Communication gateway supporting WLAN communications in multiple communication protocols and in multiple frequency bands

• US 8,228,849 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trachewsky, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/619,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,297 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/322, 370/338, 370/332, 370/341, 455/450, 455/451, 4554521-4522, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus of the present invention support operation of a device, such as a WLAN device in a plurality of frequency bands. The WLAN selects a frequency band of operation by determining a quality indicator. The quality indicator for the selected frequency range considers a channel power and interference power for the selected frequency range. The WLAN further selects a communication protocol. The inventive WLAN devices includes a first baseband processor interface, a first radio for receiving the digital data and for transmitting RF signals, a second baseband processor interface and a second radio for receiving the digital data and for transmitting RF signals in a first frequency band and for receiving RF signals in the first frequency band and for producing corresponding digital data to the second baseband processor interface.

Claims

1. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) device, comprising:

a first baseband processor interface for receiving, processing and generating digital data;

a first radio configured to receive the first digital data and to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands according to a first communication protocol and to receive RF signals in the first frequency band and to produce corresponding digital data to the first baseband processor interface;

a second baseband processor interface for receiving, processing and generating second digital data;

a second radio configured to receive the second digital data and for transmitting RF signals in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands according to a second communication protocol and to receive RF signals in the second frequency band and to produce corresponding digital data to the second baseband processor interface;

at least one baseband processor that transmits outgoing data and receives ingoing data through the first and second baseband processor interfaces; and

band selection logic configured to scan a plurality of channels in the first and second frequency bands and to select therefrom a channel for a subsequent communication, the band selection logic further configured to;

when all of the plurality of frequency bands are unoccupied, select the frequency band from a pre-computed frequency band rank table; and

when at least one frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands is occupied, scan the occupied frequency band, and select a frequency band of the plurality of bands that supports a maximum physical-layer rate.

2. The WLAN device of claim 1, wherein the band selection logic is further configured to determine a quality indicator based upon channel power and interference power of the selected channel.

3. The WLAN device of claim 2, wherein the interference power includes an in-channel interference component and an adjacent channel interference component.

4. The WLAN device of claim 1, wherein the band selection logic further configured to select a communication protocol for operation from a plurality of available communication protocols.

5. The WLAN device of claim 1, wherein the band selection logic is further configured to select both the first and second frequency bands and to communicate over at least one channel in each of the first and the second frequency bands.

6. The WLAN device of claim 1 further comprising first and second radio interfaces and first and second baseband processors wherein the first baseband processor communicates with the first baseband processor interface by way of the first radio interface and the second baseband processor communicates with the second baseband processor interface by way of the second radio interface.

7. The WLAN device of claim 1 further comprising first and second radio interfaces wherein a first baseband processor communicates with the first baseband processor interface by way of the first radio interface and with the second baseband processor interface by way of the second radio interface.

8. The WLAN device of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band and the second frequency band is a 5 GHz frequency band.

9. A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) device, comprising:

a single baseband processor configured to receive, process, and generate digital data;

a first radio configured to receive the digital data and for transmitting RF signals in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands and to receive RF signals in the first frequency band and to produce corresponding digital data to the single baseband processor;

a second radio configured to receive the digital data and to transmit RF signals in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands and to receive RF signals in the second frequency band and to produce corresponding digital data to the single baseband processor;

first baseband processor interface operably coupled to the first radio configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol;

second baseband processor interface operably coupled to the second radio configured to communicate according to a second communication protocol;

first and second radio interfaces operably coupled to the single baseband processor wherein the first and second radio interfaces are operably coupled to communicate with the first and second baseband processor interfaces;

wherein the single baseband processor is further configured to generate the digital data for transmission from one of the first radio, the second radio or both, wherein the single baseband processor produces the digital data for transmission through one of the first radio interface, the second radio interface or both; and

wherein the WLAN device is configured to scan a plurality of channels in the first and second frequency bands according to the first and second communication protocols and to select therefrom a channel for a subsequent communication, the WLAN device further configured to;

when all of the plurality of frequency bands are unoccupied, select the frequency band from a pre-computed frequency band rank table; and

when at least one frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands is occupied, scan the occupied frequency band, and select a frequency band of the plurality of bands that supports a maximum physical-layer rate.

10. The WLAN device of claim 9 wherein the WLAN device is further configured to select the channel based upon a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator for the selected channel includes channel power and interference power.

11. The WLAN device of claim 10, wherein the interference power includes in-channel interference and adjacent channel interference components.

12. The WLAN device of claim 9, further configured to select a communication protocol for operation from a plurality of available communication protocols.

13. The WLAN device of claim 9 further configured to select both the first and second frequency bands and to communicate over at least one channel in each of the first and the second frequency bands.

14. The WLAN device of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band and the second frequency band is a 5 GHz frequency band.

15. A method for a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) device, comprising:

in a first radio, receiving digital data and transmitting Radio Frequency (RF) signals in a first frequency band according to a first communication protocol and receiving RF signals in the first frequency band and producing corresponding digital data to a baseband processor;

in a second radio, receiving, in a second radio, the digital data and transmitting the RF signals in a second frequency band according to a second communication protocol and receiving the RF signals in the second frequency band and producing corresponding digital data to the baseband processor;

scanning a plurality of channels to determine which of a plurality of frequency bands and associated communication protocols should be used for a communication, the plurality of frequency bands including the first frequency band and the second frequency band, wherein;

when all of the plurality of frequency bands are unoccupied, determining the frequency band from a pre-computed frequency band rank table; and

when at least one frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands is occupied, scanning the occupied frequency band, and determining a frequency band of the plurality of bands that supports a maximum physical-layer rate; and

generating, from the baseband processor, the digital data for transmission from one of the first radio, the second radio or both, wherein the baseband processor produces the digital data for transmission through one of a first radio interface, a second radio interface or both via the communication based upon the determined frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the scanning the plurality of channels to determine which of the plurality of frequency bands and the associated communication protocols should be used for the communication further comprising determining a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator includes channel power and interference power for the selected channel.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising selecting a communication protocol for operation from a plurality of available communication protocols.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the scanning the plurality of channels to determine which of the plurality of frequency bands and the associated communication protocols should be used for the communication further comprising selecting at least two frequency bands of the plurality of frequency bands to configure the communication over at least one channel in each of the two frequency bands.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band and the second frequency band is a 5 GHz frequency band.