Terminal having a variable duplex capability

• US 20090213765A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rinne, Mika P., Seppinen, Pauli
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/56 with provision for simultaneous communication in two directions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• 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 cellular telecommunications terminal having a full-duplex mode of operation and a half-duplex mode of operation, including a first cellular transmitter and a first cellular receiver operable, when the terminal is in the full-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at the same time and operable, when the terminal is in the half-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at different times and not at the same time; and a switching control for changing the mode of operation of the terminal while operating in the full-duplex mode from the full-duplex mode to the half-duplex mode.

Claims

1. A cellular telecommunications terminal having a full-duplex mode of operation and a half-duplex mode of operation, comprising:

a first cellular transmitter and a first cellular receiver operable, when the terminal is in the full-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at the same time and operable, when the terminal is in the half-duplex mode, to transmit and receive at different times and not at the same time; and

a switching control for changing the mode of operation of the terminal while operating in the full-duplex mode from the full-duplex mode to the half-duplex mode

2. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cellular transmitter and first cellular receiver use the same first antenna.

3. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching control is responsive to interference detected at the first cellular receiver and a change in operational mode to half-duplex mode occurs when the detected interference exceeds a threshold.

4. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching control is responsive to the power output of the first cellular transmitter and a change in operational mode to half-duplex mode occurs when the power output exceeds a power threshold.

5. A terminal as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a duplexer joining the first cellular transmitter and first cellular receiver to the first antenna element, wherein the isolation provided by the duplexer between the first cellular transmitter and first cellular receiver is adequate while the power output of the first transmitter does not exceed the power threshold and is inadequate when the power output of the first transmitter exceeds the power threshold

6. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second cellular transmitter and a second cellular receiver.

7. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the switching control is responsive to interference detected using the second cellular receiver and a change in operational mode to half-duplex mode occurs when the detected interference exceeds a threshold.

8. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the switching control is responsive to the power output of the second cellular transmitter and a change in operational mode to half-duplex mode occurs when the power output exceeds a threshold.

9. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the half duplex mode is one of:

a) transmission from a single antenna without simultaneous reception at the single antenna;

b) simultaneous transmissions from a first antenna and a second antenna without simultaneous reception at the first or second antenna;

c) simultaneous reception at a first antenna and a second antenna without simultaneous transmission from the first or second antenna.

10. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the full duplex mode is one of:

a) transmission from a single antenna with simultaneous reception at the single antenna;

b) simultaneous transmissions from a first antenna and a second antenna with simultaneous reception at the first or second antenna;

c) simultaneous receptions at a first antenna and a second antenna with simultaneous transmission from the first or second antenna;

d) simultaneous receptions at a first antenna and a second antenna with simultaneous transmissions from the first and second antennas;

11. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, comprising a switching element joining the second cellular transmitter and second cellular receiver to a second antenna element, and wherein the full-duplex mode is one of:

a) transmission from the first antenna element with simultaneous reception at the first antenna element;

b) simultaneous transmissions from the first antenna element and the second antenna element with simultaneous reception at the first antenna element but not at the second antenna element; and

c) simultaneous reception at the first antenna element and the second antenna element with simultaneous transmission from the first antenna element but not from the second antenna element.

12. A terminal as claimed in claim 1 further comprising signalling control for controlling the sending of a capability message indicating the full-duplex-capability of the terminal.

13. A terminal as claimed in claim 1 further comprising signalling control for controlling the sending of a capability message indicating a reduced-duplex-capability of the terminal.

14. A terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein the capability message indicates the duplex capability of multiple antennas.

15. A cellular telecommunications terminal having a full-duplex mode of operation and a half-duplex mode of operation, comprising:

a plurality of cellular transmitters and receivers; and

a controller for controlling at least one of the transmitters to transmit a capability message indicating the duplex capability of each of multiple antennas.

16. A terminal as claimed in claim 15, wherein the current duplex capability of an antenna may change and wherein the controller controls at least one of the transmitters to transmit an updated capability message, indicating the current duplex capability of each of multiple antennas, in response to such a change.

17. A terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the current duplex capability of an antenna changes as a result of high self-interference measurements.

18. A terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the duplex capability of an antenna changes as a result of high transmission power measurements.

19. A cellular telecommunications network element comprising:

a controller arranged to use a received capability message indicating the duplex capability of each of multiple antennas of a terminal to allocate resources in the network.

20. A cellular telecommunications terminal having a full-capability mode of operation in which at least one antenna is capable of full-duplex operation and a reduced-capability mode of operation in which the at least one antenna is capable of half-duplex operation, the terminal comprising:

a plurality of cellular transmitters and receivers; and

a controller for controlling at least one of the transmitters to transmit a capability message indicating the reduced-capability mode of operation.

21. A terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the capability message is sent as a result of high self-interference measurements.

22. A terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the capability message is sent as a result of high transmission power measurements.

23. A cellular telecommunications network element comprising:

a controller arranged to use a received capability message indicating the reduced-capability mode of operation to allocate resources in the network.