System and method providing concurrent multimode communication
A system and method providing concurrent multimode communication through multimode signal multiplexing. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise, during a first time period, transmitting a first portion of a first communication in a first communication mode in a serial wireless transmission stream. During a second time period after the first time period, a first portion of a second communication may be transmitted in a second communication mode in the serial wireless transmission stream. Also, during a third time period after the second time period, a second portion of the first communication may be transmitted in the first communication mode in the serial wireless transmission stream. In an exemplary scenario, prior to communicating various communications, transmission time may be allocated between the first and second communication modes. In another exemplary scenario, transmission may be switched between a plurality of communication modes in response to detected communication conditions.
1. In a multimode communication system, a method for communicating information, the method comprising:
first directing a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration corresponding to communication in a first communication mode;
after said first directing, first waiting at least a first transient time period;
after said first waiting, first transmitting in a serial wireless transmission stream a first portion of a first communication in the first communication mode;
after said first transmitting, second directing the programmable radio to operate in a second configuration corresponding to communication in a second communication mode;
after said second directing, second waiting at least a second transient time period; and
after said second waiting, second transmitting in the serial wireless transmission stream a first portion of a second communication in the second communication mode.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
after said second transmitting, third directing the programmable radio to operate in the first configuration corresponding to communication in the first communication mode;
after said third directing, third waiting at least a third transient time period; and
after said third waiting, third transmitting in the serial wireless transmission stream a second portion of the first communication in the first communication mode.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first transient time period and the third transient time period are the same.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transient time period and the second transient time period are different.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transient time period is of a duration sufficient to ensure that the programmable radio has converged to a desired state before utilization of the programmable radio for communication in the first communication mode.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising, prior to said first transmitting and said second transmitting, allocating transmission time between the first and second communications.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein allocating transmission time between the first and second communications comprises allocating transmission time between the first and second communications based, at least in part, on communication priority.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein allocating transmission time between the first and second communications comprises allocating transmission time between the first and second communications based, at least in part, on power consumption.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein allocating transmission time between the first and second communications comprises allocating transmission time between the first and second communications based, at least in part, on carrier access requirements associated with the communication modes.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first communication mode corresponds to a first communication protocol and a first communication network; and
the second communication mode corresponds to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, and a second communication network different from the first communication network.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first directing a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration comprises programming a physical layer component to operate in accordance with the first communication mode.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first directing a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration comprises selecting a physical layer component dedicated to communicating in the first communication mode.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first directing a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration comprises waking a component of the multimode communication system that is associated with communicating in the first communication mode from a sleep state.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said second directing the programmable radio to operate in a second configuration comprises placing the component of the multimode communication system in the sleep state.
15. A multimode communication system comprising at least one module operable to, at least:
first direct a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration corresponding to communication in a first communication mode;
after said first directing, first wait at least a first transient time period;
after said first waiting, first transmit in a serial wireless transmission stream a first portion of a first communication in the first communication mode;
after said first transmitting, second direct the programmable radio to operate in a second configuration corresponding to communication in a second communication mode;
after said second directing, second wait at least a second transient time period; and
after said second waiting, second transmit in the serial wireless transmission stream a first portion of a second communication in the second communication mode.
16. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, at least:
after said second transmitting, third direct the programmable radio to operate in the first configuration corresponding to communication in the first communication mode;
after said third directing, third waiting at least a third transient time period; and
after said third waiting, third transmitting in the serial wireless transmission stream a second portion of the first communication in the first communication mode.
17. The multimode communication system of claim 16 , where the first transient time period and the third transient time period are the same.
18. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , where the first transient time period and the second transient time period are different.
19. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , where the first transient time period is of a duration sufficient to ensure that the programmable radio has converged to a desired state before utilization of the programmable radio for communication in the first communication mode.
20. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, prior to said first transmitting and said second transmitting, allocate transmission time between the first and second communications.
21. The multimode communication system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one module is operable to allocate transmission time between the first and second communications by, at least in part, operating to allocate transmission time between the first and second communications based, at least in part, on communication priority.
22. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , where:
the first communication mode corresponds to a first communication protocol and a first communication network; and
the second communication mode corresponds to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, and a second communication network different from the first communication network.
23. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one module is operable to first direct a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration by, at least in part, operating to program a physical layer component to operate in accordance with the first communication mode.
24. The multimode communication system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one module is operable to first direct a programmable radio to operate in a first configuration by, at least in part, operating to select a physical layer component dedicated to communicating in the first communication mode.