SUB-PACKET PULSE-BASED COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20070291684A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Chong, Julian, David, Ekbal, Amal
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71632 Signal aspects H04B1/7172 and H04B1/7176 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7174 Pulse generation in general H04L25/03834
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Low power wireless communication techniques may be employed in devices that communicate via a wireless body area network, a wireless personal area network, or some other type of wireless communication link. In some implementations the devices may communicate via one or more impulse-based ultra-wideband channels. Inter-pulse duty cycling may be employed to reduce the power consumption of a device. Power may be provided for the transmissions and receptions of pulses by charging and discharging a capacitive element according to the inter-pulse duty cycling. Sub-packet data may be transmitted and received via a common frequency band. A cell phone may multicast to two or more peripherals via wireless communication links.

Claims

1. A method of processing portions of packets, comprising:

transmitting a first set of at least one pulse;

after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, receiving at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet; and

after the reception of the at least one pulse, transmitting a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a common frequency band is used in the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one time hopping scheme is used to transmit and to receive the pulses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other pulse represents another portion of a packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other pulse represents a remaining portion of the packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one received pulse comprises less than 100 pulses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a time duration between the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse and the transmission of the second set of at least one pulse is less than or equal to 20 microseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the pulses has a time duration on the order of 20 nanoseconds or less.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the pulses has a frequency band within a range of approximately 6 gigahertz to 10 gigahertz.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the pulses has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising duty cycling between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying an inter-pulse time duration between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inter-pulse time duration is varied based on at least one of the group consisting of:

a variable pulse repetition period, a variable coding rate, and a time hopping sequence.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one received pulse represents a data symbol that represents at least one data bit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with portions of other packets; and

the portions of the packets are alternately transmitted and received over a common frequency band.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

traffic for a multicasting session is carried by the transmitted and received pulses; and

a common frequency band is used in the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with a multicast stream transmitted to a plurality of devices;

the at least one received pulse is associated with at least one of a plurality of unicast streams received from the devices; and

a common frequency band is used in the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a collision between a transmitted pulse and a received pulse; and

adjusting an error correction scheme based on the identification of the collision.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising dynamically determining whether to process the received pulse associated with the collision.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determination is based on a confidence level associated with reception of received pulses.

21. An apparatus for processing portions of packets, comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a first set of at least one pulse; and

a receiver adapted to receive, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet;

wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transmitter and the receiver use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transmitter and the receiver use at least one time hopping scheme to transmit and to receive the pulses.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one other pulse represents another portion of a packet.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one other pulse represents a remaining portion of the packet.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one received pulse comprises less than 100 pulses.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a time duration between the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse and the transmission of the second set of at least one pulse is less than or equal to 20 microseconds.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the pulses has a time duration on the order of 20 nanoseconds or less.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the pulses has a frequency band within a range of approximately 6 gigahertz to 10 gigahertz.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the pulses has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more.

31. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a state controller adapted to provide duty cycling between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a pulse timing controller adapted to vary an inter-pulse time duration between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the inter-pulse time duration is varied based on at least one of the group consisting of:

a variable pulse repetition period, a variable coding rate, and a time hopping sequence.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one received pulse represents a data symbol that represents at least one data bit.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with portions of other packets; and

the transmitter and the receiver alternately transmit and receive the portions of the packets over a common frequency band.

36. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

traffic for a multicasting session is carried by the transmitted and received pulses; and

the transmitter and the receiver use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

37. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with a multicast stream transmitted to a plurality of devices;

the at least one received pulse is associated with at least one of a plurality of unicast streams received from the devices; and

the transmitter and the receiver use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

38. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an error correction processor adapted to:

identifying a collision between a transmitted pulse and a received pulse; and

adjusting an error correction scheme based on the identification of the collision.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the error correction processor is further adapted to dynamically determine whether to process the received pulse associated with the collision.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the determination is based on a confidence level associated with reception of received pulses.

41. An apparatus for processing portions of packets, comprising:

means for transmitting a first set of at least one pulse; and

means for receiving, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet;

wherein the means for transmitting transmits, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the means for transmitting and the means for receiving use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the means for transmitting and the means for receiving use at least one time hopping scheme to transmit and to receive the pulses.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one other pulse represents another portion of a packet.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one other pulse represents a remaining portion of the packet.

46. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one received pulse comprises less than 100 pulses.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a time duration between the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse and the transmission of the second set of at least one pulse is less than or equal to 20 microseconds.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein each of the pulses has a time duration on the order of 20 nanoseconds or less.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein each of the pulses has a frequency band within a range of approximately 6 gigahertz to 10 gigahertz.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein each of the pulses has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 megahertz or more.

51. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for duty cycling between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

52. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for varying an inter-pulse time duration between the transmissions or receptions of the pulses.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the inter-pulse time duration is varied based on at least one of the group consisting of:

a variable pulse repetition period, a variable coding rate, and a time hopping sequence.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one received pulse represents a data symbol that represents at least one data bit.

55. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with portions of other packets; and

the means for transmitting and the means for receiving alternately transmit and receive the portions of the packets over a common frequency band.

56. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

traffic for a multicasting session is carried by the transmitted and received pulses; and

the means for transmitting and the means for receiving use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

57. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the transmitted pulses are associated with a multicast stream transmitted to a plurality of devices;

the at least one received pulse is associated with at least one of a plurality of unicast streams received from the devices; and

the means for transmitting and the means for receiving use a common frequency band for the transmission and the reception of the pulses.

58. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for error correcting by:

identifying a collision between a transmitted pulse and a received pulse; and

adjusting an error correction scheme based on the identification of the collision.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the means for error correcting dynamically determines whether to process the received pulse associated with the collision.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the determination is based on a confidence level associated with reception of received pulses.

61. A computer-program product for processing portions of packets, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising codes executable by at least one computer to;

transmit a first set of at least one pulse;

receive, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet; and

transmit, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse.

62. A headset for wireless communication, comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a first set of at least one pulse;

a receiver adapted to receive, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet;

wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse; and

a transducer adapted to provide an audible output based in part on the received at least one pulse.

63. A watch for wireless communication, comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a first set of at least one pulse;

a receiver adapted to receive, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet;

wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse; and

a display adapted to provide a visual output based in part on the received at least one pulse.

64. A medical device for wireless communication, comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a first set of at least one pulse;

a receiver adapted to receive, after the transmission of the first set of at least one pulse, at least one pulse that represents a portion of a packet;

wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit, after the reception of the at least one pulse, a second set of at least one pulse before receiving at least one other pulse; and

a sensor adapted to generate sensed data to provide pulses to be transmitted by the transmitter.