Systems and methods for controlling the transmission and reception of packets over a common antenna

• US 8,908,658 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Tran, Ninh, Li, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US14/035,028
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 370232-345, 455/41.2, 455/450, 455/509
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A system including i) first wireless communication circuitry to receive and transmit packets of a first type via an antenna, and ii) second wireless communication circuitry to receive and transmit packets of a second type via the antenna. The packets of the second type are transmitted and received during time slots having a predefined length, and the time slots are separated by time intervals during which no packets of the second type are transmitted or received by the second wireless communication circuitry. The system further includes an arbiter to control access of the first wireless communication circuitry and the second wireless communication circuitry to the antenna, wherein the arbiter causes the packets of the first type to be transmitted and received by the first wireless communication circuitry during the time intervals during which no packets of the second type are transmitted or received by the second wireless communication circuitry.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

a first communication circuitry coupled to the antenna, the first communication circuitry configured to generate first packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a first communication protocol;

a second communication circuitry coupled to the antenna, the second communication circuitry configured to generate second packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

an access control circuitry coupled to the first communication circuitry and the second communication circuitry, the access control circuitry configured to control access of the first communication circuitry and the second communication circuitry to the antenna,

wherein the access control circuitry

(i) causes the first communication circuitry to access the antenna during time slots for the wireless transmission of the first packets, wherein the time slots are respectively separated by time intervals of a predefined length, and

(ii) causes the second communication circuitry to access the antenna during the time intervals of the predefined length for the wireless transmission of the second packets.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the time slots and the time intervals have a timing profile that is predefined by a communication standard that is one of multiple communication standards that are available for communicating the first type of packets, and wherein the wireless communication device is configured to choose, for communicating the first packets, the communication standard over the other communication standards based on maximizing packet-throughput of the communicating of the second packets.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the choosing is further based on maintaining sufficient throughput of the first packets to satisfy requirements of a receiver buffer for providing continuous audio.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the multiple communication standards include a 3-DH3 standard and a 3-DH5 standard.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the multiple communication standards differ in number of back-to-back time slots.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the choosing is based on (i) a function of throughput of the first packets versus the predefined length and (ii) a function of throughput of the second packets versus the predefined length.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to select the predetermined length so as to maximize throughput of the second packets while maintaining a predefined throughput of the first packets.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first packets communicate audio and the second packets communicate data.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the time slots are of uniform length.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first packets and the second packets are communicated over the same frequency band.

11. A method performed by a wireless communication device having an antenna, the method comprising:

generating first packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a first communication protocol;

generating second packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

providing selective access to the antenna for transmission of the first packets and the second packets, so as to

enable the first packets to be transmitted through the antenna only during time slots, wherein the time slots are respectively separated by time intervals of a predefined length, and

enable the second packets to be transmitted through the antenna only during the time intervals of the predefined length.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the time slots and the time intervals have a timing profile that is predefined by a communication standard that is one of multiple communication standards that are available for communicating the first type of packets, and wherein the method further comprises:

choosing, by the wireless communication device, for communicating the first packets, the communication standard over the other communication standards based on maximizing packet-throughput of the communicating of the second packets.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the choosing is further based on maintaining sufficient throughput of the first packets to satisfy requirements of a receiver buffer for providing continuous audio.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the multiple communication standards include a 3-DH3 standard and a 3-DH5 standard.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the multiple communication standards differ in number of back-to-back time slots.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the choosing is based on (i) a function of throughput of the first packets versus the predefined length and (ii) a function of throughput of the second packets versus the predefined length.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting, by the wireless communication device, the predetermined length so as to maximize throughput of the second packets while maintaining a predefined throughput of the first packets.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first packets communicate audio and the second packets communicate data.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the time slots are of uniform length.

20. A wireless communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

means for generating first packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a first communication protocol;

means for generating second packets for wireless transmission, via the antenna, in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

means for providing selective access to the antenna for transmission of the first packets and the second packets, so as to

enable the first packets to be transmitted through the antenna only during time slots, wherein the time slots are respectively separated by time intervals of a predefined length, and

enable the second packets to be transmitted through the antenna only during the time intervals of the predefined length.