Method for communicating in dual-modes
AssigneeSipco, LLC
InventorsThomas D. Petite, Richard Huff, David P. Aldoretta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is generally directed to methods for communicating in a dual-mode communication protocol. A representative embodiment of the present invention comprises: enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol, comprising: receiving a first portion of a communication frame at a first frequency channel, wherein the first portion of the communication frame comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel for receiving a second portion of the communication frame; switching to the second frequency channel; and receiving the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel.
Claims35
A method of communicating with a multi-mode communication protocol in a given frequency band composed of a plurality of channels, wherein a first set of the plurality of channels are designated fixed-frequency channels and a second set of the plurality of channels are designated spread-spectrum channels, the spread-spectrum channels being composed of a first subset of acquisition channels and a second subset of data channels, the acquisition channels separated by data channels, the method comprising:
- enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication mode;
- attempting to receive a communication packet by traversing through the subset of acquisition channels;
- upon receiving a communication packet,
- switching to a data channel designated by the communication packet;
- and
- receiving and verifying a data portion of the communication packet by communicating in the designated data channel;
- upon not receiving a communication packet after traversing through the subset of acquisition channels,
- enabling communication in a fixed-frequency communication mode;
- attempting to receive a communication packet by traversing through the designated fixed-frequency channels and searching for a training sequence in the preamble of the communication packet;
- and
- upon receiving a communication packet, receiving and verifying a data portion of the communication packet by maintaining communication in the current fixed-frequency channel.
A method for communicating in a dual-mode communication protocol, the method comprising:
- enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol, comprising:
- receiving a first portion of a communication frame at a first frequency channel, wherein the first portion of the communication frame comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel for receiving a second portion of the communication frame;
- wherein the first frequency channel is one of a subset of acquisition channels, and the second frequency channel is one of a subset of data channels, wherein the acquisition and data channels are subsets of channels designated for spread-spectrum communication, and wherein the spread-spectrum communication protocol further comprises:
- cycling through the subset of acquisition channels until synchronizing with a transmitter, whereupon the channel at which synchronization occurs is the first frequency channel;
- receiving a predefined synchronization pattern, wherein the predefined synchronization pattern is found within a training sequence field of the first portion of the communication frame;
- switching to the second frequency channel;
- receiving the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel;
- upon not synchronizing with a transmitter, enabling communication in a fixed-frequency communication protocol, wherein the fixed-frequency communication protocol comprises:
- receiving the entire communication frame at a third frequency channel, wherein the third frequency channel is one of a subset of fixed-frequency channels.
A method for communicating data, the method comprising:
- enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol, the spread spectrum communication protocol comprising:
- transmitting a first portion of a communication frame at a first frequency channel, wherein the preamble of the first portion of the communication frame comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel for communicating a second portion of the communication frame;
- determining whether to communicate in the spread-spectrum communication protocol or a fixed-frequency communication protocol;
- examining a receiver address field of the communication frame to determine whether an intended receiver communicates in the spread-spectrum communication protocol or the fixed-frequency communication protocol;
- upon communicating the communication frame, receiving an acknowledgement response from the intended receiver;
- updating the receiver address field of the intended receiver;
- switching to the second frequency channel;
- transmitting the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel;
- upon determining to communicate in the fixed-frequency communication protocol, enabling communication in the fixed-frequency communication protocol, wherein the fixed-frequency communication protocol comprises transmitting the first and second portions of the communication frame in a third frequency channel.
A dual-mode transceiver, comprising:
- means for communicating in a spread-spectrum communication protocol, said means comprising:
- means for receiving in the spread-spectrum communication protocol, comprising:
- means for receiving at a first frequency channel a first portion of a communication frame that comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel for receiving a second portion of the communication frame;
- wherein the first frequency channel is one of a subset of acquisition channels, and the second frequency channel is one of a subset of data channels, wherein the acquisition and data channels are subsets of channels designated for spread-spectrum communication, and wherein said means for receiving in the spread-spectrum communication protocol further comprises:
- means for cycling through the subset of acquisition channels;
- means for synchronizing with a transmitter, whereupon the acquisition channel at which synchronization occurs is the first frequency channel;
- means for receiving a predefined synchronization pattern, wherein the predefined synchronization pattern is found within a training sequence field of the first portion of the communication frame;
- means for switching to the second frequency channel designated by the data channel index;
- means for receiving the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel;
- means for switching from receiving in the spread-spectrum communication protocol to receiving in the fixed-frequency communication protocol upon not synchronizing with a transmitter in the spread-spectrum communication protocol;
- means for communicating in a fixed-frequency communication protocol, comprising:
- means for receiving in the fixed-frequency communication protocol, comprising:
- means for receiving the entire communication frame at a third frequency channel, wherein the third frequency channel is one of a subset of fixed-frequency channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.