DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a communication system according to the present invention. As shown, the communications system is formed from a communications device 101 coupled to an adaptor 102 which are arranged to communicate with the Bluetooth enabled device 103 . The communications device 101 typically comprises a PDA, a lap top, a computer or the like which is not adapted for Bluetooth communication. Accordingly, the communications device 101 typically includes an input/output device 102 , a display 103 , a processor 104 , and a memory 105 coupled together via a bus 106 . The bus 106 is also coupled to an input/output (I/O) port 107 .

[0049] The adaptor 102 is designed to communicate with the communications device via the I/O port 107 and provide onward Bluetooth connectivity to the Bluetooth enabled device 103 . The adaptor includes a first I/O port 110 which is coupled to a bus 111 . The bus 111 is in turn coupled to a microprocessor 112 , a memory 113 and a Bluetooth radio 114 . The Bluetooth radio 114 includes a Bluetooth stack 115 and an antenna 116 .

[0050] The Bluetooth enabled device 103 may be any device capable of Bluetooth communication, such as a Bluetooth enabled PC, a Bluetooth enabled palm top, Bluetooth enabled PDA or the like. Furthermore it may be a node in a Bluetooth network, such as an Access Point which will be described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 2 to 4 .

[0051] In any event, the Bluetooth enabled device 103 will typically include a Bluetooth radio 120 formed from a Bluetooth stack 121 and an antenna 122 . The Bluetooth radio 120 is coupled to a bus 121 which is in turn coupled to a microprocessor 123 and a memory 124 . Depending on the nature of the Bluetooth device 103 there may also be provided, as shown by the dotted lines, an interface 125 for coupling the device to a network or the like, or an input/output device 126 , which may include a display.

[0052] Operation of the system will now be described.

[0053] When a Bluetooth connection is to be established between two Bluetooth devices, one of the devices must generate a poling signal which is then received by the other device. The other device then generates a response causing the Bluetooth connection to be established. When this happens, the device which accepts the poling signal and generates a response must synchronize its own hopping sequence with that of the device initiating the contact. In these circumstances the device generating the poling signal is the master with the connected device being the slave.

[0054] However, it is often desirable to maintain specific master and slave relationships between two devices. Thus, for example the communications device 101 is not adapted for use as a Bluetooth device under normal circumstances. Accordingly, for this reason alone, it is typically preferable for the communications device 101 and the adaptor 102 to accept a Bluetooth connection and thereby maintain a slave status rather than attempting to make a Bluetooth connection and assert a master status over a Bluetooth device which is specifically adapted for Bluetooth communication.

[0055] In addition to this, it is often desired to use the communications device 101 and the adaptor 102 for communication with a Bluetooth network. In this case, as will be described below with respect to FIGS. 2 to 4 , it is necessary for the adaptor 102 to act as a slave. Accordingly, the adaptor 102 must be able to accept a Bluetooth connection from the Bluetooth enabled communications device 103 .

[0056] In order to achieve this, the microprocessor 112 of the adaptor 102 is adapted to control the radio 114 so that it does not periodically generate poling signals in the normal way. Instead, the generation of poling signals is inhibited so that the adaptor 102 is unable to request the establishment of a Bluetooth connection. As a result, the adaptor 102 can only passively accept Bluetooth connections.

[0057] In use, when the adaptor 102 is brought in range of a Bluetooth device 103 , the Bluetooth device 103 periodically generates a poling signal in the normal way. The poling signal is generated by the radio 120 and is received by the radio 114 of the adaptor 102 . The poling signal is transferred to the Bluetooth stack 115 which in turn transfers an indication that a Bluetooth connection is requested to the microprocessor 112 via the bus 111 .

[0058] The microprocessor 112 can then act in one of two ways. Either the microprocessor 112 can simply operate to accept the connection, or the microprocessor 112 can first determine whether a connection is required by the user. In the latter case, the microprocessor 112 determines whether a Bluetooth connection is required by using a poling system between the communications device 101 and the adaptor 102 . In this case, when the user of the communications device 101 needs a Bluetooth connection, the user enters an indication of this via the I/O device 102 . This may be by selecting an icon presented to the user on the display 103 , by activating a certain key on a keypad, or the like.

[0059] This causes the processor 104 to periodically (approximately every 10 ms) generate a poling signal indicating that a Bluetooth connection is required. This poling signal is transferred via the bus 106 , the I/O port 107 , and the I/O port 110 to the microprocessor 112 . The microprocessor 112 then determines that a Bluetooth connection is required and will await a Bluetooth poling signal to be received by the radio 114 . When the Bluetooth poling signal has been received by the radio 114 the microprocessor 112 determines that the communications device 101 requires a Bluetooth connection and accordingly, causes the radio 114 to generate a response. The response is received by the radio 120 of the Bluetooth enabled device 103 causing a connection to be established.

[0060] In this case the hopping sequence of the radio 114 , which is controlled by the Bluetooth stack 115 will be adapted to mimic the hopping sequence of the Bluetooth enabled device 103 such that the Bluetooth enabled device 103 remains as the master unit.

[0061] Once a Bluetooth connection has been established, the microprocessor 112 transfers a connection confirmation via the I/O port 10 to the communications device 101 . The microprocessor 104 for the communications device 101 will then generate an indication on the display 103 indicating to the user that the Bluetooth connection has been established. Data can then be transferred as required.

[0062] Thus for example, the user may wish to transfer data from the communications device 101 , to the Bluetooth enabled device 103 . This data is first placed in a format suitable for transfer via the I/O port 107 and transferred to the adaptor 102 . As the majority of communications devices 101 are capable of communicating via a modem connection, the format of the data is typically suitable for transmission via a modem. Accordingly, when the data is received by the adaptor 102 it is temporarily stored in the memory 113 . The microprocessor 112 then operates to translate the data into a format suitable for transmission via the radio 114 . The data is transferred to the Bluetooth stack 115 which is placed in a Bluetooth format and then transmitted by the antenna 116 to the radio 120 . The data is then transferred via the Bluetooth stack 121 to the microprocessor 123 for use as appropriate.

[0063] Similarly, the adaptor 102 is designed to translate data received at the radio 114 into a format suitable for transmission via the I/O port 107 to the communications device 1 .

[0064] As a minor variation to the above procedure, the adaptor 102 can be adapted to accept a Bluetooth connection if it is available. A connection between the adaptor 102 and the communications device 101 is only established however upon the generation of a poling signal by the processor 104 of the communications device 101 . Accordingly, the overall connection between the communications device 101 and the Bluetooth device 103 is only established when the user of the communications device indicates a connection is needed.

[0065] Alternatively however, the processor 104 can be adapted to periodically generate a poling signal automatically at all times the device is active.

[0066] As a result, whenever a Bluetooth poling signal is detected by the adaptor 102 , a response is generated so that the Bluetooth connection is established. This allows the Bluetooth device 103 to transfer data to the communications device 101 automatically. This will allow synchronization of diaries and the like to be carried out automatically as soon as the communications device 101 and the adaptor 102 enter the range of the Bluetooth enabled device 103 .

[0067] The above explains the general techniques of the present invention. An example of circumstances in which the general techniques are used will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 .

[0068] FIG. 2 shows a basic network arrangement which includes an Access Server 1 which is coupled to a number of local area network Access Points 2 . The Access Points 2 are designed to communicate with a number of wireless communications devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 using a wireless communications protocol, which in this example is the Bluetooth protocol.

[0069] The wireless communication devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 can include devices such as a personal computer, laptop or the like which is fitted with a Bluetooth adapter, a specialised Bluetooth laptop, a Bluetooth enabled phone or mobile phone, a WAP Internet phone, a Bluetooth enabled printer, a Bluetooth enabled personal data assistant (PDA) or a Bluetooth headset. In this example, each of these devices will be able to communicate with the Access Points thereby allowing the devices to obtain data from, or send data to the Access Server.

[0070] In fact, the Access Server & Access Point can communicate with any Bluetooth enabled device. These include not only PCs, PDAs, and laptops but any of the following that have a Bluetooth port; a truck, a refrigerator, a baggage trolley, a keyboard etc.

[0071] The Access Server 1 is also optionally connected to a local area network 10 having a number of end stations 11 , 12 , 13 . In this example, this allows the Access Server to be integrated with currently existing local area networks within a building.

[0072] The Access Server 1 can also be connected to a remote communications network 14 , which in this example is the Internet. This allows the communications devices coupled to the Access Server to communicate with remote users 15 or Access Servers of other remote sites 16 .

[0073] Accordingly, the Access Points 2 allow the wireless communications devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 to communicate with the LAN 10 and the Internet 14 via the Access Server 1 . The Access Server will typically operate as a network server and can therefore typically store information to be retrieved by the communications devices, including information downloaded from the Internet The Access Server is shown in more detail in FIG. 3 .

[0074] The Access Server may include an Internet interface 20 , an Access Point interface 21 , a LAN interface 22 and a PBX interface 23 , all of which are interconnected via a bus 24 . A microprocessor 25 and a memory 26 which are provided for processing and storing the operating software, are also coupled to the bus 24 . An input/output device 27 is also provided.

[0075] The processor 25 is typically an x86 type processor operating a Linux type operating system such as Red Hat Linux. This is particularly advantageous as the Linux system is widely used as the operating system for a number of different software applications. Accordingly, the system can implement a wide variety of standard operating software for network servers and the like, as well as allowing third parties the opportunity to modify existing software and develop their own software. However, any suitable form of processing system may be used.

[0076] In addition to these features, it is also possible to include a number of Bluetooth radios 28 , and a GPRS transceiver 29 , both of which are coupled to the BUS 24 .

[0077] A range of radios are supported, including standard and enhanced range devices.

[0078] Similarly, the Bluetooth design of the Access Server and the Access Point offers capabilities beyond the basic Bluetooth specification. These include advanced control of Bluetooth device state to improve throughput, and control of broadcast and multicast traffic streams to/from Bluetooth devices.

[0079] In this example, four different interfaces 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 are shown. However, it is not essential for the Access Server 1 to include all of these interfaces, depending on the particular configuration which is to be used, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0080] Thus, in order to enable Bluetooth communication between the wireless communication devices and the Access Server, only the Access Point interface 21 , with appropriately connected Access Points 2 , is required. In this case the Internet interface 20 , the LAN interface 22 and the PBX interface 23 are not necessarily required. Alternatively, the Access Point interface need not be used if the Bluetooth radios are used instead. However, this will become clearer when various network configurations used by the Access Server are described in more detail below.

[0081] The Internet interface 20 is used primarily for providing an ISDN connection to an Internet service provider. However, the system can be reconfigured to use Ethernet, DSL or a POTS modem for Internet connectivity.

[0082] The Access Point interface 21 is effectively an Ethernet interface which is adapted to operate with the Access Points, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0083] The LAN interface 22 is normally configured to be an Ethernet interface. However, this can be adapted to provide token ring or other forms of communication as required. Accordingly the LAN 10 can comprise an Ethernet, Token Ring or other similar network.

[0084] In order to be able to handle different communications protocols, each of the interfaces 20 , 21 , 22 will include a processor and a memory. The processor operates software stored in the memory which is appropriate for handling the required communications protocol. Thus in the case of the LAN interface 21 , the default protocol is Ethernet. However, if alternative protocols such as Token Ring or ATM are used, then the software is adapted to translate the format of the data as it is transferred through the respective interface.

[0085] An Access Point according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 4 . The Access Point includes an Access Server interface 30 , for connecting the Access Point to the Access Server. The Access Server interface 30 is connected via a BUS 31 to a processor 32 and a memory 33 . The BUS is also coupled to a number of Bluetooth radios 34 (only one shown) providing enhanced capabilities such as improved bandwidth and call density.

[0086] The processor 32 is typically a processor system that can include one or more processors, of the same or different types within the system. For example, the processor system could include, but is not be limited to, a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) processor.

[0087] In use, the Access Points are connected to the Access Point interface 21 using a daisy chain Ethernet connection. This is particularly advantageous as it allows a large number of Access Points 2 to be connected in series via a single wire to the Access Point interface 21 . In this case, power can be supplied to the Access Points 2 either via the connection from the Access Server 1 , or via separate power supplies (not shown) connected to each of the Access Points 2 as required.

[0088] As an alternative however, the Access Points 2 may be connected to the Access Server 1 via an Ethernet hub, which generally allows a larger number of Access Points to be connected to each Access Server.

[0089] In use, each Access Point 2 is able to communicate with a number of communications devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 which are in range of the respective radio 34 .

[0090] Any data received at the radio is transferred to the memory 33 for temporary storage. The processor 32 will determine from the data the intended destination. If this is another Bluetooth device within range of the Access Point, the data will be transferred via the radio 34 to the appropriate communications device 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . Otherwise the data will be transferred via the BUS 31 to the Access Server interface 30 and on to the Access Server 1 .

[0091] Upon receipt of the data by the Access Server 1 , the Access Point interface 21 will temporarily store the data in the memory whilst the processor determines the intended destination of the data. The processor may also operate to translate the format of the data, if this is necessary. The data is then routed by the Access Server to the intended destination on either the LAN 2 , the Internet 14 or alternatively, to a PBX network, as will be described in more detail below.

[0092] The traffic from Bluetooth devices (arriving through a Access Point or the Access Server) can be sent to the LAN through a number of different mechanisms; one is routing, another uses a technique called Proxy ARP to reduce the configuration needed. These mechanisms are bi-directional and also connect traffic from the LAN to Bluetooth devices.

[0093] Similarly, data can be transferred from the Access Server, via the Access Point interface 21 to a Access Point 2 . In this case, the Access Point 2 receives the data and transfers it into the memory 33 . The processor 32 then uses the data to determine the intended destination communication device before routing the data appropriately.

[0094] Accordingly, as will be appreciated from the above, each Access Point 2 is designed to be coupled to one or more communications devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , allowing the configuration shown in FIG. 2 to function as a network, with wireless connections to the communications devices 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . Accordingly, in this example, the Access Points 2 function as network nodes, with the Access Server 1 forming the network server to control the operation of the network.

[0095] As described above, when a communications device is initially brought into range of one of the Access Points 2 it is necessary for a connection to be established between the two devices. In order to do this, the Bluetooth communication protocol causes one of the devices to generate a polling signal. In general, the polling signal will be generated by the device which wants to initiate a connection.

[0096] Thus, if one of the Access Points 2 is attempting to connect to a communications device, the Access Point 2 will generate a polling signal which is then broadcast to the communications device. Upon receipt of the polling signal, the communications device will generate a response which operates to synchronize the packet hopping sequences of the communications device and the Access Point 2 . When this has been completed, a connection is in place between the two devices allowing communication to be achieved. In this case, the Access Point 2 acts as the master and is therefore in control of the hopping sequence.

[0097] However, problems arise when the communications device attempts to transfer data to the Access Point 2 . In this case, if the communications device generated a polling signal, this would be detected by the Access Point 2 , causing the Access Point 2 to generate a response. The generation of this response would cause a connection to be initiated in which the Access Point 2 is acting as a slave. In this circumstance, the hopping sequence of the Access Point 2 is synchronized with that of the communications device. This would override any currently existing hopping sequence.

[0098] Thus, if the Access Point 2 were currently in communication with other communications devices, as the Access Points hopping sequence would be changed, this would cause the currently existing connections to be broken.

[0099] In order to overcome this, the adaptor of the present invention ensures that the communications device 103 only accepts Bluetooth connections, thereby ensuring it remains as the slave.