Method and system for antenna selection diversity with biasing

• US 20050186910A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoo, Min Chuin, Trachewsky, Jason Alexander, Moorti, Rajendra Tushar
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems for choosing at least one signal path are disclosed. Aspects of the method may include determining a signal quality metric for each of a plurality of signal paths, modifying the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths, and selecting at least one signal path based on at least one modified signal quality metric. At least one of the signal paths may be cycled through and the signal quality metric may be biased and/or increased and/or decreased for each of the plurality of signal paths by a fixed amount and/or by a predetermined amount. The signal quality metric may also be dynamically changed for each of the plurality of signal paths.

Claims

1. A method for choosing at least one signal path, the method comprising:

determining a signal quality metric for each of a plurality of signal paths;

modifying the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths; and

selecting at least one signal path based on at least one modified signal quality metric.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising cycling through at least one of the signal paths.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising biasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a fixed amount.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a predetermined amount.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically changing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by at least one of a fixed amount and a predetermined amount.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a signal path with a signal quality metric greater than at least one modified signal quality metric.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a signal path with a signal quality metric less than at least one modified signal quality metric.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality metric comprises at least one of a power level characteristic, a packet error rate characteristic, a bit error rate characteristic, a propagation channel characteristic, and an interference level characteristic.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal paths comprises an antenna.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signal paths comprises at least one of a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.

13. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for choosing at least one signal path, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

determining a signal quality metric for each of a plurality of signal paths;

modifying the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths; and

selecting at least one signal path based on at least one modified signal quality metric.

14. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for cycling through at least one of the signal paths.

15. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for biasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for increasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a fixed amount.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for increasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a predetermined amount.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for dynamically changing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for decreasing the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by at least one of a fixed amount and a predetermined amount.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for selecting a signal path with a signal quality metric greater than at least one modified signal quality metric.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising code for selecting a signal path with a signal quality metric less than at least one modified signal quality metric.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, wherein the signal quality metric comprises at least one of a power level characteristic, a packet error rate characteristic, a bit error rate characteristic, a propagation channel characteristic, and an interference level characteristic.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, wherein at least one of the signal paths comprises an antenna.

24. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of signal paths comprises at least one of a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.

25. A system for choosing at least one signal path, the system comprising:

at least one processor that determines a signal quality metric for each of a plurality of signal paths;

the at least one processor modifies the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths; and

the at least one processor selects at least one signal path based on at least one modified signal quality metric.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor cycles through at least one of the signal paths.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor biases the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor increases the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a fixed amount.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor increases the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by a predetermined amount.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor dynamically changes the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor decreases the signal quality metric for each of the plurality of signal paths by at least one of a fixed amount and a predetermined amount.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor selects a signal path with a signal quality metric greater than at least one modified signal quality metric.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor selects a signal path with a signal quality metric less than at least one modified signal quality metric.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the signal quality metric comprises at least one of a power level characteristic, a packet error rate characteristic, a bit error rate characteristic, a propagation channel characteristic, and an interference level characteristic.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the signal paths comprises an antenna.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of signal paths comprises at least one of a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.