Systems, Methods, and Devices for Managing Coexistence of Multiple Transceiver Devices Using Bypass Circuitry

• US 20170207806A1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Calidonna, Wesley Michael, Honjo, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/109 by improving strong signal performance of the receiver when strong unwanted signals are present at the receiver input
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communications apparatus includes a first transceiver, a second transceiver, a first antenna, and a second antenna. The communications apparatus further includes a front end module (FEM) coupled between the first transceiver and the first antenna, and includes an amplifier for amplifying signals received by the first antenna. The FEM directly couples the first antenna to the first transceiver when the second transceiver is transmitting signals using the second antenna, so signals received via the first antenna are not amplified by the amplifier prior to being passed to the first transceiver. Furthermore, the FEM is configured to couple the first antenna to the first transceiver via the amplifier when the second transceiver is not transmitting signals using the second antenna, so signals received via the first antenna are amplified prior to being passed to the first transceiver.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver and a second transceiver;

a first antenna and a second antenna; and

a front end module (FEM) coupled between the first transceiver and the first antenna, the front end module comprising;

an amplifier for amplifying signals received by the first antenna; and

a switching mechanism;

wherein;

when the second transceiver is transmitting signals using the second antenna, the switching mechanism is configured to directly couple the first antenna to the first transceiver; and

when the second transceiver is not transmitting signals using the second antenna, the switching mechanism is configured to couple the first antenna to the first transceiver via the amplifier to amplify the signals received by the first antenna.

2. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the amplifier is a low-noise amplifier.

3. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism comprises one or more switches for selectively coupling the first antenna to the first transceiver.

4. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver, the second transceiver, and the FEM are coupled by a control line, and wherein a bypass signal is sent to the FEM through the control line when the second transceiver is transmitting signals using the second antenna.

5. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas transmit and receive signals at the same frequency.

6. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver or the second transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals according to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

7. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver or the second transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals according to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

8. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver or the second transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals according to the IEEE 802.11 standard and the Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

9. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the FEM has a first input power threshold when the switching mechanism directly couples the first transceiver to the first antenna, and a second input power threshold when the switching mechanism couples the first transceiver to the first antenna via the amplifier, wherein the first input power threshold is greater than the second input power threshold.

10. The communications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the FEM has a first receiver sensitivity when the switching mechanism directly couples the first transceiver to the first antenna, and a second receiver sensitivity when the switching mechanism couples the first transceiver to the first antenna using the amplifier, wherein the second receiver sensitivity is greater than the first receiver sensitivity.

11. A method for communicating via a plurality of transceivers, comprising:

at an electronic device with a plurality of transceivers, one or more processors, and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors;

in accordance with detecting that a second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers is not transmitting signals via a second antenna coupled to the second transceiver;

coupling a first transceiver of the plurality of transceivers to a first antenna via an amplifier to amplify a signal received by the first antenna; and

in accordance with detecting that the second transceiver is transmitting signals via the second antenna;

directly coupling the first transceiver to the first antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising producing a bypass signal when the second transceiver is transmitting signals via the second antenna, wherein detecting that the second transceiver is transmitting signals via the second antenna includes detecting the bypass signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the amplifier is a low-noise amplifier.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second antennas receive and transmit signals at the same frequency.

15. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver and a second transceiver;

a first antenna and a second antenna; and

a coupling means between the first transceiver and the first antenna, wherein the coupling means includes an amplifier for amplifying signals received by the first antenna;

wherein;

when the second transceiver is transmitting signals using the second antenna, the coupling means is configured to directly couple the first antenna to the first transceiver; and

when the second transceiver is not transmitting signals using the second antenna, the coupling means is configured to couple the first antenna to the first transceiver via the amplifier to amplify the signals received by the first antenna.

16. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coupling means comprises one or more switches for selectively coupling the first antenna to the first transceiver.

17. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first transceiver, the second transceiver, and the coupling means are coupled by a control line, and wherein a bypass signal is sent to the coupling means through the control line when the second transceiver is transmitting signals using the second antenna.

18. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first and second antennas transmit and receive signals at the same frequency.

19. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coupling means has a first input power threshold when the coupling means directly couples the first transceiver to the first antenna, and a second input power threshold when the coupling means couples the first transceiver to the first antenna via the amplifier, wherein the first input power threshold is greater than the second input power threshold.

20. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coupling means has a first receiver sensitivity when the coupling means directly couples the first transceiver to the first antenna, and a second receiver sensitivity when the coupling means couples the first transceiver to the first antenna using the amplifier, wherein the second receiver sensitivity is greater than the first receiver sensitivity.