System and method for radio antenna sharing in an information handling system

• US 8,369,811 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew T., Utz, James R., Finn, Larry William
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US12/505,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/280
• US Class Current: 455/272
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

An information handling system includes a processing system with a radio output, another processing system with a radio output, and a radio selector operable to couple an antenna to a selected one of the radios. A radio selector board includes a radio, a selector switch with an input terminal coupled to the radio, another input terminal coupleable to another radio, a control input coupleable to a control module, and an output coupleable to an antenna. In response to a control signal from the control module, the selector switch connects the first radio to the antenna, and in response to another control signal, the selector switch connects the other radio to the antenna.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a first processing system including a first processor and a first radio, wherein the first radio includes a first output, and wherein the first processor is operable to control the first radio and a shared resource of the information handling system;

a second processing system including a second processor and a radio data interface, wherein the second processor is operable to control a second radio and the shared resource independently from the first processor; and

a radio selector board including the second radio and a radio selector, wherein the second radio is coupled to the radio data interface and includes a second output, and wherein the radio selector is coupled to;

the first output;

the second output; and

a first antenna; and

wherein the radio selector is operable to couple the first antenna to a selected one of the first radio or the second radio.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first output includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal;

the second output includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal;

the radio selector includes a first switch and a second switch; and

the first antenna includes a first element and a second element; and

wherein;

the first switch is coupled to the first output terminal of the first radio, the first output terminal of the second radio, and the first element; and

the second switch is coupled to the second output terminal of the first radio, the second output terminal of the second radio, and the second element; and

the radio selector is operable to couple the first element to a selected one of the first output terminal of the first radio or the first output terminal of the second radio, and to couple the second element to a selected one of the second output terminal of the first radio or the second output terminal of the second radio.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the first switch and the second switch comprise semiconductor devices.

4. The information handling system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second antenna; and

wherein the first output includes a third output terminal coupled to the second antenna.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the first radio operates as an 802.11n compliant radio, and the second radio operates as an 802.11g compliant radio.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the radio selector includes the second radio.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising an allocator operatively coupled to the first processing system, the second processing system, and the radio selector, wherein the allocator is operable to control the radio selector to couple the first antenna to the selected one of the first radio or the second radio.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the allocator is further operable to:

operate the second processing system in a low-power mode when the first antenna is coupled to the first radio; and

operate the first processing system in a low-power mode when the first antenna is coupled to the second radio.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the allocator operates to control the radio selector in response to an event at the information handling system.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the event includes an input from a user of the information handling system.

11. A method comprising:

coupling a first output of a first radio associated with a first processing system of an information handling system to a first terminal of a first switch of a radio selector board, wherein the first processing system is operable to control the first radio and a shared resource of the information handling system;

coupling a second processing system to a radio interface of a second radio of the radio selector board, wherein the second radio is associated with the second processing system, and wherein the second processing system is operable to control the second radio and the shared resource independently from the first processing system;

coupling a first output of the second radio to a second terminal of the first switch;

coupling a first antenna to a third terminal of the first switch;

in response to operating the first processing system in a first low-power mode, connecting the second terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch; and

in response to operating the second processing system in a second low-power mode, connecting the first terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling a second output of the first radio to a first terminal of a second switch;

coupling a second output of the second radio to a second terminal of the second switch;

coupling a second antenna to a third terminal of the second switch;

in response to operating the first processing system in the first low-power mode, connecting the second terminal of the second switch to the third terminal of the second switch; and

in response to operating the second processing system in a second low-power mode, connecting the first terminal of the second switch to the third terminal of the second switch.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first radio operates as an 802.11n compliant radio, and the second radio operates as an 802.11g compliant radio.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first radio and the second radio operate as Bluetooth compliant radios.

15. A method comprising:

coupling a first output of a first radio associated with a first processing system of an information handling system to a first antenna, wherein the first processing system is operable to control the first radio and a shared resource of the information handling system;

coupling a second output of the first radio to a first terminal of a first switch of a radio selector board;

coupling a second processing system to a radio interface of a second radio of the radio selector board, wherein the second radio is associated with the second processing system of the information handling system, and wherein the second processing system is operable to control the second radio and the shared resource independently from the first processing system;

coupling a first output of the second radio to a second terminal of the first switch,

coupling a second antenna to a third terminal of the first switch;

in response to operating the first processing system in a first mode, connecting the first terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch, and operating the first radio using the first antenna and the second antenna; and

in response to operating the second processing system in a second mode, connecting the second terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch, and operating the second radio using the second antenna.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

coupling a third output of the first radio to a first terminal of a second switch;

coupling a second output of the second radio to a second terminal of the second switch;

coupling a third antenna to a third terminal of the second switch;

in further response to operating the first processing system in the first mode, connecting the first terminal of the second switch to the third terminal of the second switch, wherein operating the first radio further includes using the third antenna; and

in response to operating the second processing system in the second mode, connecting the second terminal of the second switch to the third terminal of the second switch, wherein operating the second radio further includes using the third antenna.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first radio operates in the first mode as an 802.11n compliant radio, and the second radio operates in the second mode as an 802.11g compliant radio.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining by an allocator that the first processing system is in the first mode;

wherein the allocator is operable to connect of the first terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch in response to determining that the first processing system is in the first mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining by the allocator that the second processing system is in the second mode;

wherein the allocator is operable to connect of the second terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch in response to determining that the second processing system is in the second mode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the allocator operates to connect of the first terminal of the first switch to the third terminal of the first switch in response to in response to an event at the information handling system.