Multiple disparate wireless units sharing of antennas

• US 7,352,332 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OQO Incorporated (Audiotone Incorporated)
• Inventors: Furlotti, Mike, Betts-LaCroix, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/234,477
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/729, 343/893, 343/876
• US Class Current: 343/729
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

Multiple disparate wireless units sharing of antennas are described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a first wireless communication unit of a first wireless communication standard, where the first standard includes selecting one of two antennas provided. The apparatus further includes a second wireless communication unit of a second wireless communication standard, where a first antenna and a second antenna are shared by the first and second communication units. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a first wireless communication unit of a first wireless communication standard, the first wireless communication unit comprising means for selecting one of the first and second antennas for use by the first wireless communication unit;

a second wireless communication unit of a second wireless communication standard;

means for sharing the first antenna and the second antenna between the first and second communication units; and

switch control logic comprising;

means for identifying a priority of an activity of the second wireless communication unit in connection with the first antenna;

means for determining whether the identified priority is a predetermined priority; and

means for opposing switching a connection of the second wireless communication unit from the first antenna to the second antenna if the identified priority is the predetermined priority.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes having a form factor of a hand-held computing device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for selecting one of the first and second antennas based on quality of reception.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second communication unit comprises means for selecting one of the first and second antennas not in use by the first communication unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first communication standard is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard, and the second communication is a (IEEE) 802.15 standard.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first antenna is placed at a first of four sides of a chassis of the apparatus, and the second antenna is placed at a second side opposing the first side.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is a computing device to execute at least one of a Windows®

based and Linux®

based operating system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus includes an X86®

based processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for determining whether the identified priority is a predetermined priority comprises means for determining whether the identified priority is a high priority.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication unit includes the switch control logic.

11. A method for use with an apparatus including a first antenna, a second antenna, a first wireless communication unit of a first wireless communication standard, a second wireless communication unit of a second wireless communication standard, and means for sharing the first and second antennas between the first and second communication units, the method comprising:

(A) identifying a priority of an activity of the second wireless communication unit in connection with the first antenna;

(B) determining whether the identified priority is a predetermined priority; and

(C) opposing switching a connection of the second wireless communication unit from the first antenna to the second antenna if the identified priority is the predetermined priority.