Universal platform module for a plurality of communication protocols

• US 8,295,406 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Bultman, Michael J., Cook, Robert W., Looke, Richard C., Moses, Charley D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US09/569,045
• Time in Patent Office: 4,549 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 375/320, 375/322, 375/295, 375/300, 375/302, 375/340, 375/298, 455/20, 455/112, 455/131, 455/190.1, 455/313, 455/315, 455/323, 455/324, 455/118
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation from one carrier to another, e.g. frequency-changing H03D9/00, H03D11/00 take precedence; dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, parametric amplifiers used as a frequency-changers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/34 Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems
• 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 system comprising a multi-protocol, multi-bearer sub-system is described herein. The sub-system is a universal platform module that can transmit and receive one or more information signals in one or more protocols using one or more bearer services. In one embodiment, the sub-system may form a portion of a transceiver that is composed of a transmitter and a receiver, and which is a gateway server between a personal area network (PAN) and the global wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for communicating according to a plurality of protocols, comprising the steps of:

(1) frequency down-converting a first signal to a lower frequency second signal;

(2) controlling a control signal used to achieve said frequency down-converting, wherein an amplitude of the lower frequency second signal is determined by a frequency and phase relationship between the first signal and the control signal;

(3) controlling step (1) so that said frequency down-conversion operates according to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol; and

(4) controlling step (1) so that said frequency down-conversion switches operation between said first protocol and said second protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(5) up-converting a third signal to a higher frequency fourth signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(6) controlling step (5) so that said frequency up-conversion operates according to said first protocol; and

(7) controlling step (5) so that said frequency up-conversion switches operation to said second protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(5) controlling step (1) so that said frequency down-conversion alternates operation according to at least said first and second protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said protocols comprise one or more of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Jini, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), a short range wireless protocol, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), TCP/IP, UDP, HAVi, Salutation, Infrared (IR, IRDA), Service Location Protocol (SLP), Universal Plug-n-Play (UPnP), and Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said protocols comprise one or more of CDMA, US-TDMA, W-CDMA, EDGE, IS-95C, SMS, GSM, DataTAC, iDEN (ESMR), CDPD, dDECT, Project Angel, LMDS, MMDS, ARDIS, Mobitex, and AMPS.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(5) controlling step (1) to enable communication via at least one of wireless local loop (WLL) links, wireless local area network (WLAN) links, cellular links, personal area network links, short range links, wireline links, and analog network links.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said wireline links comprise at least one of local area network links and wide area network links.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said short range links include a short range wireless protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) operates over a wireless link.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises comparing a current measurement of the amplitude of the lower frequency second signal to a previous measurement of the amplitude of the lower frequency second signal to generate a comparison value.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein step (2) comprises controlling the frequency of the control signal based on the comparison value.

11. An apparatus that communicates according to a plurality of protocols, comprising:

frequency down-converting means for frequency down-converting a first signal to a lower frequency second signal, wherein said first signal is at a radio frequency and said lower frequency second signal is at a baseband frequency other than an intermediate frequency;

means for controlling a control signal used to achieve said frequency down-converting, wherein an amplitude of the lower frequency second signal is determined by a frequency and phase relationship between the first signal and the control signal;

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means so that said frequency down-conversion operates according to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol; and

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means so that said frequency down-conversion switches operation between said first protocol and said second protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

frequency up-converting means for up-converting a third signal to a higher frequency fourth signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for controlling said frequency up-converting means so that said frequency up-conversion operates according to said first protocol; and

means for controlling said frequency up-converting means so that said frequency up-conversion switches operation to said second protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means so that said frequency down-conversion alternates operation according to at least said first and second protocols.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said protocols comprise one or more of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Jini, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), a short range wireless protocol, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), TCP/IP, UDP, HAVi, Salutation, Infrared (IR, IRDA), Service Location Protocol (SLP), Universal Plug-n-Play (UPnP), and Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP).

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said protocols comprise one or more of CDMA, US-TDMA, W-CDMA, EDGE, IS-95C, SMS, GSM, DataTAC, iDEN (ESMR), CDPD, dDECT, Project Angel, LMDS, MMDS, ARDIS, Mobitex, and AMPS.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means to enable communication via at least one of wireless local loop (WLL) links, wireless local area network (WLAN) links, cellular links, personal area network links, short range links, wireline links, and analog network links.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said wireline links comprise at least one of local area network links and wide area network links.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said short range links include a short range wireless protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said frequency down-converting means operates over a wireless link.

21. An apparatus that communicates according to a plurality of protocols, comprising:

frequency down-converting means for frequency down-converting a first signal to a lower frequency second signal, wherein said frequency down-converting means is other than at least one of a frequency synthesizer and a phase shifter;

means for controlling a control signal used to achieve said frequency down-converting, wherein an amplitude of the lower frequency second signal is determined by a frequency and phase relationship between the first signal and the control signal;

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means so that said frequency down-conversion operates according to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol; and

means for controlling said frequency down-converting means so that said frequency down-conversion switches operation between said first protocol and said second protocol.

22. An apparatus that communicates according to a plurality of protocols, comprising:

a frequency down-converting module configured to down-convert a first signal to a lower frequency second signal;

a first control module configured to control a control signal used to achieve said frequency down-converting, wherein an amplitude of the lower frequency second signal is determined by a frequency and phase relationship between the first signal and the control signal;

a second control module configured to control said frequency down-converting module so that said frequency down-conversion operates according to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol; and

a third control module configured to control said frequency down-converting module so that said frequency down-conversion switches operation between said first protocol and said second protocol.