Methods and apparatus for wireless device coexistence

• US 20090176454A1
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Giles, Michael J., Pontil, Marco, Robinson, Michael A., Chen, Camille
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• 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 for compensating for the effects of interference between multiple wireless communication apparatus. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a first wireless communication apparatus operating in a first band and a second wireless communication apparatus operating at least partly in the first band, where the second wireless communication apparatus operates according to a different communication protocol than the first wireless communication apparatus. Interference is compensated for between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus by selecting and operating according to one of a plurality of operational protocols. In another embodiment, the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus operate in a closed-loop relationship to cooperatively compensate for communication interference.

Claims

1. A method of mitigating the interference between multiple wireless communication apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a first wireless communication apparatus operative in a first frequency band;

providing a second wireless communication apparatus operative at least partly in the first band, said second wireless communication apparatus operating according to a different communication protocol than said first wireless communication apparatus; and

compensating for the effects of interference between said first wireless communication apparatus and said second wireless communication apparatus by operating according to one of a plurality of operational protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the isolation between said first wireless communication apparatus and said second wireless communication apparatus; and

selecting said one of said plurality of protocols based at least in part on said determining.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second apparatus are substantially co-located within a common, substantially portable device, and said act of operating according to one of a plurality of operational protocols comprises selecting one of a plurality of operating modes associated within at least one of said first and second communications apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second apparatus comprise IEEE-Std. 802.11—

and Bluetooth-compliant air interfaces, respectively, and said one of a plurality of protocols is selected based at least in part on the level of mutual interference between said IEEE-Std. 802.11 and Bluetooth interfaces during operation of both.

5. Portable computerized apparatus, comprising:

a first wireless interface adapted to communicate wirelessly according to a first protocol;

a second wireless interface adapted to communicate wirelessly according to a second protocol, said second interface being disposed proximate said first interface so that interference between said first and second interfaces occurs when both are in operation;

apparatus adapted to selectively implement one or more operating policies, said one or more policies reducing the effects of said interference over that obtained when said one or more policies are not implemented.

6. The portable apparatus of claim 5, wherein said apparatus adapted to implement comprises:

a processor; and

a computer program, said program comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed on said processor, implement said one or more operating policies base don at least one input relating to antenna isolation associated with at least one of said first and second interfaces.

7. The portable apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first interface comprises a WLAN interface, and said second interface comprises a short-range low-bandwidth interface, said first and second interfaces each operating within at least partly overlapping frequency bands.

8. The portable apparatus of claim 5, wherein said selective implementation of said one or more policies comprises selecting said one or more policies based at least in part on measured antenna isolation.

9. The portable apparatus of claim 5, wherein said selective implementation of said one or more policies comprises selecting said one or more policies based at least in part on a variable physical relationship between first and second antennas associated with said first and second interfaces, respectively.

10. Test apparatus adapted to evaluate the isolation of one or more antenna systems, comprising:

a device under test, said device under test comprising first and second air interfaces;

a test device, said test device comprising third and fourth air interfaces, said third and fourth interfaces operating according to the same protocols as said first and second interfaces, respectively, said third interface being adjustable in at least one aspect; and

an attenuation apparatus adapted to simulate at least one antenna isolation level.

11. The test apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first and second air interfaces comprise WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces, respectively.

12. A portable computerized device, comprising:

a first wireless interface operating according to a first protocol;

a second wireless interface operating according to a second protocol;

a test apparatus adapted to test at least one parameter associated with said first and second interfaces and produce data relating thereto; and

logic adapted to utilize said data to optimize at least one aspect of the operation of at least one of said first and second interfaces.

13. A method of doing business, comprising:

determining a required customer configuration for a device, said required configuration comprising at least two wireless interfaces;

identifying a basis for evaluation of the operation of at least one of said at least two interfaces;

evaluating said device configured according to said required configuration based at least in part on said basis;

implementing one of a plurality of operational policies based at least in part on said act of evaluating; and

providing said device in said required configuration and optimized therefor to said customer.