System and method for enabling wireless data transfer

• US 8,570,935 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Montemurro, Michael, Durand, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US11/676,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,443 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a first transceiver structured to interact with a first wireless network and a second transceiver structured to interact with a second wireless network including repeatedly powering up the second transceiver to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering up the first transceiver to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device, the method comprising:

powering down a first transceiver of the electronic device, the first transceiver being structured to receive a first beacon signal from a first wireless network, the first beacon signal being repeatedly transmitted to the electronic device at a first interval;

while the first transceiver is powered down, repeatedly powering up and powering down a second transceiver of the electronic device, the second transceiver being structured to receive a second beacon signal from a second wireless network, the second beacon signal being repeatedly transmitted at a second interval that is longer than the first interval, the second transceiver being repeatedly powered up and powered down at a time interval based on the second interval and longer than the first interval, to await receipt of the second beacon signal;

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receiving, at the second transceiver, an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network; and

in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering up the first transceiver to receive the data through the first wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receiving, at the second transceiver, another instance of the second beacon signal without an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network; and

in response to the receiving of the another instance of the second beacon signal without the indication of availability of data, refraining from powering up the first transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequently to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering down the second transceiver for a period of time appropriate to enable the second transceiver to be powered up and to receive another instance of the second beacon signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the second transceiver, information about the data with the instance of the second beacon signal; and

enabling the first transceiver to receive the data by transferring the information to the first transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the first transceiver is powered up, receiving, at the first transceiver, the data through the first wireless network; and

checking for an indication of availability of additional data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the checking comprises:

refraining from powering down the second transceiver; and

awaiting receipt of another instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the checking comprises:

refraining from powering down the first transceiver; and

awaiting receipt of an instance of the first beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising powering down the first transceiver following the receipt of the data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receiving, at the second transceiver, a first portion of the data through the second wireless network; and

when the first transceiver is powered up, receiving, at the first transceiver, a second portion of the data through the first wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising ceasing to receive the first portion of the data subsequent to the first transceiver being powered up.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the data is received at the second transceiver while the first transceiver is being powered up.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second transceiver receives at least a portion of the first portion of the data simultaneously with the first transceiver receiving at least a portion of the second portion of the data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless local area network, the second wireless network is a cellular network, the first interval has a duration of less than a second, and the second interval has a duration of multiple seconds.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a first transceiver structured to receive a first beacon signal from a first wireless network, the first beacon signal being repeatedly transmitted to the electronic device at a first interval;

a second transceiver structured to receive a second beacon signal from a second wireless network, the second beacon signal being repeatedly transmitted to the electronic device at a second interval that is longer than the first interval; and

a storage storing a communications routine that when executed by a processor causes the device to;

power down the first transceiver;

while the first transceiver is powered down, repeatedly power up and power down the second transceiver at a time interval based on the second interval and longer than the first interval to await receipt of the second beacon signal;

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receive, at the second transceiver, an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network; and

in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, cause the first transceiver to be powered up to receive the data through the first wireless network.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to:

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receive, at the second transceiver, another instance of the second beacon signal without an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network; and

in response to the receiving of the another instance of the second beacon signal without the indication of availability of the data, refrain from causing the first transceiver to be powered up.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to, subsequently to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, power down the second transceiver for a period of time appropriate to enable the second transceiver to be powered up and to receive another instance of the second beacon signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to:

receive, at the second transceiver, information about the data with the instance of the second beacon signal; and

enable the first transceiver to receive the data by transferring the information to the first transceiver.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to:

when the first transceiver is powered up, receive, at the first transceiver, the data through the first wireless network; and

check for an indication of availability of additional data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to check for the indication of availability of the additional data by:

refraining from powering down the second transceiver; and

awaiting receipt of another instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to check for an indication of availability of the additional data by:

refraining from powering down the first transceiver; and

awaiting receipt of an instance of the first beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to power down the first transceiver following the receipt of the data.

22. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is incorporated into the second transceiver.

23. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the communications routine, when executed, further causes the device to:

when the second transceiver is powered up and the first transceiver is powered down, receive, at the second transceiver, a first portion of the data through the second wireless network; and

when the first transceiver is powered up, receive, at the first transceiver, a second portion of the data through the first wireless network.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the first portion of the data is received at the second transceiver while the first transceiver is being powered up.