Systems and networks for half and full duplex wireless communication using multiple radios

• US 9,019,934 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HMicro Inc.
• Original Assignee: HMicro Inc.
• Inventors: Yun, Louis, Niknejad, Ali, Sattiraju, Venkateswara, Magar, Surendar
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, XAVIER S
• Application Number:
  US12/739,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370276-282, 370216-229, 370331-333, 370465-469
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• 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

Provided herein is a wireless communication system comprising a first device and a second device. The first device comprises a first radio type and a second radio type. The second device comprises a first radio type and a second radio type. The first device is adaptable to form a communication link with the second device using the first radio or the second radio. The first device can be adaptable to transmit data to the second device through the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to form a communication link with the first device through dynamic switching between the first radio type and second radio type of the second device. The second device can be adaptable to receive data from the first device through the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to transmit data to the first device using the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to be in communication with the first device through dynamic switching between the first radio type and the second radio type and the second device can be adaptable to transmit data to the first device through the first radio type or the second radio type. Further provided herein is a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of devices comprising at least two devices, wherein at least two devices of the plurality of device are adaptable to form a communication link using a radio type selected from a plurality of radio types, wherein the network is adaptable to dynamically select the radio type used to form the communication link. The network can monitor the quality of the communication link between the at least two devices and is further adaptable to dynamically switch between the plurality of radio types in response to the quality of the communication link.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising

a. a sensor comprising an ultrawideband (UWB) radio configured for transmission without being configured for reception and a narrowband (NB) radio configured for transmission and reception, the sensor configured to form a communication link with a second device using the UWB radio or the NB radio, the sensor configured to transmit data to the second device through the UWB radio configured for transmission without being configured for reception or the NB radio configured for transmission and reception;

and

b. the second device comprising an UWB radio configured for reception and a NB radio configured for transmission and reception, the second device configured to form a communication link with the sensor through dynamic switching between the UWB radio and NB radio, the second device configured to receive data from the sensor through the UWB radio configured for reception or the NB radio configured for transmission and reception, wherein the sensor has a comparatively lower energy capacity than the second device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a wireless sensor device placed on a patient'"'"'s body to collect physiological data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second device is configured to transmit data to the sensor using the NB radio.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to be in communication with the second device through dynamic switching between the UWB radio and the NB radio, the sensor configured to transmit data to the second device through the UWB radio or the NB radio.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the UWB radio has a channel bandwidth that is greater than the NB radio'"'"'s channel bandwidth by an order of magnitude or more.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to monitor the quality of the communication link between the sensor and the second device and is further configured to dynamically switch between the UWB radio and the NB radio in response to the quality of the communication link.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by measuring the received radio signal strength.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by monitoring the background radio signal level.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by monitoring the background interference and noise level.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by estimating the signal to noise ratio of the received radio signal.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by estimating the signal to interference and noise ratio of the received radio signal.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the system is further configured to dynamically switch between the UWB radio and the NB radio in response to the characteristics of the UWB radio and the NB radio.

30. The system of claim 6 wherein sensor is configured to communicate with the second device using the UWB radio and dynamically switch to the use of the NB radio to receive the data reception acknowledgement from the second device.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the UWB radio'"'"'s link is monitored while the UWB radio is used, and the use is dynamically switched to the use of the NB radio if the quality using the UWB radio becomes unacceptable.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the UWB radio'"'"'s link is monitored while the NB radio is used, and use is switched back to the UWB radio when the UWB radio'"'"'s link is determined to be of acceptable quality.

13. A wireless communication system comprising:

a. a sensor having a first application specific integrated circuit adaptable to be coupled with an ultrawideband (UWB) radio configured for transmission and not configured for reception, and a narrowband (NB) radio configured for reception and transmission; and

b. a device having a second application specific integrated circuit configured to be coupled with a UWB radio capable of reception of data from the UWB radio of the sensor, and a NB radio configured for reception and transmission of data with the NB radio of the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lower capacity battery than the device which has a higher capacity battery.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the system is configured to dynamically switch between the UWB radio and the NB radio to transmit data from the sensor employing the first application specific integrated circuit to the device employing the second application specific integrated circuit.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the UWB radio has a channel bandwidth that is greater than the NB radio'"'"'s channel bandwidth by an order of magnitude or more.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the UWB radio and the NB radio are dynamically switched to reduce the total power consumption of the sensor at the expense of the device.

17. A wireless communication network comprising

a plurality of devices comprising at least two devices, wherein at least two devices of the plurality of device are configured to form a communication link using an ultrawideband (UWB) radio type on the uplink and narrowband (NB) radio type on the downlink, wherein the UWB radio type and the NB radio type are simultaneously available on each of the at least two devices,

wherein at least one of the devices of said plurality is a sensor placed on the body of a patient to collect physiological data, wherein (1) the sensor is configured only for transmission through an UWB radio, and is configured for both transmission and reception through a NB radio, and (2) another device of said plurality is configured for reception through an UWB radio, and is configured for both transmission and reception though a NB radio,

wherein the UWB radio type forms a communication link that provides a lower total power consumption of the sensor while providing an increased power consumption of the other device of said plurality of device compared to the NB radio type;

wherein the network is configured to dynamically select a radio between the UWB radio type and the NB radio type, and use the selected radio to form the communication link that minimizes the total power consumption of the sensor at the expense of higher power consumption of the other device of said plurality of devices while obtaining an acceptable quality of the communication link.

18. The network of claim 17 wherein the network is configured to monitor the quality of the communication link between the at least two devices and is further configured to dynamically switch between the UWB radio type and the NB radio type in response to the quality of the communication link.

19. The network of claim 18 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by measuring the received radio signal strength.

20. The network of claim 18 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by monitoring the background signal level.

21. The network of claim 18 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by estimating the signal to noise ratio of the received radio signal.

22. The network of claim 18 wherein the quality of the communication link is determined by estimating the signal to interference and noise ratio of the received radio signal.

23. The network of claim 18 wherein the network is further configured to dynamically switch between the UWB radio and the NB radio in response to the characteristics of the UWB radio type and the NB radio type.

24. The network of claim 18 wherein the network is further configured to select a radio channel configured to be used to form the communication link between the at least two devices.

25. The network of claim 24 wherein the network is configured to maintain a database of radio channel availability.

26. The network of claim 25 wherein the channel to be selected is configured to be selected randomly.

27. A wireless communication network comprising of a plurality of communication devices comprising at least two communication devices configured to form a communication link using an ultrawideband (UWB) radio type on the uplink and a narrowband (NB) radio type on the downlink,

wherein at least one of the devices is a sensor forming a communication link with another device,

wherein the sensor is configured only for transmission through an UWB radio, and is configured for both transmission and reception through a NB radio,

wherein the other device is configured for reception through an UWB radio, and is configured for both transmission and reception through a NB radio, and

wherein the network is configured to dynamically select the radio type between the UWB radio type and the NB radio type that forms the communication link that minimizes the total power consumption of the sensor at the expense of higher power consumption of the other device.

28. The network of claim 27 wherein the UWB radio type and NB radio type are configured to be selected based on the characteristics of the at least two communication devices.

29. The network of claim 27 further comprising:

a channel multiplexer configured to enable the communication link to coexist with an external network.