Radio transmission scheduling according to multiradio control in a radio modem

• US 20070281743A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Palin, Arto, Ruuska, Paivi M., Reunamaki, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/062 by inhibiting burst transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A system for managing the simultaneous operation of a plurality of radio modems in a single wireless communication device (WCD). The multiradio control may be integrated into the WCD as a subsystem responsible for scheduling wireless communications by temporarily enabling or disabling the plurality of radio modems within the device. The multiradio control system may comprise a multiradio controller (MRC) and a plurality dedicated radio interfaces. The radio interfaces are dedicated to quickly conveying delay sensitive information to and from the radio modems. The modems may further include control features that take information from the MRC as an input in determining the priority of messages to be sent out to a receiving device.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the performance of a wireless communication device including at least one radio modem, comprising:

receiving operational schedule information in the at least one radio modem, the operational schedule information indicating one or more time periods suitable for communication within a repeating time interval; and

modifying planned communications, in the at least one radio modem, to fit within the one or more time periods suitable for communication to ensure efficient communication with external devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of radio modems.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of radio modems receives specific operational schedule information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operational schedule information is delay-sensitive information received by the at least one radio modem via a direct physical interface dedicated to conveying delay-sensitive information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the type of message packet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the type of message packet includes message packets that must be sent in the current time period and message packets that may be sent when time within a period becomes available.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the size of message packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying planned communications includes communicating the operational schedule information to the external devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operational schedule information is communicated to the external devices using an absence mask.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio modem requests new operational schedule information when the planned communications cannot be modified to fit within the one or more time periods.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for enhancing the performance of a wireless communication device including at least one radio modem, comprising:

a computer readable program code for receiving operational schedule information in the at least one radio modem, the operational schedule information indicating one or more time periods suitable for communication within a repeating time interval; and

a computer readable program code for modifying planned communications, in the at least one radio modem, to fit within the one or more time periods suitable for communication to ensure efficient communication with external devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein there are a plurality of radio modems.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of radio modems receives specific operational schedule information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the operational schedule information is delay-sensitive information received by the at least one radio modem via a direct physical interface dedicated to conveying delay-sensitive information.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the type of message packet.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the type of message packet includes message packets that must be sent in the current time period and message packets that may be sent when time within a period becomes available.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the size of message packet.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein modifying planned communications includes communicating the operational schedule information to the external devices.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the operational schedule information is communicated to the external devices using an absence mask.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one radio modem requests new operational schedule information when the planned communications cannot be modified to fit within the one or more time periods.

21. A wireless communication device, comprising:

at least one radio modem;

the at least one radio modem receiving operational schedule information, the operational schedule information indicating one or more time periods suitable for communication within a repeating time interval; and

the at least one radio modem modifying planned communications to fit within the one or more time periods suitable for communication to ensure efficient communication with external devices.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein there are a plurality of radio modems.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of radio modems receives specific operational schedule information.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the operational schedule information is delay-sensitive information received by the at least one radio modem via a direct physical interface dedicated to conveying delay-sensitive information.

25. A radio module contained within a wireless communication device, comprising:

at least one radio interface element for providing wireless communication with one or more external devices; and

at least one communications control element, said communications control element enabled to both receive operational schedule information, the operational schedule information indicating one or more time periods suitable for communication within a repeating time interval; and

the communications control element being further enabled to modify planned communications to fit within the one or more time periods suitable for communication to ensure efficient communication with the one or more external devices.

26. The radio module of claim 25, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the type of message packet.

27. The radio module of claim 26, wherein the type of message packet includes message packets that must be sent in the current time period and message packets that may be sent when time within a period becomes available.

28. The radio module of claim 25, wherein modifying planned communications includes prioritizing message packets for sending based on the size of message packet.

29. The radio module of claim 25, wherein modifying planned communications includes communicating the operational schedule information to the external devices.

30. The radio module of claim 29, wherein the operational schedule information is communicated to the external devices using an absence mask.

31. The radio module of claim 25, wherein the at least one radio modem requests new operational schedule information when the planned communications cannot be modified to fit within the one or more time periods.

32. A system for enhancing the performance of a wireless communication device including at least one radio modem, comprising:

a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device including;

at least one radio modem coupled to a dedicated interface;

the at least one radio modem receiving operational schedule information via the dedicated interface, the operational schedule information indicating one or more time periods suitable for communication within a repeating time interval; and

the at least one radio modem modifying planned communications to fit within the one or more time periods suitable for communication to ensure efficient communication with external devices.