Dual-technology wireless coexistence for multi-antenna devices

• US 8,780,872 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Ramamurthy, Harish, Wheeler, Todd Steven, Bosso, Brian, Salhotra, Atul, Yeung, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Banthrongsack, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US13/228,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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

Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer-readable media comprise: a first antenna; a second antenna; a first wireless local-area network (WLAN) transceiver configured to operate, on a dedicated basis, with the first antenna; a second WLAN transceiver configured to share operation of the second antenna; and a non-WLAN transceiver configured to operate with the second antenna with the second WLAN transceiver.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a first wireless local-area network (WLAN) transceiver, wherein the first WLAN transceiver is configured to operate, on a dedicated basis, using the first antenna;

a second WLAN transceiver;

a non-WLAN transceiver, wherein the non-WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver are configured to share operation of the second antenna,

wherein each of the first antenna, the second antenna, the first WLAN transceiver, the second MAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver is located in the wireless device; and

a coexistence mode controller configured to select between a spatial coexistence mode and a temporal coexistence mode,

wherein in the spatial coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use respective ones of the first antenna and the second antenna at a same time,

wherein in the temporal coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use each of the first antenna and the second antenna at different times, and

wherein in each of the spatial coexistence mode and the temporal coexistence mode, the coexistence mode controller is configured to selectively allow the second WLAN transceiver to share operation of the second antenna.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a spatial coexistence mode controller,

wherein the spatial coexistence mode controller is configured to, when no non-WLAN traffic is present, allow each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to i) transmit in MIMO mode, and ii) receive in SISO mode,

wherein the spatial coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting, i) allow the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allow the second WLAN transceiver to neither transmit nor receive; and

wherein the spatial coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving, i) allow the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allow the second WLAN transceiver to receive in SISO mode but not to transmit.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, further comprising:

a temporal coexistence mode controller,

wherein the spatial coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when the spatial coexistence mode is selected, control each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver, and

wherein the temporal coexistence mode controller is configured to, when the temporal coexistence mode is selected, control each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein:

the temporal coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when no non-WLAN traffic is present, allow each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in MIMO mode;

the temporal coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting, allow neither the first WLAN transceiver nor the second WLAN transceiver to transmit or receive; and

the temporal coexistence mode controller is further configured to, when the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving, allow each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to receive in MIMO mode, but not to transmit.

5. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein:

the coexistence mode controller is further configured to select either the spatial coexistence mode or the temporal coexistence mode based on at least one of

non-WLAN traffic levels,

non-WLAN signal levels,

non-WLAN operating bandwidth,

non-WLAN operating frequencies,

WLAN signal levels,

WLAN traffic levels,

WLAN operating bandwidth, and

WLAN operating frequencies.

6. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein:

the coexistence mode controller is further configured to negotiate a number of WLAN streams with an access point.

7. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein:

the coexistence mode controller is further configured to control sharing of the second antenna between the second WLAN transceiver and the non-WLAN transceiver.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is implemented as one of:

a mobile telephone;

a personal digital assistant (PDA); and

a personal computer.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is compliant with all or part of IEEE standard 802.11, including draft and approved amendments 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11d, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11i, 802.11k, 802.11n, 802.11p, 802.11r, 802.11s, 802.11u, 802.11v, 802.11w, 802.11z, and 802.11aa.

10. A method of transmitting and receiving communications in a device, wherein the device includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a first wireless local-area network (WLAN) transceiver, a second WLAN transceiver, and a non-WLAN transceiver, and wherein the method comprises:

operating the first WLAN transceiver with the first antenna on a dedicated basis;

operating the second WLAN transceiver and the non-WLAN transceiver with the second antenna on a shared basis;

selecting between a spatial coexistence mode and a temporal coexistence mode,

wherein in the spatial coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use respective ones of the first antenna and the second antenna at a same time,

wherein in the temporal coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use each of the first antenna and the second antenna at different times; and

in each of the spatial coexistence mode and the temporal coexistence mode, selectively allowing the second WLAN transceiver to share operation of the second antenna.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein operating each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver comprises:

when no non-WLAN traffic is present, allowing the first and second WLAN transceivers to i) transmit in MIMO mode, and ii) receive in SISO mode,

when the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting, i) allowing the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allowing the second WLAN transceiver to neither transmit nor receive, and

when the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving, i) allowing the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allowing the second WLAN transceiver to receive in SISO mode but not to transmit.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein operating each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver comprises

allowing the first and second WLAN transceivers to transmit and receive in MIMO mode when i) no non-WLAN traffic is present and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected,

allowing neither the first WLAN transceiver nor the second WLAN transceiver to transmit or receive when i) the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected, and

allowing the first and second WLAN transceivers to receive in MIMO mode, but not to transmit, when i) the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting either the spatial coexistence mode or the temporal coexistence mode based on at least one of

non-WLAN traffic levels,

non-WLAN signal levels,

non-WLAN operating bandwidth,

non-WLAN operating frequencies,

WLAN signal levels,

WLAN traffic levels,

WLAN operating bandwidth, and

WLAN operating frequencies.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

negotiating a number of WLAN streams with an access point.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling sharing of the second antenna between the second WLAN transceiver and the non-WLAN transceiver.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is compliant with all or part of IEEE standard 802.11, including draft and approved amendments 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11d, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11i, 802.11k, 802.11n, 802.11p, 802.11r, 802.11s, 802.11u, 802.11v, 802.11w, 802.11z, and 802.11aa.

17. Non-transitory computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform functions, comprising:

operating a first wireless local-area network (WLAN) transceiver with a first antenna on a dedicated basis;

operating a second WLAN transceiver with a second antenna;

operating a non-WLAN transceiver with the second antenna,

wherein each of the first antenna, the second antenna, the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver is located in a same wireless device;

selecting between a spatial coexistence mode and a temporal coexistence mode,

wherein in the spatial coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use respective ones of the first antenna and the second antenna at a same time,

wherein in the temporal coexistence mode, each of the first WLAN transceiver, the second WLAN transceiver, and the non-WLAN transceiver are configured to use each of the first antenna and the second antenna at different times; and

in each of the spatial coexistence mode and the temporal coexistence mode, selectively allowing the second WLAN transceiver to share operation of the second antenna.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the functions further comprise:

when no non-WLAN traffic is present, allowing each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to i) transmit in MIMO mode, and ii) receive in SISO mode;

when the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting, i) allowing the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allowing the second WLAN transceiver to neither transmit nor receive; and

when the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving, i) allowing the first WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in SISO mode, and ii) allowing the second WLAN transceiver to receive in SISO mode but not to transmit.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the functions further comprise:

allowing each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to transmit and receive in MIMO mode when i) no non-WLAN traffic is present and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected;

allowing neither the first WLAN transceiver nor the second WLAN transceiver to transmit or receive when i) the non-WLAN transceiver is transmitting and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected; and

allowing each of the first WLAN transceiver and the second WLAN transceiver to receive in MIMO mode, but not to transmit, when i) the non-WLAN transceiver is receiving and ii) the temporal coexistence mode is selected.