Electronic device and control method thereof

• US 9,503,149 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hong, Xiaofeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/929,548
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 455/78, 370/278
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24

Abstract

An electronic device includes a transceiver including a transmitting interface and a receiving interface; a wireless network processor for transmitting or receiving wireless local area network signal; an antenna for transmitting or receiving the radio-frequency signal and transmitting or receiving the wireless local area network signal; an amplifier for amplifying the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver, the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver and the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor; and a controller for controlling the amplifier to amplify the radio-frequency signal, or amplify the wireless local area network signal according to detection signals from the transceiver and the wireless network processor. The electronic device can reduce manufacturing costs and improve the connection performance of the wireless local area network.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver including a transmitting interface and a receiving interface and configured to transmit a radio-frequency signal through the transmitting interface and to receive the radio-frequency signal through the receiving interface;

a wireless network processor including a transmission interface and configured to transmit or receive a wireless local area network signal through the transmission interface;

an antenna configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signal and transmit or receive the wireless local area network signal;

an amplifier configured to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver, the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver, and the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor; and

a controller configured to control the amplifier to amplify the radio-frequency signal transmitted by the transceiver and the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver, or to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor according to detection signals from the transceiver and the wireless network processor.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the amplifier to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver and the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is larger than a first threshold or when it is detected that the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are in the working status;

and to control the amplifier to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is less than a second threshold and it is detected that the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are not in the working status.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a first amplifier configured to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver or to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor; and

a second amplifier configured to amplify the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna or to amplify the wireless local area network signal received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor;

and, the antenna further comprises;

a first antenna configured to transmit the radio-frequency signal;

a second antenna configured to receive the radio-frequency signal; and

a third antenna configured to transmit or receive the wireless local area network signal.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first switch configured to connect the first amplifier to the transmitting interface of the transceiver and a third switch respectively, with the first switch being further configured to turn on/off a connection path between the transmitting interface and the first amplifier or turn on/off a connection path between the third switch and the first amplifier according to the control of the controller;

a second switch configured to connect the second amplifier to the receiving interface of the transceiver and the third switch respectively, with the second switch being configured to turn on/off a connection path between the receiving interface and the second amplifier or turn on/off a connection path between the third switch and the second amplifier according to the control of the controller; and

the third switch configured to connect the wireless network processor to the first switch, the second switch, and the third antenna respectively, the third switch being configured to turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch or turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch or turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna according to the control of the controller.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to control the third switch to turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna, and turn off the connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch and the connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch, when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is larger than the first threshold or when it is detected that the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are in the working status.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control the third switch to turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch and turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch and turn off the connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna, and control the first switch to turn off the connection path between the transmitting interface and the first amplifier and turn on the connection path between the third switch and the first amplifier, and control the second switch to turn off the connection path between the receiving interface and the second amplifier and turn on the connection path between the third switch and the second amplifier when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is less than the second threshold and the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are not in the working status.

7. A control method for an electronic device that comprises a transceiver including a transmitting interface and a receiving interface and configured to transmit a radio-frequency signal through the transmitting interface and to receive radio-frequency signal through the receiving interface;

a wireless network processor including a transmission interface and configured to transmit or receive wireless local area network signal through the transmission interface;

an antenna configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signal and transmit or receive the wireless local area network signal;

an amplifier configured to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver, the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver and the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor;

the control method comprising;

controlling the amplifier to amplify the radio-frequency signal transmitted by the transceiver and the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver, or to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor according to detection signals from the transceiver and the wireless network processor.

8. The control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling the amplifier to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver and the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna by the transceiver when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is larger than a first threshold or when it is detected that the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are in the working status; and

controlling the amplifier to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted or received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is less than a second threshold and the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are not in the working status.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein the amplifier further comprises:

a first amplifier configured to amplify the signal from the transmitting interface of the transceiver or to amplify the wireless local area network signal transmitted through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor; and

a second amplifier configured to amplify the radio-frequency signal received from the antenna or to amplify the wireless local area network signal received through the transmission interface by the wireless network processor;

and, the antenna further comprises;

a first antenna configured to transmit the radio-frequency signal;

a second antenna configured to receive the radio-frequency signal; and

a third antenna configured to transmit or receive the wireless local area network signal.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a first switch configured to connect the first amplifier to the transmitting interface of the transceiver and a third switch respectively, with the first switch being further configured to turn on/off a connection path between the transmitting interface and the first amplifier or turn on/off a connection path between the third switch and the first amplifier according to the control of the controller;

a second switch configured to connect the second amplifier to the receiving interface of the transceiver and the third switch respectively, with the second switch being configured to turn on/off a connection path between the receiving interface and the second amplifier or turn on/off a connection path between the third switch and the second amplifier according to the control of the controller; and

the third switch configured to connect the wireless network processor to the first switch, the second switch and the third antenna respectively, with the third switch being configured to turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch or turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch or turn on/off a connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna according to the control of the controller.

11. The control method according to claim 10, further comprising controlling the third switch to turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna, and to turn off the connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch and the connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch, when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is larger than the first threshold or when it is detected that the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are in the working status.

12. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising controlling the third switch to turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the first switch and to turn on the connection path between the wireless network processor and the second switch and turn off the connection path between the wireless network processor and the third antenna, and controlling the first switch to turn off the connection path between the transmitting interface and the first amplifier and to turn on the connection path between the third switch and the first amplifier, and controlling the second switch to turn off the connection path between the receiving interface and the second amplifier and turn on the connection path between the third switch and the second amplifier when the wireless local area network signal detected by the wireless network processor is less than the second threshold and the transmitting interface and the receiving interface of the transceiver are not in the working status.