Methods for scheduling channel activities for multiple radio access technologies in a communications apparatus and communications apparatuses utilizing the same
First Claim
1. A communications apparatus with multiple radio access technologies (RATs), comprising:
- a first RAT module, with a first communications interface conforming to a first wireless communications protocol and transceiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a first cellular network through an antenna;
a second RAT module, with a second communications interface conforming to a second wireless communications protocol, which is different from the first wireless communications protocol, and transceiving RF signals in a second cellular network through the antenna; and
an arbiter, receiving a first request from the first RAT module, requesting permission to use the antenna for a first channel activity, receiving a second request from the second RAT module, requesting permission to use the antenna for a second channel activity, obtaining a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus the second channel activity when the second channel activity collides with the first channel activity, and responding to one of the first second RAT modules with an acknowledgement message and to the other of the first second RAT modules with a rejection message based on the obtained priority configuration,wherein the first or second request carries timing information regarding a start time and duration of the first or second channel activity, and the arbiter determines whether the second channel activity collide with the first channel activity according to the timing information;
wherein the first or second request further carries timing information regarding a start time of a forthcoming first/second channel activity, and the arbiter further receives an indication signal from the first RAT module receiving the acknowledgement message, indicating that a corresponding channel activity has been completed, estimates an available time interval up to a nearest forthcoming first/second channel activity to be performed, and transmits an acknowledgement message to the second RAT module that has received the rejection message for the collided channel activity when the duration for performing the collided channel activity fits within the available time interval, to enable the second RAT module to perform the collided channel activity via the antenna during the available time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An communications apparatus with multiple radio access technologies (RATs) is provided. A first RAT module transceives radio frequency (RF) signals in a first cellular network through the antenna. A second RAT module transceives RF signals in a second cellular network through the antenna. An arbiter receives a first and a second request from the first and second RAT module requesting permission to use the antenna for a first and a second channel activity, obtains a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus the second channel activity when the second channel activity collides with the first channel activity, and responds to one of the first and second RAT modules with an acknowledgement message and to the other of the first and second RAT modules with a rejection message based on the obtained priority configuration.
33 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A communications apparatus with multiple radio access technologies (RATs), comprising:
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a first RAT module, with a first communications interface conforming to a first wireless communications protocol and transceiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a first cellular network through an antenna; a second RAT module, with a second communications interface conforming to a second wireless communications protocol, which is different from the first wireless communications protocol, and transceiving RF signals in a second cellular network through the antenna; and an arbiter, receiving a first request from the first RAT module, requesting permission to use the antenna for a first channel activity, receiving a second request from the second RAT module, requesting permission to use the antenna for a second channel activity, obtaining a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus the second channel activity when the second channel activity collides with the first channel activity, and responding to one of the first second RAT modules with an acknowledgement message and to the other of the first second RAT modules with a rejection message based on the obtained priority configuration, wherein the first or second request carries timing information regarding a start time and duration of the first or second channel activity, and the arbiter determines whether the second channel activity collide with the first channel activity according to the timing information; wherein the first or second request further carries timing information regarding a start time of a forthcoming first/second channel activity, and the arbiter further receives an indication signal from the first RAT module receiving the acknowledgement message, indicating that a corresponding channel activity has been completed, estimates an available time interval up to a nearest forthcoming first/second channel activity to be performed, and transmits an acknowledgement message to the second RAT module that has received the rejection message for the collided channel activity when the duration for performing the collided channel activity fits within the available time interval, to enable the second RAT module to perform the collided channel activity via the antenna during the available time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for scheduling channel activities for multiple radio access technologies (RATs) in a communications apparatus comprising an antenna, an arbiter and at least a first RAT module and a second RAT module sharing the antenna to perform corresponding channel activities, comprising:
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receiving, by the arbiter, a request for requesting permission to use the antenna for a first channel activity for the first RAT module; obtaining, by the arbiter, a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus a forthcoming second channel activity when the first channel activity collides with the forthcoming second channel activity to be performed by the second RAT module; and responding, by the arbiter, to the first RAT module by sending an acknowledgement message or a rejection message to the first RAT module based on the obtained priority configuration to indicate whether the request has been granted; when the first channel activity and the forthcoming second channel activity have a same priority, obtaining, by the arbiter, information regarding whether the first RAT module has received an acknowledgement message in a last collision of the same priority; responding, by the arbiter, with the acknowledgement message to the first RAT module when the first RAT module did not receive the acknowledgement message in the last collision; and responding, by the arbiter, with the rejection message to the first RAT module when the first RAT module has received the acknowledgement message in the last collision; receiving, by the arbiter, an indication signal from the first RAT module indicating that the first channel activity has been completed after the first RAT module has received the acknowledgement message for performing the first channel activity; estimating, by the arbiter, an available time interval up to a nearest channel activity to be performed; and transmitting an acknowledgement message to the second RAT module when the duration for performing the forthcoming second channel activity, which collides with the first channel activity, fits within the available time interval, to enable the second RAT module to perform the forthcoming second channel activity via the antenna during the available time interval. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for scheduling channel activities for multiple radio access technologies (RATs) in a communications apparatus comprising an antenna, an arbiter and at least a first RAT module and a second RAT module sharing the antenna to perform corresponding channel activities, comprising:
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receiving, by the arbiter, a request for requesting permission to use the antenna for a first channel activity for the first RAT module; obtaining, by the arbiter, a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus a forthcoming second channel activity when the first channel activity collides with the forthcoming second channel activity to be performed by the second RAT module; and responding, by the arbiter, to the first RAT module by sending an acknowledgement message or a rejection message to the first RAT module based on the obtained priority configuration to indicate whether the request has been granted, wherein the responding step further comprises; when the first channel activity and the forthcoming second channel activity have a same priority, determining, by the arbiter, whether the first RAT module has most recently performed the collided channel activity than the second RAT module; responding, by the arbiter, with the acknowledgement message, to the first RAT module when the second RAT module has most recently performed the collided channel activity than the first RAT module; and responding, by the arbiter, with the resection message, to the first RAT module when the first RAT module has most recently performed the collided channel activity than the second RAT module; receiving, by the arbiter, an indication signal from the first RAT module indicating that the first channel activity has been completed after the first RAT module has received the acknowledgement message for performing the first channel activity; estimating, by the arbiter, an available time interval up to a nearest channel activity to be performed; and
transmitting an acknowledgement message to the second RAT module when the duration for performing the forthcoming second channel activity, which collides with the first channel activity, fits within the available time interval, to enable the second RAT module to perform the forthcoming second channel activity via the antenna during the available time interval.
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13. A communications apparatus with multiple radio access technologies (RATs), comprising:
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a first RAT module, with a first communications interface conforming to a first wireless communications protocol and transceiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a first cellular network through an antenna; a second RAT module, with a second communications interface conforming to a second wireless communications protocol, which is different from the first wireless communications protocol, and transceiving RF signals in a second cellular network through the antenna; and an arbiter, receiving a request from the first RAT module, requesting permission to use the antenna for a first channel activity, obtaining a priority configuration for the first channel activity versus a second channel activity to be performed by the second RAT module when the second channel activity collides with the first channel activity, and responding to the first RAT module with an acknowledgement message or a rejection message based on the obtained priority configuration; wherein the first or second request further carries timing information regarding a start time of a forthcoming first or second channel activity, and the arbiter further receives an indication signal from the RAT first module receiving the acknowledgement message, indicating that a corresponding channel activity has been completed, estimates an available time interval up to a nearest forthcoming first or second channel activity to be performed, and transmits an acknowledgement message to the second RAT module that has received the rejection message for the collided channel activity when the duration for performing the collided channel activity fits within the available time interval, to enable the second RAT module to perform the collided channel activity via the antenna during the available time interval. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification