Information processing apparatus and communication control method

• US 20060094364A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirota, Toshiyuki, Kaji, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US11/258,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/062 by inhibiting burst transmission

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an antenna corresponding to a first wireless communication scheme, a first wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by the first wireless communication scheme using the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme, a plurality of antennas corresponding to a second wireless communication scheme, a second wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by a second wireless communication scheme using the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, and a control unit which executes processing of stopping use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, when the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit are operating, in accordance with isolation levels between the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme and the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, in ascending order of the isolation level.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an antenna corresponding to a first wireless communication scheme;

a first wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by the first wireless communication scheme using the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme;

a plurality of antennas corresponding to a second wireless communication scheme;

a second wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by a second wireless communication scheme using the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme; and

a control unit which executes processing of stopping use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, when the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit are operating, in accordance with isolation levels between the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme and the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, in ascending order of the isolation level, until signal interference caused between wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication scheme and wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication scheme is reduced to a predetermined level.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a determining unit which determines whether or not signal interference caused between wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication scheme and wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication scheme is reduced to the predetermined level, when use of one of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme which exhibits a lowest isolation level of the isolation levels is stopped; and

a stopping unit which stops use of one of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme which exhibits a second lowest isolation level of the isolation levels, when the signal interference is not reduced to the predetermined level.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a detecting unit which detects a throughput of wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication unit using the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme; and

a stopping unit which stops use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme in ascending order of the isolation level, when the detected throughput is lower than a predetermined value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a detecting unit which detects a throughput of wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication unit; and

a stopping unit which stops use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme in ascending order of the isolation level, when the detected throughput is lower than a predetermined value.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a detecting unit which detects a throughput of wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication unit using an antenna exhibiting a highest isolation level of the isolation levels, when use of all antennas other than an antenna exhibiting a highest isolation level of the isolation levels of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme is stopped; and

a resuming unit which stops use of an antenna exhibiting a highest isolation level of the isolation levels and resumes use of an antenna exhibiting a second highest isolation level of the isolation levels when the detected throughput is lower than a predetermined value.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a resuming unit which resumes use of each antenna, of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, whose use is stopped, when operation of the first wireless communication unit is stopped.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a first antenna provided on the housing;

a first wireless communication unit which executes first wireless communication by using the first antenna;

a second antenna, a third antenna, and a fourth antenna which are respectively provided at different positions on the housing;

a second wireless communication unit which executes second wireless communication by using the second antenna, third antenna, and fourth antenna;

a first control unit which stops use of an antenna of the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna which exhibits a lowest isolation level of isolation levels between the first antenna and the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna, when the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit are operating, based on isolation levels between the first antenna and the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna;

a second control unit which determines whether or not signal interference caused between wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication scheme and wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication scheme is reduced to a predetermined level, when use of antenna exhibiting a lowest isolation level of the isolation levels is stopped; and

a third control unit which stops use of an antenna of the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna which exhibits a second lowest isolation level of isolation levels between the first antenna and the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna, when the signal interference is not reduced to the predetermined level.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the fourth control unit resumes use of each antenna, of the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna, whose use is stopped, when operation of the first wireless communication unit is stopped.

9. A communication control method of preventing signal interference caused between a first wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by a first wireless communication scheme using an antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme and a second wireless communication unit which executes wireless communication by a second wireless communication scheme using a plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, the method comprising:

first stopping use of an antenna of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme which exhibits a lowest isolation level of isolation levels between the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme and the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme, when the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit are operating, based on the isolation levels between the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme and the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme;

determining whether or not signal interference caused between wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication scheme and wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication scheme is reduced to a predetermined level, when use of an antenna which exhibits a lowest isolation level of the isolation levels is stopped; and

second stopping use of an antenna of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme which exhibits a second lowest isolation level of the isolation levels between the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme and the antenna corresponding to the first wireless communication scheme, when the signal interference is not reduced to the predetermined level.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first stopping includes:

detecting a throughput of wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication unit using the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme; and

stopping use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme in ascending order of the isolation level when the detected throughput is lower than a predetermined value.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first stopping includes:

detecting a throughput of wireless communication executed by the first wireless communication unit; and

stopping use of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme in ascending order of the isolation level when the detected throughput is lower than the predetermined value.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first stopping includes:

detecting a throughput of wireless communication executed by the second wireless communication unit using an antenna exhibiting a highest isolation level of the isolation levels when use of all antennas other than the antenna of the plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme which exhibits the highest isolation level is stopped; and

stopping use of the antenna exhibiting the highest resuming use of the antenna exhibiting the highest isolation level and resuming use of an antenna exhibiting a second highest isolation level of the isolation levels when the detected throughput is lower than a predetermined value.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising resuming use of each antenna, that use has been stopped plurality of antennas corresponding to the second wireless communication scheme, when operation of the first wireless communication unit is stopped.