Transmit request signaling between transceivers
AssigneeConexant Systems, Inc.
InventorTimothy Gordon Godfrey
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Abstract
A technique is disclosed that enables both an IEEE 802.11 transceiver and a Bluetooth transceiver to be employed in a single wireless telecommunication station (e.g., a device supporting a wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, etc.) without interfering on each other. In particular, the illustrative embodiment enables standard “off-the-shelf” IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth transceivers to work in a coordinated fashion in a single telecommunications terminal. In the illustrative embodiment, a Bluetooth transceiver gains access to a shared-communications channel from an IEEE 802.11 transceiver by requesting access, even if the access is not immediate. The technique disclosed is also applicable to communications protocols other than IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- asserting a polite request signal that requests that a first transceiver relinquish transmitting via a shared-communications channel, wherein said first transceiver communicates in accordance with a first communications protocol;
- indicating via said shared-communications channel that a second transceiver hold subsequent transmissions to said first transceiver;
- asserting a first signal that indicates that said first transceiver has relinquished transmitting via said shared-communications channel;
- and
- transmitting at least one frame from a third transceiver via said shared-communications channel after said asserting of said first signal, wherein said third transceiver communicates in accordance with a second communications protocol.
A method comprising:
- notifying a first transceiver to exit a power save state, wherein said first transceiver communicates in accordance with a first communications protocol via a shared-communications channel;
- asserting a transmitting indication signal that indicates that a second transceiver is transmitting via said shared communications channel in accordance with a second communications protocol;
- and
- transmitting at least one frame from said second transceiver after said notifying and before said first transceiver has recovered from said power save state.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first air interface subsystem for:
- (1) indicating via said shared-communications channel in accordance with a first communications protocol that a coordinating station hold subsequent transmissions to said first air interface subsystem;
- and
- (2) asserting a first signal that indicates that said first air interface subsystem has relinquished transmitting via said shared-communications channel;
- and
- a second air interface subsystem for:
- (1) asserting a polite request signal that requests that said first air interface subsystem relinquish transmitting via a shared-communications channel;
- and
- (2) transmitting at least one frame via said shared-communications channel after said asserting of said first signal, in accordance with a second communications protocol;
- wherein said first air interface subsystem and said second air interface subsystem are associated with the same host computer.
An apparatus comprising:
- a station for:
- (1) asserting a polite request signal that requests that a first air interface subsystem relinquish transmitting via a shared-communications channel;
- (2) indicating via said shared-communications channel in accordance with a first communications protocol that a coordinating station hold subsequent transmissions to said first air interface subsystem;
- (3) asserting a first signal that indicates that said first air interface subsystem has relinquished transmitting via said shared-communications channel;
- and
- (4) transmitting from a second air interface subsystem at least one frame via said shared-communications channel after said asserting of said first signal, in accordance with a second communications protocol;
- and
- a host computer for providing a data block to said second air interface subsystem wherein said data block constitutes said at least one frame.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor for notifying a first transceiver to exit a power save state, wherein said first transceiver communicates in accordance with a first communications protocol via a shared-communications channel;
- and
- a first transmitter for:
- (1) asserting a transmitting indication signal that indicates that said first transmitter is transmitting via said shared communications channel in accordance with a second communications protocol;
- and
- (2) transmitting at least one frame after said notifying and before said first transceiver has recovered from said power save state;
- wherein said first transmitter constitutes a second transceiver and said first transceiver and said second transceiver are associated with the same host computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.