Dual-mode communication devices, methods and systems

1. 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 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 upon receiving a communication packet, receiving and verifying a data portion of the communication packet by maintaining communication in the current fixed-frequency channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication mode comprises: setting a current modulation protocol to a frequency shift keying (FSK) protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling communication in a fixed-frequency communication mode comprises: setting a current modulation protocol to an on-off keying (OOK) protocol.

4. 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;

switching to the second frequency channel; and

receiving the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel;

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;

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.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein synchronizing with a transmitter comprises: 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.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein enabling communication in a fixed-frequency communication protocol comprises enabling communication in a first modulation scheme, and wherein enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol comprises enabling communication in a second modulation scheme.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first modulation scheme is the same as the second modulation scheme.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first modulation scheme is an amplitude modulation scheme.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amplitude modulation scheme is an on-off keying (OOK) modulation scheme.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second modulation scheme is a frequency modulation scheme.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the frequency modulation scheme is a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation scheme.

12. 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 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;

switching to the second frequency channel; and

transmitting the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel;

determining whether to communicate in the spread-spectrum communication protocol or a fixed-frequency communication protocol;

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.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining comprises: 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.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: upon communicating the communication frame, receiving an acknowledgement response from the intended receiver; and updating the receiver address field of the intended receiver.

15. The method of claim 12 , 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 a first set of channels designated for spread-spectrum communication, and wherein the third frequency channel is one of a second set of channels designated for fixed-frequency communication.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein enabling communication in a fixed-frequency communication protocol comprises enabling communication in a first modulation scheme, and wherein enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol comprises enabling communication in a second modulation scheme.