Coexistence between interfering communication systems

• US 6,882,635 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolor, Sergio, Eitan, Alecsander
• Primary Examiner(s): QURESHI, AFSAR M
• Application Number:
  US10/144,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/352, 370/310, 370328-338, 370342-350, 370/441, 370/442, 370445-448, 370/461, 370/324, 455/15, 455/26.1, 455/562, 455502-526, 455/276.1, 455/562.1, 375/211, 375/338, 375/335, 375/347
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• 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

A method for preventing interference between electromagnetic (EM) signals, consisting of toggling a first transceiver, adapted to transmit in a first EM frequency band, and a second transceiver, adapted to transmit in a second EM frequency band, different from the first EM frequency band, between an on-period when the first transceiver is able to transmit and the second transceiver is prevented from transmitting, and an off-period when the first transceiver is prevented from transmitting and the second transceiver is able to transmit. The method further includes inhibiting a third transceiver, adapted to transmit in the first EM band, from transmitting during the off-period, and inhibiting a fourth transceiver, adapted to transmit in the second EM band, from transmitting during the on-period.

Claims

1. A method for preventing interference between electromagnetic (EM) signals, comprising:

toggling a first transceiver, adapted to transmit in a first EM frequency band, and a second transceiver, adapted to transmit in a second EM frequency band, different from the first EM frequency band, between an on-period when the first transceiver is able to transmit and the second transceiver is prevented from transmitting, and an off-period when the first transceiver is prevented from transmitting and the second transceiver is able to transmit;

inhibiting a third transceiver, adapted to transmit in the first EM frequency band, from transmitting during the off-period; and

inhibiting a fourth transceiver, adapted to transmit in the second EM frequency band, from transmitting during the on-period.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second transceivers are positioned sufficiently close to each other so that a transmission in the first EM frequency band interferes with operation of the second transceiver.

3. A method according to claim 1, and comprising detecting at the first transceiver one or more first EM frequency band interference parameters, detecting at the second transceiver one or more second EM frequency band interference parameters, and computing the off-period and the on-period responsive to the one or more first EM frequency band interference parameters and the one or more second EM frequency band interference parameters.

4. A method according to claim 1, and comprising measuring statistics of the EM signals responsive thereto, and computing the off-period and the on-period responsive to the statistics.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein inhibiting the third transceiver comprises transmitting one or more inhibiting signals from the first transceiver, and receiving the one or more inhibiting signals at the third transceiver.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more inhibiting signals comprise a data rate channel (DRC) signal, and wherein the DRC signal is set to have a value of zero so as to inhibit the third transceiver from transmitting.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a frequency separation between the first EM frequency band and the second EM frequency band is sufficiently small so that a transmission in the first EM frequency band interferes with operation of the second transceiver.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the third transceiver are adapted to communicate via a first communication protocol, and wherein the second and the fourth transceivers are adapted to communicate via a second communication protocol, different from the first communication protocol.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first communication. protocol is operative as a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol and the second communication protocol is operative as a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the CDMA protocol comprises an IS-856 protocol of the Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association (TIA/EIA).

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first transceiver acts as a master transceiver controlling the second transceiver acting as a slave transceiver.

12. Apparatus for preventing interference between electromagnetic (EM) signals, comprising:

a first transceiver which is adapted to transmit in a first EM frequency band;

a second transceiver which is adapted to transmit in a second EM frequency band, different from the first EM frequency band;

a controller which is adapted to permit the first transceiver to transmit and to prevent the second transceiver from transmitting during an on-period, and to prevent the first transceiver from transmitting and to permit the second transceiver to transmit during an off-period, and wherein the first transceiver substantially prevents a third transceiver, adapted to transmit in the first EM frequency band, from transmitting during the off-period, and wherein the second transceiver substantially prevents a fourth transceiver, adapted to transmit in the second EM frequency band, from transmitting during the on-period.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first and the second transceivers are positioned sufficiently close to each other so that a transmission in the first EM frequency band interferes with operation of the second transceiver.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first transceiver is adapted to detect one or more first EM frequency band interference parameters, wherein the second transceiver is adapted to detect one or more second EM frequency band interference parameters, and wherein the controller is adapted to compute the off-period and the on-period responsive to the one or more first EM frequency band interference parameters and the one or more second EM frequency band interference parameters.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first and the second transceivers are adapted to measure statistics of the EM signals responsive thereto, and wherein the controller is adapted to compute the off-period and the on-period responsive to the statistics.

16. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first transceiver is adapted to transmit one or more inhibiting signals which are received by the third transceiver, and which prevent the third transceiver from transmitting.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the one or more inhibiting signals comprise a data rate channel (DRC) signal, and wherein the DRC signal is set to have a value of zero.

18. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a frequency separation between the first EM frequency band and the second EM frequency band is sufficiently small so that a transmission in the first EM frequency band interferes with operation of the second transceiver.

19. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first and the third transceiver are adapted to communicate via a first communication protocol, and wherein the second and the fourth transceivers are adapted to communicate via a second communication protocol, different from the first communication protocol.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first communication protocol is operative as a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol and the second communication protocol is operative as a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the CDMA protocol comprises an IS-856 protocol of the Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association (TIA/EIA).

22. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first transceiver acts as a master transceiver controlling the second transceiver acting as a slave transceiver.