Systems and methods for enabling coexistence of multiple wireless components operating in the same frequency band
First Claim
1. A method for arbitrating access to a wireless communication medium in a device having a plurality of wireless modules, comprising:
- receiving medium access requests from the plurality of wireless modules;
determining a relative priority of the received medium access requests, wherein the relative priority of a first medium access request from a first wireless module in the plurality of wireless modules is lowered in response to determining that a duration of an assertion of the first medium access request exceeds a predetermined duration; and
granting access to the wireless communication medium to a module in the plurality of wireless modules with a highest priority medium access request in the relative priority of the medium access requests.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for enabling coexistence of multiple potentially interfering wireless components in a device are provided. A device may include a wireless module using a proprietary protocol and one or more modules using standardized protocols. The device further includes a coexistence arbitration module configured to arbitrate access to a shared communication medium among the wireless modules based on assertion of medium access requests by the modules and the associated priority of the asserted medium access requests. When multiple medium access requests have the same priority, precedence for access to the shared medium is determined based on additional criteria. The coexistence arbitration module may be a separate module or may be integrated into another module or distributed among the modules. The device may include a host processor for altering transmission characteristics of a module to increase the likelihood that another module can receive data within a reasonable time period.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for arbitrating access to a wireless communication medium in a device having a plurality of wireless modules, comprising:
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receiving medium access requests from the plurality of wireless modules; determining a relative priority of the received medium access requests, wherein the relative priority of a first medium access request from a first wireless module in the plurality of wireless modules is lowered in response to determining that a duration of an assertion of the first medium access request exceeds a predetermined duration; and granting access to the wireless communication medium to a module in the plurality of wireless modules with a highest priority medium access request in the relative priority of the medium access requests. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 19)
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8. A method for arbitrating access to a wireless communications medium in a device having a plurality of wireless modules, wherein a first wireless module uses a first wireless protocol and a second wireless module uses a second wireless protocol, comprising:
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(a) receiving a first medium access request from the first wireless module during a first time period, wherein the first medium access request has an associated priority, and wherein the priority is HIGH during the first time period; (b) enabling access to the wireless communication medium by the first wireless module during the first time period; and (c) in response to determining that the first time period has ended; lowering the priority of the first medium access request from the first wireless module, and enabling access to the wireless communication medium by a second wireless module, wherein steps (a) through (c) are repeated for a first duration of a second time period. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. A device for providing wireless communications, comprising:
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a first wireless module using a first wireless protocol, wherein the first wireless module is configured to receive data from an external device and to assert a first medium access request when access to a shared communication medium is required; a status determination module configured to receive the first medium access request from the first wireless module, to determine a value for a first priority signal associated with the first medium access request, to lower the value for the first priority signal in response to determining that a duration of an assertion of the first medium access request exceeds a predetermined duration, and to assert the first priority signal; a second wireless module using a second wireless protocol, wherein the second wireless module is configured to assert a second medium access request and a second priority signal when access to a shared communication medium is required; and a coexistence arbitration module configured to receive the first medium access request from the first wireless module, the second medium access request and priority second signal from the second wireless module, and the first priority signal from the status determination module and to determine precedence for access to the shared communication medium between the first wireless module and the second wireless module. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification