Systems and methods of combined bluetooth and WLAN signaling

• US 8,111,677 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wentink, Maarten Menzo
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US12/108,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• 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

Disclosed herein are systems and methods of combined Bluetooth and WLAN signaling. Such systems and methods may use a Bluetooth connection to signal WLAN capabilities and to exchange WLAN security keys. Once the file transfer has started, the actual data may be transmitted over the WLAN connection rather than over the Bluetooth connection. The WLAN connection may have a much higher throughput than the Bluetooth connection, and WLAN capability has increasingly become present inside Bluetooth enabled devices. The Bluetooth connection may be used as a control channel, while the WLAN connection may be used for data transfer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a first communication connection between a first station and a second station using a first protocol;

initiating a second communication connection between the first station and the second station using a second protocol;

wherein the first communication connection is used for networking control information between the first station and the second station and the second communication connection is used for data communication between the first station and the second station, and

configuring the second communication connection through the first communication connection using the networking control information, the networking control information comprising BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier), wherein the first communication connection is used in place of IBSS beacons.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is Bluetooth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol is 802.11.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication connection is unencrypted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication connection communicates power save information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the power save information comprises on-off information for a second transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first station is at least one of a computer, a consumer electronic device, a personal digital assistant, a printer, a fax machine, a scanner, a hub, a switch, a router, a set-top box, and a televisions with communication capability.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first communication connection is unencrypted.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions comprising:

logic configured to initiate a first communication connection between a first station and a second station using a first protocol;

logic configured to initiate a second communication connection between the first station and the second station using a second protocol;

wherein the logic is configured to use the first communication connection for networking control information between the first station and the second station and the second communication connection is used for data communication between the first station and the second station, the networking control information comprising BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier), wherein the first communication connection is used in place of IBSS beacons,

wherein the logic is configured to use the networking control information to configure the second communication connection.