Systems, apparatus, and methods for antenna selection

• US 9,287,953 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ngai, Francis Ming-Meng, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar, Filipovic, Daniel Fred, Ghosh, Donna, Lott, Christopher Gerard, Hu, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/711,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20130309981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/78
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0604 with predefined switching scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0817 with multiple receivers and antenna path selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0822 according to predefined selection scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for mobile transmit diversity. In one aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is provided. The wireless communication apparatus includes a transmit circuit configured to transmit wireless communications via either a first antenna or a second antenna. The wireless communication apparatus further includes a receive circuit configured to receive wireless communications using either the first antenna or the second antenna. The wireless communication apparatus further includes a controller configured to switch the transmit circuit and the receive circuit from transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna in response to detecting that a first receive power level of the first antenna is less than a second receive power level of the second antenna and a difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level is greater than a threshold.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

a transmit circuit configured to transmit wireless communications via either a first antenna or a second antenna;

a receive circuit configured to receive wireless communications using either the first antenna or the second antenna; and

a controller configured to switch the transmit circuit and the receive circuit from transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the second antenna in response to detecting;

a first receive power level of the first antenna is less than a second receive power level of the second antenna;

a difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level is greater than a first threshold; and

the difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level added to a difference between a second transmit power limit of the second antenna and a first transmit power limit of the first antenna is greater than a second threshold.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first threshold is obtained via a look up table indexed by the first receive power level.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to reset a pilot filter in response to switching the transmit circuit and the receive circuit to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to disregard reverse link power control commands for adjusting transmit power levels during a time interval in response to switching the transmit circuit and the receive circuit to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna.

7. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna before a time interval begins in which the controller is configured to search for pilots signals in an active pilot set.

8. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receive circuit is a first receive circuit, wherein the wireless communication apparatus comprises a second receive circuit configured to receive wireless communications using either the first antenna or the second antenna, and wherein the controller comprises a measurement circuit configured to:

sample a first automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or the second receive circuit that is connected to the first antenna at a predetermined time interval;

sample a second automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or the second receive circuit that is connected to the second antenna at the predetermined time interval;

filter the first automatic gain control measurement using a first single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the first receive power level is based on the filtered first automatic gain control measurement; and

filter the second automatic gain control measurement using a second single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the second receive power level is based on the filtered second automatic gain control measurement.

9. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein a default configuration corresponds to when the transmit circuit and the receive circuit are configured to transmit and receive via the first antenna, and wherein the controller is configured to switch to the default configuration if the first receive power level and the second receive power level are below a receive power level threshold.

10. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmit circuit comprises one or more components forming a transmit chain for transmitting wireless communications based on a radio access technology type, and wherein the receive circuit comprises one or more other components forming a receive chain for receiving wireless communications based on the radio access technology type.

11. A method of wireless communications, comprising:

receiving an indication of a first receive power level of a first antenna and a second receive power level of a second antenna; and

switching a transmit circuit and a receive circuit from transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna in response to detecting;

a first receive power level of the first antenna is less than a second receive power level of the second antenna;

a difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level is greater than a first threshold; and

the difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level added to a difference between a second transmit power limit of the second antenna and a first transmit power limit of the first antenna is greater than a second threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the first threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the first threshold comprises determining the first threshold via a look up table indexed by the first receive power level.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the second threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising resetting a pilot signal filter in response to switching the transmit circuit and the receive circuit to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising disregarding reverse link power control commands for adjusting transmit power levels during a time interval in response to switching the transmit circuit and the receive circuit to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing a search for pilot signals in an active pilot set in response to switching.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the receive circuit is a first receive circuit and wherein receiving an indication of a first receive power level and a second receive power level comprises determining the first power level and the second power level, comprising:

sampling a first automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or a second receive circuit that is connected to the first antenna at a predetermined time interval;

sampling a second automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or the second receive circuit that is connected to the second antenna at the predetermined time interval;

filtering the first automatic gain control measurement using a first single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the first receive power level is based on the filtered first automatic gain control measurement; and

filtering the second automatic gain control measurement using a second single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the second receive power level is based on the filtered second automatic gain control measurement.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein a default configuration corresponds to when the transmit circuit and the receive circuit are configured to transmit and receive via the first antenna, and wherein the method further comprises switching to the default configuration if the first receive power level and the second receive power level are below a receive power level threshold.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmit circuit comprises one or more components forming a transmit chain for transmitting wireless communications based on a radio access technology type, and wherein the receive circuit comprises one or more other components forming a receive chain for receiving wireless communications based on the radio access technology type.

21. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting wireless communications via either a first antenna or a second antenna;

means for receiving wireless communications using either the first antenna or the second antenna; and

means for switching the transmitting means and the receiving means from transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna in response to detecting;

a first receive power level of the first antenna is less than a second receive power level of the second antenna;

a difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level is greater than a first threshold; and

the difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level added to a difference between a second transmit power limit of the second antenna and a first transmit power limit of the first antenna is greater than a second threshold.

22. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for determining the first threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

23. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the first threshold comprises means for determining the first threshold via a look up table indexed by the first receive power level.

24. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for determining the second threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

25. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the receiving means is a first receiving means and wherein the means for receiving an indication of a first receive power level and a second receive power level comprises means for determining the first power level and the second power level, the determining means comprising:

means for sampling a first automatic gain control measurement using either the first receiving means or a second receiving means that is connected to the first antenna at a predetermined time interval;

means for sampling a second automatic gain control measurement using either the first receiving means or the second receiving means that is connected to the second antenna at the predetermined time interval;

means for filtering the first automatic gain control measurement using a first single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the first receive power level is based on the filtered first automatic gain control measurement; and

means for filtering the second automatic gain control measurement using a second single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the second receive power level is based on the filtered second automatic gain control measurement.

26. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein a default configuration corresponds to when the transmitting means and the receiving means are configured to transmit and receive via the first antenna, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for switching to the default configuration if the first receive power level and the second receive power level are below a receive power level threshold.

27. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transmitting means comprises one or more components forming a transmit chain for transmitting wireless communications based on a radio access technology type, and wherein the receiving means comprises one or more other components forming a receive chain for receiving wireless communications based on the radio access technology type.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising:

code for receiving an indication of a first receive power level of a first antenna and a second receive power level of a second antenna; and

code for switching a transmit circuit and a receive circuit from transmitting and receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to transmit and receive wireless communications via the second antenna in response to detecting;

a first receive power level of the first antenna is less than a second receive power level of the second antenna;

a difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level is greater than a first threshold; and

the difference between the second receive power level and the first receive power level added to a difference between a second transmit power limit of the second antenna and a first transmit power limit of the first antenna is greater than a second threshold.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising code for determining the first threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code for determining the first threshold comprises code for determining the first threshold via a look up table indexed by the first receive power level.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising code for determining the second threshold based on a difference between the first receive power level and a thermal noise limit.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the receive circuit is a first receive circuit and wherein the code for receiving an indication of a first receive power level and a second receive power level comprises code for determining the first power level and the second power level, comprising:

code for sampling a first automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or a second receive circuit that is connected to the first antenna at a predetermined time interval;

code for sampling a second automatic gain control measurement using either the first receive circuit or the second receive circuit that is connected to the second antenna at the predetermined time interval;

code for filtering the first automatic gain control measurement using a first single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the first receive power level is based on the filtered first automatic gain control measurement; and

code for filtering the second automatic gain control measurement using a second single pole infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, wherein the second receive power level is based on the filtered second automatic gain control measurement.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein a default configuration corresponds to when the transmit circuit and the receive circuit are configured to transmit and receive via the first antenna, and wherein the computer programmable medium further comprises code for switching to the default configuration if the first receive power level and the second receive power level are below a receive power level threshold.