Coordination Among Multiple Co-Located Radio Modules

• US 20080102885A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shi, Jianxiong, Zhao, Wen, Fertelmeister, Alexander, Boireau, Olivier, Fomin, Yury, Tu, Jerome, Mahe, Isabel
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Techniques involving the coordination of wireless activities are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include two or more transceivers. These transceivers may include a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links, and a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links. The apparatus may also include controllers, each controlling wireless communications of a corresponding transceiver. Information may be exchanged with each other regarding operation of the transceivers. Through the exchange of such information, activity (e.g., transmission and reception of wireless signals) may be coordinated among the transceivers.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links;

a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links; and

first and second controllers to exchange information regarding operation of the first and second transceivers, and to control wireless communications of the first and second transceivers based on the exchanged information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first controller schedules transmissions of the first transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second controller schedules transmissions of the second transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the first transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information exchanged between the first and second controllers includes:

an access request sent from the second controller to the first controller;

an access grant sent from the first controller to the second controller, the access grant indicating the second transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information exchanged between the first and second controllers includes:

a receive activity indicator sent from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the receive activity indicator indicating wireless signal reception activity by the first transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information exchanged between the first and second controllers includes:

an access request sent from the first controller to the second controller;

an access grant sent from the second controller to the first controller, the access grant indicating the first transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second controllers each include a storage medium to store operational information regarding the corresponding transceiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coordination module schedules transmissions of the first transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver.

8. A method, comprising:

exchanging information regarding operation of co-located first and second transceivers, the first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across a cellular link and the second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across a wireless data networking link;

scheduling transmissions of the first transceiver based on the exchanged information to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver; and

scheduling transmissions of the second transceiver based on the exchanged information to avoid reception of the transmissions by the first transceiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein exchanging information regarding operation of the co-located first and second transceivers comprises:

sending an access request from the second controller to the first controller;

sending an access grant from the first controller to the second controller, the access grant indicating the second transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein exchanging information regarding operation of the co-located first and second transceivers comprises:

sending a receive activity indicator from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the receive activity indicator indicating wireless signal reception activity by the first transceiver.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein exchanging information regarding operation of the co-located first and second transceivers comprises:

sending an access request from the first controller to the second controller;

sending an access grant from the second controller to the first controller, the access grant indicating the first transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

12. A radio, comprising:

a transceiver to communicate across a wireless link, the wireless links including a cellular link or a wireless data networking link;

a controller to control and to coordinate activity of the transceiver with activity of at least one other co-located radio; and

an interface to exchange information with the at least one other co-located radio, the information involving activities of the transceiver and the at least one other co-located radio.

13. The radio of claim 12, further comprising a storage medium to store operational information regarding the transceiver.

14. The radio of claim 12, wherein the controller schedules transmissions of the transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the at least one other co-located radio.

15. The radio of claim 12, wherein the interface is to exchange an access request with the at least one other co-located radio.

16. The radio of claim 12, wherein the interface is to exchange an access grant with the at least one other co-located radio.

17. The radio of claim 12, wherein the interface is to exchange a receive activity indicator indicating wireless signal reception activity by the first transceiver.

18. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

coordinate activity of a transceiver with activity of at least one other co-located radio; and

exchange information with the at least one other co-located radio, the information involving activities of the transceiver and the at least one other co-located radio.

19. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions to schedule transmissions of the transceiver based on the information exchanged with the at least one other co-located radio.

20. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions to schedule transmissions of the transceiver based on the information exchanged with the at least one other co-located radio, the scheduling to avoid reception of the transmissions by the at least one other co-located radio.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links;

a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links; and

a coordination module to exchange information with the first and second transceivers, and to control wireless communications of the first and second transceivers based on the exchanged information.