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US 7,924,767 B2Granted
Control and status protocol
AssigneeSierra Wireless, Inc.
InventorRiley Steve Hoyt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A host interface protocol and a control and status protocol for use with host unit and a wireless communication unit are described. The host interface protocol allows for multiplexing between data transfer messages and control and status messages. In a preferred embodiment, the control and status message protocol supports messages that can be a message payload of a host interface protocol payload.
Claims28
An apparatus comprising:
- a host unit comprising a data device including a processor;
- and
- a wireless communication unit removably coupled to the host unit and including a transceiver, wherein the host unit and the wireless communication unit are configured to use a host interface protocol in communicating between the host unit and the wireless communication unit over a first interface, the host interface protocol defining a message header with a length field and message id field, the message id field allowing multiplexing between data stream transfers and status transfers for information sent between the host unit and wireless communication unit and wherein the host unit and the wireless communication unit are further configured to use a control and status protocol for control and status message transfers over the first interface between the host and the wireless communication unit, control and status messages being wrapped within host interface protocol messages, the wireless communication unit further configured to transmit data over a wireless network using a second interface.
An apparatus comprising:
- a host unit comprising a data device;
- and
- a wireless communication unit removably coupled to the host unit, the host unit and the wireless communication unit configured to use a host interface protocol for communications between the host unit and the wireless communication unit over a first interface, the host interface protocol defining a message header with a length field and message id field, the message id field allowing multiplexing between data stream transfers and control and status transfers for information sent into buffers of the host and wireless communication unit, the host unit and the wireless communication unit further configured to use a control and status protocol for control and status message transfers over the first interface between the host unit and the wireless communication unit, control and status messages being wrapped within host interface protocol messages, the wireless communication unit further configured to transmit data over a wireless network using a second interface.
A computer implemented method comprising:
- at a wireless communication unit removably coupled to a host unit, receiving a control message from the host unit over a first interface, the host unit comprising a data device coupled to the wireless communication unit, the control message conforming to a host interface protocol by having a message header with a length field and a message identification field;
- and
- multiplexing the control message among one or more data transfers, the data transfers conforming to the host interface protocol by having a message header with a length field and a message identification field, the multiplexing accomplished using the message identification fields of the control message and the data transfers, the wireless communication unit further configured to transmit data over a wireless network using a second interface.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for, at a wireless communication unit removably coupled to a host unit, receiving a control message from the host unit over a first interface, the host unit comprising a data device coupled to the wireless communication unit, the control message conforming to a host interface protocol by having a message header with a length field and a message identification field;
- and
- means for multiplexing the control message among one or more data transfers, the data transfers conforming to the host interface protocol by having a message header with a length field and a message identification field, the multiplexing accomplished using the message identification fields of the control message and the data transfers, the wireless communication unit further configured to transmit data over a wireless network using a second interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.