System and method for managing communication links

• US 8,179,892 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Chambers, Christopher Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crompton, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US12/632,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 370/280, 370/390, 370/449
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method for managing a communication link between a consumer electronic device adapted for two-way, wireless communications with at least one peripheral. The communication link is managed using a controller that is associated with the consumer electronic device that functions to assign communication slots to the peripheral to facilitate communications between the peripheral and the consumer electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for receiving data at a consumer electronic device from a plurality of peripheral devices, comprising:

(a) broadcasting from the consumer electronic device a message which includes a first data field having data that indicates a time slot, a second data field having data that indicates a numerical identifier of a single peripheral device, and a third data field having data that indicates a polled inbound status;

and, in response to the message having the polled inbound status;

(b) causing the peripheral device assigned the numerical identifier to transmit data to the consumer electronic device during the time slot;

(c) causing the peripheral device assigned the next highest numerical identifier to automatically transmit data to the consumer electronic device by implication during the next sequentially higher time slot; and

(d) repeating step (c) until each of the plurality of peripheral devices has transmitted data to the consumer electronic device or no further time slots are available in which data may be transmitted.

2. A method for receiving data at a consumer electronic device from a plurality of peripheral devices, comprising:

(a) broadcasting from the consumer electronic device a message which includes a first data field having data that indicates a time slot, a second data field having data that indicates a numerical identifier of a single peripheral device, and a third data field having data that indicates a polled inbound status;

and, in response to the message having the polled inbound status;

(b) causing the peripheral device assigned the numerical identifier to transmit data to the consumer electronic device during the time slot;

(c) causing the peripheral device assigned the next sequentially highest numerical identifier to automatically transmit data to the consumer electronic device by implication during the next sequentially higher time slot; and

(d) repeating step (c) until each of the plurality of peripheral devices has transmitted data to the consumer electronic device or no further time slots are available in which data may be transmitted.