Coordination of multiple protocols using a shared communication medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for coordinating multiple protocols using a shared communication medium. Such a method and apparatus includes processing that begins by determining, by a first protocol module, that a second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium, wherein the second protocol module operates in accordance with a second protocol. The processing continues by transmitting, by the first protocol module, at least a segment of a frame, wherein the at least the segment of the frame includes an indication of a duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed, wherein the frame is in accordance with a first protocol. The processing continues by handing-off, by the first protocol module, access of the shared communication medium to the second protocol module for at least a portion of the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed such that the second protocol module has access to the shared communication medium with negligible interference from devices of the first protocol.

1 . A method for coordinating multiple protocols using a shared communication medium, the method comprises: 
 determining, by a first protocol module, that a second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium, wherein the second protocol module operates in accordance with a second protocol;    transmitting, by the first protocol module, at least a segment of a frame, wherein the at least the segment of the frame includes an indication of a duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed, wherein the frame is in accordance with a first protocol; and    handing-off, by the first protocol module, access of the shared communication medium to the second protocol module for at least a portion of the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed such that the second protocol module has access to the shared communication medium with negligible interference from devices of the first protocol.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining that the second module desires access to the shared communication medium comprises at least one of: 
 receiving a communication from the second protocol module indicating the desire to access the shared communication medium;    determining, on a periodic basis, that the second protocol module desires access based on an application supported by the second protocol module;    receiving from another protocol module that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium; and    determining, on a random basis, that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  comprises: 
 the transmitting the at least the segment of the frame including: 
 generating a preamble in accordance with the first protocol;  
 generating a header in accordance with the first protocol to include a frame length indication, wherein the frame length indication includes length of a data section of the frame; and  
 transmitting the preamble and the header as the at least the segment of the frame; and  
   the handing-off access to the shared communication medium including: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  comprises: 
 the transmitting the at least the segment of the frame including: 
 transmitting a preamble, a header, and a request-to-send as the at least the segment of the frame to an access point in accordance with the first protocol;  
 receiving a second preamble, a second header, and a clear-to-send from the access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein at least one of the request-to-send and the clear-to-send includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 transmitting a third preamble and a third header, wherein the third header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   the handing-off the access to the shared communication medium including: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  comprises: 
 the transmitting the at least the segment of the frame including: 
 receiving a preamble, a header, and a contention-free-poll from an access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein the contention-free-poll includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 transmitting a second preamble and a second header, wherein the second header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   the handing-off the access to the shared communication medium including: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  comprises: 
 the shared communication medium including at least one of: a wired network connection and a wireless network connection; and    each of the first and second protocols including a version of at least one of: Ethernet, SONET, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, TCP/IP, advanced mobile phone services (AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS), Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 (b), IEEE 802.11 (g), and IEEE 802.11 (n).    
   
   
       7 . A multiple protocol communication device comprises: 
 transceiving module operably coupled to convert outbound signals into transmit signals and to convert receive signals into inbound signals in accordance with at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol, wherein the transmit signals and the receive signals are conveyed via a shared communication medium;    a first protocol module operably coupled to the transceiving module; and    a second protocol module operably coupled to the first protocol module and to the transceiving module, wherein the first protocol module functions to: 
 determine that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium, wherein the second protocol module operates in accordance with a second protocol;  
 generate the outbound signals to include at least a segment of a frame, wherein the at least the segment of the frame includes an indication of a duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed, wherein the frame is in accordance with a first protocol; and  
 hand-off access of the shared communication medium to the second protocol module for at least a portion of the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed such that the second protocol module has access to the shared communication medium with negligible interference from devices of the first protocol.  
   
   
   
       8 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol module determines that the second module desires access to the shared communication medium comprises at least one of: 
 receiving a communication from the second protocol module indicating the desire to access the shared communication medium;    determining, on a periodic basis, that the second protocol module desires access based on an application supported by the second protocol module;    receiving from another protocol module that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium; and    determining, on a random basis, that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium.    
   
   
       9 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 generating a preamble in accordance with the first protocol;  
 generating a header in accordance with the first protocol to include a frame length indication, wherein the frame length indication includes length of a data section of the frame; and  
 transmitting the preamble and the header as the at least the segment of the frame; and  
   hand-off access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       10 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 generating a preamble, a header, and a request-to-send as the at least the segment of the frame to an access point in accordance with the first protocol;  
 receiving a second preamble, a second header, and a clear-to-send from the access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein at least one of the request-to-send and the clear-to-send includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 generating a third preamble and a third header, wherein the third header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   hand-off the access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       11 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 receiving a preamble, a header, and a contention-free-poll from an access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein the contention-free-poll includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 generating a second preamble and a second header, wherein the second header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   hand-off the access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       12 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7  comprises: 
 the shared communication medium including at least one of: a wired network connection and a wireless network connection; and    each of the first and second protocols including a version of at least one of: Ethernet, SONET, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, TCP/IP, advanced mobile phone services (AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS), Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 (b), IEEE 802.11 (g), and IEEE 802.11 (n).    
   
   
       13 . The multiple protocol communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the transceiving module comprises: 
 a first transceiving module operably coupled to the first protocol module; and    a second transceiving module operably coupled to the second protocol module.    
   
   
       14 . An integrated circuit comprises: 
 transceiving module operably coupled to convert outbound signals into transmit signals and to convert receive signals into inbound signals in accordance with a first protocol, wherein the transmit signals and the receive signals are conveyed via a shared communication medium; and    a first protocol module operably coupled to the transceiving module, wherein the first protocol module includes an interface to a second protocol module and wherein the first protocol module functions to: 
 determine that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium, wherein the second protocol module operates in accordance with a second protocol;  
 generate the outbound signals to include at least a segment of a frame, wherein the at least the segment of the frame includes an indication of a duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed, wherein the frame is in accordance with a first protocol; and  
 hand-off access of the shared communication medium to the second protocol module for at least a portion of the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed such that the second protocol module has access to the shared communication medium with negligible interference from devices of the first protocol.  
   
   
   
       15 . The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , wherein the first protocol module determines that the second module desires access to the shared communication medium comprises at least one of: 
 receiving a communication from the second protocol module indicating the desire to access the shared communication medium;    determining, on a periodic basis, that the second protocol module desires access based on an application supported by the second protocol module;    receiving from another protocol module that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium; and    determining, on a random basis, that the second protocol module desires access to the shared communication medium.    
   
   
       16 . The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 generating a preamble in accordance with the first protocol;  
 generating a header in accordance with the first protocol to include a frame length indication, wherein the frame length indication includes length of a data section of the frame; and  
 transmitting the preamble and the header as the at least the segment of the frame; and  
   hand-off access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       17 . The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 generating a preamble, a header, and a request-to-send as the at least the segment of the frame to an access point in accordance with the first protocol;  
 receiving a second preamble, a second header, and a clear-to-send from the access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein at least one of the request-to-send and the clear-to-send includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 generating a third preamble and a third header, wherein the third header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   hand-off the access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       18 . The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , wherein the first protocol module further functions to: 
 generate the outbound signals by: 
 receiving a preamble, a header, and a contention-free-poll from an access point in accordance with the first protocol, wherein the contention-free-poll includes a network allocation vector that identifies the duration that the shared communication medium will be accessed and an indication of time sharing of the duration between the first protocol module and the second protocol module;  
 generating a second preamble and a second header, wherein the second header includes length of a data section of the frame that corresponds to the time sharing of the duration allocated to the second protocol module;  
   hand-off the access to the shared communication medium by: 
 indicating, by the first protocol module, to the second protocol module that the shared communication medium is accessible for the duration corresponding to the length of the data section of the frame.  
   
   
   
       19 . The integrated of  claim 14  comprises: 
 the shared communication medium including at least one of: a wired network connection and a wireless network connection; and    each of the first and second protocols including a version of at least one of: Ethernet, SONET, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, TCP/IP, advanced mobile phone services (AMPS), digital AMPS, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS), multi-channel-multi-point distribution systems (MMDS), Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 (b), IEEE 802.11 (g), and IEEE 802.11 (n).    
   
   
       20 . The integrated circuit of  claim 14  comprises: 
 the second protocol module; and    the transceiving module including: 
 a first transceiving module operably coupled to the first protocol module; and  
 a second transceiving module operably coupled to the second protocol module.