Coordination among multiple co-located radio modules

• US 8,036,683 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Fomin, Yury, Shi, Jianxiong, Zhao, Wen, Fertelmeister, Alexander, Boireau, Olivier, Tu, Jerome, Mahe, Isabel
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIDU, GANIYU A
• Application Number:
  US11/555,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/63.1, 455/456.1, 455/448, 455/454, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/456.4, 455/553.1, 455/512
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• 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

Techniques involving the coordination of wireless activities are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include two or more transceivers. These transceivers may include a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links, and a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links. The apparatus may also include controllers, each controlling wireless communications of a corresponding transceiver. Information may be exchanged with each other regarding operation of the transceivers. Through the exchange of such information, activity (e.g., transmission and reception of wireless signals) may be coordinated among the transceivers.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links;

a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links;

first and second controllers to exchange information via a coordination module regarding operation of the first and second transceivers, and to control wireless communications of the first and second transceivers based on the exchanged information, the exchanged information including a receive activity indicator sent from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the receive activity indicator indicating that the first transceiver is engaged in an active cellular call, the exchanged information further including an access request sent from the second controller to the first controller, and an access grant sent from the first controller to the second controller, the access grant indicating the second transceiver may engage in wireless communications, and

wherein the first controller schedules transmissions of the first transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the first transceiver during periods of signal reception by the second transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second controller schedules transmissions of the second transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the first transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information exchanged between the first and second controllers includes:

an access request sent from the first controller to the second controller;

an access grant sent from the second controller to the first controller, the access grant indicating the first transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second controllers each include a storage medium to store operational information regarding the corresponding transceiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, the scheduling by the second controller including preventing all transmissions by the second transceiver during periods of signal reception by the first transceiver.

5. A method, comprising:

exchanging information regarding operation of co-located first and second transceivers via a coordination module using a first and second controller, the first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across a cellular link and the second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across a wireless data networking link, the exchanged information including a receive activity indicator sent from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the receive activity indicator indicating that the first transceiver is engaged in an active cellular call, the exchanged information further including an access request sent from the second controller to the first controller, and an access grant sent from the first controller to the second controller, the access grant indicating the second transceiver may engage in wireless communications;

scheduling transmissions of the first transceiver based on the exchanged information to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the first transceiver during periods of signal reception by the second transceiver; and

scheduling transmissions of the second transceiver based on the exchanged information to avoid reception of the transmissions by the first transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein exchanging information regarding operation of the co-located first and second transceivers comprises:

sending an access request from the first controller to the second controller;

sending an access grant from the second controller to the first controller, the access grant indicating the first transceiver may engage in wireless communications.

13. The method of claim 5, scheduling transmissions of the second transceiver including preventing all transmissions by the first transceiver during periods of signal reception by the second transceiver.

7. A radio, comprising:

a transceiver to communicate across a wireless link, the wireless link including a cellular link or a wireless data networking link;

a controller to control and to coordinate activity of the transceiver with activity of at least one other co-located radio; and

an interface to exchange information with the at least one other co-located radio via a coordination module, the exchanged information including a receive activity indicator sent from the transceiver to the at least one other co-located radio, the receive activity indicator indicating that the transceiver is engaged in an active cellular call, the exchanged information further including an access request sent to the controller, and an access grant sent from the controller to the at least one other co-located radio, the access grant indicating the at least one other co-located radio may engage in wireless communications;

wherein the controller schedules transmissions of the transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the at least one other co-located radio, said scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the transceiver during periods of signal reception by the at least one other co-located radio.

8. The radio of claim 7, further comprising a storage medium to store operational information regarding the transceiver.

9. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed, enable a system to:

coordinate activity of a transceiver with activity of at least one other co-located radio;

exchange information with the at least one other co-located radio via a coordination module, the exchanged information including a receive activity indicator sent from the transceiver to the at least one other co-located radio, the receive activity indicator indicating that the transceiver is engaged in an active cellular call, the exchanged information further including an access request sent to a controller, and an access grant sent from the controller to the at least one other co-located radio, the access grant indicating the at least one other co-located radio may engage in wireless communications; and

schedule transmissions of the transceiver based on the information exchanged with the at least one other co-located radio, the scheduling to avoid reception of the transmissions by the at least one other co-located radio, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the first transceiver during periods of signal reception by the other co-located radio.

10. The article of claim 9, further comprising instructions to schedule transmissions of the transceiver based on the information exchanged with the at least one other co-located radio.

14. The article of claim 9, the computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

schedule transmissions of the other co-located radio based on the information exchanged with the transceiver, the scheduling to avoid reception of the transmissions by the transceiver, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the other co-located radio during periods of signal reception by the transceiver.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links;

a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links; and

a coordination module to exchange information with the first and second transceivers, and to control wireless communications of the first and second transceivers based on the exchanged information, the exchanged information including a receive activity indicator sent from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the receive activity indicator indicating that the first transceiver is engaged in an active cellular call, the exchanged information further including an access request sent from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, and an access grant sent from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, the access grant indicating the second transceiver may engage in wireless communications;

wherein the coordination module schedules transmissions of the first transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the second transceiver, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the first transceiver during periods of signal reception by the second transceiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the coordination module schedules transmissions of the second transceiver to avoid reception of the transmissions by the first transceiver, the scheduling including preventing all transmissions by the second transceiver during periods of signal reception by the first transceiver.