Multi-PAN Transceiver Shared Transmitter Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems require redundant transceivers or time multiplexing to operate on multiple personal area networks (PANs), leading to inefficiencies and potential data loss due to interference and the inability to simultaneously transmit on multiple PANs.
Innovation Solution
A multi-PAN transceiver design featuring separate receiver modules for monitoring traffic on different PANs, with a shared transmitter that switches between networks as needed, reducing circuitry while maintaining performance by ensuring transmissions only occur when both networks are inactive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate transceivers are used for each PAN, then communication reliability on multiple PANs is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple transceiver functions into a single integrated transceiver that can operate on multiple PANs simultaneously. The transceiver includes multiple radio interfaces (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios) that share common processing resources, allowing it to maintain communications on multiple PANs without requiring separate transceiver hardware for each network.
Solution Approach 2:
The transceiver is designed with multi-functionality to support operations on multiple PANs across different frequency bands and protocols. It can simultaneously maintain connections to a first PAN on a first frequency band and a second PAN on a second frequency band, making a single device capable of performing multiple communication functions that previously required separate dedicated transceivers.
2Device complexity
If time multiplexing is used with a single transceiver, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to missed transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver employs periodic switching between different PANs with carefully controlled timing. The controller alternates between monitoring and transmitting on different PANs in a periodic manner, ensuring that each PAN receives adequate attention while maintaining overall system operation. This periodic action allows the single transceiver to service multiple PANs without completely missing transmissions on any one network.
Solution Approach 2:
The transceiver implements dynamic resource allocation and adaptive switching between PANs based on current communication needs. The controller can adjust its behavior dynamically, prioritizing certain PANs when necessary and adjusting transmission/reception timing based on traffic conditions, thereby improving reliability compared to static time multiplexing approaches.
3Device complexity
If a single transceiver monitors multiple PANs, then component redundancy is reduced, but the ability to simultaneously transmit on multiple PANs is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver architecture segments communication functions by separating radio frequency interfaces from processing resources. Multiple radio interfaces (e.g., 2.4 GHz radio and 5 GHz radio) are maintained as separate physical segments that can operate independently, while sharing common baseband processing and control resources. This segmentation allows simultaneous transmission on multiple PANs while avoiding complete redundancy of all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The transceiver operates in multiple frequency dimensions simultaneously, maintaining connections on different PANs at different frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). By adding the frequency dimension to the time dimension of operation, the system achieves simultaneous multi-PAN capability without requiring complete hardware duplication across all components.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-network transceiver includes two or more receiver modules for simultaneously monitoring traffic broadcast on different networks, but a shared transmitter that switches between the different networks as needed for transmitting data. The shared transmitter reduces the circuitry that would otherwise be required to transmit on multiple networks while the multiple receiver modules preserve the ability to monitor traffic on multiple networks.