# US 2014/0207975 A1 · System and method for managing communication links

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- Number: US 2014/0207975 A1
- Document ID: US20140207975A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/922,655
- Filed: 2013-06-20
- Published: 2014-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 2002-06-05
- Assignees: Universal Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: Universal Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Christopher Alan Chambers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207975A1

## CPC

- H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
- H04B 10/1143: {Bidirectional transmission}
- H04L 5/0037: {Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation}
- H04W 74/04: Scheduled access (hybrid access H04W74/02)
- H04W 80/00: Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
- H04W 76/10: Connection setup
- H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system and method for managing a communication link between a consumer electronic device adapted for two-way, wireless communications with at least one peripheral. The communication link is managed using a controller that is associated with the consumer electronic device that functions to assign communication slots to the peripheral to facilitate communications between the peripheral and the consumer electronic device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for facilitating communications between a time slot controller and a peripheral device via use of a wireless communications link system comprised of a plurality of communications time slots, comprising:
receiving from the peripheral device at the time slot controller a data communication in at least one of the plurality of communications time slots, the data communication received from the peripheral device including a unique tag number that was assigned to the peripheral device for use in an individual communications session with the time slot controller;
determining at the time slot controller if the unique tag number that was included with the data communication received from the peripheral device remains valid; and
when the time slot controller determines that the unique tag number that was included with the data communication received from the peripheral device no longer remains valid, causing the time slot controller to send to the peripheral device a communication for causing the peripheral device to stop transmitting data communications to the time slot controller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the time slot controller to assign the unique tag number to the peripheral device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as recited in claim 2, comprising causing the time slot controller to communicate the assigned tag number to the peripheral device in an end-of-cycle data packet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the peripheral device to communicate the assigned tag number to the time slot controller in a registration request communication.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method as recited in claim 4, comprising causing the time slot controller to communicate a confirmation of the assigned tag number back to the peripheral device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as recited in claim 5, comprising causing the time slot controller to communicate the confirmation of the assigned tag number back to the peripheral device in an end-of-cycle data packet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the unique tag number assigned to the peripheral device remains valid for a single cycle of the plurality of communication time slots.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link system comprises an infrared protocol communications link system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the time slot controller is embedded within an appliance.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the time slot controller to include the unique tag number with a data communication intended for the peripheral device transmitted in one or more of the plurality of communications time slots.