Method for simultaneously receiving LTE and 1X in SRLTE device

• US 9,426,839 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Su, Li, Elangovan, Thanigaivelu
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US14/841,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00698 using different RATs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that configure wireless circuitry of a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device establishes a connection to a first wireless network using first and second receiving signaling chains. In response to detecting a radio frequency tune-away event, the wireless communication device reconfigures only one of the radio frequency signaling chains to receive signals from a second wireless network when a set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied. The wireless communication device reconfigures both of the radio frequency signaling chains to the second wireless network when the set of receive signal conditions is not satisfied.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions; and

wireless circuitry comprising a plurality of radio frequency signaling chains,

wherein execution of the instructions by the processing circuitry causes the apparatus to;

establish a connection to a first wireless network using the plurality of radio frequency signaling chains; and

in response to detecting an event that will cause an interruption of the connection to the first wireless network;

reconfigure only one radio frequency signaling chain of the plurality of radio frequency signaling chains to a second wireless network when a set of receive signal conditions for a second wireless network is satisfied, and

reconfigure at least two radio frequency signaling chains of the plurality of radio frequency signaling chains to the second wireless network when the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is not satisfied.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network comprises obtaining a mobile terminated page indication from the first wireless network for a connection on the second wireless network.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network comprises a discontinuous receive (DRX) wake time period.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network comprises a radio frequency tune-away event.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one radio frequency signaling chain that is reconfigured by the apparatus to the second wireless network comprises a transmitter, when the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network requires the apparatus to send at least one transmission to the second wireless network.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the execution of the instructions by the processing circuitry further causes the apparatus to:

maintain a transmitter of at least one of the plurality of radio frequency signaling chains to communicate with the first wireless network, when the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network does not require the apparatus to send at least one transmission to the second wireless network.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied when a receive signal strength or a receive signal quality for the second wireless network exceeds a threshold value.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the first wireless network operates in accordance with a long term evolution (LTE) or long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) wireless communication protocol, and the second wireless network operates in accordance with a legacy wireless communication protocol.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the execution of the instructions by the processing circuitry further causes the apparatus to:

reconfigure a transmitter of at least one radio frequency signaling chain to the second wireless network, in response to receiving a mobile terminated paging message from the second wireless network during the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the execution of the instructions by the processing circuitry further causes the apparatus to:

send a channel status report that includes a rank indicator value of “

one”

to the first wireless network in advance of the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network, when the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configurable for use in a wireless communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a single radio chip configurable to communicate with the first wireless network in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol and with the second wireless network in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry comprises radio frequency signal processing circuitry, and the wireless circuitry further comprises a plurality of voltage controlled crystal oscillators.

14. A wireless communication device comprising:

processing circuitry comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions;

wireless circuitry comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of receivers, the wireless circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and

a plurality of antennas communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry,

wherein execution of the instructions by the one or more processors causes the wireless communication device to;

establish a connection via one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas to a first wireless network using the transmitter and at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers; and

in response to detecting an event that will cause an interruption of the connection to the first wireless network and when a set of receive signal conditions for a second wireless network is satisfied, reconfigure at least one of the plurality of receivers to the second wireless network and maintain at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers configured to receive from the first wireless network.

15. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the at least one transmitter is configurable to transmit signals to the first wireless network or to the second wireless network via at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas; and

the plurality of receivers are configurable to receive signals from the first wireless network, from the second wireless network, or from both the first wireless network and the second wireless network in parallel via one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas.

16. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers is associated with the at least one transmitter and at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers is not associated with the at least one transmitter.

17. The wireless communication device recited in claim 14, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors further causes the wireless communication device to:

reconfigure the transmitter to the second wireless network, when the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network requires transmission to the second wireless network and the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied.

18. The wireless communication device recited in claim 14, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors further causes the wireless communication device to:

maintain the transmitter configured to communicate with the first wireless network, when the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network does not require transmission to the second wireless network.

19. The wireless communication device recited in claim 14, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors further causes the wireless communication device to:

in response to detecting the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network, reconfigure at least two of the plurality of receivers to the second wireless network, when the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is not satisfied.

20. A non-transitory storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a wireless apparatus to:

detect an event that will cause an interruption of a connection between a wireless communication device and a first wireless network; and

in response to detecting the event that will cause the interruption of the connection to the first wireless network;

reconfigure at least one receiver to receive from a second wireless network and maintain at least one receiver to receive from the first wireless network, when a set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is satisfied; and

reconfigure at least two receivers to receive from the second wireless network, when the set of receive signal conditions for the second wireless network is not satisfied.