US 2013/0259019 A1 · MULTI-MODE WLAN/PAN MAC

Abstract

A novel solution is presented in which a MAC (Medium Access Controller) is implemented that includes multiple functionality types. This MAC may include functionality supporting communication according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) related standards and also to one or more of the standards generated by the IEEE 802.15.3 PAN (Personal Area Network) working group. By providing this dual functionality of a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC, a communication device may adaptively change the manner in which it communicates with other communication devices. For example, in an effort to maximize throughput and overall efficiency of communication within a communication system, certain of the various devices may change from using the WLAN related standards to using the PAN related standards, and vice versa, based on any one or more of a variety of operational parameters including system configuration.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a first plurality of beacons based on a first wireless communication protocol and a second plurality of beacons based on a second wireless communication protocol;
and
a communication interface configured to transmit the first plurality of beacons and the second plurality of beacons simultaneously to at least one wireless communication device.

A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a first plurality of beacons based on a piconet/PAN (Personal Area Network) communication protocol and a second plurality of beacons based on a wireless local area network (WLAN/WiFi) communication protocol;
and
a communication interface configured to:
transmit the first plurality of beacons and the second plurality of beacons simultaneously to a first wireless communication device;
support first communications with the first wireless communication device based on the piconet/PAN communication protocol;
and
support second communications with the first wireless communication device or a second wireless communication device based on the WLAN/WiFi communication protocol.

4 more elements

A method for operating a first wireless communication device, the method comprising:

generating a first plurality of beacons based on a first wireless communication protocol;
generating a second plurality of beacons based on a second wireless communication protocol;
and
via a communication interface of the first wireless communication device, transmitting the first plurality of beacons and the second plurality of beacons simultaneously to a second wireless communication device.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/902,923Filed 27 May 2013

Priority

5 Jan 2004

Published

3 Oct 2013

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04W 88/06
Terminal devices: adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
H04W 74/00
Wireless channel access
H04W 84/12
Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks: wLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
H04W
Wireless communication networks

Family

Application60/534,731Us provisional application · filed 5 Jan 2004

Application10/930,504Continuation · filed 31 Aug 2004

Application13/484,376Continuation · filed 31 May 2012

Application13/902,923Continuation

US 2005/0147071 A1Published application

US 2012/0257609 A1Published application

US 8,208,449 B2Related patent

US 8,451,816 B2Related patent

US 9,668,299 B2Related patent

US 2013/0259019 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Multi-mode wlan/pan mac

Life of this patent

Multi-mode wlan/pan mac

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20