Method for wireless data transfer

• US 8,284,797 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mosig, Ruediger
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebassi, Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US10/590,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20080232299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,785 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 370/389, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method for wireless data transfer between first and second multimedia devices connected via a wireless connection operated according to a first wireless standard or to a second wireless standard, which are different from and/or not compatible with each other. The method includes: choosing the first wireless standard or the second wireless standard as a chosen wireless standard; processing connection commands, connection parameters, and/or connection data to obtain processed connection commands, processed connection parameters, and/or process connection data of the chosen wireless standard; and sending the process connection commands, process connection parameters, and/or process connection data out via the wireless connection according to the chosen wireless standard. The method thus enables a seamless switching from one wireless standard to another wireless standard, wherein upper layers do not notice the switching.

Claims

1. A method for wireless data transfer, performed by a first multimedia device, for exchanging data with a second multimedia device, in which the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device are connected via a point-to-point wireless connection that is operable according to a first wireless data transfer standard and to a second wireless data transfer standard, and in which the first wireless data transfer standard and the second wireless data transfer standard are different from and not compatible with each other, said method comprising:

application data receiving in which application commands, application parameters, and application data of the first wireless data transfer standard are received by the first multimedia device from an application of the first multimedia device;

thereafter, transmitting data, in a data transmission, from the first multimedia device according to the first wireless data transfer standard by performing connection layer processing in which the application commands, application parameters, and application data are processed by the first multimedia device to obtain respective connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data according to the first wireless data transfer standard;

thereafter, while transmitting data in the data transmission from the first multimedia device to the second multimedia device according to the first wireless data transfer standard, determining to switch from the first wireless data transfer standard to the second wireless data transfer standard; and

thereafter, switching from the first wireless data transfer standard to the second wireless data transfer standard, by the first multimedia device, so as to switch from transmitting data, in the data transmission, according to the first wireless data transfer standard to transmitting data, in the data transmission, according to the second wireless data transfer standard without interruption of the data transmission, the switching including performing adaptation layer processing in which a standard conversion is performed, the standard conversion processing including converting the connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data from the connection layer processing, which are in accordance with the first wireless data transfer standard, into respective processed connection commands, processed connection parameters, and processed connection data, which are in accordance with the second wireless data transfer standard.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the standard switching comprises:

opening a new temporary wireless connection between the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device, the new temporary wireless connection operating according to the second wireless data transfer standard; and

terminating the currently applied first wireless data transfer standard based on a determination of a need for the second wireless data transfer standard.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method for wireless data transfer realizes a point-to-point connection between the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation layer processing is performed within an adaptation layer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the determining to switch from the first wireless data transfer standard to the second wireless data transfer standard is based on properties of the wireless connection according to the first wireless data transfer standard, including a distance between the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the properties of the wireless connection comprise signal strength, quality of service, and energy efficiency.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the management unit informs the application that the standard switching to the second wireless data transfer standard is determined, and the application, in response to the informing, adjusts a bit rate of the application data depending on the second wireless data transfer standard.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device is determined based on positioning system data.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein the determining is performed by a management unit.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the determining to switch from the first wireless data transfer standard to the second wireless data transfer standard is based on a battery condition of at least one of the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first multimedia device is a video camcorder and the second multimedia device is a data processing means.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the data processing means is a personal computer, a notebook, a video recorder, a television set, a personal digital assistant, a portable phone, a stereo headphone, or a mobile video viewer.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the first wireless data transfer standard and the second wireless data transfer standard are any of the following standards:

IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth (BT), ZigBee, and IEEE 802.15.3; and

the connection commands, connection parameters, or connection data correspond to any of the following standards;

UDP/TCP, Bluetooth (BT).

14. A wireless data transfer system configured to perform a method for wireless data transfer according to claim 1.

15. A computer program product comprising computer program means adapted to perform a method for wireless data transfer according to claim 1, when the method is executed on a computer or a digital signal processing means.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program product according to claim 15.

17. A method for wireless data transfer, performed by a first multimedia device, for exchanging data with a second multimedia device, in which the first multimedia device and the second multimedia device are connected via a point-to-point wireless connection that is operable according to a first wireless data transfer standard and to a second wireless data transfer standard, and in which the first wireless data transfer standard and the second wireless data transfer standard are different from and /not compatible with each other, said method comprising:

receiving a data transmission, by the second multimedia device, including data transmitted according to the first wireless data transfer standard from the first multimedia device;

thereafter, adaptation layer processing in which, after the data transmission has switched from being received by the second multimedia device according to the first wireless data transfer standard to being received according to the second wireless data transfer standard without interruption of the data transmission, a standard conversion is performed by the second multimedia device, the standard conversion including processing data transmitted in the data transmission according to the second wireless data transfer standard to obtain connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data according to the first wireless data transfer standard;

connection layer processing in which the connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data resulting from the adaptation layer processing are converted into respective application commands, application parameters, and application data according to the first wireless data transfer standard; and

an application data processing executed by the second multimedia device, wherein the converted application commands, application parameters, and application data resulting from the connection layer processing are provided to an application of the first multimedia device.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

opening a new temporary wireless connection between said first multimedia device and said second multimedia device, the new temporary wireless connection operating according to said second wireless data transfer standard; and

terminating the currently applied first wireless data transfer standard based on a determination of a need for the second wireless data transfer standard.

19. A multimedia device connectable with a further multimedia device via a point-to-point wireless connection that is operable according to a first wireless data transfer standard and to a second wireless data transfer standard, in which the first wireless data transfer standard and the second wireless data transfer standard are different from and/not compatible with each other, the multimedia device comprising:

a connection layer configured to receive application commands, application parameters, and application data of the first wireless data transfer standard from an application layer, and further configured to process the application commands, application parameters, and application data to generate respective connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data according to the first wireless data transfer standard, the application layer providing access to a data storage unit of the multimedia device which stores data;

a transmission unit configured to transmit a data transmission including the connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data generated by the connection layer according to the first wireless data transfer standard;

a managing unit configured to determine whether to switch from the transmitting the data transmission according to the first wireless data transfer standard to transmitting the data transmission according to the second wireless data transfer standard, the managing unit further configured to seamlessly switch from transmitting the data transmission according to the first wireless data transfer standard to transmitting the data transmission according to the second wireless data transfer standard, when transmitting the data stored in the data storage unit, after the connection layer has generated the connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data according to the first wireless data transfer standard; and

an adaptation layer configured to, after the managing unit switches from transmitting the data transmission according to the first wireless data transfer standard to transmitting the data transmission according to the second wireless data transfer standard when transmitting the data stored in the data storage unit, perform a standard conversion, the standard conversion including converting the connection commands, connection parameters, and connection data generated by the connection layer into respective processed connection commands, processed connection parameters, and processed connection data according to the second wireless data transfer standard, wherein

the transmission unit is configured to transmit the data transmission, including the processed connection commands, processed connection parameters, and processed connection data resulting from the adaptation layer via the wireless connection according to the second wireless data transfer standard Go as to transmit the data stored in the data storage unit.

20. The multimedia device according to claim 19, wherein the multimedia device is a video camcorder, personal computer, notebook, video recorder, television set, personal digital assistant, or a portable phone.

21. The multimedia device according to claim 19, wherein the adaptation layer is configured to:

when the managing unit switches from the first wireless data transfer standard to the second wireless data transfer standard, open a new temporary wireless connection between said first multimedia device and said second multimedia device, the new temporary wireless connection operating according to said second wireless data transfer standard; and

terminate the currently applied first wireless data transfer standard based on a determination of a need for the second wireless data transfer standard.