System and method for simultaneous operation of multiple modems using a single transceiver

• US 8,848,771 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lie, Gregory R., Shahidi, Reza, Rick, Roland R., Joshi, Abhay A., Mahajan, Amit, Lin, Yu-Chuan, Ciccarelli, Steve C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, JANICE N
• Application Number:
  US12/779,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 375259-260, 375/220, 375/285
• US Class Current: 375/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

Systems and methods for simultaneously communicating over multiple air interfaces using a single transceiver are described herein. An input is received at a transceiver. The input has a first signal encoded using a first radio technology and a second signal encoded using a second radio technology. The input is converted from an analog domain to a digital domain. The input is separated into the first signal and the second signal in the digital domain.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a receiver, a first input within a first frequency range centered at a first center frequency during a first time period, the first input comprising a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology;

separating the first input into the first signal and the second signal;

transmitting a first message to a source of the first signal and the second signal, the first message indicative of a second time period during which the source is not to transmit to the receiver;

recentering the receiver to receive a second input within a second frequency range centered at a second center frequency, wherein recentering the receiver is based on a set of criteria; and

wherein the set of criteria comprises a first criterion, the first criterion corresponding to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the first signal received within the first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof;

transmitting a second message to the source, the second message indicative of a third time period during which the source is to transmit to the receiver; and

receiving, at the receiver from the source, the second input within the second frequency range during the third time period, wherein the third time period is after the second time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the first input via a single analog-to-digital converter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first input comprises receiving the first input via a single radio frequency (RF) chain.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising processing the first signal using a first digital decoding path, and processing the second signal using a second digital decoding path.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first signal is centered at a first signal frequency and the second signal is centered at a second signal frequency, and wherein the first signal frequency and the second signal frequency are within the first frequency range.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising decoding the first signal, the second signal, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising searching for pilot signals on the first signal, the second signal, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a signal strength of the first signal, a signal strength of the second signal, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting an amplification level of the first input based on the signal strength of the first signal, the signal strength of the second signal, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input comprises a previous signal and a third signal, wherein the previous signal includes the first signal or the second signal, wherein the third signal is centered at a third signal frequency, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is within the second frequency range, and wherein the third signal is within the second frequency range.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the recentering operation based on a signal strength of the first signal, a signal strength of the second signal, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria further comprises a second criterion, the second criterion corresponding to whether the received first signal complies with a protocol, whether the received second signal complies with the protocol, whether a signal to be transmitted complies with the protocol, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the protocol is a user datagram protocol (UDP).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria further comprises a third criterion, the third criterion corresponding to whether the received first signal complies with a packet format, whether the received second signal complies with the packet format, whether a signal to be transmitted complies with the packet format, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first radio technology comprises a voice air interface and the second radio technology comprises a data only air interface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a standard, a packet format, a modulation scheme, or a combination thereof of the first radio technology is different than a corresponding standard, a corresponding packet format, a corresponding modulation scheme, or a combination thereof of the second radio technology.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first input comprises receiving the first input at a mobile device from a base station.

18. A method comprising:

combining a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology;

transmitting the combined signal to a receiver;

receiving, in response to a recentering operation that is performed based on a criterion corresponding to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) of the first signal received over a first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof, a first message indicative of a first time period during which to refrain from transmitting to the receiver;

receiving a second message indicative of a second time period during which to transmit to the receiver; and

transmitting a second combined signal to the receiver during the second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first radio technology comprises a voice air interface and the second radio technology comprises a data only air interface.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein encoding the first signal comprises encoding the first signal using a first digital encoding path and encoding the second signal comprises encoding the second signal using a second digital encoding path.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting the combined signal via a single digital-to-analog converter.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising processing the combined signal using a single RF chain.

23. A wireless apparatus comprising:

a summer configured to combine a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology; and

a transceiver configured to;

transmit the combined signal to a receiver;

receive, in response to a recentering operation that is performed based on a criterion that corresponds to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) of the first signal received over a first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof, a first message indicative of a first time period during which to refrain from transmitting to the receiver;

receive a second message indicative of a second time period during which to transmit to the receiver; and

transmit a second combined signal to the receiver during the second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period.

24. A wireless apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, wherein the means for receiving is configured to;

receive from a source a first input within a first frequency range centered at a first center frequency during a first time period, the first input comprising a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology; and

receive from the source a second input within a second frequency range during a third time period and wherein the third time period is after a second time period;

means for separating the first input into the first signal and the second signal;

means for transmitting, wherein the means for transmitting is configured to;

transmit a first message to the source, the first message indicative of the second time period during which the source is not to transmit to the means for receiving; and

transmit a second message to the source, the second message indicative of the third time period during which the source is to transmit to the means for receiving; and

means for recentering the means for receiving to receive the second input within the second frequency range centered at a second center frequency, wherein recentering the means for receiving is based on a set of criteria; and

wherein the set of criteria comprises a first criterion, the first criterion corresponding to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the first signal received within the first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof.

25. A instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to

non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

combine a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology;

transmit the combined signal to a receiver;

receive, in response to a recentering operation that is performed based on a criterion that corresponds to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) of the first signal received over a first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof, a first message indicative of a first time period during which to refrain from transmitting to the receiver;

receive a second message indicative of a second time period during which to transmit to the receiver; and

transmit a second combined signal to the receiver during the second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period.

26. A method comprising:

receiving, at a receiver, a first input within a first frequency range centered at a first center frequency during a first time period, the first input comprising a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology;

separating the first input into the first signal and the second signal;

transmitting a first message to a source of the first signal and the second signal, the first message indicative of a second time period during which the source is not to transmit to the receiver;

recentering the receiver to receive a second input within a second frequency range centered at a second center frequency, wherein recentering the receiver is based on a set of criteria, and wherein the set of criteria comprises a first criterion, the first criterion corresponding to whether a residual side band (RSB) of the first signal is likely to cause interference with the first signal, whether a RSB of the second signal is likely to cause interference with the second signal, or a combination thereof;

transmitting a second message to the source, the second message indicative of a third time period during which the source is to transmit to the receiver; and

receiving, at the receiver from the source, the second input within the second frequency range during the third time period, wherein the third time period is after the second time period.

27. A wireless apparatus comprising:

means for combining a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is encoded using a first radio technology and the second signal is encoded using a second radio technology;

means for transmitting the combined signal to a receiver; and

means for receiving a first message indicative of a first time period during which to refrain from transmitting to the receiver, the first message in response to a recentering operation that is performed based on a criterion that corresponds to whether a signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) of the first signal received over a first frequency range is above a threshold SINR, a SINR of the second signal received within the first frequency range is above the threshold SINR, or a combination thereof,

the means for receiving further for receiving a second message indicative of a second time period during which to transmit to the receiver; and

the means for transmitting further for transmitting a second combined signal to the receiver during the second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period.