Centralized wireless communication system

• US 20080102760A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Zibrik, Larry, Gray, W., McConnell, Peter, Punnett, Trent
• Application Number:
  US11/906,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102760A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0868 Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and combining

Abstract

A centralized wireless communication system for a host device having a host processor and one or more host wireless communication modules includes a controller, one or more antenna elements, and an RF multiplexer coupled to the one or more antenna elements. The RF multiplexer includes one or more ports and is configured to establish an RF communication path between one or more ports and one or more antenna elements based on instructions from the controller. The centralized wireless communication system can provide adaptive noise cancellation and/or operate antenna elements as part of an active phased array.

Claims

1. A centralized wireless communication system for a host device having a host processor and one or more host wireless communication modules, the centralized wireless communication system comprising:

a controller;

one or more antenna elements; and

an RF multiplexer coupled to the one or more antenna elements and including one or more ports, the RF multiplexer configured to establish an RF communication path between one or more ports and one or more antenna elements based on instructions from the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions from the controller are a function of a wireless communication service specific to a host wireless communication module.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller establishes an antenna configuration associated with the wireless communication service based on communications from the host processor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 2.4 GHz band.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 5.8 GHz band.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 2.5 GHz band.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 800 MHz band.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 1.9 GHz band.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a resident wireless communication module coupled to one or more ports of the RF multiplexer, and wherein the instructions from the controller are a function of a wireless communication service specific to the resident wireless communication module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the ports are configured to present a standardized impedance value.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said impedance value is about 50Ω

.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate at least one of the antenna elements alternately as a passive antenna element and as an active antenna element.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more antennas to provide adaptive noise cancellation.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one antenna element includes:

an antenna frequency control circuit;

a gain control circuit;

a phase control circuit; and

an impedance matching circuit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the antenna frequency control circuit is operable to configure the at least one antenna element as a dual frequency band antenna.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the gain control circuit is operable to provide variable gain scaling.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the phase control circuit is operable to provide variable phase shift.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of the antenna frequency control circuit, gain control circuit, phase control circuit, and impedance matching circuit so as to operate the at least one antenna as part of an active phased array.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of the antenna frequency control circuit, gain control circuit, phase control circuit, and impedance matching circuit so as to provide beam and/or null steering.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one antenna as part of an active phased array.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate in accordance with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the QoS metrics are provided by the host processor.

23. A host device comprising:

a host processor;

one or more host wireless communication modules;

a centralized wireless communication system including;

a controller;

one or more antenna elements; and

an RF multiplexer in communication with the one or more antenna elements and including one or more ports, the RF multiplexer configured to selectively couple one or more antenna elements to one or more ports based on instructions from the controller, said selective coupling being a function of a wireless service specific to a host wireless communication module.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the instructions from the controller are a function of a wireless communication service specific to a host wireless communication module.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller establishes an antenna configuration associated with the wireless communication service based on communications from the host processor.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 2.4 GHz band.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 5.8 GHz band.

28. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 2.5 GHz band.

29. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 800 MHz band.

30. The device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication service utilizes frequency in the 1.9 GHz band.

31. The device of claim 23, further comprising a resident wireless communication module coupled to one or more ports of the RF multiplexer, and wherein the instructions from the controller are a function of a wireless communication service specific to the resident wireless communication module.

32. The device of claim 23, wherein the ports are configured to present a standardized impedance value.

33. The device of claim 23, wherein said impedance value is about 50Ω

.

34. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to operate at least one of the antenna elements alternately as a passive antenna element and as an active antenna element.

35. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more antennas to provide adaptive noise cancellation.

36. The device of claim 23, wherein at least one antenna element includes:

an antenna frequency control circuit;

a gain control circuit;

a phase control circuit; and

an impedance matching circuit.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the frequency control circuit is operable to configure the at least one antenna element as a dual frequency band antenna.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein the gain control circuit is operable to provide variable gain scaling.

39. The device of claim 36, wherein the phase control circuit is operable to provide variable phase shift.

40. The device of claim 36, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of the antenna frequency control circuit, gain control circuit, phase control circuit, and impedance matching circuit so as to operate the at least one antenna as part of an active phased array.

41. The device of claim 36, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more of the antenna frequency control circuit, gain control circuit, phase control circuit, and impedance matching circuit so as to provide beam and/or null steering.

42. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one antenna as part of an active phased array.

43. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to operate in accordance with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the QoS metrics are provided by the host processor.

45. A method for enabling RF communication by a host device having one or more host wireless communication modules, the method comprising:

selecting a first one of the host wireless communication modules;

determining an antenna configuration specific to the first host wireless communication module; and

coupling the first host wireless communication module to one or more antenna elements based on the determined configuration.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

selecting a second wireless communication module;

determining an antenna configuration specific to the second wireless communication module; and

coupling the second wireless communication module to one or more antenna elements based on the determined configuration.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the one or more antenna elements are provided on a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the second wireless communication module is disposed.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising using the one or more antennas to provide adaptive noise cancellation.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising operating one or more antenna elements alternately as a passive antenna element and as an active antenna element.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising operating one or more antenna elements as part of an active phased array.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the antenna configuration is specific to wireless communication in the 2.4 GHz band.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the antenna configuration is specific to wireless communication in the 5.8 GHz band.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein the antenna configuration is specific to wireless communication in the 2.5 GHz band.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the antenna configuration is specific to wireless communication in the 800 MHz band.

55. The method of claim 45, wherein the antenna configuration is specific to wireless communication in the 1.9 GHz band.

56. The method of claim 45, further comprising operating the host wireless communication module in accordance with Quality of Service (QoS) metrics.

57. The method of claim 45, wherein the QoS metrics are provided by a host processor of the host device.