Using information obtained from one wireless medium for communication in another wireless medium

The invention relates to facilitating the use of two or more wireless communication media in a device, and in particular to optimizing the operation of at least one wireless medium in the device using information from another wireless medium.

2. Background [0002] With the development of communication technologies, the use of wireless communication has gone from luxury to an integral part of modern society.

A wireless communication device (WCD) can communicate using a variety of media. Such communication networks can be used in various applications depending on the requirements of the given situation. Features that determine the appropriate network include the type of information to be transmitted, the expected transmission distance, required communication speed, information sensitivity (security), cost of use, number of sources / recipients, and so on.

[0003] Cellular networks support communication in large geographical areas. These network technologies were widely divided into generations, from the late 70s to the early 80s with first generation (1G) analog cell phones that provided basic voice communication, ending with modern digital cell phones. GSM is an example of the widely used 2G digital cellular network communicating in the 900 MHz / 1.8 GHz bands in Europe and 850 MHz and 1.9 GHz in the United States. This network provides voice communication and also supports the transmission of text data through the service of short text messages (SMS short messaging service). SMS enables WCD to send and receive text messages up to 160 characters, ensuring data transfer to packet network, ISDN and POTS users, at 9.6 kbps. The multimedia messaging service (MMS) has also become available on some devices multimedia messaging service), an extended messaging system enabling transmission, in addition to plain text, sound, image and video files. Soon emerging technologies such as broadcasting digital vision for mobile devices (DVB-H) digital video broadcasting for handheld devices) will provide streaming of digital video and other similar content directly to WCD. Although long-range communication networks such as GSM are well-recognized means of transmitting and receiving data due to cost, traffic and legislative concerns, these networks may not be suitable for all data applications.

[0004] Wireless short-range networks provide communication solutions that avoid some of the problems of large cellular networks. Bluetooth ™ is an example of short-range wireless technology that is quickly gaining recognition on the market. The Bluetooth ™ 1 Mb / s radio module can transmit and receive data at a speed of 720 kbps in a range of 10 meters and can transmit over distances up to 100 m with additional power boost. High speed transmission (EDR) technology also available enhanced data rate) may allow for maximum asymmetrical data rates of 1448 kb / s for a 2 Mb / s connection and 2178 kb / s for a 3 Mb / s connection. The user is not actively calling the Bluetooth ™ network. Instead, many devices within each other's range of activity can automatically form a network group called a "picosystem". Any device can promote itself to the parent device. master) of the picosnet, which allows it to control data exchanges with up to seven "active" slaves slaves) and 255 "parked" slaves. Active slaves exchange data based on the clock speed of the master device. Parked slaves monitor the beacon to keep synchronization with the master. These devices are constantly switching between different modes of active communication and energy saving for transmitting data to other members of the picnic. In addition to Bluetooth ™, other popular short-range wireless networks include WLAN (exemplified by local "Wi-Fi" access points communicating in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard), Wibree ™, WUSB, USB, ZigBee (802.15.4, 802.15.4a) and UHF RFID. All these wireless media have features and benefits that make them suitable for a variety of applications.

[0005] Recently, manufacturers have also started introducing various resources to provide extended functionality to WCD (e.g. components and software for performing wireless information exchanges in close proximity). Sensors and / or scanners can be used to read visual or electronic information into the device. The operation may involve a user holding his WCD near a target, aiming his WCD at an object (for example, to take a picture), or moving the device over a printed tag or document. Short-range communication techniques include machine-readable media such as radio frequency identification (RFID). radio frequency identification), infrared communication (IR) infra-red), optical character recognition (OCR) optical character recognition) and various other types of visual, electronic and magnetic scanning used to quickly enter desired information into the WCD without the need for manual input by the user.

[0006] Although short-range communication networks such as Bluetooth ™ and WLAN may be convenient, they may have somewhat limited use due to the unregulated nature of their work. For example, interference generated by many apparatus that are close to each other and emit signals operating in the same frequency range is a known problem in the art. Especially because wireless media such as Bluetooth ™ and WLAN work in an unlicensed band

-3 frequencies, other systems emitting radio waves in this band (for example, other short-range wireless radio networks, electronic emissions from microwave ovens, electrical systems and the like) may cause background noise. This may limit the number of channels on which the wireless communication medium can operate. In addition, interference from the close operation of other signal sources when communicating on one or more radio channels may result in packet loss, which may require retransmission of this lost information, and overall limitation of the performance of the wireless communication medium.

[0007] This performance impact may occur in terms of speed, quality, energy saving and so on. For example, wireless communication media that do not have the ability to quickly identify communication channels on which potential target devices (e.g. access points or other wireless devices) operate, and / or the ability to exclude problematic communication channels, must scan all potential communication channels, regardless of current channel status. The time and energy required to scan each channel in the allowed bandwidth can then become a permanent time and power load that can, in some cases, be considered a waste of resources when no available channel or any other device within effective range exists communication medium wireless communication.

[0008] In the related state of the art, EP 1744571 A1 discloses an approach with the aim of improving the overall radio traffic bandwidth in a radio communication area in a radio communication environment in which many types of mixed radio communication systems are used in an adjacent radio communication area. When the multi-mode control station communicates with the terminal station through the network through many types of communication systems, the section collecting communication link parameter collects parameters indicating the states of the communication links. The resource allocation that determines the section determines the allocation of communication resources for which the bandwidth is highest for each resource allocation period by parameter. The communication control section controls the multi-mode communication unit according to the determination result. Also, in the related state of the art, WO 2007/036687 A1 discloses a communication device comprising: a first communication system for transmitting and / or receiving signals in accordance with the first protocol; a second communication system for transmitting and receiving signals in accordance with the second protocol, the second protocol has this convenience, that the receiver can point to the transmitter, that he is unresponsive, the transmitter may have the data transmission to the receiver suspended, when he is in a state of non-reaction; signal activity detector for detecting signal activity of the first protocol; and a control unit responsive to the signal activity detector, to cause a second communication system to indicate that he is unresponsive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The invention relates to a method according to claim 1, a device according to claim 5 and a computer program according to claim 10. The invention may at least include a method, device, computer program and system for using operating information obtained by a wireless medium to optimize the operation of another wireless medium. In various embodiments, the invention may use channel state information collected as part of a standard operation of a wireless communication medium including interference avoidance capability such as Bluetooth ™ with Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH). adaptive frequency hopping), to modify the operation of at least one other wireless communication medium (e.g. WLAN). Modifying the action may include activities such as specifying a scan list of potential communication channels to be scanned, specifying a scanning order for the list of potential communication channels based on, for example, the probability that the channel is currently being used by the target device and / or changing the scan rate for one or more communication channels.

[0010] In at least one configuration, the invention may be implemented on a WCD comprising the ability to work using multiple simultaneously operating wireless communication media. At least one wireless communication medium may measure different potential communication channels to determine if any other signals are currently using the channel. If a communication channel is available, resources on the WCD supporting a wireless communication medium may indicate that the channel is usable. If it is determined that the channel contains interference, it may be marked as bad. This measurement can occur for all channels in a given bandwidth and the channels marked as usable can then be expressed as a map of the channels to be used with the AFH communication scheme.

[0011] Further examples of the invention may introduce the ability to classify the type of interference occurring on a channel. This classification may include characterizing the type of interference as applicable to other wireless communication media also used in WCD. Channels identified as possibly containing communication signals can be included in the list of channels to be scanned. According to various embodiments of the invention, the channels from the scanning channel list can also be sorted to facilitate faster connection setup, which in turn can save both time and energy in the device. Furthermore, if it is determined that the channel is free of interference, or a different classification of the wireless signal is determined (e.g. simple electronic interference from a non-communication device), then in WCD you can adjust the scanning speed for other wireless communication media. For example, the scan speeds may be reduced for channels indicated as containing no signal or unidentified signals to save power in the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0012] The invention can be better understood from the following detailed description including various illustrative embodiments, in combination with the accompanying figures, of which:

Fig. 1A discloses an exemplary method of classifying channels according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1B discloses an exemplary flowchart for a method for classifying channels according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 discloses an exemplary modular representation of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 discloses an exemplary functional representation of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 discloses an exemplary description of the operation of a wireless communication device using a wireless communication medium according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 discloses an example in which interference occurs when using multiple radio modems simultaneously in the same wireless communication device.

Fig. 6A discloses an exemplary structural description of a wireless communication device comprising a multi-radio modem driver according to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6B discloses a more detailed structural diagram of Fig. 6A including a multiple radio modem driver and radio modems.

Fig. 6C discloses an exemplary operational description of a wireless communication device comprising a multiple radio modem driver according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7A discloses a flowchart of sharing information on a state of a communication channel according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7B discloses exemplary diagrams of a radio module communication structure according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7C discloses a functional diagram for sharing communication channel state information according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 discloses an example representation of the effect of sharing communication channel state information on a wireless communication medium according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Although the invention has been described in various demonstrative embodiments, various changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.

AND. Working environment for the basic wireless network [0014] Fig. 1A shows the short-range communication working environment. For simplicity, the Bluetooth ™ network is presented; however, the invention is not specifically limited to the particular wireless communication medium shown and can be applied to any wireless network implemented in similar ways or usable for similar applications. For example, fig. 1A discloses WCD 100 communicating via Bluetooth ™ with slave 102. A slave device may include, but is not limited to, an input device (e.g., headset, keyboard and the like), output device (e.g., printer), data storage device and so on.

[0015] The full Bluetooth ™ communication bandwidth is divided into 79 channels shifted by 1 MHz, starting at 2.402 MHz and ending at 2480 MHz. Bluetooth ™ uses spread frequency hopping spectrum, with the pixel selecting a new channel after each 625 μs time slot. Exemplary communication channels shown in Fig. 1A may include either the indication "G" indicating that a particular communication channel was considered "good" (for example, suitable for use by a particular communication medium, wireless, 'B' indicating that a particular communication channel has been classified as "bad" due to another communication signal identified as using the channel, or "UN" meaning "unknown" for measured channels, in which operational status may be uncertain or impossible to determine (e.g. there, where the signal cannot be identified or can only occupy the channel occasionally). At the time shown by Fig. 1A slave device 102 being the headset and the master communication module in WCD 100 can communicate on any of channels 0, 1, 3-4, 6-7 and so on, starting from channel 0. In the configured time slot (625 μs) devices can jump to the next channel (e.g. channel 1).

[0016] Since the band assigned to Bluetooth ™ is in the public spectrum, electronic emissions of various other devices may cause interference in the pixel network. In this example, the WLAN device 120 operates on a public bandwidth of 23 MHz also available for use by the pixel network. Any Bluetooth ™ transmission on the channels currently used by the WLAN may be lost due to interference caused by the 120 WLAN device. As a result, the master / slave will be forced to retransmit information, which will cause both the possibility of information loss and a slowdown in overall system performance. This may also cause interference caused by non-communication emissions, such as a microwave 130 or any other device 140 that may emit radio waves in the band used by Bluetooth ™. However, the loss of one or more communication channels can not be overly problematic for the network, because - at least

-7 for Bluetooth ™ - it is required that at least 20 available channels out of a total of 79 available channels be used in the picos.

[0017] In the case of Bluetooth ™, any device has the potential to be a parent or slave device. A pixel is created when one device connects to another device and they "jump" together through a pseudo-random channel pattern dictated by the host device. A connection is established when one device transmits a "query" message to identify other devices compatible with the transmission, or a "call" message requesting the creation of a pixel network with another device. In response to a "query" message, the master receives global identification from all devices equipped with a Bluetooth ™ radio modem within the transmission distance. The master device can then transmit a frequency hop synchronization (FHS) packet to the desired device using its global identification number. The FHS packet contains information (hopping pattern, clock shift and so on) enabling slaves and master to hop from one frequency to another at the same time, ensuring that information is always transmitted from one member of the network and received by another member of the network at the same frequency . The slave will also receive the address of the active member (AMA) active member address), allowing other devices in the network to address it. Radio modems that are in the picos but not currently active will receive the address of the parked member (PMA). parked member address), or can be addressed via their Bluetooth ™ device address (BD_ADDR).

[0018] Ideally, the Bluetooth ™ pixel works over the entire 79-channel spectrum. However, as discussed above, environmental noise can cause interference on some of these channels. The Bluetooth ™ 1.2 specification introduced the idea of ​​adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) adaptive frequency hopping) to avoid interference and improve overall system performance. In AFH, the master and / or slave detect interference on different channels, and the results are compiled by the master to create a channel map. The channel map allows the master device to exclude experiencing channel interference from the channel hopping list, thereby significantly reducing the risk of transmission loss due to environmental noise.

[0019] Fig. 1B discloses a flowchart of an exemplary usable channel evaluation method with at least one embodiment of the invention. At step 150, the need for a Bluetooth ™ wireless connection may be recognized. Such a need may be created, for example, by an application working on WCD 100, manual configuration in WCD 100 set by the user activating Bluetooth ™ and so on. The communication channel may then be measured in step 152 to determine if any interference is present. Disturbances on the communication channel can be determined in many ways. For example, you can use the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to classify channels received signal strength indication) and error-based methods, or hybrids thereof. IN

For example of an RSSI based methodology, the channel can be measured when the device is not receiving or transmitting data. This method can also be used on channels that have already been classified as "good" in the current AFH_Channel_Map map to verify that the channel is still clean. If the background RSSI is determined to be high, there may be interference on the channel and the channel may be rated as "bad". In error-based methods, the received message packets can be checked to determine their status. Methods for error-based classification may include, for example, packet error rate, bit error rate, errors in the access code, header or block of data. Errors in different parts of the package can have different weights. In at least one system using the invention, an error in the packet header can be considered worse than an error in a data block that has no forward error correction. An example of a hybrid method according to at least one embodiment of the invention may use methods based on packet error on the channel currently used by the wireless communication medium, and methods based on RSSI on unused channels on which no packets are received.

[0020] Regardless of the specific type of signal detection methodology used, it can be determined in step 154 ​​if any activity occurs on the measured channel. If no activity is detected, then at step 156 the channel can be classified as "good". Alternatively, some signal activity may be detected on the channel. In situations where signal activity can be detected on the channel, the WCD may also include the ability to identify the type or source of the signal, as disclosed in optional method steps 158-160 (e.g., stages represented by a dotted contour). This identification may be able to classify the signal type as associated with a specific wireless communication medium (e.g. WLAN signal) and / or potentially the significance of the detected signal activity for such cases where, for example, the signal does not appear to be a communication signal, as in the case of emission electronic from a microwave oven, electric cables and so on. The WCD 100 may also be able to identify the source of the detected signal activity. Such classification information can then be used in steps 160 and 162 or to classify the measured signal activity as "unknown" in step 160 if the signal cannot be reliably identified (e.g., when the measured signal activity cannot be identified or it can only sporadically occupy channel), or as "bad" in step 162, if the signal can be classified, e.g, as a communication signal from another wireless communication medium, disruption, desirable wireless signal with insufficient strength, wireless communication medium already working with the maximum allowable use and so on.

[0021] The previously discussed assessment can be continued for each available channel in the authorized operating spectrum until it is determined in step 164 that all channels have been measured. Then, the method can use the channel evaluation results to create a channel map in step 166. The channel map may consist of some or all of the channels previously classified as good and can be used by a specific medium of wireless communication, in this example it is Bluetooth ™, for

- 9 engaging in communication at step 168. As with Bluetooth ™ operation, the WCD 100 can communicate using AFH using a channel map so that the master device and any wirelessly occupied client devices can jump from one communication channel to another in a pattern known to all network devices. The method of measuring the channel can be continued at step 170 until, for example, the original communication requirement is met. Once fulfilled, the method may return to step 150 and wait for another communication requirement.

II. Wireless communication device [0022] The invention can be implemented using a variety of wireless communication devices. It is therefore important to understand the communication tools available to the user before discovering the invention. For example, for mobile telephony or other hand-held wireless devices, integrated device data handling capabilities play an important role in facilitating operations between transmitting and receiving devices.

[0023] Fig. 2 discloses an exemplary modular arrangement of a wireless communication device usable with the invention. WCD 100 has been broken down into modules representing the functional aspects of the device. These functions can be performed by various combinations of software and / or hardware components discussed below.

[0024] The control module 210 regulates the operation of the device. Input data may be received from various other modules included in WCD 100. For example, interference detection module 220 may use various methods known in the art to detect sources of environmental interference in the effective transmission range of a wireless communication device. The control module 210 interprets these data inputs, and in response, can issue control commands to other modules in the WCD 100.

[0025] The communication module 230 covers all aspects of WCD 100 communication. As shown in fig. 2, communication module 230 may include, for example, long range communication module 232, short range communication module 234 and short range communication module 236 (NFC). near field communication). The communication module 230 may use one or more slave modules to receive many different types of communication from both local and remote sources, and to transmit data to receiving devices within the WCD 100 transmission range. The communication module 230 may be triggered by the control module 210 or by local control resources for the module responding to detected messages, environmental influences and / or other devices in the vicinity of the WCD 100.

[0026] The user interface module 240 includes visual, sound and tactile elements that can enable the user to receive data from and enter data into the device. User input data can be interpreted by the control module 210 to influence the behavior of WCD 100. User input can also be transmitted by the communication module 230 to other devices within the effective transmission range. Other devices within transmission range

They can also send information to WCD 100 via communication module 230 and control module 210 may cause this information to be sent to user interface module 240 for presentation to the user.

[0027] The application module 250 includes all other hardware and / or software applications in the WCD 100. These applications may include sensors, interfaces, tools, interpreters, data applications and the like and may be triggered by the control module 210 for reading information provided by various modules and in turn provide information to requesting modules in WCD 100.

[0028] Fig. 3 discloses an exemplary WCD 100 structural system according to an embodiment of the invention that can be used to implement the functionality of the modular system described previously in Fig. 2. The processor 300 controls the overall operation of the device. As shown in fig. 3 the processor 300 is connected to one or more communication sections 310, 320 and 340. The processor 300 may be implemented by means of one or more microprocessors, each of which is able to execute software instructions stored in memory 330.

[0029] Memory 330 may include random access memory (RAM). random access memory), read-only memory (ROM) read only memory) and / or flash memory, and store information in the form of data and software components (also called modules here). Data stored by memory 330 can be associated with specific software components. In addition, the data may be associated with databases, such as a bookmark database or a business planning database, emails and the like.

[0030] The software elements stored by the memory 330 include instructions that can be executed by the processor 300. Various types of software components can be stored in memory 330. For example, memory 330 may store software elements that control the operation of communication sections 310, 320 and 340. Memory 330 can also store software components including a firewall, service manager, facility database, user interface manager and any communication tool modules required to support WCD 100.

[0031] Long range communication 310 performs functions related to the exchange of information in large geographical areas (such as cellular networks) via an antenna. These communication methods include technologies from 1G to 3G described earlier. In addition to basic voice communication (e.g., via GSM), long-range communication 310 can be used to set up data communication sessions, such as sessions of general packet-based radio communication (GPRS) and / or universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) sessions. In addition, the long range communication 310 can be used to transmit and receive messages such as short message service (SMS) messages and multimedia message service (MMS) messages.

[0032] As a subset of long range communication 310, or alternatively working as an independent module separately connected to the processor 300, transmission receiver 312

11 enables the WCD 100 to receive broadcast messages via media such as broadcasting digital video for portable devices (DVB-H). These transmissions can be coded so that only specific receiving devices can access the transmitted content, and may contain textual, audio or video information. In at least one example, WCD 100 may receive these transmissions and use the information contained in the transmission signal to determine whether the device has permission to view the received content.

[0033] Short-range communication 320 is responsible for functions involving the exchange of information in short-range wireless networks. As described above and shown in Fig. 3, examples of such short range 320 communications are not limited to Bluetooth ™, WLAN, UWB and wireless USB connections. Accordingly, short range communication 320 performs functions associated with establishing short range connections, as well as processing regarding the transmission and reception of information over such connections.

[0034] Short range communication (NFC) 340 also shown in Fig. 3, can provide functionality for the scanning of machine readable short range data. For example, the processor 300 may control the elements in NFC 340 to generate RF signals to activate the RFID transponder, and may in turn control the reception of signals from the RFID transponder. Other methods of short-range scanning for reading machine-readable data, which can be supported by NFC 340 include, but they are not limited to IR communication line and two-dimensional (e.g. QR) barcode readers (including methods related to UPC label interpretation) and optical character recognition devices for magnetic reading, UV conductive or other types of encoded data, which can be provided on the tag using the appropriate ink. for the NFC 340 to scan the above types of machine-readable data, the input device may include optical detectors, magnetic detectors, CCDs or other sensors known in the art for interpreting machine-readable information.

[0035] As also shown in Fig. 3, the user interface 350 is also connected to the processor 300. The user interface 350 facilitates the exchange of information with the user. FIG. 3 shows that the user interface 350 includes a user input 360 and a user output 370. User input 360 may include one or more elements that allow the user to enter information. Examples of such elements include keyboards, touch screens and microphones. User exit 370 allows the user to receive information from the device. Thus, user output portion 370 may include various elements such as a display, light emitting diodes (LEDs). light emitting diodes), touch emitters and one or more speakers. Exemplary displays include liquid crystal displays (LCDs). liquid crystal displays) or other video displays.

[0036] WCD 100 may also include one or more transponders 380. This is a substantially passive device that can be programmed by the processor 300 with information to

-12 delivery in response to an external source scan. For example, an RFID scanner mounted in the input may continuously emit radio frequency waves. When a person with a device containing a transponder 380 passes through the door, the transponder is excited and can respond with information identifying the device, person, and so on. In addition, the scanner can be mounted (e.g., as discussed earlier with reference to examples of NFC 340) in WCD 100, so that it can read information from other transponders nearby.

[0037] The accessories corresponding to communication sections 310, 312, 320 and 340 provide the ability to transmit and receive signals. Accordingly, these parts may include components (e.g., electronics) that perform functions such as modulation, demodulation, gain and filtering. These parts may be controlled locally or controlled by the processor 300 in accordance with the software communication elements stored in memory 330.

[0038] The elements shown in fig. 3 can be established and combined in accordance with various techniques to create the functionality described in Fig. 2. One such technique involves connecting separate hardware components corresponding to processor 300, communication sections 310, 312 and 320, memory 330, NFC 340, user interface 350, transponder 380 and so on via one or more bus interfaces (which can be wired and wireless interfaces bus). Alternatively, any and / or all individual components can be replaced by an integrated circuit in the form of a programmable logic device, gate array, ASIC, multiple integrated circuit module and so on, programmed to replicate the functions of standalone devices. In addition, these elements are connected to a power source, such as a removable and / or rechargeable battery (not shown).

[0039] The user interface 350 may interact with a programming element of the communication tools, also included in the memory 330, which provides means for setting up service sessions using the long range communication 310 and / or the short range communication 320. An element of communication tools may include various procedures that allow the reception of services from remote devices in accordance with media such as the wireless application medium (WAP). wireless application medium), variants of hypertext markup language (HTML - hypertext markup language) such as compact HTML (CHTML) Compact HTML) and so on.

III. Exemplary operation of the wireless communication device including encountering potential interference problems [0040] Fig. 4 discloses the approach used to understand the operation of WCD according to at least one embodiment of the invention. At the upper level 400 can interact with WCD 100. Such interoperability may include entering information by the user through user input 360 and receiving information from user exit 370 to activate functionality at application level 410. At the application level, programs related to specific functionality in the device work together

-13 with both the user and the system level. These programs include applications for visual information (e.g., web browser, DVB-H receiver and so on), audio information (e.g., mobile phone, voicemail, conference software, word processing, planning and so on) or other information processing. Actions initiated at application level 410 may require sending or receiving information to WCD 100. In the example of Fig. 4 there is a request to send data to the receiving device via Bluetooth ™ communication. As a result, application level 410 may then call system-level resources to initiate the requested data processing and routing.

[0041] System level 420 processes data requests and routes data for transmission. Processing may include, for example, calculating, translating, transforming and / or packaging data. The information can then be routed to the appropriate communication resource at the service level. If the requested communication resource is active and available at the 430 service level, the packets can be routed to the radio modem for delivery via wireless transmission. There may be many modems working on different wireless media. For example, in fig. 4 the modem is active and can send packets using Bluetooth ™ communication. However, the radio modem (as a hardware resource) does not have to be dedicated only to a specific wireless medium, and can be used for various types of communication depending on the requirements of the wireless medium and the hardware characteristics of the radio modem.

[0042] Fig. 5 discloses a situation in which the above-described exemplary operating methods can cause more than one modem to become active. In this case, WCD 100 both transmits and receives information via wireless communication through many media. WCD 100 can interact with various slave devices such as those grouped in 500. For example, these devices may include cell phones communicating via long range wireless communication such as GSM, wireless headsets communicating via Bluetooth ™, internet access points communicating via WLAN and so on.

[0043] Problems can occur when some or all of these communications occur simultaneously. As also shown in fig. 5, many modems working simultaneously can cause mutual interference. This situation can be encountered when the WCD 100 communicates with more than one external device (as described earlier). In the extreme example case, devices with modems communicating simultaneously via Bluetooth ™, WLAN and wireless USB would encounter significant overlap because all these wireless media operate in the 2.4 GHz band. Interference, represented as an overlapping portion of the fields shown in Fig. 5 would cause packet loss and the need to retransmit those lost packets. Retransmission requires that future time slots be used to retransmit lost information and therefore overall communications performance will be at least limited unless the signal is completely lost. The invention, according to at least one embodiment, attempts to optimize communication in one or

-14 more wireless media by prioritizing the order of communication channels to be scanned, or even by narrowing the number of communication channels to be scanned, and potentially adjusting the scan speed for those channels to improve locating the desired signal faster while avoiding simultaneous signal activity with interfering signal sources. As a result, the desired wireless connection can be set up faster, and the time allocated to other systems using the same medium in the same terminal with multiple radio modems can be maximized (for example, because the scan time needed to find the right communication channel can be shortened, more time is left for other systems that - for example - use the same antenna and cannot work exactly simultaneously, and so on).

IV. Wireless communication device comprising a controller for multiple radio modems [0044] In an attempt to better manage communication in WCD 100, an additional driver dedicated to wireless communication management can be introduced. WCD 100, shown in fig. 6A, includes the multiple radio modem (MRC) controller 600 according to at least one embodiment of the invention. MRC 600 is connected to the main WCD 100 control system. This connection allows the MRC 600 to communicate with radio modems or other similar devices in communication modules 310, 312, 320 and 340 via the main operating system in WCD 100.

[0045] Fig. 6B discloses in detail at least one embodiment of WCD 100, which may include as introduced in Fig. 6A, multiple radio modem (MRC) controller 600 according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. MRC 600 includes a common interface 620 through which information can be sent or received by the master control system 640. Radio modems 610 and other devices 630 in the present disclosure may also be referred to as "modules" because they may contain supporting hardware and / or software resources in addition to the modem itself. These resources may include control, interface and / or processing resources. For example, each radio modem 510 or similar communication device 630 (e.g., an RFID scanner for scanning machine readable information) may also include some type of common interface 620 for communicating with the main control system 640. As a result, all information, commands and the like occurring between radio modems 610, similar devices 630 and MRC 600 are transferred by the communication resources of the main control system 640. The possible effect of sharing communication resources with all other functional modules in WD 100 will be discussed with reference to Fig. 6C.

[0046] Fig. 6C discloses an operating diagram similar to Fig. 4 containing an effect of MRC 600 according to at least one embodiment of the invention. In this system, the MRC 600 can receive operational data from the main WCD 100 operating system, such as applications running at application level 410, and status data from various radio communications devices at the 430 service level. MRC 600 can use this information to

- issuing 430 scheduling commands to communication devices at service level in an attempt to avoid communication problems.

V. Sharing information between wireless communication media [0047] The invention, in at least one embodiment, can optimize the operation of a wireless communication medium that may not naturally include performance optimization capabilities. Such optimization can be persisted by sharing information between resources supporting wireless communication in WCD 100. Because there are various mechanisms for sharing information, the invention is not limited to any one hardware and / or software configuration needed for implementation. For example, one management mechanism in MRC 600 interacts with different 610 radio modems or other 630 communication devices. However, the invention can also be implemented through firmware embedded in the radio modems themselves. In this example configuration, one radio module can serve as an information provider for another radio module that uses information to optimize operation. In addition, there are also other special operating architectures, for example, such as software modules running on WCD 100 and the like.

[0048] Fig. 7A illustrates an exemplary method of using information collected by one wireless communication medium to optimize the operation of another wireless communication medium according to at least one embodiment of the invention. Steps 150 to 166 are identical to the stages discussed earlier in relation to Figs. 1B. This is because the operation of the wireless communication medium providing information to another wireless communication medium cannot be affected except for providing communication channel state information to another wireless communication medium in step 164. With reference to the disclosed example, Bluetooth ™ can easily classify channels using measurement information. Although for Bluetooth ™ purposes it is generally sufficient to know which channels to avoid, AFH algorithms can analyze the type of interference unit (for example, WLAN or microwave oven). In addition, RSSI interference information may be available. Thus, after performing and analyzing the measurements, Bluetooth ™ knows on which channels the interfering units are present and perhaps knows the type of interfering unit (for example, on which channel there may be interfering WLAN traffic).

[0049] The previously discussed information regarding the state of the communication channel may be received in step 700 via a subordinate wireless communication medium in this particular example of WLAN. If WLAN is not currently active (e.g., there are no requirements for WLAN communication), then in step 700 the method flow may return to the Bluetooth ™ method flow in step 168. However, if WLAN is active, information received from the main communication medium (e.g., Bluetooth ™) can be used in step 702. At this stage, if the communication channels indicated as bad by the main wireless communication medium were further identified as possibly containing signal activity related to

With the slave wireless communication medium, then this channel information may be used in step 704.

[0050] In steps 704 and 706, channel status information received from the primary wireless communication medium may be used to optimize the operation of the secondary wireless communication medium. Such optimization can be implemented to change the attributes of the WCD 100 behavior in relation to the secondary wireless communication medium. For example, when the results of Bluetooth ™ channel measurements were transferred in some form from resources in WCD 100 supporting Bluetooth ™ to WLAN, resources supporting WLAN in WCD 100 can analyze data and define scan parameters based on the results. In cases where the type of interference has been identified, the WLAN may create a scan list of channels for scanning via a 610 WLAN modem when scanning is required. Such a scan list may, for example, contain a subset of all available communication channels for which it has been determined that they can potentially contain a WLAN communication signal.

[0051] Furthermore, various embodiments of the invention may also modify the WLAN scanning operation with respect to triggering channel scans, sequence and / or frequency, implemented alone or in combination with the above exemplary creation of the scan list. For example, channels that are more likely to have WLAN traffic (e.g., channels with possible WLAN signal activity) may be given priority (e.g., be scanned first or earlier) as specified in step 704, and channels that appear empty may be scanned later or even skipped. In addition, scanning can be triggered (e.g. activated or deactivated) for a specific channel based on the determination of the signal activity on the channel. This term can also be used to control the frequency (e.g., scan speed) for different channels. For example, the channel scan rate can be increased for channels containing signal activity to speed up the connection, and can be reduced in a situation where there is no signal activity for saving resources in WCD 100. At step 706, the scanning of the WLAN channel can begin either in standard form (from step 702) or in modified form (from step 704). When a suitable AP is found during scanning, scanning can be interrupted and WLAN communication may continue. After completion, the method can be restarted at step 700.

[0052] In further examples of the invention, if the interference RSSI information is available from interference channels, it may be used to set the order of the first scanned channels, i.e. the channel with the highest RSSI is scanned first. This can happen when Bluetooth ™ has detected many interfering units that may be WLAN. If the RSSI interference on the reported channel is below the limit value (for example, the WLAN signal source may be too far away), WLAN support in the WCD 100 may decide not to include this channel among the scan channels first. In addition, the RSSI value can be used to set the polling request transmission power. If the reported RSSI interference is large, WLAN may be nearby

The sounding request may be transmitted with less power, which optimizes energy consumption.

[0053] When the WLAN modem 610 is not connected to another device, it can perform periodic search (for example, every five minutes). However, if the WLAN support resources in the WCD 100 know that Bluetooth ™ is active and that Bluetooth ™ has performed a reliable channel classification that has not detected interference that can be classified as WLAN related, the WCD 100 may adjust the WLAN scan speed. For example, in response to Bluetooth ™ not detecting activity on scanned channels, the WCD 100 may less frequently perform a WLAN search (for example, the host initiates a scan every ten minutes instead of every five minutes). In addition, if the WLAN support resources in the WCD 100 receive fresh information about Bluetooth ™ interference that clearly indicates the possible activity of the WLAN signal on at least one communication channel, the WCD 100 may change the WLAN scan to increase the scan speed.

[0054] In a specific example of optimization involving the adjustment of scanning speed, consider a scenario in which the periodic WLAN scan shows no results (e.g. using approximately 5 minutes of scanning frequency) followed by almost immediately AFH Bluetooth ™ scanning (e.g. 30 seconds later). In this case, it is not very likely that the signal activity identified by AFH Bluetooth ™ is really caused by a nearby WLAN device, so there is no need to change the WLAN scanning frequency. In addition, AFH Bluetooth ™ scans usually occur more often than WLAN, so significant operational activities can be based on detecting changes in the activity of channels scanned during AFH Bluetooth ™ operations. In other words, if no networks were detected during the WLAN scan and the AFH Bluetooth ™ scan indicates the same, then the frequency of the WLAN scan can be reduced (e.g. to one every 10 minutes) to save energy and / or processing resources. Later, when AFH Bluetooth measures signal activity indicating a potential WLAN, this information can be used to trigger an immediate WLAN scan and / or to increase the frequency of the WLAN scan (e.g. once every 5 minutes starting from a new scan reference point). If RSSI signal measurement is available, specific triggers for adjusting the WLAN scan rate may be rejected in situations where, for example, the RSSI value for the detected signal is determined to be so small that a potential WLAN source can be considered outside of the reliable range of the WLAN communication.

[0055] Fig. 7B shows example architectures that can be used according to various embodiments of the invention. Architecture 720 discloses a master wireless communication module 722 comprising "S" scan resources 724 coupled to a slave wireless communication module 726 with a "U" module 728 for using channel activity information. Although only the slave wireless communication module 726 is shown, the invention is not as such limited because the information provided by the master

- 722 wireless communication module can be used by one or more consuming wireless communication modules. In this example configuration, each radio module may include hardware and / or software integrated in each module supporting "S" 724 resources and "U" 728 resources.

[0056] An exemplary implementation of it depicted at 730 in Fig. 7B can be used instead of or in conjunction with 720 architecture. Architecture 730 transfers "S" resources 724 and "U" resources 728 to module 734. Module 734 can be implemented as a separate control element that can receive channel activity information from the wireless master module 732 that can be processed to determine a limited channel scan list for the slave wireless module 736. For example, module 734 can receive indication information from various resources supporting the first wireless communication medium (e.g., channel measurement and / or identification resources supporting Bluetooth ™ in WCD 100 and / or other wirelessly connected devices) regardless of whether one or more Communication channels are usable by the first wireless communication medium. Then module 734 may in turn use indication information to determine the mode of operation for at least one other wireless communication medium to control the operation of at least one other wireless communication medium (e.g., WLAN). These instructions may modify the operation of at least one other wireless communication medium, for example, they may prioritize the communication channel scan order, trigger channel scanning in the secondary wireless communication medium, change the scan speed for one or more communication channels, and so on.

[0057] Architecture 730 may be more suitable for use in specific device configurations, such as when the implementation of at least one embodiment of the invention is desired in a device that uses standard or "commercially available" radio modules for the main communication module 732 radio and slave wireless communication module 736. In other words, the costs and / or loads associated with significant redesign of the element and / or device can be avoided by using a separate control module 734.

[0058] Fig. 7C discloses an example of operational information that can be provided by a Bluetooth ™ modem 750 ™ to a 756 WLAN host via a 754 Bluetooth host that can also receive channel activity information from an independent collector 752 interference information unit. The AFH_channel_map map alone cannot be a reliable source for determining WLAN channel information. The master device could create AFH_channel_map based on both the local channel classification and the channel classification provided by slaves connected to WCD 100, some of which are set to good based on the slave classification. This is because otherwise there would be too few channels in the map (for example, less than the required 20), or because only one slave classified the channel as bad, while other slaves classified this

-19 sam channel as good. Thus, local channel classification information and also preferably channel classifications provided from slave devices may be used.

[0059] When channel classification information and AFH_channel_map are evaluated in a host 756 WLAN, the host 756 WLAN may also take into account that the local Bluetooth channel classification may be based, in part, on cooperating information from within WCD 100 (e.g., information which host 754 Bluetooth ™ received a 756 WLAN from the host. However, this information would not be available to a Bluetooth ™ host if the 756 WLAN host is not associated with any AP (for example, WLAN is not currently active in WCD 100).

[0060] In addition to channel classification, the likely type of signal activity and channel map information, the Bluetooth ™ host 754 may also receive other useful information from the communication channels during measurements. For example, it may be useful to measure the signal strength (RSSI) of the interfering unit, rather than just marking a given channel as bad. The WCD 100 can then first scan the WLAN channels on which the AP appears closest (for example, those with the highest signal strength). The 754 Bluetooth ™ host can access new interference indications as shown in the examples of Fig. 7C, from a 750 Bluetooth ™ modem for example using new (custom) HCI commands. The 754 Bluetooth ™ host or some other unit can then evaluate the reported information to determine the type of interfering unit. In some cases, the interference unit type assessment may also be available from the 750 Bluetooth ™ modem.

[0061] Fig. 8 discloses an exemplary effect of a method according to at least one embodiment of the invention on a secondary wireless communication medium (e.g., a wireless communication medium that does not include any natural optimization capability). Host 200 and modem 802 show typical interaction between entities before using an embodiment of the invention. In this example, a periodic search of all channels in the designated bandwidth is performed until the appropriate response is received, for example from a WLAN AP. This search forced wasted expenditure of both time resources and power in an unoptimized methodology of "forcing" connection. "Brute force"). However, in another example of the 810 host and 812 modem, the number of potential WLAN communication channels to search for was significantly limited based on, for example, information provided by resources supporting the main wireless communication medium, e.g. Bluetooth ™. In addition, the scan list of potential WLAN communication channels can be arranged in the order shown in Fig. 8 to place channels that are more likely to represent WLAN communication closer to the beginning of the scan list. As a result of this method, there may be fewer communication channels to be scanned and the previously scanned channels represent the best candidates for WLAN communication, which may result in connecting to the real communication signal after scanning only one communication channel, as opposed to many channels that had to be scanned before improvements implemented by various embodiments of the invention. As a result, the operation of the secondary wireless communication medium can be optimized and the quantity

-20 time and energy expended for connection setup can be minimized and / or saved.

[0062] Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope and scope of the invention will not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments, but should be defined according to the following claims and their equivalents.