Mechanisms for LAA/LTE-U Detection to Mitigate Impact on Wi-Fi Performance

• US 20170251372A1
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Belghoul, Farouk, Smaini, Lydi, Tabet, Tarik, Mujtaba, Syed Aon
• Granted Patent: US 10,531,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless communication device may conduct first wireless communications over a first frequency band according to a first radio access technology (RAT), and may detect second wireless communications conducted over the first frequency band according to a second RAT while the wireless communication device is conducting the first wireless communications. The wireless communication device may then adjust characteristics and/or parameters associated with the first wireless communications based on the detected second wireless communications. In a specific example, a wireless communication device conducting Wi-Fi communications in the 5 GHz band may detect cellular communications (e.g. LAA/LTE-U communications) also conducted in the 5 GHz band while the wireless communication device is conducting the Wi Fi communications. The wireless communication device may then adjust characteristics and/or parameters associated with its Wi-Fi communications based on the detected signals/frequencies of the cellular (LAA/LTE-U) communications.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory element storing information; and

a processing element configured to use at least a portion of the information to cause a wireless communication device to;

conduct first wireless communications in a first frequency band according to a first radio access technology (RAT), wherein the first wireless communications comprise Wi-Fi communications;

detect second wireless communications conducted in the first frequency band according to a second RAT while the wireless communication device is conducting the first wireless communications, wherein the second wireless communications comprise cellular radio communications; and

adjust the first wireless communications at least in response to and based on the detected second wireless communications.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band is an unlicensed frequency band for the second wireless communications.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is operating as one of:

a peer-to-peer device;

an access point;

or

a station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to cause the wireless communication device to detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT, wherein to detect the interfering signal, the processing element is configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

bandpass filter, according to a first bandwidth, a signal received during the first wireless communications to produce a first filtered signal;

bandpass filter, according to a second bandwidth, the received signal to produce a second filtered signal; and

determine a presence of the interfering signal based on the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to cause the wireless communication device to perform one or more of:

scan the entire first frequency band;

scan, in the frequency domain, a particular channel of the first frequency band;

or

passively receive signals when operating in a specific channel of the first frequency band.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when scanning the entire first frequency band, the processing element is configured to cause the wireless communication device to obtain a power spectral density (PSD) for the first frequency band.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing element is configured to further cause the wireless communication device to:

perform a correlation of the obtained PSD with a specific signal associated with the second RAT; and

detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT based on the correlation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing element is configured to further cause the wireless communication device to obtain the PSD by performing a Fourier transform of an autocorrelation of a signal received during the first wireless communications.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to cause the wireless communication device to detect, while the wireless communication device is performing the first wireless communications, one or more synchronization signals associated with the second RAT.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is preconfigured with a list of known frequencies and/or known channels over which the second wireless communications are conducted.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

first radio circuitry configured to facilitate wireless communications of the wireless communication device according to a first radio access technology (RAT);

second radio circuitry configured to facilitate wireless communications of the wireless communication device according to a second RAT; and

a processing element configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to;

conduct first wireless communications in a first frequency band according to the first RAT;

detect second wireless communications conducted in the first frequency band according to the second RAT while the wireless communication device is conducting the first wireless communications; and

adjust the first wireless communications at least in response to and based on the detected second wireless communications.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT, wherein to detect the interfering signal, the processing element is configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to:

bandpass filter, according to a first bandwidth, a signal received during the first wireless communications to produce a first filtered signal;

bandpass filter, according to a second bandwidth, the received signal to produce a second filtered signal; and

determine a presence of the interfering signal based on the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to perform one or more of:

scan the entire first frequency band;

scan, in the frequency domain, a particular channel of the first frequency band;

or

passively receive signals when operating in a specific channel of the first frequency band.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to:

when scanning the entire first frequency band, obtain a power spectral density (PSD) for the first frequency band;

perform a correlation of the obtained PSD with a specific signal associated with the second RAT; and

detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT based on the correlation.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein to detect the second wireless communications, the processing element is configured to interoperate with the first radio circuitry and the second radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to detect, while the wireless communication device is performing the first wireless communications, one or more synchronization signals associated with the second RAT.

16. A non-transitory memory element storing instructions executable by a processing element to cause a wireless communication device to:

conduct first wireless communications in a first frequency band according to a first radio access technology (RAT);

detect second wireless communications conducted in the first frequency band according to a second RAT while the wireless communication device is conducting the first wireless communications; and

adjust the first wireless communications at least in response to and based on the detected second wireless communications.

17. The non-transitory memory element of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable by the processing element to further cause the wireless communication device to:

to detect the second wireless communications, detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT;

to detect the interfering signal;

produce a first filtered signal by bandpass filtering, according to a first bandwidth, a received signal during the first wireless communications;

produce a second filtered signal by bandpass filtering, according to a second bandwidth, the received signal; and

determine a presence of the interfering signal based on the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal.

18. The non-transitory memory element of claim 17, wherein the instructions are executable by the processing element to further cause the wireless communication device to:

to detect the second wireless communications, perform one of more of;

scan the entire first frequency band;

scan, in the frequency domain, a particular channel of the first frequency band;

or

passively receive signals when operating in a specific channel of the first frequency band.

19. The non-transitory memory element of claim 18, wherein the instructions are executable by the processing element to further cause the wireless communication device to:

when scanning the entire first frequency band, obtain a power spectral density (PSD) for the first frequency band;

perform a correlation of the obtained PSD with a specific signal associated with the second RAT; and

detect an interfering signal associated with the second RAT based on the correlation.

20. The non-transitory memory element of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable by the processing element to further cause the wireless communication device to:

to detect the second wireless communications, detect, while the wireless communication device is performing the first wireless communications, one or more synchronization signals associated with the second RAT.