Method and apparatus for mitigating radio frequency interference between transceiver systems

• US 7,116,938 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rajamani, Krishnan, Chinn, Gordon, Kardach, James P., Monroe, Robert L., Durrant, Randolph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/329,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/450, 455/455, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/41.2, 370/338, 370/348, 370/466, 375/130, 375/132, 375/140
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for mitigating radio frequency interference between transceiver systems within an electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first device containing a first transceiver system that transmits data using a first communication link with a first protocol and a second transceiver system that transmits data using a second communication link with a second protocol;

providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via a third communication link separate from the first and second communication link, the channel information being indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system; and

providing priority information from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via the third communication link, the priority information being indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via a first path of at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing channel information from a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol or providing channel information from a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel associated with the first transceiver system from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the third communication link.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing channel information indicative of a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) channel from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the third communication link, the DSSS channel being a radio channel currently in use by the first transceiver system.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing a host controller interface (HCI) command indicative of a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the third communication link, the FHSS channel being a radio channel operable by the second transceiver system for communication.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing channel information from transceiver systems disposed within at least one of a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a cellular telephone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing priority information from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system comprises providing priority information indicative of at least one of a device discovery, a connection establishment, a connection maintenance, or a human interface device (HID) profile via the second path of the communication link.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing channel information from the first transceiver to the second transceiver system via a first path of the third communication link, and wherein providing priority information from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system comprises providing priority information from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a second path of the third communication link.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second communication links are wireless links and the third communication link is a wired link.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the channel information is indicative of a radio channel associated with the first communication link of the first transceiver system, and wherein the priority information is indicative of priority activity associated with data to be communicated via the second communication link of the second transceiver system.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second transceiver systems are disposed in the same device.

13. A method comprising:

providing a channel data signal from a first transceiver system to a second transceiver system via a first path of a communication link, the channel data signal including information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system, and the first and second transceiver systems being located in the same electronic device;

providing a channel clock signal from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a second path of the communication link, the channel clock signal being used to retrieve the information indicative of the radio channel;

providing a first priority signal from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via a third path of the communication link, the first priority signal indicating that the first transceiver system may use the radio channel in response to priority activity associated with the first transceiver system; and

providing a second priority signal from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a fourth path of the communication link, the second priority signal indicating that the second transceiver system may use the radio channel in response to priority activity associated with the second transceiver system,

wherein the communication link comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link between the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein each of the first transceiver system and the second transceiver system comprises a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol or a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein providing the channel data signal from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system comprises providing a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel associated with the first transceiver system from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the first path of the communication link.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a communication link having at least two paths;

a first transceiver system configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system;

via a first path of the communication link; and

a second transceiver system in communication with the first transceiver system via the communication link, the second transceiver system being configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system via a second path of the communication link, wherein the first transceiver system is configured to transmit priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the first transceiver system via a third path of the communication link, and wherein the second transceiver system is configured to transmit a clock pulse to initiate transmission of channel information from the first transceiver system via a fourth path of the communication link.

17. An electronic device as defined in claim 16, wherein the communication link comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link.

18. An electronic device as defined in claim 16, wherein the first transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol, and the second transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol.

19. An electronic device as defined in claim 16, wherein the channel information includes a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel associated with the first transceiver system.

20. An electronic device as defined in claim 16, wherein the channel information comprises a host controller interface (HCI) command indicative of a radio channel operable by the second transceiver system for communication.

21. An electronic device as defined in claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a cellular telephone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

22. In an electronic device including a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system, a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising:

a first routine configured to direct the processor to provide channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via a first path of a communication link, the communication link comprising at least two paths, and the channel information being indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system;

a second routine configured to direct the processor to provide priority information from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a second path of the communication link, the priority information being indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system;

a third routine configured to direct the processor to provide priority information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via a third path of the communication link, the priority information being indicative of priority activity associated with the first transceiver system; and

a fourth routine configured to direct the processor to provide a clock pulse from the second transceiver system to the first transceiver system via a fourth path of the communication link, the clock pulse being configured to initiate transmission of channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the first path of the communication link.

23. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the communication link comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link.

24. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the first routine is configured to direct the processor to provide channel information from a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol to a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol via the first path of the communication link.

25. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the first routine is configured to direct the processor to provide a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel associated with the first transceiver system from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the first path of the communication link.

26. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the first routine is configured to direct the processor to provide a host controller interface (HCI) command from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system via the first path of the communication link, the HCI command being indicative of a radio channel operable by the second transceiver system for communication.

27. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

28. A computer program as defined in claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises at least one of paper, a programmable gate array, application specific integrated circuit, erasable programmable read only memory, read only memory, random access memory, magnetic media, or optical media.

29. A system comprising:

a communication link having at least two paths;

a first transceiver system configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system via a first path of the communication link; and

a second transceiver system in communication with the first transceiver system via the communication link, the second transceiver system being configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system via a second path of the communication link,

wherein the first transceiver system is configured to transmit priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the first transceiver system via a third path of the communication link, and wherein the second transceiver system is configured to transmit a clock pulse via a fourth path of the communication link, the clock pulse being configured to initiate transmission of channel information from the first transceiver system.

30. A system as defined in claim 29, wherein the communication link comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link.

31. A system as defined in claim 29, wherein the first transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol, and the second transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol.

32. A system as defined in claim 29, wherein the channel information comprises a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel.

33. A system comprising:

an antenna;

a first communication link;

a second communication link;

a third communication link, separate from the first and second communication links;

a first transceiver system operatively coupled to the antenna, the first transceiver system being configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system via the third communication link; and

a second transceiver system operatively coupled to the antenna and in communication with the first transceiver system via the communication link, the second transceiver system being configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system via the third communication link,

wherein the first transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b communication protocol using the first communication link, and the second transceiver system is a transceiver system operating in accordance with the Bluetooth communication protocol using the second communication link.

34. A system as defined in claim 33, wherein the communication link comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link.

35. A system as defined in claim 33, wherein the channel information comprises a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel.

36. A system as defined in claim 33, wherein the first transceiver system is configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first transceiver system via a first path of the third communication link and the second transceiver system is configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second transceiver system via a second path of the third communication link.

37. A system as defined in claim 36, wherein the first transceiver system is configured to transmit priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the first transceiver system via a third path of the communication link, and wherein the second transceiver system is configured to transmit a clock pulse via a fourth path of the communication link, the clock pulse being configured to initiate transmission of channel information from the first transceiver system to the second transceiver system.

38. A system comprising:

a connecting means having at least two paths;

a first means different from the connecting means and configured to transmit and receive information via a first protocol, the first means being further configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first means via at least one of the at least two paths of the connecting means; and

a second means different from the connecting means and configured to transmit and receive information via a second protocol, the second means in communication with the first means via the connecting means and configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second means via at least one of the at least two paths of the connecting means,

wherein the first means is configured to transmit and receive information separate from the at least two paths of the connecting means, the second means is configured to transmit and receive information separate from the at least two paths of the connecting means.

39. A system as defined in claim 38, wherein the first means is configured to provide a four-bit code indicative of the radio channel from the first means to the second means via the first path of the connecting means.

40. A system as defined in claim 38, wherein the first means is configured to provide a host controller interface (HCI) command indicative of a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) channel to the second means via the first path of the connecting means, the FHSS channel being a radio channel operable by the second means for communication.

41. A system as defined in claim 38, wherein the first means is configured to provide channel information indicative of a radio channel associated with the first means via a first path of the connecting means and the second means being configured to provide priority information indicative of priority activity associated with the second means via a second path of the connecting means.

42. A system as defined in claim 38, wherein the connecting means comprises at least one of a wire interface or a wireless link between the first means and the second means.