LTE/1X dual-standby with single-chip radio

• US 8,811,922 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mujtaba, Syed A., Zhao, Wen, Wang, Xiaowen, Majjigi, Vinay, Mahe, Isabel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/195,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20120264473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.4, 455/426.1, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 455/525, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/160.1, 370331-334
• US Class Current: 455/127.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/26 for superheterodyne receivers multiple frequency-changing H03D7/16
• 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 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communication circuitry. The wireless communication circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry coupled to antennas by switching circuitry. Multiple radio access technologies may be supported. A device may include first and second antennas. Control circuitry can configure the transceiver circuitry and switching circuitry to support operation of the device in active and idle modes for each radio access technology. In some configurations, both antennas may be used to support operations associated with one of the radio access technologies. In other configurations, the first antenna may be used to support operations with a first of the radio access technologies while the second antenna is used to support operations with a second of the radio access technologies.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a wireless network using an electronic device that supports communication using a first radio access technology and a second radio access technology, comprising:

monitoring wireless signal quality for at least the first radio access technology with the electronic device;

based at least partly on the monitored wireless signal quality, determining whether to use a first antenna of two antennas alone to monitor a paging channel associated with the first radio access technology or whether to use both the first antenna and a second antenna to monitor the paging channel;

during at least one page monitoring period;

if using the first antenna alone is determined, using the first antenna to monitor the paging channel while simultaneously using the second antenna to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology; and

if using both antennas is determined, using both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel; and

in response to completion of the page monitoring period without detection of an incoming page on the paging channel by the electronic device, using both the first and second antennas to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the first radio access technology comprises a Code Division Multiple Access radio access technology and wherein the second radio access technology comprise a Long Term Evolution radio access technology.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the first and second antennas are located at opposing ends of the electronic device and wherein using both the first and second antennas to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology comprises using the first and second antennas that are located at opposing ends of the electronic device to receive Long Term Evolution data traffic.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein monitoring the wireless signal quality comprises obtaining a received signal strength indicator that is indicative of channel quality for the paging channel.

5. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

comparing the received signal strength indicator to a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the received signal strength indicator exceeds the predetermined threshold, using the first antenna alone to monitor the paging channel during the at least one page monitoring period; and

in response to determining that the received signal strength information does not exceed the predetermined threshold, using both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel.

6. The method defined in claim 5 wherein using both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel comprises temporarily interrupting reception of Long Term Evolution data with the first and second antennas and, while reception of the Long Term Evolution data with the first and second antennas is temporarily interrupted, using both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel for Code Division Multiple Access paging signals.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to support communication with a first radio access technology and a second radio access technology, comprising;

at least a first antenna and a second antenna;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the processor, cause the electronic device to;

monitoring wireless signal quality for at least the first radio access technology with the electronic device;

based at least partly on the monitored wireless signal quality, determining whether to use the first antenna alone to monitor a paging channel associated with the first radio access technology or whether to use both the first antenna and the second antenna to monitor the paging channel;

during at least one page monitoring period;

if using the first antenna alone is determined, using the first antenna to monitor the paging channel while simultaneously using the second antenna to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology; and

if using both antennas is determined, using both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel; and

in response to completion of the page monitoring period without detection of an incoming page on the paging channel by the electronic device, using both the first and second antennas to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first radio access technology comprises a Code Division Multiple Access radio access technology and wherein the second radio access technology comprises a Long Term Evolution radio access technology.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first and second antennas are located at opposite ends of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the conveyance of wireless data traffic comprises reception of data.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the conveyance of wireless data traffic comprises transmission of data.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the wireless signal quality comprises a received signal strength indicator that is indicative of channel quality for the paging channel.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

at least a first and a second antenna; and

logic configured to monitor wireless signal quality for at least the first radio access technology with the electronic device;

based at least partly on the monitored wireless signal quality, logic configured to determine whether to use a first antenna of two antennas alone to monitor a paging channel associated with the first radio access technology or whether to use both the first antenna and a second antenna to monitor the paging channel;

during at least one page monitoring period;

if using the first antenna alone is determined, logic configured to use the first antenna to monitor the paging channel while simultaneously using the second antenna to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology; and

if using both antennas is determined, logic configured to use both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel; and

logic configured to, in response to completion of the page monitoring period without detection of an incoming page on the paging channel by the electronic device, use both the first and second antennas to convey wireless data traffic associated with the second radio access technology.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the wireless signal quality comprises a received signal strength indicator that is indicative of channel quality for the paging channel.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

logic configured to comparing the received signal strength indicator to a predetermined threshold;

when the received signal strength indicator exceeds the predetermined threshold, logic configured to use the first antenna alone to monitor the paging channel during the at least one page monitoring period; and

otherwise, logic configured to use both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, where the logic configured to use both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel comprises logic configured to temporarily interrupt reception of the first radio access technology data with the first and second antennas and, logic configured to use both the first and second antennas to monitor the paging channel for Code Division Multiple Access paging signals during the temporary interruption.