Antenna optimum beam forming for multiple protocol coexistence on a wireless device

• US 8,548,386 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Zhou, Chuifeng
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US13/567,829
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/25, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/517, 455/63.1, 455/63.4, 455/65, 455/66.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/552.1, 455/562.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.7, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0897 using beamforming per multi-path, e.g. to cope with different directions of arrival [DOA] at different multi-paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A first angle of arrival of a first signal from a second communication device to a first communication device is determined. A second angle of arrival of a second signal from a third communication device to the first communication device is determined. A first beam pattern for an antenna array is determined using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal. The first beam pattern is for communicating with the second communication device. A second beam pattern for the antenna array is determined using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal. The second beamforming pattern is for communicating with the third communication device.

Claims

1. A method for a first communication device to communicate with a second communication device and a third communication device, the first communication device having an antenna array, the method comprising:

determining, at the first communication device, a first angle of arrival of a first signal wirelessly communicated from the second communication device to the first communication device, wherein the first signal wirelessly communicated from the second communication device is compliant with a first wireless communication protocol;

determining, at the first communication device, a second angle of arrival of a second signal wirelessly communicated from the third communication device to the first communication device, wherein the second signal wirelessly communicated from the third communication device is compliant with a second wireless communication protocol that is different than the first wireless communication protocol, and wherein the first angle of arrival of the first signal wirelessly communicated from the second communication device is different than the second angle of arrival of the second signal wirelessly communicated from the third communication device;

determining, at the first communication device, a first beam pattern for the antenna array, using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal, for communicating with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol, wherein the first beam pattern is formed to have a primary gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal and a suppressed gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal to minimize interference with communications with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol;

determining, at the first communication device, a second beam pattern for the antenna array, using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal, for communicating with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol, wherein the second beam pattern is formed to have a primary gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal and a suppressed gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal to minimize interference with communications with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol;

utilizing, at the first communication device, the first beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol; and

utilizing, at the first communication device, the second beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the first angle of arrival of the first signal wirelessly communicated from the second communication device to the first communication device comprises utilizing, at the first communication device, a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm; and

determining the second angle of arrival of the second signal wirelessly communicated from the third communication device to the first communication device comprises utilizing, at the first communication device, the MUSIC algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the first beam pattern comprises determining a first set of complex weighting coefficients to be applied by a beamform controller; and

determining the second beam pattern comprises determining a second set of complex weighting coefficients to be applied by the beamform controller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

utilizing the first beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol comprises utilizing the first set of complex weighting coefficients; and

utilizing the second beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol comprises utilizing the second set of complex weighting coefficients.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a difference between the primary gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal and the suppressed gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal for the first beam pattern is at least 30 dB; and

a difference between the primary gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal and the suppressed gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal for the second beam pattern is at least 30 dB.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (i) utilizing the first beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol, and (ii) utilizing the second beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol are performed simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically re-performing the following acts to account for changes in position over time of one or more of (i) the first communication device, (ii) the second communication device, and (iii) the third communication device:

determining the first angle of arrival;

determining the second angle of arrival;

determining the first beam pattern;

determining the second beam pattern;

utilizing the first beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol; and

utilizing the second beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless communication protocol is a wireless local area network communication protocol; and

the second wireless communication protocol is a personal area network communication protocol.

9. A first communication device, comprising:

a first network interface to wirelessly communicate according to a first wireless communication protocol;

a second network interface to wirelessly communicate according to a second wireless communication protocol that is different than the first wireless communication protocol;

a control device configured to

determine a first angle of arrival of a first signal wirelessly communicated from a second communication device to the first communication device, wherein the first signal is compliant with the first wireless communication protocol,

determine a second angle of arrival of a second signal wirelessly communicated from a third communication device to the first communication device, wherein the second signal is compliant with the second wireless communication protocol,

determine a first beam pattern for an antenna array, using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal, for communicating with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol, wherein the first beam pattern is formed to have a primary gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal and a suppressed gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal to minimize interference with communications with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol, and

determine a second beam pattern for the antenna array, using (i) the first angle of arrival of the first signal and (ii) the second angle of arrival of the second signal, for communicating with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol, wherein the second beam pattern is formed to have a primary gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal and a suppressed gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal to minimize interference with communications with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol;

a beamforming device configured to

control the antenna array to utilize the first beam pattern when the first network interface communicates wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol, and

control the antenna array to utilize the second beam pattern when the second network interface communicates wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.

10. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein the beamforming device comprises a plurality of multipliers to multiply respective antenna signals by respective complex weighting coefficients.

11. The first communication device of claim 10, wherein the beamforming device further comprises a summer coupled to the plurality of multipliers, the summers to sum the weighted antenna signals.

12. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to:

determine the first angle of arrival of the first signal wirelessly communicated from the second communication device to the first communication device at least by utilizing a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, and

determine the second angle of arrival of the second signal wirelessly communicated from the third communication device to the first communication device at least by utilizing the MUSIC algorithm.

13. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to:

determine the first beam pattern at least by determining a first set of complex weighting coefficients to be applied by the beamforming device, and

determine the second beam pattern at least by determining a second set of complex weighting coefficients to be applied by the beamforming device.

14. The first communication device of claim 13, wherein the beamforming device is configured to:

control the antenna array to utilize the first beam pattern at least by utilizing the first set of complex weighting coefficients when the first network interface communicates wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol; and

control the antenna array to utilize the second beam pattern at least by utilizing the second set of complex weighting coefficients when the second network interface communicates wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.

15. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein:

a difference between the primary gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal and the suppressed gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal for the first beam pattern is at least 30 dB; and

a difference between the primary gain along the second angle of arrival of the second signal and the suppressed gain along the first angle of arrival of the first signal for the second beam pattern is at least 30 dB.

16. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein the beamforming device is configured to utilize the first beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the second communication device in accordance with the first wireless communication protocol, while simultaneously utilizing the second beam pattern to communicate wirelessly with the third communication device in accordance with the second wireless communication protocol.

17. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein:

in order to account for changes in position over time of one or more of (i) the first communication device, (ii) the second communication device, and (iii) the third communication device, the control device is configured to (a) periodically re-determine the first angle of arrival, and (b) periodically re-determine the second angle of arrival; and

the control device is configured to (i) re-determine the first beam pattern, and (ii) re-determine the second beam pattern when the first angle of arrival is re-determined and the second angle of arrival is re-determined.

18. The first communication device of claim 9, wherein:

the first wireless communication protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol;

the first network interface is a WLAN network interface;

the second wireless communication protocol is a personal area network (PAN) communication protocol; and

the second network interface is a PAN network interface.

19. The first communication device of claim 18, wherein:

the second communication device is a WLAN access point; and

the third communication device is a headset device.

20. The first communication device of claim 18, wherein:

the PAN communication protocol is a Bluetooth communication protocol; and

the PAN network interface is configured to communicate according to the Bluetooth communication protocol.