Increasing power amplifier linearity to facilitate in-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies

• US 9,197,166 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Majjigi, Vinay R., Burchill, William S., Wang, Xiaowen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/628,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3205 in field-effect transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

A method of increasing power amplifier linearity to facilitate in-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies is provided. The method can include determining a scheduled time period during which data is received by a device via a first wireless communication technology. The method can further include adjusting an operational parameter of a power amplifier applied to a transmission from the device via a second wireless communication technology to increase a linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first control module of a mobile device, a scheduled time period when data is scheduled to be received by a first wireless transceiver of the mobile device; and

adjusting, by a second control module of the mobile device and prior to the scheduled time period, an operational parameter of a power amplifier connected to a second wireless transceiver of the mobile device to increase a linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period when the data is scheduled to be received by the first wireless transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operational parameter of the power amplifier comprises adjusting a bias current applied to the power amplifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, by the second control module, an operational parameter of each of a plurality of power amplifiers in a chain of power amplifiers connected to the second wireless transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the second control module, a message from the first control module, the message including an indication of the scheduled time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter is exclusively adjusted when the data that is scheduled to be received during the scheduled time period satisfies a threshold priority criterion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein data that includes a Link Manager Protocol (LMP) message satisfies the threshold priority criterion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing, by the second control module, a transmission power of the second wireless transceiver below a threshold level during the scheduled time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless transceiver is configured to output a cellular transmission in accordance with one of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular communication technology, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) cellular communication technology, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) cellular communication technology, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular communication technology, or a CDMA 2000 cellular communication technology.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a first wireless transceiver; and

processing circuitry coupled to the first wireless transceiver, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

determine a scheduled time period when data is scheduled to be received by a second wireless transceiver of the apparatus; and

adjust, prior to the scheduled time period, an operational parameter of a power amplifier connected to the first wireless transceiver to increase a linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period when the data is scheduled to be received by the second wireless transceiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust the operational parameter of the power amplifier by adjusting a bias current applied to the power amplifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

return the operational parameter to a default state subsequent to the scheduled time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is coupled to an interface, and the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive, via the interface, a message sent by a control module configured to control the second wireless transceiver, the message including an indication of the scheduled time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interface is connected between a first chipset for the first wireless transceiver and a second chipset for the second wireless transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first chipset for the first wireless transceiver comprises a cellular chipset, and the second wireless transceiver comprises a wireless communication technology utilizing an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device.

16. A method comprising:

by a processor of a device;

determining a scheduled time period during which data is scheduled to be received by a first wireless transceiver of the device;

determining that a linearity of a power amplifier that provides power to a second wireless transceiver should be increased during the scheduled time period to mitigate interference between the second wireless transceiver and the first wireless transceiver; and

sending a message including an indication of the scheduled time period to a control module for the second wireless transceiver in advance of the scheduled time period to request that the control module adjust an operational parameter of the power amplifier before the scheduled time period to increase the linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the linearity of the power amplifier should be increased comprises determining that the data scheduled to be received during the scheduled time period satisfies a threshold priority criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein data including a Link Manager Protocol (LMP) message satisfies the threshold priority criterion.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a plurality of scheduled time periods during which the data is scheduled to be received via the first wireless transceiver and the linearity of the power amplifier should be increased, and wherein the indication comprises the plurality of scheduled time periods.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a first wireless transceiver configured to receive data; and

processing circuitry coupled to the first wireless transceiver, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

determine a scheduled time period when data is scheduled to be received by the first wireless transceiver;

determine that a linearity of a power amplifier applied to a transmission from a second wireless transceiver of the apparatus should be increased during the scheduled time period to mitigate interference between the second wireless transceiver and the first wireless transceiver; and

send a message to a control module configured to control the second wireless transceiver, the message including a request to adjust an operational parameter of the power amplifier before the scheduled time period to increase the linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that a transmission power of the second transceiver should be reduced by determining that a control message is scheduled to be received during the scheduled time period.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein an interface is connected between a first chipset for the first wireless transceiver and a second chipset for the second wireless transceiver.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device.

24. An apparatus comprising:

first control circuitry for a first wireless transceiver;

second control circuitry for a second wireless transceiver; and

an interface configured to enable communication between the first control circuitry and the second control circuitry,

wherein the first control circuitry is configured to;

determine a scheduled time period during which data is scheduled to be received by the first wireless transceiver, and

send a message through the interface to the second control circuitry to request that the second control circuitry increase a linearity of a power amplifier applied to a transmission via the second wireless transceiver during the scheduled time period; and

wherein the second control circuitry is configured to adjust, prior to the scheduled time period, an operational parameter of the power amplifier to increase the linearity of the power amplifier during the scheduled time period when data is scheduled to be received by a device via the first wireless transceiver.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether data scheduled to be received during the scheduled time period comprises data satisfying a threshold priority criterion.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second control circuitry is further configured to reduce a transmission power of the transmission below a threshold level during the scheduled time period.