Multiple protocol wireless communications in a WLAN

• US 7,680,059 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moorti, R. Tushar, Hansen, Christopher J., Fischer, Matthew J., Trachewsky, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck; Gregory B
• Application Number:
  US10/857,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for multiple protocol wireless communications begins by determining protocols of wireless communication devices within a proximal region. The method then continues by determining whether the protocols of the wireless communication devices within the proximal region are of a like protocol. The method continues by, when the protocols of the wireless communication devices within the proximal region are not of a like protocol, selecting a protocol of the protocols of the wireless communication devices within the proximal region based on a protocol ordering to produce a selected protocol. The method continues by utilizing the selected protocol by the wireless communication devices within the proximal region to set up a wireless communication within the proximal region.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless communication device to participate in multiple protocol wireless communications, the method comprises:

receiving a frame via a wireless channel;

determining, via the received frame, whether a selected protocol is not of a like protocol of the wireless communication device;

when the selected protocol is not of the like protocol, utilizing the selected protocol to interpret at least a portion of wireless communication set up information of the received frame;

based on the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information, determining whether a remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the selected protocol of the wireless communication device; and

when the remainder of the frame is formatted in accordance with the selected protocol, processing the remainder of the frame based in accordance with the selected protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

interpreting a header of the received frame for conformity with a legacy physical layer format to provide the interpreting of the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information; and

when the header of the received frame does not conform with the legacy physical layer format, determining that the remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the legacy physical layer format includes at least one of IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g and wherein the protocol of the wireless communication device includes IEEE 802.11n.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

interpreting the received frame for conformity with a legacy Media-Specific Access Control (MAC) layer format to provide the interpreting of the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information; and

when the header of the received frame does not conform with the legacy MAC layer format, determining that the remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the legacy physical layer format includes at least one of IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, and IEEE 802.11g and wherein the protocol of the wireless communication device includes IEEE 802.11n.

6. A wireless communication device comprises:

a radio transceiver;

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to;

receive a frame via a wireless channel;

determining, via the received frame, whether a selected protocol is not of a like protocol of the wireless communication device;

when the selected protocol is not of the like protocol, utilize the selected protocol to interpret at least a portion of wireless communication set up information of the received frame;

based on the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information, determine whether a remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the selected protocol of the wireless communication device; and

when the remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the selected protocol of the wireless communication device, process the remainder of the frame based in accordance with the selected protocol.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

interpret a header of the received frame for conformity with a legacy physical layer format to provide the interpreting of the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information; and

when the header of the received frame does not conform with the legacy physical layer format, determine that the remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the wireless communication device.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the legacy physical layer format includes at least one of IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g and wherein the protocol of the wireless communication device includes IEEE 802.11n.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

interpret the for conformity with a legacy Media-Specific Access Control (MAC) layer format to provide the interpreting of the at least a portion of the wireless communication set up information; and

when the header of the received frame does not conform with the legacy MAC layer format, determine that the remainder of the received frame is formatted in accordance with the protocol of the wireless communication device.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the legacy physical layer format includes at least one of IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, and IEEE 802.11g and wherein the protocol of the wireless communication device includes IEEE 802.11n.

11. A method for a wireless communication device to participate in multiple protocol wireless communications, the method comprises:

determining whether a selected protocol is of a like protocol of the wireless communication device;

when the selected protocol is not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device,

formatting a portion of wireless communication set up information in accordance with the selected protocol to produce legacy formatted set up information;

formatting a remainder of the wireless communication set up information in accordance with the not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted set up information;

formatting data in accordance with the not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted data; and

transmitting a frame containing the legacy formatted set up information, the current formatted set up information, and the current formatted data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprises:

when the selected protocol is of the like protocol of the wireless communication device,

formatting the wireless communication set up information in accordance with the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted set up information;

formatting the data in accordance with the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted data; and

transmitting the frame containing the current formatted set up information and the current formatted data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises:

the wireless communication set up information including a short training sequence field, a plurality of long training sequence fields, and a high data throughput service field; and

the data includes a plurality of data symbol fields.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprises:

the portion of the wireless communication set up information includes a short training sequence field, a long training sequence field, and a service field;

the remainder of the wireless communication set up information includes a plurality of supplemental long training sequences and a high data throughput service field; and

the data includes a plurality of data symbol fields.

15. A wireless communication device comprises:

a radio transceiver;

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory includes operational instructions that cause the processing module to;

determine whether a selected protocol is of a like protocol of the wireless communication device;

when the selected protocol is not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device,

format a portion of wireless communication set up information in accordance with the selected protocol to produce legacy formatted set up information;

format a remainder of the wireless communication set up information in accordance with the not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted set up information;

format data in accordance with the not of the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted data; and

transmit a frame containing the legacy formatted set up information, the current formatted set up information, and the current formatted data.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

when the selected protocol is of the like protocol of the wireless communication device,

format the wireless communication set up information in accordance with the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted set up information;

format the data in accordance with the like protocol of the wireless communication device to produce current formatted data; and

transmit the frame containing the current formatted set up information and the current formatted data.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16 further comprises:

the wireless communication set up information including a short training sequence field, a plurality of long training sequence fields, and a high data throughput service field; and

the data includes a plurality of data symbol fields.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 15 further comprises:

the portion of the wireless communication set up information includes a short training sequence field, a long training sequence field, and a service field;

the remainder of the wireless communication set up information includes a plurality of supplemental long training sequences and a high data throughput service field; and

the data includes a plurality of data symbol fields.