FRONT-END MODULE AND ANTENNA DESIGN FOR A WIRELESS DEVICE SIMULTANEOUSLY USING WLAN MODULES OPERATING IN DIFFERENT WIRELESS BANDS

• US 20150105121A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: EMMANUEL, Joseph Amalan Arul, LIU, Chia-Wei, AMINI, Peiman, YU, Shun-Liang
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0263 involving mapping traffic to individual bearers or channels, e.g. traffic flow template [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0967 Quality of Service [QoS] parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a WLAN client to communicate simultaneously over more than one band at a time are described, where each client has at least one radio that is operational in each supported band. Load balancing based on traffic requirements optimizes the use of the multiple bands.

Claims

1. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a first radio configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a first wireless band;

a second radio configured to transmit and receive RF signals in a second wireless band, wherein the first wireless band is distinct from the second wireless band; and

a first processor configured to use the first radio and the second radio simultaneously to communicate with a wireless device using a local area network protocol, wherein use of the first radio and the second radio to communicate with the wireless device advantageously effects communications with the wireless device as compared to using only the first radio or only the second radio.

2. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first radio is configured to transmit and receive RF signals at a first channel in the first wireless band, and the wireless apparatus further comprising a third radio configured to transmit and receive RF signals in the first wireless band at a second channel different from the first channel.

3. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connector configured to plug into a port of a wireless device, wherein the connector comprises a communications bus, and further wherein the first processor communicates with a second processor of the wireless device over the communications bus.

4. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless apparatus is configured to attach as an internal apparatus to a wireless device, wherein the attachment includes a communications bus, and further wherein the first processor communicates with a second processor of the wireless device over the communications bus.

5. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer, wherein a first output of the first radio and a second output of the second radio are coupled to an input of the multiplexer, and further wherein an output of the multiplexer is coupled to one or more antennas.

6. The wireless apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more antennas includes a multiband antenna that is resonant over at least the first wireless band and the second wireless band.

7. The wireless apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more antennas includes an active antenna configured to be actively matched to a channel in the first wireless band.

8. The wireless apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more antennas includes one or more single band antennas resonant in each of the first wireless band and the second wireless band.

9. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one wide band power amplifier configured to amplify the RF signals for transmission in the first wireless band and the RF signals for transmission in the second wireless band.

10. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one wide band low noise amplifier configured to amplify the RF signals received in the first wireless band and the RF signals received in the second wireless band.

11. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more frequency filters to reduce mutual interference of RF signals transmitted or received in the first wireless band with RF signals transmitted or received in the second wireless band.

12. The wireless apparatus of claim 1, wherein an advantageous effect of communicating using the first radio and the second radio is at least one of:

increased throughput, decreased delay, and improved range.

13. A wireless apparatus configured to transmit and receive signals on two or more wireless bands simultaneously, the wireless apparatus comprising:

a first antenna configured to be resonant over at least a first wireless band;

a second antenna configured to be resonant over at least a portion of a second wireless band, wherein the second antenna can be actively matched to one of a plurality of channels within the second wireless band;

a multiplexer, wherein an output of the first antenna and an output of the second antenna are coupled to an input of the multiplexer;

a processor, wherein an output of the multiplexer is coupled to the processor, and further wherein the processor is configured to communicate using a local area network protocol with a wireless device over a first channel in the first wireless band using a first radio and over a second channel in the second wireless band using a second radio at the same time, wherein the second antenna is actively matched to the second channel.

14. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first antenna is further configured to be resonant over at least a third wireless band, and further wherein the first antenna is a wideband antenna.

15. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first antenna is reconfigurable.

16. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a switch configured to direct an output of the second antenna to a cellular radio or to a module that actively matches a resonance of the second antenna to a particular channel selected by the processor;

the cellular radio configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the second wireless band,

wherein the second antenna is switchable to work with either the cellular radio or the processor.

17. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a splitter configured to divide an output of the second antenna to a first output and a second output, wherein the first output is coupled to a cellular radio, and the second output is coupled to a module that actively matches a resonance of the second antenna to a particular channel selected by the processor;

a cellular radio configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the second wireless band,

wherein the cellular radio and the processor are enabled to work at the same time.

18. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a first radio configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals at a first channel in a first wireless band;

a second radio configured to transmit and receive RF signals at a second channel in the first wireless band, wherein the first channel is distinct from the second channel;

a first frequency filter configured to attenuate frequencies outside of the first channel in the first wireless band;

a second frequency filter configured to configured to attenuate frequencies outside of the second channel in the first wireless band; and

a first processor configured to use the first radio and the second radio simultaneously to communicate using a local area network protocol with a wireless device, wherein use of the first radio and the second radio to communicate with the wireless device advantageously effects communications with the wireless device as compared to using only the first radio or only the second radio.

19. The wireless apparatus of claim 18, wherein an advantageous effect of communicating using the first radio and the second radio is at least one of:

increased throughput, decreased delay, and improved range.

20. The wireless apparatus of claim 18, further comprising at least one wide band power amplifier configured to amplify the RF signals for transmission in the first channel and the RF signals for transmission in the second channel.

21. The wireless apparatus of claim 18, further comprising at least one wide band low noise amplifier configured to amplify the RF signals received in the first channel and the RF signals received in the second channel.