WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED WIFI AND BLUETOOTH COEXISTENCE USINGREDUCED POWER FOR CONTROL PACKETS

• US 20130156012A1
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Markovits, Ofer, Mor, Ran, Raskin, Rafi, Preiszler, Eitan, Ben-Haim, Shani
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/48 during retransmission after error or non-acknowledgment
• 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

Disclosed in some examples is a method including receiving a downlink data packet over a first wireless link using a first wireless protocol during communications over a second wireless link using a second wireless protocol the first and second wireless protocols being different; and sending a control packet in response to the downlink data packet over the first wireless link using a reduced power setting during the communications over the second wireless link, the reduced power setting being less than a non-control packet power setting.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a downlink data packet over a first wireless link using a first wireless protocol during communications over a second wireless link using a second wireless protocol, the first and second wireless protocols being different; and

sending a control packet in response to the downlink data packet over the first wireless link using a reduced power setting during the communications over the second wireless link, the reduced power setting being less than a non-control packet power setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to an IEEE 802.11 family of standards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to a BLUETOOTH family of standards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second wireless protocols utilize overlapping frequency spectrums.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a second downlink data packet over the first wireless link and responsive to determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link, sending a second acknowledgement over the first wireless link using a normal power setting, the normal power setting greater than the reduced power setting.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link comprises determining whether a first or second communication core which respectively handles the first and second communication protocols is currently active based on a time division scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced power setting is based upon a received signal strength indication.

8. A communication apparatus comprising:

a first communications module configured to communicate over a first wireless link using a first wireless protocol;

a second communications module configured to communicate over a second wireless link using a second wireless protocol, the second protocol different than the first protocol; and

wherein the first communications module is configured to send a control packet in response to a downlink data packet received over the first wireless link using a reduced power setting while the second communications module is communicating over the second wireless link, the reduced power setting being less than a non-control packet power setting.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to an IEE 802.11 family of standards.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to a BLUETOOTH family of standards.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second wireless protocols utilize overlapping frequency spectrums.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first communications module is configured to receive a second downlink data packet over the first wireless link and responsive to determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link, the first communication module is configured to send a second acknowledgement over the first wireless link using a normal power setting, the normal power setting greater than the reduced power setting.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link comprises determining whether the first or second communication modules is currently active based on a time division scheme.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the reduced power setting is based upon a received signal strength indication.

15. A machine readable medium that stores instructions which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a downlink data packet over a first wireless link using a first wireless protocol during communications over a second wireless link using a second wireless protocol, the first and second wireless protocols being different; and

sending a control packet in response to the downlink data packet over the first wireless link using a reduced power setting during the communications over the second wireless link, the reduced power setting being less than a non-control packet power setting.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to an IEE 802.11 family of standards.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second wireless protocol is a wireless protocol according to a BLUETOOTH family of standards.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second wireless protocols utilize overlapping frequency spectrums.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions which when performed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a second downlink data packet over the first wireless link and responsive to determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link, sending a second acknowledgement over the first wireless link using a normal power setting, the normal power setting greater than the reduced power setting.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for determining that no communications are ongoing over the second wireless link includes instructions, which when performed by the machine, cause the machine to determine whether a first or second communication core which respectively handles the first and second communication protocols is currently active based on a time division scheme.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for sending an acknowledgement using a reduced power setting includes instructions, which when performed by the machine, causes the machine to determine a power setting based upon a received signal strength indication.