Simultaneous wireless support in software defined radio

• US 8,929,285 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Wu, Deyun, Shen, Hui, Huitema, Christian, Kuehnel, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/245,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 370/347, 375/219, 375/220, 375/261, 375/271, 375/316, 455/140, 455/432.2, 455/440, 455/552.1, 455/561
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• 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

A system and method for providing the ability to discover the capabilities of a user'"'"'s computer to determine whether it is capable of supporting more than one wireless protocol simultaneously is provided. A computing device'"'"'s capabilities (including, for example, hardware and/or software capabilities) is checked to determine if it supports at least two specific wireless protocols and checking a computing device'"'"'s capabilities (including, for example, hardware and/or software capabilities) is checked to determine if it supports both wireless protocols simultaneously. The techniques for determining the computing device'"'"'s compatibility may include comparing lists of protocol requirements to lists of system capabilities and/or generating test signals by the system according to the protocol.

Claims

1. A software defined radio (SDR)-enabled wireless device comprising:

programmable circuitry;

software encoded on at least one computer-readable storage to program the programmable circuitry to implement an SDR;

system parameters indicating capabilities of the programmable circuitry and/or the software of the SDR-enabled wireless device;

a verification module that, when executing, responds to the SDR-enabled wireless device attempting or requesting concurrent communication using a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol by;

accessing first system requirements for the first wireless protocol and accessing second system requirements for the second wireless protocols, and

determining whether the SDR is able to communicate concurrently using the first and second wireless protocols by comparing the first system requirements with the system parameters and by comparing the second system requirements with the system parameters, wherein the system parameters are determined prior to the SDR being configured to concurrently use both a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol; and

configuring the SDR for concurrent use of the first and/or second wireless protocols responsive to the verification module determining that the system parameters satisfy the first system requirements and satisfy the second system requirements.

2. The SDR-enabled wireless device of claim 1, wherein the programmable circuitry and the computer-readable storage are components of a first computing device, and the verification module is a component of a second computing device.

3. The SDR-enabled wireless device of claim 1, wherein the programmable circuitry, the computer-readable storage, and the verification module are components of a first computing device.

4. The SDR-enabled wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first requirements comprise a frequency requirement of the first wireless protocol.

5. The SDR-enabled wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first requirements comprise a sample rate of the first wireless protocol.

6. The SDR-enabled wireless device of claim 5, wherein the sample rate corresponds to a rate of converting an analog signal to digital data.

7. A software defined radio (SDR)-enabled wireless device comprising:

programmable circuitry and SDR hardware;

software encoded on at least one computer-readable storage to program the programmable circuitry to configure the SDR hardware;

memory storing system parameter information comprising indicia of capabilities of the SDR hardware;

the programmable circuitry, when in operation and configured with the software, implementing a verification module that, when a first wireless protocol is to be implemented by the SDR-enabled wireless device, accesses first requirements information indicating requirements of the first wireless protocol and makes a first determination, according to the parameter information, that the SDR hardware is capable of implementing the first wireless protocol, and in response to the first determination the SDR-enabled wireless device configures the SDR hardware to implement the first wireless protocol;

wherein, after the SDR hardware has been configured to implement the first wireless protocol and when a second wireless protocol is to be implemented by the SDR-enabled wireless device, the verification module accesses second requirements information indicating requirements of the second wireless protocol and makes a second determination, according to both the parameter information and the first requirements information, that the SDR-enabled wireless device can implement the second wireless protocol while also implementing the first wireless protocol, and in response to the second determination the SDR-enabled wireless device configures the SDR hardware to implement the second wireless protocol, wherein the system parameter information is determined prior to the SDR being configured to concurrently use both the first wireless protocol and the second wireless protocol.

8. The SDR-enabled wireless device according to claim 7, further comprising a radio front-end, wherein the SDR-enabled wireless device operates in an isolated mode such that the radio front-end receives signals from across a spectrum and digitally filters the spectrum to pass signals corresponding to the first and second wireless protocols.

9. The SDR-enabled wireless device according to claim 7, further comprising a radio front-end, wherein the SDR-enabled wireless device operates in a wideband mode such that the radio front-end receives signals from across a spectrum, performs a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the received signals, and multiplexes output of the FFT according to a number of wireless protocols implemented by the SDR-enabled wireless device.

10. The SDR-enabled wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the SDR-enabled wireless device comprises a first computing device comprising a first processor and a second computing device comprising a second processor, wherein the first computing device comprises the SDR hardware, and wherein the second computing device comprises the programmable circuitry and implements the verification module.

11. The SDR-enabled wireless device according to claim 7, wherein

the verification module makes the second determination by comparing the second system requirements with the system parameters.

12. A software defined radio (SDR)-enabled wireless device comprising:

programmable circuitry and SDR hardware;

software encoded on at least one computer-readable storage to program the programmable circuitry to configure the SDR hardware;

memory storing system parameter information comprising indicia of capabilities of the SDR hardware;

the memory storing protocol compatibility information, the protocol compatibility information indicating, for a plurality of wireless protocols, which of the wireless protocols are able to be concurrently implemented by the SDR hardware, wherein the SDR hardware is configured to implement a first of the wireless protocols;

the programmable circuitry, when in operation and configured with the software, implementing a verification module that, when a second of the wireless protocols is to be implemented by the SDR-enabled wireless device, accesses the protocol compatibility information and, according to an indication that the first wireless protocol is implemented by the SDR hardware and the protocol compatibility information, makes a determination that the second wireless protocol can be implemented by the SDR hardware concurrently with the first wireless protocol, wherein the compatibility information is stored in the memory prior to the SDR being configured to concurrently use both the first wireless protocol and the second wireless protocol; and

the programmable circuitry, when in operation, responds to the determination by configuring the SDR hardware to implement the second wireless protocol.