Techniques to control transmit power for a shared antenna architecture

• US 8,755,747 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Robinson, Mike, Beninghaus, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US13/172,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20110263214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 455/82, 455/83, 455/88, 455/553.1, 455/67.11, 455/41.2, 455/101, 455/67.14, 455/575.2, 455/552, 455/572, 455/343.1, 455/69, 455/450, 455/63.1, 370/335, 370/337, 370/276, 370/277, 370/278, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• 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

Techniques to control shared antenna architectures for multiple co-located radio modules are disclosed. The shared antenna architecture may include a combiner and at least one bypass switch for enabling simultaneous operations or mutually-exclusive operations of multiple transceivers. Dynamic gain control is employed to accommodate different front-end losses associated with a variety of signal paths that are achievable using the switch and combiner. Such dynamic gain control can include selecting from multiple sets of amplifier gain values that are tailored to meet the needs of the particular applications that are active at a particular time. Gain values can be chosen based upon received gain information including characteristics including a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration, and a mode of operation. By providing dynamic selection of gain values based on application demands, range and throughput of the transceivers can be attained. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an antenna;

a first radio module having a first communication system to communicate wirelessly across a first link and a first communications controller to control the first communication system, the first communication system including a first power amplifier;

a second radio module having a second communication system to communicate wirelessly across a second link and a second communications controller to control the second communication system, the second communication system including a second power amplifier;

a shared antenna structure communicatively coupled to the first radio module, the second radio module and the antenna, the shared antenna structure comprising a combiner and at least one switch arranged to allow the first communication system and the second communication system to share the antenna for simultaneous operations or mutually-exclusive operations, wherein the combiner is to be used in a signal path for simultaneous operations and is not to be used in a signal path for mutually exclusive operations; and

a host processor communicatively coupled to the first radio module and the second radio module, the host processor to control a first gain value for the first power amplifier and a second gain value for the second power amplifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host processor controls the first gain value for the first power amplifier and the second gain value for the second power amplifier based upon instructions from an application program utilizing the first communication system or the second communication system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host processor controls the first gain value for the first power amplifier and the second gain value for the second power amplifier based upon one or more characteristics, the characteristics including a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration, and a mode of operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first gain table and the second gain table associate gain values with at least one of a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration and a mode of operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host processor is to execute a first antenna control module arranged to receive power state information and activity information for the first and second communication systems, and control the shared antenna structure for simultaneous operations or mutually-exclusive operations based on the power state information and activity information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the shared antenna structure comprising a first switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to the second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, and a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch and the combiner.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the shared antenna structure comprising a first switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to the second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the combiner and a diplexer, and a fourth switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system and the diplexer.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communications controller is to choose the first gain value from a first gain table and the second communications controller is to choose the second gain value from a second gain table.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving power state information for a set of communication systems, each communication system including a power amplifier;

receiving activity information for the set of communication systems;

generating control signals for simultaneous operations or mutually-exclusive operations for a shared antenna structure connecting the set of communication systems to an antenna based on the power state information and activity information, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a combiner which is to be used in a signal path for simultaneous operations and is not to be used in a signal path for mutually exclusive operations;

receiving gain information for each power amplifier; and

controlling a gain value for each power amplifier based upon the received gain information, wherein each gain value is selected from a gain table associated with a corresponding communication system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received gain information for each power amplifier is based upon instructions from an application program utilizing one or more communication systems within the set of communication systems.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each gain value is controlled based upon one or more characteristics, the characteristics including a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration, and a mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each gain table associates gain values with at least one of a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration and a mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a first switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to the second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, and a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch and the combiner.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a first switch communicatively coupled to a first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to a second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the combiner and a diplexer, and a fourth switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system and the diplexer.

14. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system, cause the system to:

receive power state information for a set of communication systems, each communication system including a power amplifier;

receive activity information for the set of communication systems;

generate control signals for simultaneous operations or mutually-exclusive operations for a shared antenna structure connecting the set of communication systems to an antenna based on the power state information and activity information, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a combiner which is to be used in a signal path for simultaneous operations and is not to be used in a signal path for mutually exclusive operations;

receive gain information for each power amplifier; and

control a gain value for each power amplifier based upon the received gain information, wherein each gain value is selected from a gain table associated with a corresponding communication system.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the received gain information for each power amplifier is based upon instructions from an application program utilizing one or more communication systems within the set of communication systems.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein each gain value is controlled based upon one or more characteristics, the characteristics including a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration, and a mode of operation.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein each gain table associates gain values with at least one of a desired path loss, an application demand, a radio module type, a path configuration and a mode of operation.

18. The article of claim 14, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a first switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to the second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, and a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch and the combiner.

19. The article of claim 14, wherein the shared antenna structure comprises a first switch communicatively coupled to a first communication system, a second switch communicatively coupled to a second communication system, the combiner communicatively coupled to the first and second switches, a third switch communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch, the combiner and a diplexer, and a fourth switch communicatively coupled to the first communication system and the diplexer.