Dual antenna topology for bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network devices

• US 9,031,608 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Brima, Desai, Prasanna, Gonikberg, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/077,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/550.1, 455/101, 370/334
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• 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 method includes determining that an antenna shared between a Bluetooth transceiver and a WLAN transceiver is available to the WLAN transceiver based on an activity signal associated with the Bluetooth transceiver. Access to the shared antenna is provided to the WLAN transceiver based on the determination, and the WLAN transceiver is configured to use diversity in transacting WLAN signals via a plurality of antennas, including the shared antenna. Access to the shared antenna is transferred from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver based on the activity signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting or receiving one or more signals associated with a first transceiver via a plurality of antennas comprising a dedicated antenna and at least one shared antenna, wherein the first transceiver is configured to use diversity logic associated with the transmission or reception of the one or more signals via the dedicated antenna and the at least one shared antenna of the plurality of antennas;

determining, based on an activity of a second transceiver, that the second transceiver requires access to the at least one shared antenna shared between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and

transferring access to the at least one shared antenna from the first transceiver to the second transceiver based on the determination, one or more signals from the second transceiver via the at least one shared antenna being transmitted at a same time as the one or more signals from the first transceiver via the dedicated antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver comprises a WLAN transceiver and wherein the second transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving WLAN signals associated with a WLAN transceiver via two or more antennas when a Bluetooth transceiver is idle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining that an activity signal associated with the second transceiver is asserted, wherein a priority associated with the activity signal is greater than a priority associated with one or more of the signals associated with the first transceiver;

terminating, within a guard time, a current transmission and/or receipt of one or more of the signals, associated with the first transceiver, via a first shared antenna; and

providing access to the first shared antenna to the second transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring comprises transferring access to the at least one shared antenna to the second transceiver based on a determination that the second transceiver is no longer idle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission or reception of the signals by the first transceiver is via the at least one shared antenna and the dedicated antenna.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting packets from the second transceiver via the at least one shared antenna and transmitting packets from the first transceiver via the dedicated antenna during a same time.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing access to only the first receiver over the dedicated antenna.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring comprises transferring access to the at least one shared antenna to the second transceiver based on the determination that a priority associated with the second transceiver is greater than a priority associated with the first transceiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring comprises:

terminating a signal transaction by the first transceiver via the at least one shared antenna within a guard time associated with the activity signal; and

transferring access to the at least one shared antenna from the first transceiver to the second transceiver.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the diversity logic comprises applying a selection diversity scheme to select the signal that is stronger.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the diversity logic comprises applying a combination diversity scheme to select and combine portions of two or more of the signals.

13. A system comprising:

a dedicated antenna;

a shared antenna;

a first transceiver configured to transmit first signals and to receive first signals via only the shared antenna;

a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive second signals via both the dedicated antenna and the shared antenna; and

an antenna control processor configured to;

operatively couple the shared antenna to the first transceiver to transmit first signals; and

operatively couple the shared antenna to the second transceiver when first signals are not transmitted,

wherein the first transceiver is configured to transmit packets via the shared antenna during a same time that the second transceiver is transmitting packets via the dedicated antenna.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the antenna control processor is configured to operatively couple the shared antenna to the second transceiver based on a determination that the first transceiver is idle.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the antenna control processor is configured to toggle a switch, operatively coupled to the shared antenna, the switch configured to arbitrate access to the shared antenna between the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the antenna control processor is configured to interrupt, upon detection of an activity signal associated with the first transceiver, a second signal transaction being performed by the second transceiver via the shared antenna.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second transceiver is configured to terminate a second signal transaction being performed by the second transceiver via the shared antenna within a guard time associated with an activity signal associated with the first transceiver.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a coexistence interface configured to arbitrate signal transmission and receipt activity between the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the coexistence interface is configured to arbitrate based on priorities associated with the first transceiver and second transceiver.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to enable and disable an arbitration of packet transmissions and receipt between the second transceiver transacting one or more packets via the dedicated antenna and the first transceiver transacting one or more packets via the shared antenna based on isolation between the second transceiver and the first transceiver.

20. A system comprising:

a dedicated antenna;

a shared antenna;

a first transceiver configured to transmit first signals and to receive first signals via only the shared antenna;

a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive second signals via both the dedicated antenna and the shared antenna; and

an antenna control processor configured to;

operatively couple the shared antenna to the first transceiver to transmit the first signals; and

operatively couple the shared antenna to the second transceiver when the first signals are not transmitted,

wherein the first transceiver is configured to transmit packets via the shared antenna simultaneously with the second transceiver transmitting packets via the dedicated antenna.