COEXISTENCE MANAGER FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF MULTIPLE RADIOS

• US 20100304770A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chrisikos, George, Wietfeldt, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• 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

Techniques for performing radio coexistence management to control operation of multiple radios to achieve good performance are described. In one design, an entity (e.g., a coexistence manager or a radio controller) may receive inputs from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently. An input from a radio may indicate a planned operating state or planned activity of the radio in an upcoming time interval. The entity may determine controls for at least one radio based on the received inputs and a database of performance versus operating states to mitigate interference caused or observed by each of the at least one radio. The control for a radio may indicate a selected operating state or selected setting for at least one configurable parameter for the radio in the upcoming interval. The entity may send the controls to the at least one radio. Each radio may operate in accordance with its control.

Claims

1. A method of supporting wireless communication, comprising:

receiving inputs from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently;

determining controls for at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the received inputs to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio; and

sending the controls to the at least one radio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the inputs comprises receiving from a radio an input indicative of a planned operating state of the radio in an upcoming time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the inputs comprises receiving from a radio an input indicative of planned activity of the radio in an upcoming time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the controls comprises determining the controls for the at least one radio based on a database of information on performance versus operating states for different combinations of radios.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the controls comprises selecting at least one operating state for the at least one radio based on the database to obtain acceptable performance for the at least one radio.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the controls comprises determining the controls to adjust time of at least one event for the at least one radio to mitigate interference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the controls comprises determining the controls to adjust transmit power of the at least one radio to mitigate interference.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the controls comprises determining the controls to adjust at least one frequency channel for the at least one radio to mitigate interference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the controls comprises sending to a radio a control indicative of a selected operating state for the radio in an upcoming interval, and wherein the radio operates in the selected operating state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the controls comprises sending a control to a radio to set at least one configurable parameter of the radio.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one configurable parameter comprises an amplifier, a filter, a transmit power level, an antenna, an antenna array, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the controls comprises sending a control from a coexistence manager to a controller for a radio, the controller being co-located with the coexistence manager on an integrated circuit and setting at least one configurable parameter of the radio in accordance with the control.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the controls comprises sending a control from a coexistence manager to a controller for a radio, the controller being located within the radio and setting at least one configurable parameter of the radio in accordance with the control.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a coexistence manager designated to control operation of all of the multiple radios.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a controller for one of the multiple radios.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the controls for the at least one radio are determined iteratively.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs from the one or more radios are received via software messages, and wherein the controls are sent to the at least one radio via software messages.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs from the one or more radios are received via a hardware bus, and wherein the controls are sent to the at least one radio via the hardware bus.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a radio for registration of the radio; and

obtaining information used to control operation of the radio via the registration.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a portion of a database for controlling operation of the radio; and

loading the portion of the database from external memory to internal memory.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios comprise at least one transmitter radio and at least one receiver radio.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio comprises a single radio for a single radio technology.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios comprise at least three radios for at least three different radio technologies.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios comprise a software defined radio (SDR) supporting multiple radio technologies.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios comprise a cognitive radio configurable to search for a clear frequency channel and to operate on the clear frequency channel.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios comprise a radio emitting interference without supporting wireless communication.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios are located within a single device.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple radios are located in multiple devices.

29. An apparatus supporting wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving inputs from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently;

means for determining controls for at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the received inputs to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio; and

means for sending the controls to the at least one radio.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for receiving the inputs comprises means for receiving from a radio an input indicative of a planned operating state or planned activity of the radio in an upcoming time interval.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for determining the controls comprises means for determining the controls for the at least one radio based on a database of information on performance versus operating states for different combinations of radios.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for determining the controls comprises means for selecting at least one operating state for the at least one radio based on the database to obtain acceptable performance for the at least one radio.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for sending the controls comprises means for sending to a radio a control indicative of a selected operating state or at least one configurable parameter setting for the radio in an upcoming interval, and wherein the radio operates in the selected operating state or the selected at least one configurable parameter setting.

34. An apparatus supporting wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive inputs from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently, to determine controls for at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the received inputs to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio, and to send the controls to the at least one radio.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive from a radio an input indicative of a planned operating state or planned activity of the radio in an upcoming time interval.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the controls for the at least one radio based on a database of information on performance versus operating states for different combinations of radios.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select at least one operating state for the at least one radio based on the database to obtain acceptable performance for the at least one radio.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send to a radio a control indicative of a selected operating state or at least one configurable parameter setting for the radio in an upcoming interval, and wherein the radio operates in the selected operating state or the selected at least one configurable parameter setting.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive inputs from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently,

code for causing the at least one computer to determine controls for at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the received inputs to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio, and

code for causing the at least one computer to send the controls to the at least one radio.

40. A method of supporting wireless communication, comprising:

receiving one or more notifications from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently, each notification indicating planned activity of a corresponding radio;

determining proposed operation of at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the one or more notifications to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio; and

sending at least one response to the at least one radio, each response conveying the proposed operation of a corresponding radio.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the one or more notifications are sent synchronously by the one or more radios.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

performing the receiving, determining, and sending in each time interval of a particular duration.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more notifications are received during a first part of a time interval, the proposed operation of the at least one radio is determined during a second part of the time interval, and the at least one response is sent during a third part of the time interval.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the one or more notifications are sent asynchronously by the one or more radios.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one response is sent asynchronously to the at least one radio.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein a notification is sent by a corresponding radio when there is a change in planned activity of the radio.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein a response is sent to a corresponding radio when there is a change in proposed operation of the radio.

48. An apparatus supporting wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving one or more notifications from one or more radios among multiple radios operating concurrently, each notification indicating planned activity of a corresponding radio;

means for determining proposed operation of at least one radio among the multiple radios based on the one or more notifications to mitigate interference caused by or observed by each of the at least one radio; and

means for sending at least one response to the at least one radio, each response conveying the proposed operation of a corresponding radio.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the one or more notifications are sent synchronously by the one or more radios.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the one or more notifications are sent asynchronously by the one or more radios.

51. A method of supporting wireless communication, comprising:

identifying at least one first radio on a first device and at least one second radio on a second device, the first and second radios operating concurrently; and

controlling operation of the at least one first radio on the first device to mitigate interference to the at least one second radio on the second device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the controlling the operation of the at least one first radio comprises

determining at least one setting for at least one configurable parameter of the at least one first radio,

determining the performance of the at least one second radio based on the at least one setting,

retaining the at least one setting if the determined performance if acceptable, and

changing the at least one setting if the determined performance is unacceptable.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the at least one configurable parameter comprises a frequency channel, a transmit power level, an antenna, an antenna array, or a combination thereof.

54. An apparatus supporting wireless communication, comprising:

means for identifying at least one first radio on a first device and at least one second radio on a second device, the first and second radios operating concurrently; and

means for controlling operation of the at least one first radio on the first device to mitigate interference to the at least one second radio on the second device.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the means for controlling the operation of the at least one first radio comprises

means for determining at least one setting for at least one configurable parameter of the at least one first radio,

means for determining the performance of the at least one second radio based on the at least one setting,

means for retaining the at least one setting if the determined performance if acceptable, and

means for changing the at least one setting if the determined performance is unacceptable.