Antenna optimum beam forming for multiple protocol coexistence on a wireless device
First Claim
1. A method for a primary network device to communicate with a first remote wireless device and a second remote wireless device, the first network device having an antenna array, the method comprising:
- identifying a first communication path for transmitting Bluetooth data between the primary network device and the first remote wireless device, including determining a first angle of arrival of a first signal communicated from the first remote wireless device to the primary network device along the first communication path;
identifying a second communication path for transmitting wireless local area network (WLAN) data between the primary network device and the second remote wireless device, including determining a second angle of arrival of a second signal communicated from the second remote wireless device to the primary network device along the second communication path, wherein the first angle of arrival of the first signal communicated from the first remote wireless device is different than the second angle of arrival of the second signal communicated from the second remote wireless device;
determining a first beam pattern for the antenna array for communicating the Bluetooth data along the first communication path, wherein the first beam pattern is to communicate, at a primary Bluetooth signal strength, the Bluetooth data in a direction corresponding to the first angle of arrival while minimizing any communication of the Bluetooth data at a suppressed Bluetooth signal strength in a direction corresponding to the second angle of arrival, wherein the suppressed Bluetooth signal strength is lower than the primary Bluetooth signal strength; and
determining a second beam pattern for the antenna array for communicating WLAN data along the second communication path, wherein the second beam pattern is to communicate, at a primary WLAN signal strength, the WLAN data in the direction corresponding to the second angle of arrival while minimizing any communication of the WLAN data at a suppressed WLAN signal strength in the direction corresponding to the first angle of arrival, wherein the suppressed WLAN signal strength is lower than the primary WLAN signal strength.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a method for forming beam patterns for a wireless device, the device determines angles of arrival for data signals corresponding to different wireless network protocols, such as Bluetooth signals and wireless local area network signals. The wireless device has multiple antenna array and a beamform controller to selectively transmit and receive data signals along a communication path corresponding to the angle of arrival of the particular protocol data. Data signal transmissions along angles of arrival corresponding to other protocol channels are suppressed to avoid interference between data signals and to allow the wireless device to receive data signals for different protocols simultaneously.
25 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for a primary network device to communicate with a first remote wireless device and a second remote wireless device, the first network device having an antenna array, the method comprising:
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identifying a first communication path for transmitting Bluetooth data between the primary network device and the first remote wireless device, including determining a first angle of arrival of a first signal communicated from the first remote wireless device to the primary network device along the first communication path; identifying a second communication path for transmitting wireless local area network (WLAN) data between the primary network device and the second remote wireless device, including determining a second angle of arrival of a second signal communicated from the second remote wireless device to the primary network device along the second communication path, wherein the first angle of arrival of the first signal communicated from the first remote wireless device is different than the second angle of arrival of the second signal communicated from the second remote wireless device; determining a first beam pattern for the antenna array for communicating the Bluetooth data along the first communication path, wherein the first beam pattern is to communicate, at a primary Bluetooth signal strength, the Bluetooth data in a direction corresponding to the first angle of arrival while minimizing any communication of the Bluetooth data at a suppressed Bluetooth signal strength in a direction corresponding to the second angle of arrival, wherein the suppressed Bluetooth signal strength is lower than the primary Bluetooth signal strength; and determining a second beam pattern for the antenna array for communicating WLAN data along the second communication path, wherein the second beam pattern is to communicate, at a primary WLAN signal strength, the WLAN data in the direction corresponding to the second angle of arrival while minimizing any communication of the WLAN data at a suppressed WLAN signal strength in the direction corresponding to the first angle of arrival, wherein the suppressed WLAN signal strength is lower than the primary WLAN signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for controlling beamforming of an antenna array for a network device, the apparatus comprising:
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a Bluetooth interface to receive Bluetooth data; a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface to receive WLAN data; and a beamform controller to control the antenna array to transmit and receive the Bluetooth data along a first communication path occurring at a first beam pattern angle of arrival, and control the antenna array to transmit and receive the WLAN data along a second communication path occurring at a second beam pattern angle of arrival different than the first beam pattern angle of arrival, wherein the beamform controller is capable of transmitting or receiving the Bluetooth data while simultaneously transmitting or receiving the WLAN data and such that the Bluetooth data is transmitted on a first beam pattern having a primarily Bluetooth signal strength along the first beam pattern angle and a suppressed Bluetooth signal strength along the second beam pattern angle to minimize interference along the second communication path and such that the WLAN data is transmitted on a second beam pattern having a primary WLAN signal strength along the second beam pattern angle and a suppressed WLAN signal strength along the first beam pattern angle to minimize interference along the first communication path. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for forming beam patterns for a wireless device having an antenna array, the method comprising:
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determining a first communication path between the wireless device and a first remote device, the first communication path having a first beam pattern directed at a first angle, the first communication path for communicating first data that is compliant with a first wireless communication protocol; and determining a second communication path between the wireless device and a second remote device, the second communication path having a second beam pattern directed at a second angle, the second communication path for communicating second data that is compliant with a second wireless communication protocol; wherein the first beam pattern is formed such that the first data is transmitted on the first beam pattern having a primarily signal strength along the first angle and a suppressed signal strength along the second angle to minimize interference along the second communication path, and wherein the second beam pattern is formed such that the second data is transmitted on the second beam pattern having a primary signal strength along the second angle and a suppressed signal strength along the first angle to minimize interference along the first communication path. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for forming beam patterns for a wireless device having an antenna array, the apparatus comprising:
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a first protocol interface to receive and transmit first data that is compliant with a first wireless communication protocol; a second protocol interface to receive and transmit second data that that is compliant with a second wireless communication protocol; and a beamform controller to determine a first communication path between the wireless device and a first remote device, the first communication path having a first beam pattern directed at a first angle and that is used for communicating the first data, and determine a second communication path between the wireless device and a second remote device, the second communication path having a second beam pattern directed at a second angle and that is used for communicating the second data; wherein the first beam pattern is formed such that the first data is received and transmitted on the first beam pattern having a primarily signal strength along the first angle and a suppressed signal strength along the second angle to minimize interference along the second communication path, and wherein the second beam pattern is formed such that the second data is received and transmitted on the second beam pattern having a primary signal strength along the second angle and a suppressed signal strength along the first angle to minimize interference along the first communication path. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification