Classifier for communication device
View Patent ↗Classifier for communication device. A communication device includes a classifier and a number of PHY (physical layer) receivers communicatively coupled thereto that enable the communication device to process various received signal types. Each of the PHY receivers is operable to perform pre-processing of a received frame (or packet) of data and to calculate a confidence level indicating whether the received frame is intended for that particular PHY receiver; this pre-processing does not involve processing (e.g., demodulation and/or decoding) of the received frame. Those PHY receivers having sufficiently high confidence levels assert claims to the classifier for the received frame. The classifier is operable to arbitrate between competing claims by 2 or more PHY receivers and to ensure that the received frame is provided to the PHY receiver for which it is intended.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of PHY (physical layer) receivers for pre-processing a frame;
a classifier for identifying an intended PHY receiver, from the plurality of PHY receivers, for processing the frame; and
a gain control block for scaling the frame using a first gain, corresponding to a range being appropriate for a majority of the PHY receivers, when the plurality of PHY receivers pre-processing the frame; and wherein:
the gain control block scaling the frame using a second gain when the intended PHY receiver processing the frame.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the second gain corresponding to a range being appropriate for the intended PHY receiver.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of PHY receivers pre-processing the frame for calculating a confidence level indicating whether the frame being intended for that PHY receiver;
each of the plurality of PHY receivers calculating a respective confidence level being equal to or exceeding a threshold corresponding to that PHY receiver asserting a respective claim to the classifier;
when 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting claims to the classifier, the classifier arbitrating the claims and designating 1 of the 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers as being the intended PHY receiver;
when only 1 of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting a claim to the classifier, the classifier designating that 1 PHY receiver as being the intended PHY receiver;
the classifier asserting a PHY select signal to the intended PHY receiver;
the intended PHY receiver processing the frame; and
the intended PHY receiver asserting a PHY done signal to the classifier after the intended PHY receiver finishes processing the frame.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
a first of the plurality of PHY receivers being a DSSS/CCK (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum with Complementary Code Keying) PHY receiver;
a second of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver; and
when both the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver and the OFDM PHY receiver asserting a claim to the classifier, the claim asserted by the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver being given priority and the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver being designated as the intended PHY receiver.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the classifier being communicatively coupled to a plurality of higher protocol layers; and
one of the plurality of higher protocol layers being a MAC (Medium Access Controller) or a higher application layer.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the plurality of PHY receivers being a DSSS/CCK (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum with Complementary Code Keying) PHY receiver for computing a correlation using the frame and a predetermined spreading sequence of a DSSS/CCK frame.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver for computing a correlation using the frame and a delayed copy of the frame; and
the delay between the frame and the delayed copy of the frame is a period of a training sequence of the frame.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the classifier, the plurality of PHY receivers, and the gain control block being implemented within a single integrated circuit within the apparatus.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver; and
the OFDM PHY receiver including ED (Energy Detect) functionality for calculating an energy of the frame
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus being at least one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a mobile unit, and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) interactive device.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of PHY (physical layer) receivers for pre-processing a frame;
a classifier for identifying an intended PHY receiver, from the plurality of PHY receivers, for processing the frame; and
a gain control block for scaling the frame using a first gain, corresponding to a range being appropriate for a majority of the PHY receivers, when the plurality of PHY receivers pre-processing the frame; and wherein:
the gain control block scaling the frame using a second gain, corresponding to a range being appropriate for the intended PHY receiver, when the intended PHY receiver processing the frame;
a first of the plurality of PHY receivers being a DSSS/CCK (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum with Complementary Code Keying) PHY receiver for computing a correlation using the frame and a predetermined spreading sequence of a DSSS/CCK frame; and
a second of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver for computing a correlation using the frame and a delayed copy of the frame such that the delay between the frame and the delayed copy of the frame is a period of a training sequence of the frame.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
each of the plurality of PHY receivers pre-processing the frame for calculating a confidence level indicating whether the frame being intended for that PHY receiver;
each of the plurality of PHY receivers calculating a respective confidence level being equal to or exceeding a threshold corresponding to that PHY receiver asserting a respective claim to the classifier;
when 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting claims to the classifier, the classifier arbitrating the claims and designating 1 of the 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers as being the intended PHY receiver;
when only 1 of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting a claim to the classifier, the classifier designating that 1 PHY receiver as being the intended PHY receiver;
the classifier asserting a PHY select signal to the intended PHY receiver;
the intended PHY receiver processing the frame; and
the intended PHY receiver asserting a PHY done signal to the classifier after the intended PHY receiver finishes processing the frame.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
a first of the plurality of PHY receivers being a DSSS/CCK (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum with Complementary Code Keying) PHY receiver;
a second of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver; and
when both the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver and the OFDM PHY receiver asserting a claim to the classifier, the claim asserted by the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver being given priority and the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver being designated as the intended PHY receiver.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the classifier, the plurality of PHY receivers, and the gain control block being implemented within a single integrated circuit within the apparatus.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the apparatus being at least one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a mobile unit, and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) interactive device.
16. A method for operating a communication device, the method comprising:
operating a plurality of PHY (physical layer) receivers for pre-processing a frame;
operating a classifier for identifying an intended PHY receiver, from the plurality of PHY receivers, for processing the frame;
scaling the frame using a first gain, corresponding to a range being appropriate for a majority of the PHY receivers, when operating the plurality of PHY receivers for pre-processing the frame; and
scaling the frame using a second gain when operating the intended PHY receiver for processing the frame.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the second gain corresponding to a range being appropriate for the intended PHY receiver.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
operating each of the plurality of PHY receivers pre-processing the frame for calculating a confidence level indicating whether the frame being intended for that PHY receiver;
from each of the plurality of PHY receivers calculating a respective confidence level being equal to or exceeding a threshold corresponding to that PHY receiver, asserting a respective claim to the classifier;
when 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting claims to the classifier, operating the classifier for arbitrating the claims and designating 1 of the 2 or more of the plurality of PHY receivers as being the intended PHY receiver;
when only 1 of the plurality of PHY receivers asserting a claim to the classifier, operating the classifier for designating that 1 PHY receiver as being the intended PHY receiver;
operating the classifier for asserting a PHY select signal to the intended PHY receiver;
operating the intended PHY receiver for processing the frame; and
operating the intended PHY receiver for asserting a PHY done signal to the classifier after the intended PHY receiver finishes processing the frame.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
a first of the plurality of PHY receivers being a DSSS/CCK (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum with Complementary Code Keying) PHY receiver; and
a second of the plurality of PHY receivers being an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) PHY receiver; and further comprising:
when both the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver and the OFDM PHY receiver asserting a claim to the classifier, giving priority to the claim asserted by the DSSS/CCK PHY and the designating the DSSS/CCK PHY receiver as the intended PHY receiver.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the communication device being at least one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a mobile unit, and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) interactive device.