Method, apparatus and system for switching traffic streams among multiple frequency bands

Devices, systems and methods may provide control of traffic streams before transition to another frequency band, during a transition and after a transition is completed and the devices are active in the other frequency band or in multiple frequency bands. The provided solution cover the transparent mode when the devices have the same Medium Access Control (MAC) addresses in both frequency bands and the non-transparent mode when at least one of the communicating devices has different MAC addresses in the different frequency bands.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wireless local area network (WLAN) and personal area network (PAN) devices that use different radios are widely used in many platforms like notebooks, net-books, desktop computers, cellular telephones, mobile personal devices and the like. The WLAN and PAN devices may include for example, Bluetooth (BT) and WiFi transceivers. The BT and WiFi transceivers may operate on the same frequency band for example, 2.4 GHz band or on different frequency bands. For example, the BT transceiver may operate at the 2.4 GHz band and the WiFi transceiver may operate at the 5 GHz band.

Another frequency band that the WLAN and PAN devices may use is the 60 GHz frequency band. WiFi compliant devices may use 2.5 GHz, 5 GHz and 60 GHz frequency bands. One of the problems with switching transceivers between multiple FREQUENCY bands is the switching of traffic streams from one frequency band e.g., 60 GHz to the other frequency band e.g., 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz or operating in parallel in many FREQUENCY bands efficiently.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Some portions of the detailed description, which follow, are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits or binary digital signals within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations may be the techniques used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, or transmission devices. The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one, or more then one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two, or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as, at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as, but not limited to, comprising. The term coupled as used herein, is defined as operably connected in any desired form for example, mechanically, electronically, digitally, directly, by software, by hardware and the like.

The terms “traffic” and/or “traffic stream(s)” as used herein, are defined as a data flow and/or stream between wireless devices such as stations (STAs). The term “session” as used herein is defined as a state information kept in a pair of stations that have an established a direct physical (PHY) link (e.g., excludes forwarding). The term “fast session transfer” (FST) as used herein is define as the transfer of a session from a channel to another channel when the communicating STAs both have matching radios in the frequency band(s) they wish to communicate.

The term “wireless device” as used herein includes, for example, a device capable of wireless communication, a communication device capable of wireless communication, a communication station capable of wireless communication, a portable or non-portable device capable of wireless communication, or the like. In some embodiments, a wireless device may be or may include a peripheral that is integrated with a computer, or a peripheral that is attached to a computer. In some embodiments, the term “wireless device” may optionally include a wireless service.

Embodiments of the invention provide control of the traffic streams before transition from a first frequency band to the other frequency band, during the transition and after the transition is completed and the devices are active in the other frequency band or in multiple frequency bands. The provided solution by some embodiments of the present invention may cover a transparent mode when the devices may have for example, the same MAC addresses in both frequency bands and other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transparent mode when at least one of the communicating devices may have different MAC addresses in the different frequency bands, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

It should be understood that the present invention may be used in a variety of applications. Although the present invention is not limited in this respect, the circuits and techniques disclosed herein may be used in many apparatuses such as stations of a radio system. Stations intended to be included within the scope of the present invention include, by way of example only, wireless local area network (WLAN) stations, wireless personal network (WPAN), and the like.

Types of WPAN stations intended to be within the scope of the present invention include, although are not limited to, mobile stations, access points, stations for receiving and transmitting spread spectrum signals such as, for example, Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), Complementary Code Keying (CCK), Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and the like.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices and systems, for example, a video device, an audio device, an audio-video (A/V) device, a Set-Top-Box (STB), a Blu-ray disc (BD) player, a BD recorder, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) player, a High Definition (HD) DVD player, a DVD recorder, a HD DVD recorder, a Personal Video Recorder (PVR), a broadcast HD receiver, a video source, an audio source, a video sink, an audio sink, a stereo tuner, a broadcast radio receiver, a display, a flat panel display, a Personal Media Player (PMP), a digital video camera (DVC), a digital audio player, a speaker, an audio receiver, an audio amplifier, a data source, a data sink, a Digital Still camera (DSC), a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a mobile or portable device, a consumer device, a non-mobile or non-portable device, a wireless communication station, a wireless communication device, a wireless Access Point (AP), a wired or wireless router, a wired or wireless modem, a wired or wireless network, a wireless area network, a Wireless Video Are Network (WVAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless PAN (WPAN), devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing WirelessHD™ and/or Wireless-Gigabit-Alliance (WGA) specifications and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof, devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing IEEE 802.11 (IEEE 802.11-1999: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications) standards (“the IEEE 802.11 standards”), IEEE 802.16 standards, and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof, units and/or devices which are part of the above networks, one way and/or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, Wireless-Display (WiDi) device, a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a Personal Communication Systems (PCS) device, a PDA device which incorporates a wireless communication device, a mobile or portable Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a device which incorporates a GPS receiver or transceiver or chip, a device which incorporates an RFID element or chip, a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) transceiver or device, a Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) transceiver or device, a device having one or more internal antennas and/or external antennas, Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, a wired or wireless handheld device (e.g., BlackBerry, Palm Treo), a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) device, or the like.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with suitable limited-range or short-range wireless communication networks, for example, “piconets”, e.g., a wireless area network, a WVAN, a WPAN, and the like.

Turning first toFIG. 1a schematic illustration of a station of a wireless communication network according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is shown. According to embodiments of the present invention a station100may be a wireless communication device for example, an access point, a piconet controller (PNC), a station, an initiator, a responder or the like. Station100may be, for example, a multiband station.

According to exemplary embodiments of the invention station100may be a multiband station, if desired. Station100may include for example, a plurality of radios for example radio A110, radio B120and radio C130. Each of radio A110, radio B120and radio C130is operably coupled to two or more antennas. For example radio A110is operably coupled to antennas160and162, radio B120is operably coupled to antennas164and166and radio C is operably coupled to antennas168and170.

Radio A110, radio B120and radio C130may have a similar architecture which is shown for radio A110. For example each radio may include at least a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) controller116and/or beam forming controller, a receiver (RX)112and a transmitter (TX)114, although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the invention, each of the radios may operate on a different frequency band, if desired. For example, radio A110may operate on a 60 GHz frequency band, radio B120may operate on a 5 GHz frequency band and radio C130may operate on 2.4 GHz frequency band, although it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this example.

Memory150may include one or more of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writeable or rewriteable memory, and the like. For example, memory150may include one or more random-access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), Double-Data-Rate DRAM (DDR-DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), Compact Disk ROM (CD-ROM), Compact Disk Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), flash memory (e.g., NOR or NAND flash memory), content addressable memory (CAM), polymer memory, phase-change memory, ferroelectric memory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, a disk, a floppy disk, a hard drive, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a card, a magnetic card, an optical card, a tape, a cassette, and the like.

In some exemplary embodiments, antennas160,162,164,166,168and170may include, for example, phase array antennas, an internal and/or external RF antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, an omni-directional antenna, an end fed antenna, a circularly polarized antenna, a micro-strip antenna, a diversity antenna, or other type of antenna suitable for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communication signals, blocks, frames, transmission streams, packets, messages and/or data, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

FIG. 2is schematic illustration of a wireless communication network according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, wireless communication network100may operate according to the standard developed by the IEEE 802 802.11 Task Group ad (TGad) and/or according to WGA specification and/or according to IEEE 802.15.3c standard and/or according to WirelessHD™ specification and/or ECMA-387 standard or the like.

FIG. 2shows two states of wireless network200. State A is the state before switching traffic stream identifications (TSID)270and280and state B is the state after switching TSID270and280.

Although the scope of the present invention is not so limited, wireless communication network200may include a station A210and a station B240. Station A may include a radio A220and a radio B230and station B may include a radio A250and a radio B260. Station (STA) A210may be referred to herein as an Originator and STA B240may be referred to herein as a Recipient, although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

According to one embodiment of the invention, STA A210and STA B240architecture and components may be similar to the architecture and components of STA100ofFIG. 1if desired

In operation, before switching TSID1and TSID2, STA A210and STA B220may operate on a first frequency band, for example 60 GHz by transmitting and receiving TSID1and TSID2by radio A220of STA A210and radio A of STA B240, if desired. This frequency band may also referred to as an active band and the frequency band of radio B230and radio B260may be referred to as a passive band, although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

Before Switching State

Without deleting TSID1and TSID2that operate in the current frequency band and before radio A220and radio A250switched to the passive band, STA A220and STA B240may establish TS for example, TSID1and TSID2, on the active band to operate on the passive band which is also may be another frequency band e.g., 5 GHz, if desired.

After Switching State

After the establishing the TSID1and TSID2, on the active band STA A210and STA B240may switch their radios (e.g., switching radio A220to radio B230and switching radio A250to radio B260) thus the active band may be become passive band and the passive band may become an active band. After the switching the stations may immediately start operation on the established TS e.g., TSID1and TSID2and delete TSID1and TSID2of the previous frequency band, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to this example.

According to another embodiment of the invention multiband stations STA A210and STA B240may manage traffic streams (TS) when switching between frequency bands of the multiband stations by creating a TS at a first frequency band (e.g., 60 GHz) by including a channel information, information on a frequency band and MAC address information as part of a resource management frame while communicating at the first frequency band, if desired. STA A210and STA B240may set, establish or create a communication agreement by exchanging resource management frames between first and second multiband stations for example STA A210and STA B240. For example, STA A210may send an ADDTS Request (“add traffic stream”) frame addressed to STA B240. The ADDTS Request frame may include the new channel information, the new frequency band e.g., 5 GHz the MAC address used in the new frequency band.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, STA B240may send an ADDTS Response frame on the same channel and the same frequency band through which the ADDTS Request frame was previously transmitted. STA A210may receive the ADDTS Response frame and may set and/or create the TS with the multiband station, STA B240without switching to a new channel and a new frequency band, by providing a traffic stream identification number (TSID) to multiband station STA B240, if desired. After setting the TS STA A210and STA B240may switch their radios to the frequency band and channel indicated in the ADDTS request and response frames in order to provide the TS in the new frequency band, although it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not so limited.

According to one other exemplary embodiment of the invention, STA A210and STA B240may switch to the new channel and the new frequency band indicated by the ADDTS Request frame previously transmitted. STA B240may send an ADDTS Response frame on the new channel and the new frequency band. STA A210may receive the ADDTS Response frame and may set the TS with the multiband station STA B240and providing the TS in the new frequency band, although it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment of the invention.

Turning toFIG. 3a schematic illustration of ADD block acknowledgment (ADDBA) request and response frames, according to exemplary embodiments of the invention, is shown. According to this example, an ADDBA request frame300may include but is not limited to, the following information and elements: a category, an action, a dialog token, a block acknowledge parameter, a block acknowledge timeout, a block acknowledge, a Start Sequence Number (SSN), a band identification (ID) and a traffic calcification (TCLAS). An ADDBA response frame310may include for example, the following information: a category, an action, a dialog token, a block acknowledge parameter, a block acknowledge timeout, a block acknowledge SSN, a band ID and a TCLAS, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to this respect.

According to embodiments of the invention, category and action fields may be used to identify for example, the ADDBA request and response frames, respectively. The dialog token may be used to identify the ADDBA response in relation to the ADDBA request, both may include the same dialog token. Block acknowledge parameters may represent a buffer size allocated for the block acknowledge operation and the TSID, if desired. The block acknowledge (BA) timeout may be used to maintain the BA activity. The SSN may represent sequence number of the first frame sent under BA control. The Status code may include the result of the ADDBA negotiation e.g., successful/unsuccessful. It should be understood that the above described parameters may not have specific meaning and may be used as in the BA agreement with embodiments of the present invention.

The band ID may include the band and channel information of the frequency band and channel information in which the BA agreement may operate. It should be understood that the ADDBA request and response may happen in the active band but the data may be transferred in the passive band. The TCLAS delivers the MAC address may be used in the passive band, although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

Turning toFIG. 4a schematic illustration of a transmit class (TCLAS) element300of Ethernet type frame of the ADDBA request and response frames ofFIG. 3, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect, the frame may include at least a classifier type field410, a classifier mask field420, a source address430, a destination address440, a type field450and other fields, if desired. For example, classifier type field410and a classifier mask field420may represent that the TCLAS includes the source address that is used in the passive band, although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

Turning toFIG. 5a schematic illustration of flowchart of a method of traffic stream switching according to one exemplary embodiments of the invention is shown. An Originator e.g., STA220, may be in communication with a Recipient e.g., STA240over one frequency band for example a 60 GHz frequency band. Without deleting TS that operates in the current frequency band and before the radio of the Originator is switched to the other frequency band, the Originator may establish or create a TS on this frequency band to operate on another frequency band e.g., 5 GHz, if desired (text box510). After the establishing the TS the Originator may switch its radio to the other frequency band for example 5 GHz, if desired (text box520) and immediately may start operation on the established TS (text box530). The TS of the previous frequency band may be deleted (text box540), although the scope of the present invention is not limited to this example.

Turning toFIG. 6a schematic illustration of flowchart of a method of traffic stream switching according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. An Originator e.g., STA220may be in communication with a Recipient e.g., STA240over one frequency band, for example, a 60 GHz frequency band. Without deleting TS that operates in the current frequency band and before the radio of the Originator is switched to the other frequency band, the Originator may issue ADDBA request on this frequency band (text box610). The Originator and Responder may each switch its radio to another frequency band e.g., 5 GHz (text box620). The Responder may responds with ADDBA response (text block630) and the Originator and the Responder may start operation of the established TS (text box640). The method may end by deleting the TS of the previous frequency band (text box650), although the scope of the present invention is not limited to this example.

Turning toFIG. 7, a schematic illustration of flowchart of a method of traffic stream switching at an originator, according to some exemplary embodiments of the invention is shown. According to an embodiment of the invention a BA agreement is a state of the wireless communication system after a successful exchange of the ADDBA request and response that allows data exchange under BA control.

Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect, the Originator may establish a BA agreement on a desired channel and frequency band, for example the 60 GHz frequency band (text block710). An originator procedure700may have two methods of operation. For example, after establishing the BA agreement on a desired channel and frequency band, the originator may check if a transmit address (TA) and/or a receive address (RA) field of the ADDBA request frame is different from the Originator MAC address e.g., STA220and/or from the recipient MAC address e.g., STA240, respectively which used in the channel and frequency band where the BA agreement operates (diamond720). If the result of the check is that conditions above have met then the Originator may set in a source address field (e.g. source address430) and destination address field (e.g., destination address440) of TCLAS element400of the Originator MAC address and the Recipient MAC address to be used in the frequency band and channel indicated in a band ID element include in the ADDBA request frame300(text box730). If the result of the check is that conditions above have not been met then the Originator may indicate or insert the frequency band and the channel according to the established BA agreement at a band ID element of the ADDBA request frame300(text block740) and may not include the TCLASS element400in the ADDBA request frame e.g., ADDBA request frame300(text block750).

FIG. 8is a flowchart of a method of traffic stream switching at a Recipient according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. According to this example the Recipient procedure (text block800) may operate on an established BA agreement on a desired channel and frequency band (text block810). Although the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect, the Recipient procedure800may have two methods of operation. For example, the Recipient may check if a transmit address (TA) and/or a receive address (RA) field of the ADDBA response frame310is different from the Recipient MAC address e.g., STA240and/or from the Originator MAC address e.g., STA220, respectively (diamond820). If the result of the check is that conditions above have been met then the Recipient may set the source address field430and the destination address440of the TCLASS element400to the recipient MAC address and to the Originator MAC address, respectively, to be used in the frequency band and the channel indicated in the band ID element included in the response frame. For example, the indicated frequency band and channel may be equal to the frequency band and channel indicated in the band ID element of the ADDBA request frame300, if desired (text block840).

If the result of the check is that the conditions above (e.g., diamond820) have not been met, then the Recipient may indicate at the band ID element included at ADDAB response frame310the frequency band and the channel that the BA agreement may operate on (text box830). For example, the indicated frequency band and channel may be equal to the frequency band and channel indicated at the band ID element of the ADDBA request frame300. According to this example, the TCLASS element400may not be included in the ADDBA response frame310(text box830), although it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the following example rules for a multiband BA establishment may apply (other rules may apply):

1. If the TA MAC address and/or the RA address of the ADDBA request frame is different respectively from the Originator MAC address and/or the Recipient MAC address to be used in the frequency band the BA agreement may operate, then the Originator may assert a Source Address field and a Destination address field included in the TCLAS element400, respectively, to the Originator MAC Address and to the Recipient MAC address to be used in the frequency band indicated by the band-ID included in the ADDBA request frame e.g., ADDBA request frame300.

2. Else if the TA and RA MAC addresses are equal to the Originator MAC address and the Recipient MAC address, respectively the band-ID if included in the ADDBA request frame shall indicate the frequency band the established BA operates. The TCLAS element400may be not included in this ADDBA request frame300.

3. The Band-ID should not be included in ADDBA request frame300if in the case (2) ADDBA request frame300may be issued in the same frequency band the BA may operate.

4. If the TA MAC address and/or the RA address of ADDBA response frame310is different respectively, from the Recipient MAC address and/or the Originator MAC address to be used in the frequency band the BA agreement may operate, then the Recipient may assert Source Address field430and Destination address field440in TCLAS element400respectively, to the Recipient MAC Address and to the Originator MAC address to be used in the frequency band indicated by the band-ID included in the ADDBA response frame. The indicated frequency band may be equal to the frequency band indicated by the band-ID of ADDBA request frame300.

5. Else if the TA and RA MAC addresses are equal to the Recipient MAC address and the Originator MAC address respectively, the band-ID element if included in ADDBA response frame310, may indicate the frequency band the established BA operates. The indicated frequency band may be equal to the frequency band indicated by the Band-ID of ADDBA request frame310. The TCLAS element400may not be included in this ADDBA response frame310.

6. The band ID element may not be included in ADDBA response frame310if in the case (5) ADDBA response frame310is issued in the same frequency band the BA, if established, may operate.

Embodiments of the invention may include an article such as a computer or processor readable medium, or a computer or processor storage medium, such as for example a memory, a disk drive, or a USB flash memory, encoding, including or storing instructions which when executed by a processor or controller, carry out methods disclosed herein.