Dual antenna topology for Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 wireless Local Area Network devices

• US 20080238807A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Prasanna, Gonikberg, Mark, Ibrahim, Brima
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/876
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• 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

A method includes determining that an antenna shared between a Bluetooth transceiver and a WLAN transceiver is available to the WLAN transceiver based on an activity signal associated with the Bluetooth transceiver. Access to the shared antenna is provided to the WLAN transceiver based on the determination, and the WLAN transceiver is configured to use diversity in transacting WLAN signals via a plurality of antennas, including the shared antenna. Access to the shared antenna is transferred from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver based on the activity signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a Bluetooth transceiver configured to transmit Bluetooth signals and to receive Bluetooth signals via one of the antennas;

a WLAN transceiver configured to transmit and receive WLAN signals via one or both of the antennas; and

an antenna control processor configured to operatively couple the second antenna to the Bluetooth transceiver to transmit Bluetooth signals and configured to operatively couple the second antenna to the WLAN transceiver when Bluetooth signals are not transmitted, thereby allowing the WLAN transceiver to utilize diversity associated with receiving or transmitting the WLAN signals via the first and second antenna.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna control processor is configured to operatively couple the second antenna to the WLAN transceiver based on a determination that the Bluetooth transceiver is idle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna control processor is configured to toggle a switch, operatively coupled to the second antenna, configured to arbitrate access to the second antenna between the Bluetooth transceiver and the WLAN transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna control processor is configured to interrupt, upon detection of the activity signal, a WLAN signal transaction being performed by the WLAN transceiver via the second antenna.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the WLAN transceiver is configured to terminate a WLAN signal transaction being performed by the WLAN transceiver via the second antenna within a guard time associated with the activity signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the Bluetooth transceiver is configured to perform adaptive frequency hopping (AFH).

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a coexistence interface configured to arbitrate signal transmission and receipt activity between the Bluetooth transceiver and the WLAN transceiver.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the coexistence interface is configured to arbitrate based on priorities associated with the Bluetooth transceiver and WLAN transceiver.

9. The system of claim 7 comprising a monitor circuit configured to determine whether to arbitrate the signal transmission and receipt activity.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to enable and disable an arbitration of packet transmissions and receipt between the WLAN transceiver transacting one or more packets via the first antenna and the Bluetooth transceiver transacting one or more packets via the second antenna based on isolation between the WLAN transceiver and Bluetooth transceiver.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the second antenna is located at a distance from the first antenna that is greater than about half a wavelength of signal radiation that the antennas are tuned to receive.

12. A method comprising:

transmitting or receiving one or more signals associated with a first transceiver via a plurality of antennas, wherein the first transceiver is configured to use diversity associated with the transmission or reception of the signals via two or more of the plurality of antennas;

determining, based on an activity of a second transceiver, that the second transceiver requires access to one or more of the antennas shared between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and

transferring access to one or more of the shared antennas from the first transceiver to the second transceiver based on the determination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first transceiver comprises a WLAN transceiver and wherein the second transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving comprises receiving WLAN signals associated with a WLAN transceiver via two or more antennas when a Bluetooth transceiver is idle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

determining that an activity signal associated with the second transceiver is asserted, wherein a priority associated with the activity signal is greater than a priority associated with one or more of the signals associated with the first transceiver;

terminating, within a guard time, a current transmission and/or receipt of one or more of the signals, associated with the first transceiver, via a first shared antenna; and

providing access to the first shared antenna to the second transceiver.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the transferring comprises transferring access to a shared antenna to the second transceiver based on a determination that the second transceiver is no longer idle.

17. A method comprising:

determining that an antenna shared between a Bluetooth transceiver and a WLAN transceiver is available to the WLAN transceiver based on an activity signal associated with the Bluetooth transceiver;

providing access to the shared antenna to the WLAN transceiver based on the determination, wherein the WLAN transceiver is configured to use diversity in transacting WLAN signals via a plurality of antennas, including the shared antenna; and

transferring access to the shared antenna from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver based on the activity signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises determining that the activity signal is not being asserted by the Bluetooth transceiver.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing access comprises providing the WLAN transceiver access to the shared antenna wherein the WLAN transceiver is configured to perform diversity associated with transmitting and/or receiving the WLAN signals via the shared antenna and one or more other antennas.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the transferring comprises transferring access to the shared antenna to the Bluetooth transceiver based on a determination that a priority associated with the Bluetooth transceiver is greater than a priority associated with the WLAN transceiver.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the transferring comprises:

terminating a signal transaction by WLAN transceiver via the shared antenna within a guard time associated with the activity signal; and

transferring access to the shared antenna from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver.