Abstract: Wireless devices may contain multiple radio transceivers, each conforming to different communication protocols. A first transceiver conforming to a first communication protocol in a first wireless device may be able to receive, detect, and/or decode messages transmitted by a second transceiver in a second wireless device conforming to a second communication protocol. The first transceiver may communicate received, detected, and/or decoded information to a different transceiver in the same first wireless device, thus enabling the collocated transceivers to work in concert efficiently. A wideband transceiver using a set of multiple sub-channels in parallel may receive, detect, and/or decode messages transmitted by a narrowband transceiver using a set of multiple channels serially, thereby reducing scan time and power consumption.

Abstract: A wireless device (110) is provided for supporting peer to peer communications. A transceiver (132) is configured to receive and transmit data over a wireless link. A network activity sensor (136) is coupled to the transceiver and configured to sense peer to peer activity by the transceiver and generate a network activity sensor signal. A controller (140) is coupled to the network activity sensor (136) and the transceiver (132), and configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the wireless device based at least in part on the network activity sensor signal. Advantages of the invention include the ability to prolong battery life in wireless devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods according to the present invention provide arbitration methods, systems and devices which enable a WLAN transceiver (30) and a Bluetooth (BT) transceiver (32) to share the transmission medium. Various arbitration signals (BT, WL, RXIND and PRI) enable the transceivers to indicate a seizure of ownership of the medium as well as to accommodate special arbitration cases, e.g., priority packet transmission/reception. Some arbitration features are hardware programmable to provide design flexibility.

Abstract: Wireless communications over different networks using overlapping signal channels is facilitated. According to an example embodiment, information characterizing the usage of an overlapping channel by a first network is used to schedule communications on the overlapping channel by the second network. Another example embodiment is directed to the use of existing coexistence control lines between collocated communications circuits in a wireless device to communicate data indicative of the use of the overlapping channel. In some applications, these communications approaches are used with a network device operating on different networks, such as with a handheld device that communicates on both a Bluetooth network and wireless local area network (WLAN).

Abstract: A wireless device (110) is provided for supporting extended battery life. A transceiver (132) is configured to receive and transmit data over a wireless link. A frame detection sensor (140) is coupled to the transceiver and configured to sense an incoming frame and generate an incoming frame sensor signal. A controller (142) is coupled to the frame detection sensor and transceiver, and configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the transceiver device based at least in part on the frame sensor signal. Advantages of the invention include the ability to extend battery life in mobile wireless devices.

Abstract: A method and system for operating a wireless access point is disclosed. In an embodiment, a wireless access point determines whether bursty interference is present within the operating range of the wireless access point and then adapts a transmission characteristic in response to the determination. In an embodiment, the wireless access point determines whether bursty interference is present by changing at least one transmission characteristic and monitoring the resulting error rates. The presence of bursty interference can be detected if a lowering of the transmission rate causes an increase in the error rate. The increase in the error rate is a result of the lower transmission rate and corresponding longer transmission time for each frame, which in turn increases the likelihood that a frame will overlap with bursty interference.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and methods are described that define the frequency in which a scan for a wireless local area network access point (140) is performed. In one embodiment, a scan is performed when a change in the geographic location of a mobile wireless device (115) is identified.

Abstract: A device and a method for programming the read/writeable memory of the RFID circuitry by communications between either RF antenna (12) or bus communications port controller interface (4) or both. In a peripheral device (1), an EEPROM (6), bus communications controller interface (4), NFC interface (8), antenna (12), and logic controller (10) operate to receive and transmit configuration and calibration data between a Bluetooth circuit (40) and an external device (22). The dual interfaced EEPROM (2) shares or partitions its EEPROM (6) between the Bluetooth circuit (40) and the external device (22).

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a method and system relating to the rate recovery mechanism in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Bluetooth coexistence system is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and a method for transferring data between a Bluetooth device (BTD) and a wireless local area network (WLAN) device which uses packet traffic arbitration (PTA). The method of the present invention includes encoding data using a plurality of control lines between the BTD and WLAN, transmitting the data and acknowledging the data reception using the existing control lines. The method according to the present invention allows BTD and WLAN device to transmit additional scheduling information, schedule the medium access, and reduce the number of collisions between the two devices.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a wireless telephone system using microphone arrays together with additional signal processing to suppress the background noise in the surrounding environment. The signal processing resources of a wireless telephone and multi-channel transmission capabilities of the Bluetooth transmission are used to suppress the background noise. The wireless telephone system includes a Bluetooth transceiver communicating to a wireless telephone through a multi-channel Bluetooth transmission, and an array of microphones coupled to the Bluetooth transceiver. The array of microphones includes a first microphone producing a first audio signal output and a second microphone producing a second audio signal output. The first audio signal output and second audio signal output are transmitted to the wireless telephone through the first channel and second channel of multi-channel Bluetooth transmission respectively.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and a system for activating a communication device in presence of a field generated by a near field communication (NFC) tag reader in a near field communication (NFC) environment. The presence of a field generated by a NFC tag reader is automatically detected using detection circuits. Once the field is detected, the presence of the field is signaled to the communication devices associated with the NFC environment. The communication devices are then switched automatically to an appropriate mode according to the field. The method and system of the present invention removes the additional user interaction in pairing various communication devices in the NFC environment.

Abstract: A method for improving data communication quality in collocated GSM and WLAN subsystems. The GSM device can spuriously emit third harmonics whose frequencies depends on which GSM channel is presently being used. The WLAN receiver uses OFDM subcarriers that can be interfered with by third harmonics of particular ones of the GSM channels. Which OFDM subcarriers would be adversely affected by a particular one of the GSM channels being in use is computed. Then a corresponding particular OFDM subcarrier is deleted after a FFT process and before Viterbi decoding.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and a method for improving the wireless local area network (WLAN) throughput performance in a collocated WLAN/Bluetooth system that uses packet traffic arbitration (PTA) to schedule WLAN and Bluetooth transmissions. The method includes detecting a Bluetooth transmission, where the Bluetooth transmission comprises one or more quiet periods; and scheduling a WLAN transmission, where frames of the WLAN transmission are received during the quiet periods of the Bluetooth transmission. The method according to the present invention allows the collocated WLAN to receive a frame send by the access point (AP) and acknowledge its reception without the AP reducing the data transmission rate due to unacknowledged frames. Also, the present invention discloses a mechanism where a collocated Bluetooth device (BTD) and WLAN device can communicate to the AP through a single antenna.

Abstract: A low latency radio/baseband interface protocol is provided. In one embodiment thereof, 8b/10b encoding is used, which has distinct control characters and data characters. Control characters are used to define the beginning of a frame. More particularly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, signaling between a baseband portion of a communications apparatus and a radio portion of the communications apparatus is achieved by encoding data units of a given number of bits into codes, each code being a data unit of a number of bits greater than the given number of bits. Multiple different types of data exchanges are defined, and a different code is assigned to each type of data exchange. For a given data exchange, a data exchange type is selected in accordance with data to be exchanged, and a message frame is formed in accordance with the data exchange type selected, the message including a code identifying the data exchange type.

Abstract: A wireless device (110) is provided for supporting extended battery life. A transceiver (132) is configured to receive and transmit data over a wireless link. A frame detection sensor (140) is coupled to the transceiver and configured to sense an incoming frame and generate an incoming frame sensor signal. A controller (142) is coupled to the frame detection sensor and transceiver, and configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the transceiver device based at least in part on the frame sensor signal. Advantages of the invention include the ability to extend battery life in mobile wireless devices.

Abstract: A multi-mode WLAN-GSM communications device (100) comprises a WLAN transmitter (110) that stalls its transmit data and depowers its radio transmitter whenever a collocated GSM receiver (104) signals it needs to receive a GSM base-station transmission. If a collocated Bluetooth device is also included, the Bluetooth receiver can also signal the WLAN transmitter (110) to be quiet during selected timeslots.

Abstract: A local area network is provided where an OFDM station and DSSS/CCK station coexist. During a contention-free period both stations operate under the point coordination function rules as defined in the IEEE 802.11 specification. Both stations transmit data when polled by the access point. The contention-free period comprises a sub-contention period during which only the OFDM station communicate. During the sub-contention period the OFDM station operates under the distributed coordination function while the DSSS/CCK station waits to be polled by the access point before starting to communicate.

Abstract: A wireless device (110) is provided for supporting peer to peer communications. A transceiver (132) is configured to receive and transmit data over a wireless link. A network activity sensor (136) is coupled to the transceiver and configured to sense peer to peer activity by the transceiver and generate a network activity sensor signal. A controller (140) is coupled to the network activity sensor (136) and the transceiver (132), and configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the wireless device based at least in part on the network activity sensor signal. Advantages of the invention include the ability to prolong battery life in wireless devices.

Abstract: A local-area network is provided where a plurality of OFDM stations and DSSS/CCK-only stations coexist. A beacon signal having a contention-free-period (CFP) is transmitted from an access point to the plurality of stations. The OFDM-modulated data is transmitted to the plurality of stations before the CFP ends, and after the CFP period ends, the DSSS/CCK-modulated data is transmitted, thereby preventing collisions between the stations.