System and method for controlling a wireless device

• US 20070254692A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: McCoy, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/553.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/50 using different frequencies for the two directions of communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15557 Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and a device are provided for controlling operation of a wireless device (200). The method (500) includes transmitting an initial signal (410) to a controller device (120) in an initial mode (505); receiving initial instructions (420) from the controller device in the initial mode, after transmitting the initial signal (510), the initial instructions identifying an operational mode; setting transmit and receive circuitry in the wireless device to transmit and receive according to the operational mode (515, 520, 525); and transmitting operational signals (430) in the operational mode (530). The wireless device 200 includes an antenna controller (290) and an antenna switch (225) for implementing this method.

Claims

1. A multiple-mode transceiver, comprising:

an antenna switch configured to selectively connect a first antenna switch node to one of a second antenna switch node, a third antenna switch node, or a fourth antenna switch node;

a receiver switch configured to selectively connect a first receiver switch node to one of a second receiver switch node or a third receiver switch node, the second receiver switch node being connected to the third antenna switch node;

a transmitter switch configured to selectively connect a first transmitter switch node to one of a second transmitter switch node or a third transmitter switch node, the second transmitter switch node being connected to the fourth antenna switch node;

a receiver module configured to receive and process incoming signals and to generate a mode control signal based on the incoming signals, the receiver module being connected to the first receiver switch node;

a transmitter module configured to generate outgoing signals, the transmitter module being connected to first transmitter switch node;

a duplexer configured to simultaneously pass the incoming signals and the outgoing signals, the duplexer having an antenna transmit/receive node connected to the second antenna switch node, a device receiver node connected to the third receiver switch node, and a device transmitter node connected to the third transmitter switch node; and

a controller configured to generate, in response to the mode control signal, an antenna switch control signal to control operation of the antenna switch, a receiver switch control signal to control operation of the receiver switch, and a transmitter switch control signal to control operation of the transmitter switch.

2. The multiple-mode transceiver, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver amplifier; and

a band pass filter connected in series with the receiver amplifier,

wherein the receiver module is connected to the first receiver switch node through the band pass filter and the receiver amplifier.

3. The multiple-mode transceiver, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a transmitter amplifier, wherein the transmitter module is connected to the first transmitter switch node through a transmitter amplifier.

4. The multiple-mode transceiver, as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is implemented in an integrated circuit device.

5. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

transmitting an initial signal to a controller device in a first operational mode;

receiving initial instructions from the controller device in the first operational mode, after transmitting the initial signal, the initial instructions identifying a second operational mode;

setting transmit and receive circuitry in the wireless device to transmit and receive according to the second operational mode; and

transmitting operational signals in the second operational mode.

6. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 5, wherein the initial signal includes a request for assignment of a specific mode.

7. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 5, wherein the second operational mode is one of a full duplex mode or a half-duplex mode.

8. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 5, further including:

determining whether the second operational mode is different from the first operational mode,

wherein the operation of setting transmit and receive circuitry in the wireless device to transmit and receive according to the second operational mode is only performed if the second operational mode is determined to be different than the first operational mode.

9. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 5, further including:

receiving new instructions from the controller device in the second operational mode, after transmitting the operational signals, the new instructions identifying a third operational mode;

setting the transmit and receive circuitry in the wireless device to transmit and receive according to the third operational mode; and

transmitting new signals in the third operational mode.

10. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 5, wherein the receiving of new instructions, setting of the transmit and the receive circuitry, and the transmitting of the new signals are periodically repeated, the third operational mode from a previous iteration being considered the second operational mode for new iteration.

11. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode;

determining a first operational metric;

determining that a second operational mode will be a first possible mode if the first operational metric is within a first range;

determining that the second operational mode will be a second possible mode if the first operational metric is within a second range; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode.

12. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11,

wherein the first operational metric is a signal metric of the initial incoming signal, and

wherein the first operational metric is one of a signal-to-noise ratio of the initial signal, signal-to-interference ratio of the initial signal, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio of the initial signal, and signal power of the initial signal.

13. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, wherein the first operational metric is a network metric indicating a network congestion level.

14. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, wherein the first possible mode is a full duplex mode and the second possible mode is a half-duplex mode.

15. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, wherein the first operational mode is the half-duplex mode.

16. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, further including:

receiving an operational incoming signal from a remote device in the second operational mode after transmitting the instructions to the remote device;

determining a second operational signal metric of the operational incoming signal;

determining that a third operational mode will be the first possible mode if the second operational signal metric is within the first range;

determining that the third operational mode will be the second possible mode if the operational signal metric is within the second range; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the second operational mode to transmit and receive in the third operational mode.

17. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 16, wherein the receiving of the operational incoming signal, the determining of the second operational signal metric, the determining that the third operational mode will be the first possible mode if the second operational signal metric is within the first range, the determining that the third operational mode will be the second possible mode if the second operational signal metric is within the second range, and the transmitting the instructions to the remote device are periodically repeated, the third operational mode from a previous iteration being considered the second operational mode for new iteration.

18. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 11, further including:

receiving an operational incoming signal from a remote device in the second operational mode after transmitting the instructions to the remote device, the operational incoming signal including a request for assignment of a requested mode;

determining whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode;

setting a third operational mode to be the requested mode if the requested mode is appropriate;

setting the third operational mode to be an alternate mode if the requested mode is not appropriate; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the second operational mode to transmit and receive in the third operational mode.

19. A method for controlling operation of a wireless device, including:

receiving an initial incoming signal from a remote device in a first operational mode, the initial incoming signal includes a request for assignment of a requested mode;

determining whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode;

setting a second operational mode to be the requested mode if the requested mode is appropriate;

setting the second operational mode to be an alternate mode if the requested mode is not appropriate; and

transmitting instructions to the remote device in the first operational mode to transmit and receive in the second operational mode.

20. The method for controlling the operation of the wireless device, as recited in claim 19, wherein the determining of whether the requested mode is an appropriate mode is performed based on a signal metric of the initial incoming signal.