Mobile communications devices and methods having reduced communication latency

• US 8,891,594 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILEGIORGIS, FITWI Y
• Application Number:
  US13/763,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130322498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 375219-222, 375267-269, 342/127, 455 73- 88, 455/299, 455/67.11, 600/118
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

An improved mobile communications device, of the type having a set of antennas and a narrowband RF transceiver coupled to a first member of the set of antennas, also includes a broadband RF receiver coupled to a second member of the set of antennas; and processing circuitry, coupled to the narrowband RF transceiver and the broadband RF receiver, that uses a received signal from the broadband receiver to determine a communication parameter for the narrowband RF transceiver. Related methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a narrowband radio-frequency (RF) transceiver;

a set of antennas comprising at least (1) a first antenna coupled to the narrowband RF transceiver and (2) a second antenna configured to receive a broadband signal comprising information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver;

a broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver coupled to the second antenna and configured to;

receive, from the second antenna, the broadband signal; and

produce a digital signal based on the broadband signal, the digital signal comprising the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver; and

circuitry coupled to the narrowband RF transceiver and to the broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver, wherein the circuitry is configured to;

receive the digital signal from the broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver;

process the digital signal to determine, based on the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver, source device identification information and channel identification information, the channel identification information corresponding to a specific communications channel; and

set a frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver based on the determined specific communications channel, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is then able to send or receive information using the specific communications channel.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is one of:

a Wi-Fi transceiver;

a Bluetooth transceiver;

a GSM transceiver;

a CDMA transceiver;

or

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transceiver.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is configured to transmit both amplitude-shift-keyed RF signals for a broadband RF receiver and narrowband RF signals.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising an amplitude-shift-key transmitter configured to transmit a signal for a broadband receiver, wherein the amplitude-shift-key transmitter is separate from the narrowband RF transceiver.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a backscatter amplitude-shift-key modulator coupled to the circuitry, the backscatter amplitude-shift-key modulator allowing for broadband transmissions in response to the digital signal while the frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver is being set.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a switching matrix, coupled to the set of antennas, the narrowband RF transceiver, and the broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver, that selectively couples each of the narrowband RF transceiver and the broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver to either identical members or distinct members of the set of antennas.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital signal includes at least one of:

source device identification information;

destination device identification information;

channel identification information;

security information;

symbol rate information;

error correction information;

channel equalization information;

timing information;

protocol information;

physical layer information;

medium access control layer information;

data link layer information;

network layer information;

or

application information.

8. A method comprising:

by a mobile communications device, receiving a broadband signal, the broadband signal being encoded using an amplitude-shift-keyed modulation scheme and the broadband signal comprising information for configuring a narrowband radio-frequency (RF) transceiver;

by a broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver of the mobile communications device, demodulating the broadband signal using broadband amplitude-shift-keyed demodulation to obtain a digital signal, the digital signal comprising the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver;

by the mobile communications device, processing the digital signal to determine, based on the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver, source device identification information and channel identification information, the channel identification information corresponding to a specific communications channel; and

by the mobile communications device, setting a frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver based on the determined specific communications channel, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is then able to send or receive information using the specific communications channel.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising monitoring the narrowband RF transceiver and the broadband amplitude-shift-key receiver in parallel for received information relevant to operation of the narrowband RF transceiver.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising responding to the broadband signal using a backscatter amplitude-shift-key transmitter while the frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver is being set.

11. A device comprising:

a narrowband radio-frequency (RF) transceiver;

a set of antennas comprising at least (1) a first antenna coupled to the narrowband RF transceiver and (2) a second antenna configured to receive a broadband RF signal comprising information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver;

a broadband RF receiver coupled to the second antenna and configured to;

receive, from the second antenna, the broadband RF signal; and

produce a digital signal based on the broadband RF signal, the digital signal comprising the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver; and

circuitry coupled to the narrowband RF transceiver and to the broadband RF receiver, wherein the circuitry is configured to;

receive the digital signal from the broadband RF receiver;

process the digital signal to determine, based on the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver, source device identification information and channel identification information, the channel identification information corresponding to a specific communications channel; and

set a frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver based on the determined specific communications channel, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is then able to send or receive information using the specific communications channel.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is configured to transmit both RF signals for a broadband RF receiver and narrowband RF signals.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising a RF transmitter configured to transmit a signal for a broadband RF receiver, wherein the RF transmitter is separate from the narrowband RF transceiver.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising a backscatter modulator coupled to the circuitry, the backscatter modulator allowing for broadband transmissions in response to the digital signal while the communication parameter for the narrowband RF transceiver is being set.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising a switching matrix, coupled to the set of antennas, the narrowband RF transceiver, and the broadband RF receiver, that selectively couples each of the narrowband RF transceiver and the broadband RF receiver to either identical members or distinct members of the set of antennas.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the digital signal includes at least one of:

source device identification information;

destination device identification information;

channel identification information;

security information;

symbol rate information;

error correction information;

channel equalization information;

timing information;

protocol information;

physical layer information;

medium access control layer information;

data link layer information;

network layer information;

or

application information.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver includes at least one of:

a frequency for narrowband RF communication;

a channel for narrowband RF communication;

a security parameter for narrowband RF communication;

or

a connection token for narrowband RF communication.

18. A method comprising:

by a mobile communications device, receiving a broadband radio-frequency (RF) signal, the broadband RF signal being encoded using a first modulation scheme and the broadband RF signal comprising information for configuring a narrowband RF transceiver;

by a broadband RF receiver of the mobile communications device, demodulating the broadband RF signal using broadband RF demodulation to obtain a digital signal, the digital signal comprising the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver;

by the mobile communications device, processing the digital signal to determine, based on the information for configuring the narrowband RF transceiver, source device identification information and channel identification information, the channel identification information corresponding to a specific communications channel; and

by the mobile communications device, setting a frequency of the narrowband RF transceiver based on the determined specific communications channel, wherein the narrowband RF transceiver is then able to send or receive information using the specific communications channel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising monitoring the narrowband RF transceiver and the broadband RF receiver in parallel for received information relevant to the communication parameter.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising responding to the received broadband RF signal using a backscatter transmitter while the communication parameter for the narrowband RF transceiver is being set.