Mitigating interference among multiple radio device types

• US 7,117,008 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bajikar, Sundeep M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US10/038,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/552.1, 455/73, 455/88, 455/420, 455/79, 455/82, 455/462.1, 455/426.2, 455/552, 455/90.3, 455/426.1, 342/357.1, 342/359.09, 710/62, 710/33, 710/36
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

At least two types of wireless devices may be simultaneously handled in a system (i.e., on a wireless-enabled platform (e.g., Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11) in a personal computing environment, such as a personal computer system) in a way that substantially mitigates interference between the wireless devices interfacing therewith. To mitigate cross-interference among multiple radio frequency device types while operating in tandem or concurrently, in a wireless communication-enabled personal computer system, transmission and/or reception from and to all radio frequency device types but the active one radio frequency device type may be selectively blocked. In one embodiment, gating signals from at least two active wireless transceivers may be detected. Using the type information of the active wireless transceivers, a priority may be assigned to each active wireless transceiver. Pending transactions associated with each active wireless transceiver may also be tracked. Based on the priority and the pending transactions, communication control may be arbitrated (e.g., through time slicing) between active wireless transceivers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

querying a controller to acquire a channel lock for communication via a first one of at least two wireless transceiver interfaces;

in response to an indication from the controller, gaining ownership of the channel lock based on priority information of the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces, and receiving the priority information and device characteristics in the first one of the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces; and

opening a communication channel for a communication session associated with the first one of the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a potential communication associated with said at least two wireless transceiver interfaces;

arbitrating control of communication between said at least two wireless transceiver interfaces based on the priority information and the potential communication; and

selectively energizing each said wireless transceiver interface based on the control of communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing each said wireless transceiver interface based on a first criterion indicative of an overhead associated with a potential communication for each said wireless transceiver interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing each said wireless transceiver interface based on a second criterion indicative of an amount of data associated with a potential communication for each said wireless transceiver interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing each said wireless transceiver interface based on a third criterion indicative of a power consumption associated with a potential communication for each said wireless transceiver interface.

6. The method of claim 1, including releasing the ownership of the channel lock when the communication session is finished.

7. The method of claim 6, including transferring the ownership of the channel lock to another one of the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces when said communication channel becomes available for another communication session through time slicing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the indication via a dedicated storage associated with the first one of the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving an indication of a conflict via a global storage associated with the at least two wireless transceiver interfaces.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna;

a first communication interface coupled to the antenna corresponding to a first wireless device;

a second communication interface coupled to the antenna corresponding to a second wireless device; and

a module operably coupled to the first and second communication interfaces to disable communication between the first communication interface and said first wireless device while the second communication interface is conducting communication for said second wireless device, wherein each said communication interface is to query said module to acquire a channel lock for communication via the corresponding wireless device, in response to an indication from said module, gain ownership of the channel lock, open a communication channel for a communication session, and release the ownership of the channel lock when the communication session is finished, wherein said module is to transfer the ownership of the channel lock to another one of the first and second wireless devices when said communication channel becomes available.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first communication interface to provide a first activity signal, said second communication interface to provide a second activity signal, and said module to:

detect the first and second activity signals, assign a priority to each said first and second wireless device, track a potential communication associated with each said communication interface, and to arbitrate control of communication between the first and second communication interfaces based on the priority and the potential communication corresponding to said first and second wireless devices; and

selectively energize at least one of the first and second communication interfaces based on the control of communication.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said module to:

determine a type of and assign a priority to each said wireless device;

derive device characteristics and priority information from the priority and the type of each said wireless device; and

send said device characteristics and priority information to each said communication interface.

13. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:

receive a query to acquire a channel lock for control of communication from a first one of at least two wireless transceivers;

provide ownership of the channel lock to the first one of the at least two wireless transceivers based on priority information and provide the priority information and device characteristics to the first one of the at least two wireless transceivers; and

receive data of a communication from the first one of the at least two wireless transceivers.

14. The article of claim 13 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to;

detect activity signals from the at least two wireless transceivers;

assign a priority to each said wireless transceiver;

track a potential communication associated with at least two of the wireless transceivers;

arbitrate control of communication between the at least two wireless transceivers based on the priority and the potential communication; and

energize one of the at least two wireless transceivers based on the control of communication.

15. The article of claim 13, further comprising instructions that enable the processor-based system to release the ownership of the channel lock when the communication is completed.

16. A processor-based system comprising:

a processor;

a storage coupled to said processor to store a priority protocol to track pending transactions associated with at least two wireless transceivers and prioritize one of said at least two wireless transceivers;

at least two wireless transceiver interface devices coupled to said processor to provide corresponding gating signals associated with the at least two wireless transceivers; and

an arbitration device coupled to said at least two wireless transceiver interface devices to selectively provide communication control to said one of at least two wireless transceivers based on the priority protocol, wherein each said wireless transceiver interface device to query said arbitration device is to acquire a channel lock for communication control, in response to an indication from said arbitration device, gain ownership of the channel lock, open a communication channel for a communication session, and release the ownership of the channel lock when the communication session is finished, wherein said arbitration device is to transfer the ownership of the channel lock to another one of the at least two wireless transceivers when said communication channel becomes available.

17. The processor-based system of claim 16, wherein said arbitration device to power up or down the at least two wireless transceiver interface devices based on the communication control.

18. The processor-based system of claim 17, wherein said arbitration device to:

determine the type of each said wireless transceiver;

derive device characteristics and priority information from the priority and the type of each said wireless transceiver; and

send said device characteristics and priority information to each said wireless transceiver.

19. A personal computer system comprising:

a processor;

at least two wireless transceivers coupled to the processor, each of the at least two wireless transceivers to provide a gating signal to indicate activity in a corresponding radio device, wherein the at least two wireless transceivers are to query a controller to acquire a channel lock for communication control, in response to an indication from said controller gain ownership of the channel lock, open a communication channel for a communication session, and release the ownership of the channel lock when the communication session is finished, wherein the controller is to transfer the ownership of the channel lock to another one of the at least two wireless transceivers when said communication channel becomes available; and

a single antenna coupled to the at least two wireless transceivers to provide radio frequency (RF) signals to and from the at least two wireless transceivers.

20. The personal computer system of claim 19, further comprising the controller coupled to receive each of the gating signals and arbitrate the communication channel between the at least two wireless transceivers.

21. The personal computer system of claim 20, wherein the controller to arbitrate using a priority of each of the at least two wireless transceivers.