System and method for operating a unified antenna front end module

• US 10,348,346 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramasamy, Suresh, Cho, Youngsoo, Velasco, Ricardo R., Chang, Ching Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US15/624,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/126 having multiple inputs, e.g. auxiliary antenna for receiving interfering signal aerials in general H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A wireless adapter front end system and method for an information handling system including a wireless adapter for communicating on a plurality antenna systems for connection to a plurality of concurrently operating wireless links with a controller executing code instructions for an antenna optimization system for detecting one or more active wireless links operating via the plurality of antenna systems where the controller receives a trigger input indicating an operating condition to determine whether an antenna adjustment is required among the plurality of antenna systems, wherein the trigger input may be selected from one or more indications of a shared communication frequency band, a radio aggregation operation, SAR proximity detection, or operation of a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). The controller implementing an impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid interference between concurrently operating wireless links.

Claims

1. A wireless interface adapter for an information handling system comprising:

a unified antenna front end having a controller in the wireless interface adapter operatively coupled to a plurality antenna systems for connection to a plurality of concurrently operating wireless links;

the controller executing code instructions for an antenna optimization system for detecting one or more active wireless links operating via the plurality of antenna systems and for controlling tuning of the plurality of antenna systems;

a sensor hub monitoring status of a plurality of usage modes including whether a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) are active, whether a shared communication frequency band is implemented, whether carrier aggregation is active, and whether user proximity has been detected requiring SAR adjustment;

the sensor hub reporting the status of the plurality of usage modes as trigger inputs to the controller and the controller determining, via the antenna optimization system, an operating condition to determine whether an antenna adjustment is required among the plurality of antenna systems; and

the controller implementing an impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid interference between concurrently operating wireless links or reduction of one or more transmission power levels due to the determined operating condition.

2. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1 wherein the controller implements the impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems for directivity by altering capacitance or impedance to adjust coupling RF currents from the antenna to the information handling system chassis.

3. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1, further comprising:

the controller implements notch filtering of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems in response to the received trigger input.

4. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1, further comprising:

the controller accesses an antenna element control parameter database for the information handling system model to determine an antenna adjustment response to one or more trigger inputs.

5. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) operation of a RAT across the plurality of concurrently active wireless links.

6. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication from a proximity sensor or a capacitive sensor of a condition requiring control over transmission levels to maintain specific absorption rate (SAR) limits.

7. The wireless adapter front end of claim 1, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication of a user configuration mode of the information handling system affecting orientation of the plurality of wireless antenna systems.

8. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, via a controller for controlling operation of a plurality of plurality of antenna systems of an information handling system, a plurality of concurrently operating wireless links;

executing code instructions of an antenna optimization system operating on the controller in a unified antenna front end of a wireless interface adapter

to determine an operating condition of the plurality of antenna systems operatively coupled to the controller based on receiving a plurality of trigger inputs including indications of the status of whether a shared communication frequency band is used, whether a carrier aggregation operation is active, whether user proximity is detected requiring SAR adjustment, and whether a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) are operating concurrently; and

the controller determining a required antenna adjustment to any of the operatively coupled plurality of antenna systems in response to the trigger input status and implementing an antenna adjustment in response, wherein antenna adjustment may include impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems or implementing notch filtering of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid interference between concurrently operating wireless links.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing in memory an antenna element control parameter database for the information handling system model to determine an antenna adjustment response to one or more trigger inputs.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of concurrently operating wireless links on the information handling system includes at least one Wi-Fi wireless link.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication of a shared communication frequency band operation of the plurality of wireless links.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) operation of a RAT across the plurality of wireless links.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the trigger input is an indication of a user configuration mode of the information handling system affecting orientation of the plurality of wireless antenna systems.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the controller implements the impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems and implements notch filtering at a port coupling of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid interference between concurrently operating wireless links.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the controller implements the impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems for directivity by altering capacitance or impedance to adjust coupling RF currents from the antenna to the information handling system chassis.

16. A wireless interface adapter for an information handling system comprising:

a unified antenna front end having a controller for controlling a plurality of operatively coupled antenna systems for connection to a plurality of concurrently operating wireless links;

a sensor hub monitoring status of a plurality of usage modes including whether a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) are active, whether a shared communication frequency band is implemented, whether carrier aggregation is active, whether user proximity has been detected requiring SAR adjustment, and whether a physical configuration of the information handling system in tablet or laptop mode;

the sensor hub reporting the status of the plurality of usage modes to the controller as trigger inputs;

the controller executing code instructions of an antenna optimization system for determining an operating condition based on reported status of the plurality of usage modes to determine if one of the controlled antenna systems requires adjustment, wherein

the controller implements a notch filtering adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid interference between concurrently operating wireless links.

17. The wireless adapter front end of claim 16 wherein the controller implementing notch filtering of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems includes isolating the at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems by activating enhanced band-pass filtering.

18. The wireless adapter front end of claim 16, wherein the controller implementing notch filtering of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems includes activating an open circuit coupling path at a port coupling of the at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems to avoid RF current cross over at the antenna port.

19. The wireless adapter front end of claim 16, further comprising:

the controller implements an impedance adjustment of at least one of the plurality of wireless antenna systems for directivity by altering capacitance or impedance to adjust effective aperture for the antenna to the information handling system chassis in response to the received trigger input.

20. The wireless adapter front end of claim 16, further comprising:

the trigger input is the indication of the carrier aggregation operation that is a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) operation across the plurality of concurrently operating wireless links.