Reducing interference in multi-radio communication device

• US 9,295,096 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Shukla, Ashish Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhry, Samina
• Application Number:
  US13/331,158
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/386 centralized, e.g. when the radio network controller or equivalent takes part in the power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with reducing interference for a multi-radio communication device are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first wireless communication standard, and a second radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second wireless communication standard. A network interface configured to establish a first communication link with a first station and establish a second communication link with a second station. An interference controller is configured to restrict the first station from communicating in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link during a time that the network interface is communicating with the second station over the second communication link.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first wireless communication standard;

a second radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second wireless communication standard, wherein the second wireless communication standard is different from the first communication standard;

a network interface configured to;

establish a first communication link with a first station, wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with the first station in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link, and

establish a second communication link with a second station, wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with the second station in accordance with the second wireless communication standard over the second communication link;

wherein the first communication link is a direct link and wherein the second wireless communication standard is configured to transmit signals in periodic intervals during an active period; and

an interference controller configured to restrict the first station from communicating in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link during a time that the network interface is communicating with the second station over the second communication link;

wherein the interference controller is configured to restrict the first station by;

negotiating a maximum number of frames that the first station can transmit over the direct link; and

scheduling trigger frames that instruct the first station to begin transmitting frames, wherein the trigger frames are transmitted in intervals to ensure that the maximum number of frames transmitted ends prior to the active period for the signals of the second wireless communication standard.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the maximum number of frames is determined based on at least a transmission time of the frames to ensure that the transmission time ends prior to a start of the active period for signals of the second wireless communication standard;

and

wherein the apparatus is configured to operate in a power save mode while connected to the first station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate in a power save mode which restricts the first station from transmitting signals using the first communication standard until a trigger frame is sent by the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power save mode is an automatic power save delivery mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first radio transceiver is configured to transmit Wi-Fi signals and wherein the second radio transceiver is configured to transmit non-Wi-Fi signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication link is between the apparatus and the first station that is established by Wi-Fi direct or a tunneled direct-link setup as a peer-to-peer link.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first radio transceiver is configured to communicate Wi-Fi signals and wherein the second radio transceiver is configured to communicate non-Wi-Fi signals in periodic intervals during the active period;

and

wherein the interference controller is configured to restrict the first station by;

determining the active periods of the non-Wi-Fi signals based on the periodic intervals;

transmitting a trigger frame to the first station that causes the first station to begin transmitting Wi-Fi signals after a first active period has ended; and

transmitting to the first station a message to stop transmissions with an indicated time period prior to a second active period to create the interference free period wherein the Wi-Fi signals are not transmitted during the second active period of the non-Wi-Fi signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first radio transceiver and the second radio transceiver are collocated on a single integrated chip.

9. A method, comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a first station and a second station to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first wireless communication standard;

establishing a second communication link between the first station and a third station to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second wireless communication standard, wherein the second wireless communication standard is different from the first communication standard; and

restricting the second station from communicating in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link during a time that the first station is communicating with the third station over the second communication link;

wherein the restricting includes;

negotiating a maximum duration in time within which the second station can transmit frames over the first communication link after receiving a trigger frame; and

scheduling trigger frames that instruct the second station to begin transmitting over the first communication link, wherein the trigger frames are transmitted in intervals to ensure that a maximum number of frames transmitted ends prior to an active period for the signals of the second wireless communication standard.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication link is a direct link and wherein second wireless communication standard transmits signals in periodic intervals during the active period;

wherein the maximum duration is determined based on at least the periodic intervals of the second wireless communication standard to ensure that the transmission time of the first wireless communication standard ends prior to a start of the active period for the signals of the second wireless communication standard; and

operating the first station in a power save mode while connected to the second station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method comprises operating the first station in a power save mode which restricts the second station from transmitting signals over the first communication link until one of the trigger frames is sent by the first station.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing the first communication link includes establishing a direct link between the first station and the second station that is established by Wi-Fi direct or a tunneled direct-link setup as a peer-to-peer link.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprises transmitting Wi-Fi signals in accordance with the first communication standard and transmitting non-Wi-Fi signals in accordance with the second communication standard, wherein the non-Wi-Fi signals are transmitted in periodic intervals during the active period;

and

wherein restricting the second station comprises;

determining the active periods of the non-Wi-Fi signals based on the periodic intervals;

transmitting a trigger frame to the second station that causes the second station to begin transmitting Wi-Fi signals after a first active period has ended; and

transmitting to the second station a message to stop transmissions with an indicated time period prior to a second active period to create the interference free period wherein the Wi-Fi signals are not transmitted during the second active period of the non-Wi-Fi signals.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing the first communication link from the first station and establishing the second communication link from the first station is performed by a co-located radio in the first station.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein establishing the first communication link includes establishing a direct link that comprises:

establishing a tunneled direct-link setup (TDLS) with the second station;

setting a transmission duration in a coexistence element into a TDLS setup response that limits transmissions from the second station to the transmission duration; and

wherein the method further includes transmitting a trigger message, from the first station to the second station, that causes the second station to begin signal transmissions over the direct link.

16. A device comprising:

a system-on-chip comprising at least a first radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first wireless communication standard, and a second radio transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second wireless communication standard, wherein the second wireless communication standard is different from the first communication standard;

a network interface configured to;

establish a first communication link with a first station, wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with the first station in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link; and

establish a second communication link with a second station, wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with the second station in accordance with the second wireless communication standard over the second communication link; and

an interference controller configured to restrict the first station from communicating in accordance with the first wireless communication standard over the first communication link during a time that the network interface is communicating with the second station over the second communication link;

wherein the interference controller is configured to restrict the first station by;

negotiating a maximum number of frames that the first station can transmit over the direct link; and

scheduling trigger frames that instruct the first station to begin transmitting signals over the direct link, wherein the trigger frames are transmitted in intervals to ensure that the maximum number of frames transmitted ends prior to an active period for the signals of the second wireless communication standard.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first communication link is a direct link and wherein second wireless communication standard transmits signals in periodic intervals during the active period;

wherein the maximum number of frames is determined based on at least a transmission time of the frames to ensure that the transmission time ends prior to a start of the active period for the signals of the second wireless communication standard.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the device is configured to operate in a power save mode which restricts the first station from transmitting signals over the first communication link until a trigger frame is sent by the device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the power save mode is an automatic power save delivery mode.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the first radio transceiver is configured to communicate Wi-Fi signals, and wherein the second radio transceiver is configured to communicate non-Wi-Fi signals in periodic intervals during the active period of the second wireless communication standard;

and

wherein the interference controller is configured to restrict the first station by;

determining the active periods of the non-Wi-Fi signals based on the periodic intervals;

transmitting a trigger frame to the first station that causes the first station to begin transmitting Wi-Fi signals after a first active period has ended; and

transmitting to the first station a message to stop transmissions with an indicated time period prior to a second active period to create the interference free period wherein the Wi-Fi signals are not transmitted during the second active period of the non-Wi-Fi signals.