METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE COEXISTENCE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS OF DIFFERENT WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

• US 20150237625A1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Ramamurthy, Harish, Semersky, Matthew L., WAGHOLIKAR, Sarang Shrikrishna, Bhagwat, Rajesh Shreeram
• Granted Patent: US 9,485,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• 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 first wireless communication device including a first transceiver and a second transceiver. The first transceiver is configured to transmit first signals according to a first wireless communication technology. The second transceiver is configured to transmit second signals according to a second wireless communication technology. Memory is configured to store a schedule that identifies first intervals for allowing communication using the first signals and second intervals for allowing communication using the second signals. A coexistence circuit is configured to allow the first transceiver to transmit the first signals only during the first intervals, allow the second transceiver to transmit the second signals only during the second intervals, and cause the first transceiver to transmit, prior to each of the second intervals, a message that indicates a duration of a respective one of the second intervals.

Claims

1. A first wireless communication device, comprising:

a first transceiver configured to transmit first signals according to a first wireless communication technology;

a second transceiver configured to transmit second signals according to a second wireless communication technology;

a memory configured to store a schedule, wherein the schedule identifies (i) first intervals for allowing communication using the first signals, and (ii) second intervals for allowing communication using the second signals; and

a coexistence circuit configured to (i) allow the first transceiver to transmit the first signals only during the first intervals, (ii) allow the second transceiver to transmit the second signals only during the second intervals, and (iii) cause the first transceiver to transmit, prior to each of the second intervals, a message that indicates a duration of a respective one of the second intervals to prevent a second wireless communication device from transmitting third signals according to the first wireless communication technology during the respective one of the second intervals.

2. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the first transceiver corresponds to a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver; and

the second transceiver corresponds to a non-WLAN transceiver.

3. The first wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the second signals transmitted by the second transceiver correspond to Bluetooth signals, near field communication signals, frequency modulated (FM) signals, and/or global positioning system signals.

4. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver is configured to transmit the first signals in an independent basic service set (IBSS) network.

5. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises:

a clear-to-send-to-self frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates the duration of the respective one of the second intervals.

6. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises:

a vendor-specific action frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates the duration of the respective one of the second intervals.

7. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises:

a vendor-specific action frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates a duration of a period between adjacent ones of the first intervals and the second intervals.

8. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device corresponds to a mobile telephone, a tablet computer, and/or a personal computer.

9. A system comprising:

the first wireless communication device of claim 1; and

the second wireless communication device, wherein the second wireless communication device is configured to withhold from transmitting the third signals in each of the second intervals based on respective durations indicated in the messages received from the first wireless communication device.

10. A method for operating a first wireless communication device that is operable to (i) transmit first signals according to a first wireless communication technology, and (ii) transmit second signals according to a second wireless communication technology, the method comprising:

storing a schedule, wherein the schedule identifies (i) first intervals for allowing communication using the first signals and (ii) second intervals for allowing communication using the second signals;

allowing the first wireless communication device to transmit the first signals only during the first intervals;

allowing the first wireless communication device to transmit the second signals only during the second intervals; and

causing the first wireless communication device to transmit, prior to each of the second intervals, a message that indicates a duration of a respective one of the second intervals to prevent a second wireless communication device from transmitting third signals according to the first wireless communication technology during the respective one of the second intervals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first signals correspond to wireless local area network (WLAN) signals; and

the second signals correspond to non-WLAN signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second signals correspond to Bluetooth signals, near field communication signals, frequency modulated (FM) signals, and/or global positioning system signals.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first signals are transmitted in an independent basic service set (IBSS) network.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the message comprises:

a clear-to-send-to-self frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates the duration of the respective one of the second intervals.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the message comprises:

a vendor-specific action frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates the duration of the respective one of the second intervals.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the message comprises:

a vendor-specific action frame including a duration parameter, wherein the duration parameter indicates a duration of a period between adjacent ones of the first intervals and the second intervals.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first wireless communication device corresponds to a mobile telephone, a tablet computer, and/or a personal computer.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising, at the second wireless communication device, withholding from transmitting the third signals in each of the second intervals based on respective durations indicated in the messages received from the first wireless communication device.