Device, method and system of dual-mode wireless communication

• US 8,547,836 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amimon Limited (Vitec Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Amimon Limited (Vitec Group PLC)
• Inventors: Feder, Meir, Ophir, Lior
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIVERS, ASHLEY L
• Application Number:
  US12/923,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of dual-mode wireless communication. Some embodiments include a wireless dual-mode transceiver capable of operating at first and second wireless communication modes during first and second time periods, respectively, wherein at the first communication mode the transceiver is capable of performing wireless-local-area-network communications over a wireless-local-area-network link, and wherein at the second communication mode the transceiver is capable of performing wireless video communications over a wireless video communication link. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A dual-mode wireless transceiver comprising:

control circuitry for operating said transceiver in first and second wireless communication modes, wherein first communication mode is associated with said transceiver engaging in wireless communication with a wireless-local-area-network access point, and wherein second communication mode is associated with said transceiver engaging in wireless video communications over a wireless video communication link;

wherein upon said transceiver entering the second mode, said control circuitry further causes said transceiver to signal one or more wireless-local-area-network access points that said transceiver is unavailable to receive data while the transceiver is operating in the second mode, and

wherein during operation of said transceiver, said control circuitry further causes said transceiver to adjust the length of at least one engagement time period of the wireless communication modes based on a criterion related to at least one of the wireless-local-area-network communications and the wireless-video communications, and to further adjust a wireless-local-area- network communications engagement time period length to wireless-video communications engagement time period length ratio which is at least partially based on said criterion.

2. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein said control circuitry indicates to said wireless-local-area-network access point of a power-save mode during at least part of said transceiver'"'"'s engagement in said second communication mode.

3. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein said communication with a wireless-local-area-network access point comprises establishment of a communication link over a first frequency band, and wherein said wireless video communication link comprises establishment of a communication link over a second frequency band different than said first frequency band.

4. The transceiver of claim 1 further comprising a radio-frequency module capable of performing said wireless-local-area-network communications and said wireless video communications;

and

at least one base-band module capable of handling wireless-local-area-network signals of said wireless-local-area-network communications and wireless-video signals of said wireless-video communications.

5. The transceiver of claim 4, wherein said at least one base-band module comprises a wireless-local-area-network base-band module to handle said wireless-local-area-network signals;

and a wireless-video base-band module to handle said wireless-video signals.

6. The transceiver of claim 5, wherein said wireless-local-area-network base-band module operates in a power-save mode during at least part of said transceiver'"'"'s engagement in said second communication mode.

7. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein said control circuitry causes said transceiver to adjust at least one of the engagement time periods based on at least one of a throughput of said wireless-local-area-network communications and of a video format of said wireless video communications.

8. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode is at least partially during a vertical blanking period between transmission of two video frames in the second mode.

9. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein a combined duration of said first communication mode and of said second communication mode is divisible by a length of a beacon period of said wireless-local-area-network link.

10. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein a duration of the first communication mode is substantially equal to a duration of a downlink transmission of data representing a video frame over the wireless video communication link.

11. A system comprising:

a wireless data access point; and

at least one communication device including a dual-mode wireless transceiver comprising;

control circuitry for operating said transceiver in first and second wireless communication modes such that a first communication mode is associated with said transceiver engaging in wireless communication with a wireless-local-area-network access point, and such that the second communication mode is associated with said transceiver engaging in wireless video communications over a wireless video communication link, wherein upon said transceiver entering the second mode, said control circuitry causes said transceiver to signal one or more wireless-local-area-network access points that said transceiver is unavailable to receive data while the transceiver is operating in the second mode; and

wherein during operation of said transceiver, said control circuitry further causes said transceiver to adjust the length of at least one engagement time period of the wireless communication modes based on a criterion related to at least one of the wireless-local-area-network communications and the wireless-video communications, and to further adjust a wireless-local-area- network communications engagement time period length to wireless-video communications engagement time period length ratio which is at least partially based on said criterion.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said transceiver comprises a wireless video receiver to receive wireless video transmissions from a wireless device over said wireless video communication link.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said wireless-local-area-network link is a communication link over a first frequency band, and wherein said wireless video communication link is a communication link over a second frequency band different than said first frequency band.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein a combined duration of said first communication mode and of said second communication mode is divisible by a duration of a beacon period of the wireless-local-area-network link.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the duration of the first communication mode includes at least part of a vertical blanking period between two video frames transmitted during the second mode.

16. A method comprising:

engaging in wireless-local-area-network communications between a transceiver and an access point over a wireless-local-area-network link during a first time period;

engaging in wireless video communications between the transceiver and a wireless video receiver over a wireless video communication link during a second time period; and

signaling one or more wireless-local-area-network access points that the transceiver is unavailable to receive data while the transceiver is engaged in wireless video communication,

wherein during operation of said transceiver, said control circuitry further causes said transceiver to adjust the length of at least the first and second time periods based on a criterion related to at least one of the wireless-local-area-network communications and the wireless-video communications, and to further adjust a wireless-local-area- network communications first time period length to wireless-video communications second time period length ratio which is at least partially based on said criterion.