Method and apparatus for co-location of two radio frequency devices

• US 8,229,364 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Linde, Joakim, Findikli, Aysegul, Jerlhagen, Sven, Vishwakarma, Ritesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US13/296,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20120058731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74.1, 455/41.2, 455/553.1, 455/552.1, 455/419, 455/272, 455/101, 455/129, 455/277.1, 455/432.2, 455/343.4, 455/445, 455/577, 455/114.2, 455/88, 455/84, 455/63.1, 455/59, 455/526, 455/525, 455/197.1, 455/73, 455/574, 455/561, 455/560, 455/524, 370/331, 370/329, 370/350, 370/503, 370/466, 343/702
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/068 by avoiding a reception frequency range
• 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 method for avoiding signal interference between a first RF device and a second RF device is provided. The first and second RF devices are co-located and the first RF device is configured to operate in a first frequency range. The second RF device is configured to operate in a second frequency range, where the first frequency range overlaps, at least in part, the first frequency range. The method initiates with a communication interface being provided between the first RF device and the second RF device. Then, the second RF device is configured to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the first RF device is active. An apparatus where two RF devices are co-located without causing interference for each other is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding signal interference, comprising:

receiving a first frequency range associated with a first radio frequency (RF) device at a second RF device through a communication interface that couples the first RF device and the second RF device, wherein the first RF device and the second RF device are co-located and the first frequency range associated with the first RF device overlaps, at least in part, with a second frequency range associated with the second RF device; and

configuring the second RF device to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the first RF device is active.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the first frequency range further includes receiving a mode for the first RF device, and

configuring the second RF device further includes configuring the second RF device to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the mode for the first RF indicates the first RF device is active.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

issuing a request by the second RF device for the first frequency range of the first RF device and for the mode to the first RF device through the communication interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

issuing a request by the second RF device for the first frequency range of the first RF device to the first RF device through the communication interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency range of the first RF device is a semi-stationary range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frequency range associated with the second RF device is a semi-stationary range.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF device and the second RF device are co-located by placement of both RF devices within a single electronics system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a physical bus between the first RF device and the second RF device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the physical bus includes at least one of a Philips I²C bus and an Intel System Management (SM) bus.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a central processing unit that is common to the first RF device and the second RF device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication interface further includes at least one of a PCMCIA bus and a USB bus in communication with the central processing unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

14. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing the frequency range by the first RF device to the second RF device through the communication interface.

15. The method of claim 2, further including:

providing the frequency range and the mode by the first RF device to the second RF device through the communication interface.

16. A method for avoiding signal interference, comprising:

receiving a first frequency range for a first radio frequency (RF) device at a second RF device through a communication interface that couples the first RF device and the second RF device, wherein the first RF device and the second RF device are co-located, wherein the second RF device is a slave to a third RF device and wherein the first frequency range overlaps, at least in part, with a second frequency range associated with the third RF device; and

causing a propagation of a status of the first RF device through the second RF device to the third RF device, wherein the third RF device is configured to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the status indicates that the first RF device is active.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency range of the first RF device is a semi-stationary range.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second frequency range associated with the second RF device is a semi-stationary range.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first RF device and the second RF device are co-located by placement of both RF devices within a single electronics system.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the communication interface includes a physical bus between the first RF device and the second RF device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the physical bus includes at least one of a Philips I²C bus and a Intel System Management (SM) bus.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the communication interface includes a central processing unit that is common to the first RF device and the second RF device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication interface further includes at least one of a PCMCIA bus and a USB bus in communication with the central processing unit.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the first RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the second RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

26. The method of claim 16, further including:

providing the first frequency range by the first RF device to the second RF device through the communication interface.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) device configured to operate within a first frequency range;

a second RF device co-located with the first RF device, the second RF device configured to operate within a second frequency range, wherein the first frequency range overlaps, at least in part, with the second frequency range; and

a communication interface that couples the first RF device and the second RF device, wherein the second RF device is configured, using information provided via the communication interface, to avoid RF signal collisions with the first RF device when the first RF device is active.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication interface further enables provision of a mode from the first RF device to the second device, the mode indicating when the first RF device is active.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first frequency range is a semi-stationary range.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second frequency range is a semi-stationary range.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication interface is a physical bus in direct communication with the first RF device and the second RF device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the physical bus includes at least one of a Philips I²C bus and a Intel System Management (SM) bus.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first RF device and the second RF device are co-located by placement of both RF devices within a single electronics system.

34. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication interface includes a central processing unit (CPU) shared by the first and the second RF devices, the first RF device being in communication with the CPU through a first bus, and the second RF device being in communication with the CPU through a second bus.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first RF device is configured to provide the first frequency range to the second RF device via a driver associated with the first RF device.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second RF device is configured to receive the first frequency range in response to a request from a driver associated with the second RF device.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

38. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second RF device is configured to execute at least one of Bluetooth, 802.11, ultrawideband, Zigbee, DECT and global positioning system (GPS) protocols.

39. An apparatus comprising:

a first radio frequency (RF) device configured to operate within a first frequency range;

a second RF device co-located with the first RF device;

a third RF device configured to operate within a second frequency range that overlaps, at least in part, with the first frequency range, and wherein the second RF device is configured as a slave to the third RF device; and

a communication interface that couples the first RF device and the second RF device for propagation of at least a status of the first RF device to reach the third RF device so that the third RF device avoids RF signal collisions when the status indicates that the first RF device is active.