Method and system for multiple HCI transport for bluetooth host controllers

• US 9,301,339 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jougit, Mickael, Lendenmann, Roger, Sotomayer, Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US11/680,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,316 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/556.1, 455/574, 455/127.5, 455/343.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/00 Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for multiple HCI transport for Bluetooth® Host controllers may include communicating between a plurality of Bluetooth® hosts and a single Bluetooth® host controller by using one or more Bluetooth® host controller interfaces. Control of the Bluetooth® host controller interfaces may be assigned to one or more of the Bluetooth® hosts. Control of the Bluetooth® host controller interfaces may be switched among different Bluetooth® hosts using various protocol commands may be used to communicate between Bluetooth® hosts to control switching. Communications between Bluetooth® hosts may occur over interfaces different from the Bluetooth® host controller interfaces. Switching may occur without resetting the Bluetooth® hosts and Bluetooth® host controller.

Claims

1. A method for processing signals in a Bluetooth system, the method comprising:

communicating between a plurality of Bluetooth hosts and a collocated single Bluetooth host controller via one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces, wherein the Bluetooth host controller comprises a Bluetooth radio that is shared by the plurality of Bluetooth hosts to transmit and receive Bluetooth communications, wherein control of the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces is assigned to a first Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts;

communicating protocol commands between the plurality of Bluetooth hosts via one or more additional interfaces that are distinct from the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces; and

switching control of the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from the first Bluetooth host to a second Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts using the protocol commands communicated between the first and second Bluetooth hosts over the one or more additional interfaces.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising assigning control of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces to the first Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising switching control of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from the second Bluetooth host to a third Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising controlling said switching via the protocol commands communicated between the second Bluetooth host and the third Bluetooth host over the one or more additional interfaces.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more protocol commands comprise a handover request command and a handover acknowledgement command.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more additional interfaces comprises a synchronization interface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said switching occurs without resetting of said plurality of Bluetooth hosts and said Bluetooth host controller.

8. A device for processing signals, the device comprising:

one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces that enable intra-device communications between a plurality of Bluetooth hosts and a single Bluetooth host controller, the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces being controlled by one of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts;

one or more additional interfaces that enable transmission of protocol commands between the plurality of Bluetooth hosts, the one or more additional interfaces being distinct from the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces;

the Bluetooth host controller comprising a Bluetooth radio for wireless transmissions, the Bluetooth host controller configured to;

receive a first wireless Bluetooth transmission comprising first data via the Bluetooth radio;

provide a first intra-device communication comprising the first data directly to one of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts via the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces;

receive a second intra-device communication comprising second data directly from another of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts via the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces; and

transmit a second wireless Bluetooth transmission comprising the second data via the Bluetooth radio; and

a first Bluetooth host of plurality of Bluetooth hosts being configured to;

switch control of the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from the first Bluetooth host to a second Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts based at least in part on a protocol command transmitted by the first Bluetooth host to the second Bluetooth host over the one or more additional interfaces.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of Bluetooth hosts enable assigning of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces to the first Bluetooth host.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein said one or more of said plurality of Bluetooth hosts enable switching control of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from the second Bluetooth host to a third Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said one or more of said plurality of Bluetooth hosts enable controlling said switching via one or more protocol commands transmitted between the second Bluetooth host and the third Bluetooth host over the one or more additional interfaces.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the one or more protocol commands comprise a handover request command and a handover acknowledgment command.

13. The device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more additional interfaces comprise a synchronization interface.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of Bluetooth hosts enable said switching without resetting said Bluetooth host controller or any of said plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for processing signals in a Bluetooth system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

communicating between a plurality of Bluetooth hosts and a collocated single Bluetooth host controller using one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces, the plurality of Bluetooth hosts and the single Bluetooth host controller being physically collocated within a device;

communicating protocol commands between the plurality of Bluetooth hosts via one or more additional interfaces that are distinct from the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces; and

switching control of the one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from a first Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts to a second Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts using a switch command transmitted by the first Bluetooth host to the second Bluetooth host over the one or more additional interfaces.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for assigning control of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces to the first Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for switching control of said one or more Bluetooth host controller interfaces from the second Bluetooth host to a third Bluetooth host of the plurality of Bluetooth hosts.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for controlling said switching via one or more protocol commands communicated between the second Bluetooth host and the third Bluetooth host over the one or more additional interfaces.

19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein the protocol commands comprise a handover request command and a handover acknowledgment command.

20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein the one or more additional interfaces comprise a synchronization interface.

21. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said switching occurs without resetting of said plurality of Bluetooth hosts and said Bluetooth host controller.