP over the allocated time periods concurrently with communication with the BS and the peripheral device.

24. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the third protocol comprises a protocol in which the time periods are initiated by the wireless terminal, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to select the time periods so as not to overlap the time slots and the time intervals.

25. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the WLAN operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

26. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate additional optional time slots to one of the first, second and third protocols when not previously allocated to another of the first, second and third protocols.

27. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the third protocol operates in accordance with an Unscheduled Power Save Delivery (UPSD) mode of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

28. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the baseband processing circuit and the coexistence processor are arranged to hand over the wireless terminal from the WLAN to the long-range wireless data network while the additional communication session is in progress.

29. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the baseband processing circuit and the coexistence processor are arranged to hand over the wireless terminal from the long-range wireless data network to the WLAN while the additional communication session is in progress.

30. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the baseband processing circuit comprises first, second and third transceivers, which are respectively arranged to communicate with the BS, the peripheral device and the AP, and wherein the coexistence processor is connected to the transceivers using respective coexistence interfaces and is arranged to allocate the time intervals, time slots and time periods by signaling to the transceivers over the coexistence interfaces.

31. The terminal according to claim 30, wherein the baseband processing circuit comprises a first sub-circuit comprising the second and third transceivers, and a second sub-circuit comprising the first transceiver and the coexistence processor, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to control the second and third transceivers using the coexistence interfaces, which are connected between the first and second sub-circuits.

32. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the communication session comprises a voice connection between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to allocate the time slots at regular intervals.

33. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to notify the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS outside the allocated time intervals.

34. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to initially establish the communication session such that the timing of the time slots is determined by the peripheral device, and to subsequently cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal, so as to enable the time slots to be synchronous with the time frames transmitted by the BS.

35. The terminal according to claim 34, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal by invoking a Master-Slave Switching (MSS) procedure defined in the second protocol.

36. The terminal according to claim 34, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to cause the timing of the time slots to be determined by the wireless terminal by aborting establishment of the communication session by the wireless terminal after receiving an address of the peripheral device, and initiating a paging procedure by the wireless terminal using the received address, so as to re-establish the communication session with the timing of the time slots determined by the wireless terminal.

37. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to carry out an inquiry procedure in order to identify the peripheral device, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to coordinate the allocated time slots and time intervals during the inquiry procedure.

38. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to transmit synchronization transmissions to the peripheral device in a low-power mode of the second protocol, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to give a priority to the synchronization transmissions over the time intervals of the first connection.

39. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the baseband processing circuit is arranged to exchange paging transmissions between the wireless terminal and the peripheral device for establishing the communication session, and wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to coordinate the exchange of the paging transmissions with the time intervals of the first protocol.

40. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the coexistence processor is arranged to define a subset of the time frames of the first protocol as reduced-availability frames, to notify the BS that the wireless terminal is not available to communicate with the BS during the reduced-availability frames, and to give a priority to establishing the second communication session during the reduced-availability frames.