Methods and apparatus for wireless device coexistence

• US 8,792,832 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Camille, Robinson, Michael A., Pontil, Marco, Giles, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US13/858,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/41.2, 455/63.4, 455/403, 455/419, 455/445, 455/462, 455/524, 455/552.1, 370/338, 375/132, 375/13
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• 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

Methods and apparatus for compensating for the effects of interference between multiple wireless communication apparatus. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a first wireless communication apparatus operating in a first band and a second wireless communication apparatus operating at least partly in the first band, where the second wireless communication apparatus operates according to a different communication protocol than the first wireless communication apparatus. Interference is compensated for between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus by selecting and operating according to one of a plurality of operational protocols. In another embodiment, the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus operate in a closed-loop relationship to cooperatively compensate for communication interference.

Claims

1. A portable computerized apparatus, comprising:

a first wireless interface adapted to communicate wirelessly according to a first protocol;

a second wireless interface adapted to communicate wirelessly according to a second protocol, said second wireless interface being disposed proximate said first wireless interface so that interference between said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface occurs when both are in operation; and

apparatus adapted to selectively implement one or more operating policies of a plurality of operating polices, each of said plurality of operating policies associated with a particular range of interference, and said selection based at least in part on a measured interference value between said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface that meet a particular range of a respective operating policy, said one or more policies reducing effects of said interference over that obtained when said one or more policies are not implemented.

2. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus adapted to implement comprises:

a processor; and

a computer program, said program comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed on said processor, implement said one or more operating policies further based on at least one input relating to antenna isolation associated with at least one of said first wireless interface and second wireless interface.

3. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first wireless interface comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface, and said second wireless interface comprises a short-range low-bandwidth interface, said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface each operating within at least partly overlapping frequency bands.

4. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said measured interference comprises a measured antenna isolation.

5. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said selective implementation of said one or more policies comprises a selection of said one or more policies is further based at least in part on a variable physical relationship between first and second antennas associated with said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface, respectively.

6. A method of compensating for effects of interference between multiple interfaces of a computerized device, the method comprising:

operating at least a first interface configured to communicate wirelessly according to a first protocol;

operating at least a second interface configured to communicate wirelessly according to a second protocol, where interference occurs between the at least first interface and the at least second interface when both are operating;

measuring one or more parameters associated with the interference between the at least first interface and the at least second interface; and

selecting one or more policies based at least in part on the measured one or more parameters satisfying a value range of the one or more parameters associated with each of the one or more policies, the selected one or more policies reducing the interference between the at least first interface and at least second interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

estimating an amount of isolation currently between the at least first interface and the at least second interface;

wherein the act of selecting the one or more policies is based at least on the estimated amount.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether an access device in wireless communication with the at least first interface supports at least one policy of the one or more policies;

wherein the act of selecting is based at least in part on the determination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising notifying the access device of the selected one or more policies when the selected one or more polices is determined to be supported by the access device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification is configured to cause the access device to implement the selected one or more policies with at least one of the at least first interface and the at least second interface.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least first interface and the at least second interface are co-located within a housing of a common portable device.

12. A portable computerized apparatus, comprising:

at least a first interface and a second interface configured to operating according to different first and second wireless communication protocols respectively, where the at least a first interface and the second interface cause interference between each other when the at least a first interface and the second interface are active;

a processor in data communication with the at least first interface and the second interface; and

logic in data communication with the at least first interface and the second interface and the processor, the logic configured to cause the portable computerized apparatus to;

determine an interference classification level of interference between the at least first interface and the second interface; and

select one or more co-existence operational policies of the at least first interface and the second interface that are associated with the determined classification level, the selection enabling reduction in the interference.

13. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the logic is further configured to cause the portable computerized apparatus to determine a level of interference between the at least first interface and the second interface; and

the determination of the interference classification level is based at least in part on the determined level of interference.

14. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least first interface comprises a IEEE-Std. 802-11-compliant interface and the second interface comprises a Bluetooth-compliant interface.

15. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the logic is further configured to cause the portable computerized apparatus to determine a priority of data transmissions over the at least first interface and the second interface; and

the selected one or more co-existence operational policies is selected based at least in part on the determined priority of data transmissions.

16. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 15, wherein the determination of the priorities of data transmissions is based at least in part of Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of the at least first interface and the second interface.

17. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the logic is further configured to cause the portable computerized apparatus to signal the selected one or more co-existence operational policies to an access point in communication with the portable computerized apparatus over the at least first interface; and

the signal is configured to permit coordination of the selected one or more co-existence operational policies between the portable computerized apparatus and the access point to reduce the interference.

18. The portable computerized apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the logic is further configured to cause the portable computerized apparatus to compare an amount of interference between the at least first interface and the second interface against one or more threshold values; and

the interference classification level is determined based at least in part on the comparison.