Method and system for portable data storage with integrated 60 GHz radio

• US 8,160,498 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/954,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/67.11, 455/69, 455/77, 455/550.1, 455/101, 455/132, 455/193.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for portable data storage with an integrated 60 GHz radio may include establishing a microwave communication link between a wireless portable storage device and a wireless transmitter and/or wireless receiver. Beamforming parameters of a first antenna array coupled to said wireless portable storage device and a second antenna array coupled to said wireless transmitter and/or wireless receiver may be adjusted automatically and/or dynamically. The wireless portable storage and the wireless transmitter and/or wireless receiver may exchange data via said first antenna array and said second antenna array. A secondary wireless communication link may be established to initialize the establishing of the microwave communication link. The secondary wireless communication link may be established via Bluetooth protocol. The wireless portable storage and the wireless transmitter and/or wireless receiver may receive and transmit in the 60 GHz frequency band.

Claims

1. A method for processing communication signals, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link between a wireless portable storage device and a wireless communication device;

communicating, via the wireless communication link, one or more parameters between the wireless portable storage device and the wireless communication device to set up a microwave communication link between a first antenna array of the wireless portable storage device and a second antenna array of the wireless communication device, wherein at least one protocol utilized for the wireless communication link is different than at least one protocol utilized for the microwave communication link;

adjusting beamforming parameters of the first antenna array, thereby steering the first antenna array toward the second antenna array; and

exchanging data between the wireless portable storage device and the wireless communication device via the microwave communication link between the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein the second antenna array is steered toward the first antenna array if the data rate of the exchanged data is low.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one protocol utilized for the wireless communication link comprises one or more IEEE 802.11 protocols.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one protocol utilized for the second wireless communication link comprises Bluetooth protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwave communication link is within the 60 GHz frequency band.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna array is located within a package of a single integrated circuit of the wireless portable storage device, or within a single integrated circuit of the wireless portable storage device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless portable storage device is located within a laptop, a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a set-top box, and a multi-media device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is located within a laptop, a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a set-top box, and a multi-media device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array comprise one or more antennas.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting the beamforming parameters to optimize a communication link performance metric.

10. A system for processing communication signals, the system comprising:

one or more circuits for use in a wireless portable storage device, the one or more circuits are operable to;

establish a wireless communication link between the wireless portable storage device and a wireless communication device;

communicate, via the wireless communication link, one or more parameters to between the wireless portable storage device and the wireless communication device to set up a microwave communication link between a first antenna array of the wireless portable storage device and a second antenna array of the wireless communication device transmitter and/or wireless receiver, wherein at least one protocol utilized for the wireless communication link is different than at least one protocol utilized for the microwave communication link;

adjust beamforming parameters of the first antenna array, thereby steering the first antenna array toward the second antenna array; and

exchange data between the wireless portable storage device and the wireless communication device via the microwave communication link between the first antenna array and the second antenna array, wherein the second antenna array is steered toward the first antenna array if the data rate of the exchanged data is low.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one protocol utilized for the first wireless communication link comprises one or more IEEE 802.11 protocols.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein said the protocols utilized for the second wireless communication link comprises Bluetooth protocol.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the microwave communication link is within the 60 GHz frequency band.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first antenna array is located within a package of a single integrated circuit of the wireless portable storage device, or within a single integrated circuit of the wireless portable storage device.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second antenna array is located within a package of a single integrated circuit, or within a single integrated circuit of the wireless communication device.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the wireless portable storage device is located within a laptop, a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a set-top box, and a multi-media device.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device is located within a laptop, a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a set-top box, and a multi-media device.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array comprise one or more antennas.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more circuits adjust the beamforming parameters to optimize a communication link performance metric.

20. A wireless portable storage device for wireless communication, the portable storage device comprising:

a first antenna array;

one or more circuits operable to;

communicate one or more parameters over a wireless link using a first protocol to set up a microwave communication link between the first antenna array and a second antenna array of a wireless communication device;

steer the first antenna array toward the second antenna array; and

exchange data over the microwave communication link using a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, wherein the second antenna array is steered toward the first antenna array if the data rate of the exchanged data is low.