Methods and apparatus for supporting multiple communications modes of operation

• US 8,811,369 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Richardson, Thomas, Wu, Xinzhou, Jovicic, Aleksandar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Application Number:
  US12/246,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/343
• 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 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular 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

Methods and apparatus for supporting multiple modes of communication operation, e.g., with different parameters and/or frequency bands being used in the different modes of operation are described. One or more adjustments are made based on a signal or signals received in a first frequency band from a second communications device, e.g., an access router with reliable timing. The communications device selects between and operates in either the first frequency band, e.g., a WAN frequency band, or in a second frequency band, e.g., a LAN frequency band. The WAN and LAN frequency bands may be non-overlapping. One or more parameters used in the second frequency band have a predetermined relationship to one or more parameters used for communications in the first frequency band making the adjustment based on the signal received in the first frequency band relevant and useful to support communications in the second frequency band.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first communications device, comprising:

selecting between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said first set of parameters including a parameter specifying a first tone spacing, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

making at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation, said at least one device setting change including changing a control parameter in the first communications device by an integer multiple representing a predetermined difference between a parameter in the first and second sets of parameters, said at least one device setting change being one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change, or a frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the method further comprises:

performing an initial oscillator correction based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one device setting change is said oscillator rate change, said oscillator rate change including increasing or decreasing the rate of an oscillator used to control sampling without undoing the initial oscillator correction.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation:

communicating with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first mode of operation is a Wide Area Network mode of operation;

and

wherein the second mode of operation is a Local Area Network mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 6, where the Local Area Network mode of operation is a peer to peer mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said making at least one device setting change includes:

changing a sampling rate used to sample a received signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein making at least one device setting change includes:

modifying a voltage used to control a voltage controlled oscillator.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the second frequency band is supported.

12. A first communications device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

select between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said first set of parameters including a parameter specifying a first tone spacing, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

make at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation, said at least one device setting change including changing a control parameter in the first communications device by an integer multiple representing a predetermined difference between a parameter in the first and second sets of parameters, said at least one device setting change being one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change, or a frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The first communications device of claim 12,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform an initial oscillator correction based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

14. The first communications device of claim 13, wherein said at least one device setting change is said oscillator rate change, said oscillator rate change including increasing or decreasing the rate of an oscillator used to control sampling without undoing the initial oscillator correction.

15. The first communications device of claim 13, wherein when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation, the at least one processor is further configured to:

communicate with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation.

16. The first communications device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received, prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

17. The first communications device of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

change a sampling rate used to sample a received signal.

18. The first communications device of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to modify, as part of being configured to make at least one device setting change, a voltage used to control a voltage controlled oscillator.

19. The first communications device of claim 12,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the second frequency band is supported.

20. A first communications device, comprising:

means for selecting between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said first set of parameters including a parameter specifying a first tone spacing, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

means for making at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation, said at least one device setting change including changing a control parameter in the first communications device by an integer multiple representing a predetermined difference between a parameter in the first and second sets of parameters, said at least one device setting change being one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change, or a frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

21. The first communications device of claim 20,

wherein the first communications device further comprises:

means for performing an initial oscillator correction based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

22. The first communications device of claim 21, wherein said at least one device setting change is said oscillator rate change, said oscillator rate change including increasing or decreasing the rate of an oscillator used to control sampling without undoing the initial oscillator correction.

23. The first communications device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for communicating with a third communications device while operating in said second mode of operation, when said selected mode of operation is said second mode of operation.

24. The first communications device of claim 23, further comprising:

means for transmitting data in said first frequency band, while operating in said first mode of operation, to the second communications device from which said signal was received prior to communicating data to said third communications device.

25. The first communications device of claim 20, wherein said means for making at least one device setting change comprises:

means for changing a sampling rate used to sample a received signal.

26. The first communications device of claim 20, wherein said means for making at least one device setting change include means for modifying a voltage used to control a voltage controlled oscillator.

27. The first communications device of claim 20,

wherein the first mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the first frequency band is supported;

and

wherein the second mode of operation is a communications mode of operation in which communications in the second frequency band is supported.

28. A computer program product for use in a first communications device, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to select between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation using a first set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a first frequency band, said first set of parameters including a parameter specifying a first tone spacing, said second mode of operation using a second set of parameters to operate said first communications device when communicating in a second frequency band, said second set of parameters having a predetermined relationship to the first set of parameters; and

code for causing the at least one computer to make at least one device setting change in accordance with said predetermined relationship when a current mode of operation is different from a selected mode of operation, said at least one device setting change including changing a control parameter in the first communications device by an integer multiple representing a predetermined difference between a parameter in the first and second sets of parameters, said at least one device setting change being one of an oscillator rate change, a timing change, or a frequency change, said change being by an integer multiple of a corresponding parameter in said first set of parameters.

29. The computer program product of claim 28,

wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises:

code for causing the at least one computer to perform an initial oscillator correction based on a signal received in the first frequency band from a second communications device to adjust said first communications device to operate in accordance with a parameter in the first set of parameters.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises:

code for causing the at least one computer to change a sampling rate used to sample a received signal.