System for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication module sharing single antenna

• US 9,025,583 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Chiou, Hsien-Chyi, Shiu, Shu-Ping, Hsu, Hong-Kai, Chung, Yuan-Hung, Liang, Ren-Yuh, Wang, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARAHMAND, ASHIL S
• Application Number:
  US12/696,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 370/297, 370/339, 375257-258
• US Class Current: 370/339
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna is provided, including an antenna, first and second transceiving paths, and first and second wireless communications modules. The first transceiving path is coupled to the antenna. The second transceiving path is coupled to the first transceiving path. The first wireless communications module is coupled to the first transceiving path and transmits or receives a plurality of first wireless signals. The second wireless communications module is coupled to the second transceiving path and transmits or receives a plurality of second wireless signals, wherein signal strengths of the second wireless signals passing through the second transceiving path are attenuated by a certain level, and the attenuated second wireless signals are added to the first wireless signals when passing through the first transceiving path.

Claims

1. A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna, comprising:

a first transceiving path coupled to an antenna;

a second transceiving path coupled to the first transceiving path;

a first wireless communications module coupled to the first transceiving path and transmitting or receiving a plurality of first wireless signals via the first transceiving path and the antenna; and

a second wireless communications module coupled to the second transceiving path and capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of second wireless signals via the first and second transceiving paths and the antenna,

wherein signal strengths of the second wireless signals passing through the second transceiving path are attenuated by a certain level, and the attenuated second wireless signals are added to the first wireless signals when passing through the first transceiving path.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first switching device configured to transmit or receive the second wireless signals via the second transceiving path according to an operation type of the second wireless communications module.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a second switching device configured to transmit or receive the first wireless signals via the first transceiving path according to an operation type of the first wireless communications module.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first switching device is a double-pole double-thrown (DPDT) switch.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first switching device is a single-pole double-thrown (SPDT) switch.

6. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first switch device is a double-pole double-thrown (DPDT) switch with a terminal connected to a node external to the first switch device for impedance matching.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the external node is a 50Ω

resistor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second transceiving paths are formed by a pad on a printed circuited board (PCB).

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first transceiving path of the pad has a path loss smaller 1 dB, and the second transceiving path of the pad has a path loss not less than 5 dB.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications module is one of a WLAN module or a BLUETOOTH module, and the second wireless communications module is the other.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications module is a WLAN or BLUETOOTH module, and the second wireless communications module is a WiMAX module.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a first filter configured to allow all the first wireless signals within a predetermined frequency range to pass therethrough; and

a second filter configured to allow all the second wireless signals within frequency ranges other than the predetermined frequency range to pass therethrough.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first filter is a bandpass filter and the second filter is a notch filter.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined frequency range is 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz, and the second filter is configured to allow all the second wireless signals within the frequency ranges of 2.2 GHz to 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz to pass therethrough.

15. A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna, comprising:

a first switching device configured to connect a first terminal connected to an antenna to a second terminal or a third terminal;

a directional coupler having a first port connected to the second terminal, a second port connected to the first port via a first through path, a third port coupled to the first port and isolated from the second port, and a fourth port connected to the third port via a second through path, coupled to the second port, isolated from the first port and connected to the third terminal;

a first wireless communications module configured to connect to the third port for transceiving wireless signals via the antenna;

a second wireless communications module configured to connect to the second port for transceiving wireless signals via the antenna; and

a controller configured to control the first switching device to connect the first terminal to the second terminal or the third terminal according to signal strength of the first wireless signal from or to the first wireless communications module and signal strength of the second wireless signal from or to the second wireless communications module,

wherein the controller controls the first switching device to connect the first terminal to the second terminal when the signal strength of the first wireless signal from or to the first wireless communications module exceeds that of the second wireless signal from or to the second wireless communications module by a certain level, such that wireless signal transceiving from or to the first wireless communications module is performed via a coupled path of the directional coupler and wireless signal transceiving from or to the second wireless communications module is performed via the first through path.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first through path has a first path loss between 1.1 dB and 1.4 dB, and the coupled path has a second path loss between 5.7 dB and 6.3 dB such that the transceiving of the first wireless signal from or to the first wireless communications module is performed with an attenuation of the second path loss.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first through path has a first path loss between 0.6 dB and 0.8 dB, and the coupled path has a second path loss between 9.5 dB and 10.5 dB such that the transceiving of the first wireless signal from and to the first wireless communications module is performed with an attenuation of the second path loss.

18. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein an isolation loss between the second and third ports or between the first and fourth ports is greater than 20 dB.

19. The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the first switching device to connect the first terminal to the second terminal or the third terminal according to an operation type of the first and second wireless communications modules.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the controller controls the first switching device to connect the first terminal to the second terminal when the operation type of the first wireless communications module is a Tx operation and the operation type of the second wireless communications module is an Rx operation and the Tx power level is higher than the Rx power level by a certain level, such that the Tx operation of the first wireless communications module is performed via a coupled path of the directional coupler and the Rx operation of the second wireless communications module is performed via the first through path.

21. A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna, comprising:

a first switching device configured to connect a first terminal connected to an antenna to a second terminal or a third terminal;

a connection device having a fourth terminal connected to the third terminal, a fifth terminal, and a sixth terminal, wherein signals passing through a path between the fourth and sixth terminals or between the fifth and sixth terminals are attenuated by a certain level;

a second switching device configured to connect a ninth terminal to a seventh terminal or an eighth terminal, and connect a tenth terminal to the seventh or eighth terminal, wherein the seventh terminal connects to the second terminal and the eighth terminal connects to the sixth terminal;

a first wireless communications module configured to connect to the fifth terminal for transceiving wireless signals via the antenna; and

a second wireless communications module configured to connect to the ninth and tenth terminals for transceiving wireless signals via the antenna.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the connection device is a Directional Coupler (DC) with an external node connected to a resistor for impedance matching.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the connection device is a power splitter.

24. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the connection device is an attenuator.

25. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the connection device is a divider.

26. A system for the coexistence between a plurality of wireless communication modules sharing a single antenna, comprising:

a diplexer configured to connect a first terminal connecting to an antenna to a second terminal and a third terminal;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) module configured to connect to the second terminal for transceiving wireless signals via the second terminal and the antenna; and

a wireless communications system, comprising;

a first transceiving path coupled to the antenna via the third terminal;

a second transceiving path coupled to the first transceiving path;

a first wireless communications module coupled to the first transceiving path and transmitting or receiving a plurality of first wireless signals via the first transceiving path and the antenna; and

a second wireless communications module coupled to the second transceiving path and capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of second wireless signals via the first and second transceiving paths and the antenna,

wherein signal strengths of the second wireless signals passing through the second transceiving path are attenuated by a certain level, and the attenuated second wireless signals are added to the first wireless signals when passing through the first transceiving path.