Methods and apparatus for network capacity enhancement for wireless device coexistence

• US 20090257379A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robinson, Michael A., Chen, Camille, Tolentino, Jaime
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for enhancing network capacity in a network comprising multiple wireless communication that overlap at least partly in frequency spectrum. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a portable device such as a laptop or smartphone having both a WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi) interface and a PAN (e.g., Bluetooth) interface which each operate with approximately the same frequency range. One variant places the WLAN interface into a power-saving mode as a default, thereby mitigating interference with the PAN interface in cases where the WLAN interface is not in active use. In another variant, an aggressive PAN management algorithm is used to enforce network policy on the PAN interface, thereby mitigating interference between the PAN interface and the WLAN interfaces of other devices in the network (as well as the parent device). AP-based variants are also described. Methods of operation and doing business utilizing the aforementioned apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable device comprising at least first and second air interfaces that are contentious for at least a portion of a frequency spectrum, the method comprising:

operating said first air interface so as to communicate data using said at least portion of said frequency spectrum;

operating said second air interface so that it defaults to a power saving mode when not in use, said power saving mode mitigating interference with said first interface within said at least portion of said spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation of said second air interface so that it defaults to said power saving mode is conducted irrespective of whether said portable device is coupled to an external power source, or operating only on an internal power source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said operating said first air interface using said at least portion of said frequency spectrum comprises operating a Bluetooth-compliant air interface using a portion of said spectrum located at least proximate to a frequency of 2.4 GHz; and

said operating said second air interface comprises operating a Wi-Fi-compliant air interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said power saving mode comprises Wi-Fi power mode 2 (PM=2).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said operating said second air interface so that it defaults to a power saving mode when not in use reduces a duty cycle of said second air interface, said reduced duty cycle mitigating said interference, but also adding at least some latency to at least one of data transmission or reception using said second air interface.

6. A method of operating a portable device comprising at least first and second air interfaces that are contentious for at least a portion of a frequency spectrum, the method comprising operating said second air interface so that it defaults to a power-saving mode of operation regardless of the power supply to said portable device, said power-saving mode resulting in reduced interference with said first air interface when said first air interface is operating in an active mode, said reduced interference comprising a trade-off with an increased latency of active-mode operation of said second interface.

7. Network apparatus, comprising:

a first wireless module in communication with a first network operating according to a first wireless protocol;

a second wireless module in communication with a second network operating according to a second wireless protocol, said second wireless protocol being different than said first wireless protocol;

a management module adapted to receive first data relating to a duty cycle of at least one of said first and second wireless protocol modules, said management module adapted to dynamically adjust an operating parameter of at least one of said first and said second wireless protocol modules in response to said received first data.

8. The network apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second wireless module comprises a plurality of operating modes, and said dynamic adjustment of said operating parameter comprises dynamic selection of individual ones of said plurality of operating modes of said second module.

9. The network apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of operating modes of said second module comprise a priority level for a given operating profile, said priority level varying between said plurality of operating modes.

10. The network apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first wireless protocol comprises an IEEE-Std. 802.11 wireless protocol.

11. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second wireless protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol, and said given operating profile comprises the A2DP operating profile.

12. A portable device, comprising:

a first wireless module in communication with a first network operating under a first wireless protocol;

a second wireless module in communication with a second network operating under a second wireless protocol; and

a management module adapted to receive;

first data related to a duty cycle of at least one of said first and second wireless protocol modules; and

second data related to an operational profile of said first network;

wherein said management module is adapted to dynamically adjust at least one operating parameter of said first or said second wireless protocol modules based at least in part on said first and second data.

13. The portable device of claim 12, wherein said operation profile of said first network comprises the number of users on said first network.

14. The portable device of claim 13, wherein said management module is configured to select a first operating parameter if the number of users is greater than one, and a select a second operating parameter if the number of users is equal to one.

15. The portable device of claim 12, wherein said operation profile of said first network comprises a received signal strength indication associated with said first network.

16. The portable device of claim 12, wherein said operating parameter comprises a plurality of discrete modes.

17. The portable device of claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality of discrete modes disables an operational profile or mode of said second wireless module.

18. The portable device of claim 17, wherein said first wireless protocol comprises an IEEE-Std. 802.11 wireless protocol.

19. The portable device of claim 18, wherein said second wireless protocol comprises Bluetooth, and said operational profile or mode comprises the A2DP operational profile.

20. The portable device of claim 12, wherein said first module comprises a Wi-Fi module, said second module comprises a Bluetooth module, and said portable device comprises a laptop or handheld computer having a clamshell-like outer housing, the maximal thickness of said housing when in a closed state being less than 0.80 inches.

21. The portable device of claim 12, wherein said first module comprises a Wi-Fi module, said second module comprises a Bluetooth module, and said portable device comprises a handheld computerized device having a cellular telephony interface and a touch screen user interface.

22. A portable computerized apparatus adapted for powering by a fixed power supply or a portable power supply, comprising:

a first wireless module adapted for communication with one or more external devices using a first wireless protocol;

a first management module in signal communication with said first wireless module; and

a second wireless module adapted for communication with one or more external devices using a second wireless protocol, said second wireless protocol different than said first wireless protocol;

wherein said first management module comprises a default value comprising a power saving mode, said default value implemented whether or not said portable computerized apparatus is powered by said fixed power supply or said portable power supply.

23. The portable apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first wireless protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol, and said second wireless protocol comprises a Wi-Fi protocol.

24. A method of enhancing network capacity, comprising:

determining an amount of network traffic existing on at least one network of a plurality of networks, wherein each network in the plurality of networks operates in a portion of a frequency spectrum that overlaps with that of the other; and

adjusting the amount of resources allocated to applications requesting access to at least one of said plurality of networks, wherein said adjustment is based at least in part upon said act of determining.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of networks comprises two wireless networks using heterogeneous wireless protocols.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said heterogeneous wireless protocols comprise a Bluetooth protocol and a Wi-Fi protocol, and said at least portion of said spectrum comprises approximately 2.4 GHz.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said amount of network traffic comprises the number of users on said at least one network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said amount of network traffic comprises a duty cycle of a device operating in said at least one network.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said acts of determining and adjusting are performed by a single device.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein said acts of determining and adjusting are performed by two different devices.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said act of determining is performed wholly by a first of said two different devices, and said adjusting is performed wholly by a second of two different devices.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein one of said two different devices comprises an access point or gateway for said other discrete device to another network.

33. A computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium adapted to store a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a computerized device, perform the method comprising:

evaluating the usage of a first wireless module in signal communication with a first network; and

modifying the behavior of a second wireless module based at least in part on said act of evaluating, said modifying mitigating interference between said first and second modules.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said evaluating the usage comprises:

determining a duty cycle associated with a first wireless module;

evaluating said duty cycle to determine whether it exceeds a threshold value; and

if said threshold value is exceeded, performing said modifying, said modifying comprising reducing a duty cycle of said second module.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said first module comprises a Wi-Fi module, and said second module comprises a Bluetooth module.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said method further comprises evaluating the usage of said second module, and said act of modifying comprises modifying based on said evaluating of both said usage of said first module and said usage of said second module.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said method further comprises determining an indication related to a received signal strength for said computerized device.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing said indication of said received signal strength to a threshold value; and

determining the number of clients in communication with an access point of said first network if said indication exceeds said value.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein said determining the number of clients comprises:

sending a message or signal to an access point or gateway of said first network; and

receiving a message or signal in response to said sending, said received message or signal comprising data relating to said number of clients.

40. A method of operating a portable wireless device comprising a plurality of differing wireless modules each operating at least party within a same frequency spectrum, comprising:

implementing a default power save mode for a first of said plurality of wireless modules of said device;

implementing a first operating parameter for a second of said modules;

evaluating a receiver signal strength associated with said first wireless module against a predetermined threshold;

evaluating a first duty cycle parameter associated with said first wireless module;

evaluating a second duty cycle parameter associated with said second wireless module; and

adjusting said first operating parameter based at least in part on at least one of said acts of evaluating.

41. For use in a first wireless network, an access point adapted to communicate with a plurality of client devices, the access point comprising:

first logic adapted to evaluate usage within said first wireless network; and

second logic adapted to cause communication with at least one of said plurality of client devices, said communication causing said at least one device to modify the operational behavior of a second air interface thereof which is not part of said first wireless network.

42. The access point of claim 41, wherein said first network comprises a Wi-Fi network, said second air interface comprises a Bluetooth-compliant interface, and said modification of said operational behavior comprises dynamically selecting one of a plurality of operating modes associated with said Bluetooth-compliant interface.