Reducing interference from closely proximate wireless units

• US 7,729,711 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brabenac, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Tan
• Application Number:
  US10/434,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20040224708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,580 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/552.1, 455/41.2, 455/455, 455/63.1, 455/517, 455/41, 455/411, 455/427, 455/12.1, 455/430, 455/13.4, 455/452.1, 455/450, 455/451, 455/502, 455/512, 370/338, 370/462, 370/94.1, 370/336, 370/344, 370/480, 370/334, 370/347, 370/478, 370/328, 234/451
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• 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

A wireless device may include two or more wireless interfaces capable of transmitting and/or receiving signals over separate wireless networks. To reduce the likelihood of interference, a processing unit may determine whether to permit a transmission under one wireless network when a reception under another wireless network is already in progress.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information about time criticality of a transmission on a first wireless network;

receiving information about time criticality of a signal being received on a second wireless network; and

selectively deferring a wireless transmission over a first wireless network to reduce interference with a received wireless signal over a second wireless network based on a determination of the time criticality of a signal to be transmitted relative to the time criticality of a signal to be received.

2. The method of claim 1 including selectively deferring a wireless transmission over a first wireless network to reduce interference with a received wireless signal over a second wireless network based on a determination of the relative importance of a signal to be transmitted and a signal to be received.

3. The method of claim 1 including selectively deferring transmission in response to the determination of whether the received wireless signal will be available for reception in the future.

4. The method of claim 1 including providing a pair of wireless interfaces, one for the first wireless network and the other for the second wireless network.

5. The method of claim 4 including wherein whether to defer transmission including determining whether a signal is currently being received over the second wireless network before transmitting a signal over the first wireless network.

6. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to:

receive a request from a source to transmit information over a first wireless network;

determine whether a signal is currently being received over a second wireless network; and

determine whether to defer transmission to reduce interference between the reception and transmission of wireless signals based on a determination of the time criticality of a signal to be received that enable the processor-based system to determine the time criticality of a signal to be transmitted and a signal to be received.

7. The article of claim 6 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to determine the relative importance of the signal to be transmitted and the signal to be received.

8. The article of claim 6 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to determine whether a signal will be periodically available for reception in the future.

9. A system comprising:

a processor;

a first wireless interface for a first wireless network;

a second wireless interface for a second wireless network;

a dipole antenna coupled to a wireless interface; and

a storage coupled to said processor storing instructions that, if executed, enable the processor to receive a request from a source to transmit information over the first wireless interface, determine whether a signal is currently being received over the second wireless interface, and selectively defer transmission to reduce interference between the reception and transmission of wireless signals based on a determination of whether the received wireless signal will be available for reception in the future.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein one of said interfaces operates on a first wireless protocol and the other of said interfaces operates on the second wireless protocol.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said networks use at least one common frequency.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein one of said networks is an ultra-wide band network.