Wireless communication device for communicating with multiple external devices via a wireless communication unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554587-B2
Application number	US-201715857319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A method and wireless communication device use a first processing unit to perform a first communication event within a first communication window by use of a first communication protocol, a second processing unit to perform a second communication event within a second communication window by use of a second communication protocol, and a wireless communication unit connected to a radio-frequency antenna to transmit and/or receive a packet wirelessly. The first and second processing units may perform the first and second communication events via the wireless communication unit. The second processing unit or the wireless communication unit may transmit an event signal to the first processing unit when performing the second communication event or receiving a packet, respectively, to allow the first processing unit to arrange the first communication window (or first communication event) with respect to the second communication window (or second communication event) to minimize interference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless communication device configured to use one or more communication protocols for performing a first communication event and for performing a second communication event, comprising:
a first processor configured to perform the first communication event within a first communication window by the use of a given communication protocol,
a second processor configured to perform the second communication event within a second communication window by the use of the given communication protocol or a different communication protocol,
wireless communication circuitry connected to a radio-frequency antenna configured to transmit and/or receive a packet wirelessly, the wireless communication circuitry being further connected to the second processor, the second processor being configured to perform the second communication event of the packet via the wireless communication circuitry, and the wireless communication circuitry being further connected to the first processor, the first processor being configured to perform the first communication event of the packet via the wireless communication circuitry,
wherein the second processor is configured to transmit an event signal to the first processor when performing the second communication event, and the first processor is configured to arrange the first communication window with respect to the second communication window based on the event signal so that the interference between the first communication window and the second communication window is minimized when the first processor and the second processor performs the first communication event and the second communication event, respectively, and
wherein the first processor is configured to perform the arranging of the first communication window with respect to the second communication window by
receiving at the first processor the event signal transmitted by the second processor,
initiating a timer in the first processor based on the event signal, where the timer is configured to count a predetermined time period,
setting a time range in dependence of the time period,
determining whether the event signal is received within the time range,
determining a time offset between a receive time of the event signal and the time period,
synchronizing continuously a crystal oscillator to the time offset such that in average the offset will be minimized, and
arranging at the first processor the first communication window in relation to the second communication window such that the interference between the first communication window and the second communication window is minimized.

2. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication protocol used by the second processor is operating within and same operating frequency as the given communication protocol used by the first processor.

3. A wireless communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the operating frequency is between 2.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz, or the operating frequency is defined to be about 2.45 GHz or about 5.5 GHz.

4. A wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor.

5. A wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor based on the arrangement of the first communication window with respect to the second communication window.

6. A wireless communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor.

7. A wireless communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor based on the arrangement of the first communication window with respect to the second communication window.

8. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor.

9. A wireless communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor based on the arrangement of the first communication window with respect to the second communication window.

10. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or the second processor based on the arrangement of the first communication window with respect to the second communication window.

11. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is configured to assign the wireless communication circuitry to either the first processor or to the processor according to a prioritization scheme, wherein the prioritization scheme is configured to prioritize the first communication event and the second communication event according to the content of the packet of the first communication event and the content of the event signal or a packet of the second communication event transmitted to the first processor.

12. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , comprising one or more microphones, wherein the first processor is connected to the one or more microphones for generating a packet to be transmitted to the second processor, and the second processor is configured to decode the packet and transmit the packet via the wireless communication circuitry and the antenna to an external device if the wireless communication circuitry has been assigned to the second processor.

13. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 , comprising other processor, wherein the first processor is configured to arrange the first communication window with respect to the second communication window and one or more other communication windows of communication protocol used by each of the other processor, wherein the communication protocol used by each of the other processors is operating within an operating frequency which is the same as for the given communication protocol.

14. A method for arranging a first communication window of a first processor using a given communication protocol and a second communication window of a second processor using the given communication protocol or a different communication protocol, when transmitting or receiving a packet at a radio-frequency antenna connected to a wireless communication circuitry, the wireless communication circuitry being further connected to the first processor and the second processor, wherein the method comprising;
performing at the second processor the second communication event within the second communication window by the use of the given communication protocol or the different communication protocol,
transmitting an event signal at the second processor to the first processor,
arranging at the first processor the first communication window with respect to the second communication window based on the event signal so that the interference between the first communication window and the second communication window is minimized when the first processor and the second processor perform the first communication event and the second communication event, respectively,
wherein the first processor is configured to perform the arranging of

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Treue Franz
• Klemmensen Bjarne
• Sø Rune

Classifications

• H04B1/0475

  with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B1/0067

  with one or more circuit blocks in common for different bands · CPC title

• H04B1/10

  Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference · CPC title

• H04R25/554

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title

• H04B7/2123

  Variable assignment, e.g. demand assignment · CPC title