COMMUNICATIONS COEXISTENCE SIGNALING

• US 20140177603A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Poojary, Neeraj, Desai, Prasanna, Prajapati, Sudhir, Gupta, Sachin, Desjardins, Gabriel, Saha, Sanjay, Kumar, Pawan
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• 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 coexistence signaling scheme for radio communications is described. In one embodiment, a method for coexistence signaling includes establishing first communications and second communications with separate access points or base stations. The method further includes determining protocol timings of the first and second communications. Based on various communications parameters, protocol timings, and identified interference conditions, the method includes generating one or more priority signals to manage the first and second communications. According to certain aspects, overlapping channel conditions can be avoided while maintaining acceptable communications data throughput.

Claims

1. A method for communications coexistence signaling, comprising:

establishing, by at least one communications circuit, first communications with an access point using a first communications specification;

establishing, by the at least one communications circuit, second communications with a base station using a second communications specification;

determining a first protocol timing of the first communications specification and a second protocol timing of the second communications specification;

generating, by the at least one communications circuit, a priority signal based on the second protocol timing; and

managing the first communications with the access point based on the priority signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the priority signal comprises a transmit priority signal and a receive priority signal, and

managing the first communications further comprises managing the first communications with the access point based on the transmit and receive priority signals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

analyzing a timing pattern of the transmit priority signal; and

managing the first communications with the access point based on the timing pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

analyzing the timing pattern comprises analyzing a duration of the transmit priority signal, and

managing the first communications comprises selecting between alternative modes of communication with the access point based on the duration.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a relief request signal based on the first protocol timing and a status of communications with the access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the status of communications with the access point comprises at least one of an amount of data in a data queue, a fallback mode of communications with the access point, and a likelihood of packet loss or disassociation with the access point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the transmit priority signal further comprises generating the transmit priority signal at a predetermined time before a transmission using the second communications specification; and

generating the receive priority signal further comprises generating the receive priority signal at a predetermined time before a reception using the second communications specification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the transmit priority signal further comprises generating a transmit exception pulse when the transmission using the second communications specification includes a recess for a time less than the predetermined time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority signal comprises a transmit priority signal and a receive priority signal and the method further comprises:

based on the transmit priority signal, suspending the first communications with the access point; and

based on the receive priority signal, reducing a transmit power of the first communications with the access point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, when suspending communications based on the transmit priority signal, indicating any packet loss to a rate adaptation layer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining overlapping channel combinations or conditions between the first and second communications, wherein

generating the priority signal further comprises generating the priority signal based on the overlapping channel combinations or conditions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein ascertaining the overlapping channel further comprises generating a coexistence matrix that identifies overlapping channel combinations or conditions between the first and second communications.

13. An apparatus for communications coexistence, comprising:

a wireless communications front end; and

at least one communications circuit configured to;

establish first communications with an access point using a first communications specification,

establish second communications with a base station using a second communications specification,

determine a protocol timing of the second communications specification, and

generate a priority signal based on the protocol timing.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the priority signal comprises a transmit priority signal and a receive priority signal, and

the least one communications circuit is further configured to manage the first communications with the access point based on the transmit and receive priority signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the least one communications circuit is further configured to generate a relief request signal based on a status of communications with the access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the status of communications with the access point comprises at least one of an amount of data in a data queue, a fallback mode of communications with the access point, and a likelihood of packet loss or disassociation with the access point.

17. A method for communications, comprising:

establishing, by at least one communications circuit, communications with an access point according to a first protocol timing;

identifying a priority signal, the priority signal being generated based on a second protocol timing; and

managing the communications with the access point based on the priority signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

analyzing a timing pattern of the priority signal; and

managing the first communications with the access point based on the timing pattern.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein managing the first communications comprises selecting between alternative modes of communication with the access point based on the timing pattern.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a relief request signal based on the first protocol timing and a status of communications with the access point, wherein

the status of communications with the access point comprises at least one of an amount of data in a data queue, a fallback mode of communications with the access point, and a likelihood of packet loss or disassociation with the access point.