System, method and device of receiving signals of a plurality of communication services

• US 7,693,544 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brillant, Avi, Segev, Eran, Zipper, Eliav, Yellin, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/476,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20080003969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/132, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/426.1, 455/127.4, 455/130, 455/150.1, 455/562.1, 455/277.1, 455/272, 455/275, 455/334, 375/200, 375/295, 375/316, 375/130
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0817 with multiple receivers and antenna path selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and apparatus of receiving signals of a plurality of communication services. The apparatus may include, for example, a plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wireless communication services, wherein the number of the plurality of communication services is equal to or greater than the number of the plurality of multimode receivers; and a controller to control a receive mode of the plurality of receivers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wireless communication services, wherein the plurality of wireless communication services include at least a wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) communication service and a cellular communication service, wherein the signals of at least one of said communication services include signals to be received in diversity by two or more receivers, wherein the number of said plurality of communication services is equal to or greater than the number of said plurality of multimode receivers, wherein each of said multimode receivers has a plurality of receive modes, and wherein each one of said receive modes is adapted to receive signals of a respective one of said plurality of communication services; and

a controller to control the receive modes of said plurality of receivers, wherein, when signals of less than all of said plurality of communication services are to be received, the controller is to control two or more multimode receivers of the multimode receivers to operate in diversity such that the two or more multimode receivers receive, substantially simultaneously, signals of a common wireless communication service.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signals of each of said plurality of services comprise signals to be received in diversity by two or more receivers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller controls each of said multimode receivers to operate at a different one of said plurality of receive modes, when signals of all of said plurality of communication services are to be received, such that each of the plurality of multimode receivers receives signals of a different one of the plurality of communication services.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said WLAN communication service and said cellular communication service includes a wireless-fidelity (WiFi) communication service and a global system for mobile (GSM) communication service, respectively.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller controls less than all of said plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of said less than all of said plurality of communication services, respectively, when signals of less than all of said plurality of communication services are to be received.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of multimode receivers comprises first and second multimode receivers, each having first and second modes of operation to receive signals of WLAN and cellular communication services, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when signals of only one of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received, said controller controls at least one of said first and second multimode receivers to receive the signals of the one communication service.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said controller controls both said first and second multimode receivers to operate in diversity to receive, substantially simultaneously, the signals of the one communication service.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when signals of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received simultaneously, said controller controls said first multimode receiver to receive the signals of said WLAN communication service and said second multimode receiver to receive the signals of said cellular communication service.

10. A method comprising:

controlling a receive mode of a plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wireless communication services, wherein the plurality of wireless communication services include at least a wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) communication service and a cellular communication service, wherein the signals of at least one of said communication services include signals to be received in diversity by two or more receivers, wherein the number of said plurality of communication services is equal to or greater than the number of said plurality of multimode receivers,

wherein each of said multimode receivers has a plurality of receive modes, and wherein each one of said receive modes is adapted to receive signals of a respective one of said plurality of communication services,

and wherein said controlling comprises;

when signals of less than all of said plurality of communication services are to be received, controlling two or more multimode receivers of said multimode receivers to operate in diversity such that the two or more multimode receivers receive, substantially simultaneously, signals of a common wireless communication service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said controlling comprises controlling each of said multimode receivers to operate at a different receive mode, when signals of all of said plurality of communication services are to be received, such that each of the plurality of multimode receivers receives signals of a different one of the plurality of communication services.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said controlling comprises controlling less than all of said plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of said less than all of said plurality of communication services, respectively, when signals of less than all of said plurality of communication services are to be received.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling said plurality of multimode receivers comprises controlling first and second multimode receivers, each having first and second modes of operation to receive signals of the WLAN and cellular communication services, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when signals of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received simultaneously, said controlling comprises controlling said first multimode receiver to receive the signals of said WLAN communication service and said second multimode receiver to receive the signals of said cellular communication service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said controlling comprises:

when signals of only one of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received, controlling at least one of said first and second multimode receivers to receive the signals of the one communication service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said controlling comprises controlling both said first and second multimode receivers to operate in diversity to receive, substantially simultaneously, the signals of the one communication service.

17. A system comprising:

a wireless communication device comprising;

a plurality of multimode receivers to receive signals of a plurality of wireless communication services, wherein the plurality of wireless communication services include at least a wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) communication service and a cellular communication service, wherein the signals of at least one of said communication services include signals to be received in diversity by two or more receivers, wherein the number of said plurality of communication services is equal to or greater than the number of said plurality of multimode receivers, wherein each of said multimode receivers has a plurality of receive modes, and wherein each one of said receive modes is adapted to receive signals of a respective one of said plurality of communication services; and

a controller to control the receive modes of said plurality of receivers, wherein, when signals of less than all of said plurality of communication services are to be received, the controller is to control two or more multimode receivers of the multimode receivers to operate in diversity such that the two or more multimode receivers receive, substantially simultaneously, signals of a common wireless communication service; and

a plurality of antennas associated with said plurality of receivers.

18. The system of claim 17 comprising at least one other communication device to transmit signals of at least one communication service of said plurality of communication services.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of multimode receivers comprises first and second multimode receivers, each having first and second modes of operation to receive signals of the WLAN and cellular communication services, respectively.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein when signals of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received simultaneously, said controller controls said first multimode receiver to receive the signals of said WLAN communication service and said second multimode receiver to receive the signals of said cellular communication service,

and wherein, when signals of only one of said WLAN and cellular communication services are to be received, the controller is to control both said first and second multimode receivers to operate in diversity to receive, substantially simultaneously, the signals of the one communication service.