METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ANTENNA ISOLATION-DEPENDENT COEXISTENCE IN WIRELESS SYSTEMS
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for selectively switching one or more antennas in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array so as to mitigate interference with another RF interface within the same space-constrained device, based on radio frequency isolation. In one embodiment, the MIMO interface comprises a WLAN interface having a 2×2 or 3×3 array of antennae which are placed in a wireless device in an asymmetric fashion with respect to the antenna of the second interface, and the other interface comprises a PAN (e.g., Bluetooth) interface operating in an overlapping frequency band (e.g., ISM band). When both interfaces are operating, interference is mitigated through selectively switching off one or more of the MIMO antennae, and using the remaining antenna(e) having the best isolation from the Bluetooth antennae. This approach allows simultaneous operation of both interferences without significant degradation to user experience or the operation of either interface, and may also provide power savings critical to mobile device battery longevity.
-
Citations
55 Claims
-
1-35. -35. (canceled)
-
36. A method of operating a multi-input multi-output (MIMO)-capable air interface of a device having at least one other air interface, the method comprising:
-
communicating from said one other air interface to said MIMO-capable interface a communication activity level on said one other air interface; when said MIMO-capable interface and said one other air interface are operating simultaneously, then determining a radio frequency isolation between said at least two antenna elements of said MIMO-capable interface and said one other air interface; and based at least in part on said communicated communication activity level and said determined radio frequency isolation, configuring said MIMO-capable interface to operate a first number of said antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus having a storage medium, said storage medium configured to store a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed cause a processor to:
-
detect an asymmetric isolation condition by comparing one or more isolations between antennae of a plurality of antenna pairs associated with a first and a second air interfaces; and responsive to said asymmetric condition, turn on or off use of at least one antenna within said first interface, said first interface comprising a multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) air interface.
-
-
47. A method of doing business relating to a wireless device, the method comprising:
-
receiving a plurality of user inputs regarding a desired configuration of said device; based at least in part on said plurality of user inputs, determining a placement of a plurality of antennae within said device, said plurality of antenna comprising two or more antennae associated with a multi-input multi-output (MIMO)-enabled air interface and one or more antennae associated with a second air interface; and configuring said device during build so as to selectively activate or deactivate at least one of said plurality of antennae during conditions of simultaneous operation of said MIMO-enabled and second air interfaces so as to mitigate the effects of interference there between. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A wireless device, comprising:
-
a multi-input multi-output (MIMO)-capable air interface; at least one other air interface; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable apparatus having a storage medium and in data communication with the processor, the storage medium configured to store a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed cause the wireless device to; communicate from the one other air interface to the MIMO-capable interface a communication activity level relating to the one other air interface; when the MIMO-capable interface and the one other air interface are simultaneously active, determine a radio frequency isolation between the at least two antenna elements of the MIMO-capable interface and the one other air interface; and based at least in part on the communicated communication activity level and the determined radio frequency isolation, configure the MIMO-capable interface to operate a first number of the antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
-
Specification