IP Library Granted Patent US 10,219,223
Granted Patent B2
US 10,219,223 · App. 14/676,762 · Granted Feb 26, 2019

Concurrent mode radio

Inventors: Lewis E. Adams, III (San Jose, CA); Pankaj Vyas (San Jose, CA); Alan J. Herring (San Jose, CA); Gregory Winner (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: GainSpan Corporation
H04W52/0261H04W4/80H04W76/16H04W48/18H04W84/12H04W84/18H04W88/06Y02D70/00Y02D70/142Y02D70/144Y02D70/162
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,219,223
App. No.
14/676,762
Granted
Feb 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a device and a wireless network. The device uses multiple wireless communication protocols. The wireless network is coupled to the device by the multiple wireless communication protocols. The device simultaneously uses two of more of the multiple wireless communication protocols. The wireless communication protocols and the wireless communication export protocols include WiFi, ZigBee and Bluetooth.

Claims (28)

1. A communications system, comprising:

a device configured to simultaneously communicate using a plurality of wireless communication protocols, in which each wireless communication protocol of the plurality of wireless communication protocols has a different physical layer address and a same upper layer address, wherein the device comprises a preferred list of protocols for communicating with an apparatus, and a wireless communication protocol of the plurality of wireless communication protocols is selected based on the preferred list; and

a wireless network connected to the device via the plurality of wireless communication protocols, in which the device simultaneously communicates using at least two wireless communication protocols from the plurality of wireless communication protocol,

wherein the device is further configured to disable a wireless communication protocol with a power usage that is greater than a threshold when a battery level of the device is less than a dynamic threshold configured by an application of the device.

2. The system of claim 1 , in which the plurality of wireless communication protocols comprises a long-range wireless communication protocol and a close-range wireless communication protocol.

3. The system of claim 2 , in which the long-range wireless communication protocol comprises WiFi and the close-range wireless communication protocol comprises ZigBee or Bluetooth.

4. The system of claim 1 , in which the device is directly coupled to the wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1 , in which the device is configured to communicate with a first apparatus with a first wireless communication protocol and a second apparatus with a second wireless communication protocol.

6. The system of claim 1 , in which the device is configured to communicate with a first apparatus with a first wireless communication protocol and also configured to communicate with the first apparatus with at least a second wireless communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1 , in which the device selects the at least two wireless communication protocols based on at least a power requirement, a data rate requirement, a signal strength, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , in which the device dynamically selects between either of the at least two wireless communication protocols.

9. The system of claim 1 , in which the device is further configured to broadcast a list of supported wireless communication protocols so that an apparatus can select one of the supported wireless communication protocols for communications with the device.

10. A method to communicate over wireless communication protocols, comprising:

receiving data concurrently, at a device, on at least two wireless communication protocols of a plurality of wireless communication protocols, in which each wireless communication protocol of the plurality of wireless communication protocols has a different physical layer address and a same upper layer address, wherein the device comprises a preferred list of protocols for communicating with an apparatus, and a wireless communication protocol of the plurality of wireless communication protocols is selected based on the preferred list;

performing actions based on the concurrently received data;

transmitting data concurrently, from the device, to a wireless network via the at least two wireless communication protocols; and

disabling a wireless communication protocol with a power usage that is greater than a threshold when a battery level is less than a dynamic threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , in which the at least two wireless communication protocols comprise a long-range wireless communication protocol and a close-range wireless communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which the long-range wireless communication protocol comprises WiFi and the close-range wireless communication protocol comprises ZigBee and Bluetooth.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising communicating with a first apparatus via a first wireless communication protocol and communicating with a second apparatus via a second wireless communication protocol.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising communicating with an apparatus on a first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting the at least two wireless communication protocols based at least on a power requirement, a data rate requirement, a signal strength, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising dynamically selecting between either of the at least two wireless communication protocols.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising broadcasting a list of supported wireless communication protocols so that a device can select one of the supported wireless communication protocols for communications.

18. A communications system, comprising:

a device configured to simultaneously communicate using a plurality of wireless communication protocols, which each wireless communication protocol of the plurality of wireless communication protocols has a different physical layer address and a same upper layer address, and wherein the device is further configured to broadcast a list of supported wireless communication protocols so that an apparatus can select one of the supported wireless communication protocols for communications with the device; and

a wireless network connected to the device via the plurality of wireless communication protocols, in which the device simultaneously communicates using at least two wireless communication protocols from the plurality of wireless communication protocols,

wherein the device is further configured to disable a wireless communication protocol with a power usage that is greater than a threshold when a battery level of the device is less than a dynamic threshold configured by an application of the device.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2017
From: SIGMA PARTNERS 7, L.P.
To: GAINSPAN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041943/0878 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2016
From: GAINSPAN CORPORATION
To: SIGMA PARTNERS 7, L.P.
Reel/Frame 040114/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2016
From: GAINSPAN CORPORATION
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 037805/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2015
From: ADAMS, LEWIS E; VYAS, PANKAJ; HERRING, ALAN J; WINNER, GREGORY
To: GAINSPAN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035316/0111 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62117660 · Feb 18, 2015
Related Publication 20160242222A1 · Aug 18, 2016