Reducing wireless interference with transmit power level management

• US 8,965,441 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Subram, Gopalakrishnan, Varadarajan, Hyun, In Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/748,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A user device receives a command to transmit information over a first wireless connection and an additional command to transmit additional information over a second wireless connection. The user device identifies the first wireless connection as being a lower priority connection than the second wireless connection. The user device then throttles a transmit power level for the lower priority connection.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a user device programmed to perform the following, comprising:

receiving, by the user device, a command to transmit information over a first wireless connection;

receiving, by the user device, an additional command to transmit additional information over a second wireless connection;

determining a first active application associated with the first wireless connection and a second active application associated with the second wireless connection;

prioritizing the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection based on the first active application and the second active application;

identifying, by the user device, the first wireless connection as being a lower priority connection than the second wireless connection; and

throttling a transmit power level for a transmission made over the lower priority connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless connection is a connection between the user device and an additional user device and wherein the second wireless connection is a connection between the user device and a wireless carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower priority connection is a Wi-Fi™

connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein throttling the transmit power level comprises:

identifying a transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the identified transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity when the recipient is at a predetermined distance from the user device; and

setting a current transmit power level to the identified transmit power level.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the recipient is within the predetermined distance from the user device; and

directing a user of the user device to move the device closer to the recipient when the recipient is not within the predetermined distance from the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a minimum transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the minimum transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity; and

setting a current transmit power level to the minimum transmit power level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a moving sum of transmit power levels used within a sample period, wherein the moving sum includes transmit power levels used for the first wireless connection and for the second wireless connection;

identifying whether the moving sum exceeds a maximum accumulated transmit power level; and

throttling the transmit power level for at least one of the first wireless connection or the second wireless connection responsive to identifying that the moving sum exceeds the maximum accumulated transmit power level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the information over the first wireless connection via a first antenna of the user device; and

transmitting the additional information over the second wireless connection via a second antenna of the user device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted over the first wireless connection using a first wireless communication protocol and the additional information is transmitted over the second wireless connection using a second wireless communication protocol.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit power level for the lower priority connection is throttled without actively closing the lower priority connection.

9. A user device comprising:

a memory, to store instructions for a transmit power manager; and

a processor, connected with the memory, to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processor to;

receive a command to transmit information over a first wireless connection;

receive an additional command to transmit additional information over a second wireless connection;

determine a first active application associated with the first wireless connection and a second active application associated with the second wireless connection;

prioritize the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection based on the first active application and the second active application;

identify the first wireless connection as being a lower priority connection than the second wireless connection; and

throttle a transmit power level for a transmission made over the lower priority connection.

10. The user device of claim 9, wherein the first wireless connection is a connection between the user device and an additional user device and wherein the second wireless connection is a connection between the user device and a wireless carrier.

11. The user device of claim 9, wherein the lower priority connection is a Wi-Fi™

connection.

12. The user device of claim 9, wherein to throttle the transmit power level the processor:

identifies a transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the identified transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity when the recipient is at a predetermined distance from the user device; and

sets a current transmit power level to the identified transmit power level.

13. The user device of claim 12, further comprising:

the instructions to cause the processor to determine whether the recipient is within the predetermined distance from the user device, and to direct a user of the user device to move the device closer to the recipient when the recipient is not within the predetermined distance from the user device.

14. The user device of claim 9, further comprising:

the instructions to cause the processor to determine a minimum transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the minimum transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity, and to set a current transmit power level to the minimum transmit power level.

15. The user device of claim 9, further comprising:

a first antenna to transmit the information over the first wireless connection; and

a second antenna to transmit the additional information over the second wireless connection.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device of a user device, cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a command to transmit information over a first wireless connection;

receiving, by the processing device, an additional command to transmit additional information over a second wireless connection;

determining a first active application associated with the first wireless connection and a second active application associated with the second wireless connection;

prioritizing the first wireless connection and the second wireless connection based on the first active application and the second active application;

identifying, by the processing device, the first wireless connection as being a lower priority connection than the second wireless connection; and

throttling a transmit power level for a transmission made over the lower priority connection.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first wireless connection is a connection between the user device and an additional user device and wherein the second wireless connection is a connection between the user device and a wireless carrier.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the lower priority connection is a Wi-Fi™

connection.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein throttling the transmit power level comprises:

identifying a transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the identified transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity when the recipient is at a predetermined distance from the user device; and

setting a current transmit power level to the identified transmit power level.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

determining whether the recipient is within the predetermined distance from the user device; and

directing a user of the user device to move the device closer to the recipient when the recipient is not within the predetermined distance from the user device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

determining a minimum transmit power level that, when used, will cause a recipient of transmissions sent at the minimum transmit power level to have a threshold sensitivity; and

setting a current transmit power level to the minimum transmit power level.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

computing a moving sum of transmit power levels used within a sample period, wherein the moving sum includes transmit power levels used for the first wireless connection and for the second wireless connection;

identifying whether the moving sum exceeds a maximum accumulated transmit power level; and

throttling the transmit power level for at least one of the first wireless connection or the second wireless connection responsive to identifying that the moving sum exceeds the maximum accumulated transmit power level.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

transmitting the information over the first wireless connection via a first antenna of the user device; and

transmitting the additional information over the second wireless connection via a second antenna of the user device.