Time Multiplexing for Coexistence Within Multiple Communication Systems

• US 20090081962A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nextwave Broadband Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sohrabi, Katayoun
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0067 Resource management and allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0069 Channel allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• 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

Methods and apparatus permitting the coexistence of multiple communication links to distinct wireless systems in a client device are disclosed. A wireless device can interface with both a primary communications system and at least one distinct communications system by managing the coexistence of active communications with the multiple communication systems. The wireless device can initially configure communications with the primary communications system for dynamically reconfigurable time multiplexed operation having scheduled periods of inactivity. The wireless device can determine timing and scheduling of communications with the distinct communications systems and can schedule the communications with the distinct communications systems during periods of inactivity in the primary communications system. The periods of inactivity may be limited to the scheduled periods of inactivity or can include unscheduled periods of inactivity occurring during active periods of the time multiplexed operation. The device may also use data priorities of communications to override overlapping communication activity.

Claims

1. A method of coexistence of multiple communication links in distinct wireless systems, the method comprising:

configuring a primary communication system for dynamically reconfigurable time multiplexed periods of scheduled inactivity;

determining activity of at least one distinct communication system;

determining an indication of inactivity in the primary communication system; and

arbitrating the activity of the primary communication system and the activity of the at least one distinct communication system to permit communications with the at least one distinct communication system based on the indication of inactivity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting communications with the at least one distinct communication system during an active period of the primary communication system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein inhibiting communications comprises de-energizing at least one active device in a transmit path configured to support the at least one distinct communication system.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein inhibiting communications comprises decoupling an RF path from an antenna supporting the at least one distinct communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting communications with the primary communication system during the indication of inactivity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a priority level of a period within the timing of the at least one distinct communication system occurring during an active period of the primary communication system;

suppressing communications with the primary communication system during the period within the timing of the at least one distinct communication system based at least in part on the priority; and

scheduling communications with the at least one distinct communication system during a time that the communications with the primary communication system is suppressed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the priority level comprises determining a relative priority level determined in a coexistence block, where the relative priority level is based on an intrinsic priority level of a communication type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a priority level of a period within the timing of the at least one distinct communication system occurring during an active period of the primary communication system;

setting a relative priority level above the priority level based on at least one prior suppression of communications with the at least one distinct communication system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the period of inactivity in the primary communication system comprises determining an inactive period of the primary communication system associated with a configured Power Saving Class (PSC).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the period of inactivity in the primary communication system comprises determining a frame having at least one of downlink inactivity or uplink inactivity in the primary communication system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the frame comprises:

receiving a MAP message; and

decoding the MAP message to determine a presence of a resource allocation for the primary communication system in the frame.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary communication system comprises a WiMax communication system and the at least one distinct communication system comprises a Bluetooth communication system.

13. A method of coexistence of multiple communication links in distinct wireless systems, the method comprising:

configuring a first subsystem of a wireless communication device for scheduled periods of inactivity;

determining an activity state associated with a scheduled communications based on a Personal Area Network (PAN) subsystem of the wireless communication device;

determining whether the activity state occurs during a period of inactivity for the first subsystem; and

enabling communications in the PAN subsystem if the activity state occurs within the period of inactivity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising suppressing communications in the PAN subsystem if the activity state extends beyond the period of inactivity.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a priority associated with the scheduled communications based on the PAN subsystem; and

suppressing communications with the first subsystem based on the priority.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a priority of a first subsystem communication occurring during at least a portion of the activity state; and

comparing the priority associated with the PAN subsystem communications against the priority of the first subsystem communication,

wherein suppressing communications with the first subsystem occurs if the priority associated with the scheduled communications exceeds the priority of the first subsystem communication.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the activity state occurs during the period of inactivity comprises determining whether the activity state occurs during the scheduled periods of inactivity.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the activity state occurs during the period of inactivity comprises:

determining a timing of a downlink resource allocation supported by the first subsystem; and

determining whether the activity state is exclusive of the timing of the downlink resource allocation.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the activity state occurs during the period of inactivity comprises:

determining a timing of an uplink resource allocation supported by the first subsystem; and

determining whether the activity state is exclusive of the timing of the uplink resource allocation.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein configuring the first subsystem comprises negotiating a Power Saving Class mode with a serving WiMax base station.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the first subsystem comprises a WiMax subsystem and the PAN subsystem comprises a Bluetooth subsystem.

22. An apparatus configured for coexistence of multiple communication links in distinct wireless systems, the apparatus comprising:

a first communication subsystem configured to establish dynamically reconfigurable time multiplexed communications with a first wireless system having a first time reference;

a second communication subsystem configured to establish communications with a second wireless system having a second time reference independent of the first time reference;

a coexistence block configured to arbitrate access by the first communication subsystem and the second communication subsystem based on activity of each of the first communication subsystem and the second communication subsystem; and

a host processor configured to control at least a portion of operations of each of the first and second communication subsystem and configured to selectively enable the second subsystem based on access arbitration by the coexistence block.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first communication subsystem comprises a WiMax subsystem.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the WiMax subsystem is configured in a Power Saving Class (PSC) mode.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the second communication subsystem comprises a Bluetooth subsystem.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the coexistence block receives a first activity indication from the first communication subsystem and receives a second activity indication from the second subsystem, and wherein the coexistence block enables access by the second communication subsystem if the first activity indication indicates inactivity while the second activity indication indicates activity.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the coexistence block receives a first priority indication from the first communication subsystem and receives a second priority indication from the second communication subsystem, and wherein the coexistence block determines access arbitration based on the first priority indication and the second priority indication.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the coexistence block receives a first priority indication from the first communication subsystem and receives a second priority indication from the second communication subsystem, and wherein the coexistence block increases a relative priority of one of the first priority indication or the second priority indication based at least in part on a previous communication suppression.

29. An apparatus configured for coexistence of multiple communication links in distinct wireless systems, the apparatus comprising:

means for configuring a primary communication system for dynamically reconfigurable time multiplexed periods of scheduled inactivity;

means for determining activity of at least one distinct communication system;

means for determining an indication of inactivity in the primary communication system; and

means for arbitrating the activity of the primary communication system and the activity of the at least one distinct communication system to permit communications with the at least one distinct communication system based on the indication of inactivity.

30. An apparatus configured for coexistence of multiple communication links in distinct wireless systems, the apparatus comprising:

means for configuring a first subsystem of a wireless communication device for scheduled periods of inactivity;

means for determining an activity state associated with a scheduled communications based on a Personal Area Network (PAN) subsystem of the wireless communication device;

means for determining whether the activity state occurs during a period of inactivity for the first subsystem; and

means for enabling communications in the PAN subsystem if the activity state occurs within the period of inactivity.