Method and apparatus for priority based coexistence arbitration

• US 9,002,282 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: de la Broise, Josselin, Jeng, Li-Fu, Jain, Deepak, Juluri, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/715,127
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 455/443, 455/435.3, 455/448, 455/500, 455/501, 455/512, 455/63.1, 455/67.13, 455/71, 455/553.1, 375/144, 375/148
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A coexistence system including a first transceiver module in a first network device, generating a first request signal that requests transmission or reception for the first transceiver module, and operating according to a first wireless communication standard. An interface, based on the first request signal, generates a first priority signal, which indicates a first priority level of first data signals. A second transceiver module is in the first network device and generates a second request and priority signals. The second transceiver module operates according to a second wireless communication standard. The second request signal requests transmission or reception for the first transceiver module. The second priority signal indicates a second priority level of second data signals. An arbitration module (i) based on the first and second priority levels, arbitrates the first and second request signals, and (ii) based thereon, selectively connects antennas to the first and second transceiver modules.

Claims

1. A coexistence system comprising:

a first transceiver module, in a first network device, configured to generate at least one first request signal, wherein the first transceiver module operates according to a first wireless communication standard, and wherein the at least one first request signal requests transmission or reception for the first transceiver module;

an interface configured to generate a first priority signal based on the at least one first request signal, wherein the first priority signal indicates a first priority level of first data signals corresponding to the at least one first request signal;

a second transceiver module, in the first network device, configured to (i) generate at least one second request signal, and (ii) generate a second priority signal, wherein the second transceiver module operates according to a second wireless communication standard, wherein the at least one second request signal requests transmission or reception for the second transceiver module, and wherein the second priority signal indicates a second priority level of second data signals corresponding to the at least one second request signal,

wherein

the first transceiver module is configured to generate a status signal,

the status signal indicates (i) a frequency on which the first transceiver module is transmitting, (ii) whether the first transceiver module is performing a scan, or (iii) a priority level of a signal to be transmitted to or received by the first transceiver module, and

the second transceiver module is configured to, based on the status signal, generate a first overlap signal, wherein the first overlap signal indicates whether (i) the transmission or reception of the first transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the second transceiver module with respect to the second data signals, or (ii) the transmission or reception of the second transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the first transceiver module with respect to the first data signals; and

an arbitration module configured to (i) based on the first priority level, the second priority level, and the first overlap signal, arbitrate the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal, and (ii) based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal, selectively connect antennas to the first transceiver module and the second transceiver module in one of a plurality of configurations.

2. The coexistence system of claim 1, further comprising a third transceiver module configured to generate (i) at least one third request signal, and (ii) a third priority signal, wherein:

the third transceiver module is configured to operate according to a third wireless standard;

the at least one third request signal requests transmission or reception for the third transceiver module;

the third priority signal indicates a third priority level of third data signal corresponding to the at least one third request signal; and

the arbitration module is configured to (i) based on the third priority level, arbitrate the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, and (ii) based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, selectively connect the first transceiver module, the second transceiver module, and the third transceiver module to the antennas in one of the plurality of configurations.

3. The coexistence system of claim 1, further comprising a third transceiver module configured to generate (i) at least one third request signal, (ii) a third priority signal, and (iii) a second overlap signal, wherein:

the third transceiver module is configured to operate according to a third wireless standard;

the at least one third request signal requests permission for the third transceiver module to transmit or receive;

the third priority signal indicates a third priority level of third data signal corresponding to the at least one third request signal;

the second overlap signal indicates whether (i) the transmission or reception of the first transceiver module or the second transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the third transceiver module with respect to the third data signals, or (ii) the transmission or reception of the second transceiver module or the third transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the first transceiver module with respect to the first data signals; and

the arbitration module is configured to (i) based on the third priority level and the second overlap signal, arbitrate the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, and (ii) based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, selectively connect the first transceiver module, the second transceiver module, and the third transceiver module to the antennas in one of the plurality of configurations.

4. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein:

the first transceiver module is configured to transmit first data signals to or receive the first data signals from a second network device via the antennas; and

the second transceiver module is configured to transmit second data signals to or receive the second data signals from the second network device via the antennas.

5. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein the interface is connected between the first transceiver module and the arbitration module.

6. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein, based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal:

the first transceiver module transmits or receives the first data signals via the antennas; and

the second transceiver module transmits or receives the second data signals via the antennas.

7. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein:

the first transceiver module is configured to generate a first status signal indicating a status of the first transceiver module;

the second transceiver module is configured to generate a first configuration signal based on the first status signal; and

the interface comprises a first register module, wherein the first register module is configured to generate the first priority signal based on (i) the at least one first request signal, and (ii) the first configuration signal.

8. The coexistence system of claim 7, wherein:

the interface comprises a scan register module;

the scan register module is configured to generate a third priority signal;

the third priority signal indicates a priority level of a scan being performed by the first transceiver module; and

the arbitration module is configured to, based on the third priority signal, arbitrate the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal.

9. The coexistence system of claim 8, wherein:

the first transceiver module is configured to generate a first scan signal indicating a frequency of the first data signals;

the interface comprises a second scan module, wherein the second scan module is configured to generate a second scan signal based on the first scan signal, and wherein the second scan signal indicates the first transceiver module is to perform a scan; and

the interface is configured to generate the third priority signal based on the second scan signal.

10. The coexistence system of claim 9, wherein:

the scan register module is configured to generate a third scan signal based on the second scan signal; and

the arbitration module is configured to, based on the third scan signal, arbitrate the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal.

11. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein the status signal indicates (i) a frequency on which the first transceiver module is transmitting, (ii) whether the first transceiver module is performing a scan, and (iii) a priority level of the signal to be transmitted to or received by the first transceiver module.

12. The coexistence system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises:

a register module configured to (i) receive a first configuration signal from the second transceiver module and the at least one first request signal, and (ii) based on the first configuration signal and the at least one first request signal, generate the first priority signal;

a scan enable module configured to (i) receive a first scan signal from the first transceiver module, and (ii) generate a scan enable signal based on the first scan signal, wherein the first scan signal requests that a scan be performed; and

a scan register module configured to (i) receive a second configuration signal from the second transceiver module and the scan enable signal, and (ii) based on the second configuration signal and the scan enable signal, generate a second scan signal and third priority signal, wherein the second scan signal indicates whether a scan is to be performed, and wherein the third priority signal indicates a priority level for the scan to be performed.

13. A method comprising:

generating at least one first request signal via a first transceiver module in a network device, wherein the first transceiver module operates according to a first wireless communication standard, and wherein the at least one first request signal requests transmission or reception for the first transceiver module;

generating, via an interface, a first priority signal based on the at least one first request signal, wherein the first priority signal indicates a first priority level of first data signals corresponding to the at least one first request signal;

generating at least one second request signal and a second priority signal via a second transceiver module, wherein the second transceiver module is in the network device and operates according to a second wireless communication standard, wherein the at least one second request signal requests transmission or reception for the second transceiver module, and wherein the second priority signal indicates a second priority level of second data signals corresponding to the at least one second request signal;

generating a status signal at the first transceiver module, the status signal indicates (i) a frequency on which the first transceiver module is transmitting, (ii) whether the first transceiver module is performing a scan, or (iii) a priority level of a signal to be transmitted to or received by the first transceiver module;

based on the status signal, generating at the second transceiver module a first overlap signal, wherein the first overlap signal indicates whether (i) the transmission or reception of the first transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the second transceiver module with respect to the second data signals, or (ii) the transmission or reception of the second transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the first transceiver module with respect to the first data signals;

based on the first priority level, the second priority level, and the first overlap signal, arbitrating the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal; and

based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal, selectively connect antennas to the first transceiver module and the second transceiver module in one of a plurality of configurations.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating, via a third transceiver module, (i) at least one third request signal, and (ii) a third priority signal, wherein the at least one third request signal request permission for the third transceiver module to transmit or receive, and wherein the third priority signal indicates a third priority level of third data signal corresponding to the at least one third request signal; and

operating the third transceiver module according to a third wireless standard; and

based on the third priority level, arbitrating the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal; and

based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, selectively connecting the first transceiver module, the second transceiver module, and the third transceiver module to the antennas in one of the plurality of configurations.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating, via a third transceiver module, (i) at least one third request signal, (ii) a third priority signal, and (iii) a second overlap signal, wherein the at least one third request signal requests permission for the third transceiver module to transmit or receive, wherein the third priority signal indicates a third priority level of third data signal corresponding to the at least one third request signal, and wherein the second overlap signal indicates whether (i) the transmission or reception of the first transceiver module or the second transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the third transceiver module with respect to the third data signals, or (ii) the transmission or reception of the second transceiver module or the third transceiver module is capable of desensitizing the first transceiver module with respect to the first data signals;

operating the third transceiver module according to a third wireless standard;

based on the third priority level and the second overlap signal, arbitrating the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal; and

based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal, the at least one second request signal, and the at least one third request signal, selectively connecting the first transceiver module, the second transceiver module, and the third transceiver module to the antennas in one of the plurality of configurations.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

transmitting, via the first transceiver module, first data signals to or receiving the first data signals from a second network device via the antennas; and

transmitting, via the second transceiver module, second data signals to or receiving the second data signals from the second network device via the antennas.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising, based on the arbitration of the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal:

transmitting or receiving the first data signals via the antennas at the first transceiver module; and

transmitting or receiving the second data signals via the antennas at the second transceiver module.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating, via the first transceiver module, a first status signal indicating a status of the first transceiver module;

generating, via the second transceiver module, a first configuration signal based on the first status signal;

generating the first priority signal based on (i) the at least one first request signal, and (ii) the first configuration signal;

generating a third priority signal, wherein the third priority signal indicates a priority level of a scan being performed by the first transceiver module; and

based on the third priority signal, arbitrating the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating, via the first transceiver module, a first scan signal indicating a frequency of the first data signals;

generating a second scan signal based on the first scan signal, wherein the second scan signal indicates the first transceiver module is to perform a scan; and

generating the third priority signal based on the second scan signal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a third scan signal based on the second scan signal; and

based on the third scan signal, arbitrating the at least one first request signal and the at least one second request signal.