Resource mapping for multi SIM multi active multi RAT scenarios using WLAN transceiver supporting partial WWAN transceiver capabilities

• US 9,538,579 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Song, Bongyong, Das, Soumya, Soliman, Samir Salib
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/699,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 455557-558
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In a user equipment (UE) supporting multiple radio access technologies (RATs) and operating in an multiple-SIM multiple-active (MSMA) scenario, at least a portion of the wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver may be used opportunistically to support the operation of the wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support the multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs). For example, when a first SIM is in an active mode and using the WWAN transceiver for transmit and/or receive operations, at least a portion of the WLAN transceiver may be used in addition to the WWAN transceiver to support the WWAN operation of a second (or third, etc.) SIM. The WLAN transceiver may be used for transmit, receive, or both for the second SIM, while the first SIM continues to use the resources of the WWAN transceiver.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

operating a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE); and

selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to support a second SIM of the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and

transferring from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode; and

operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM standby mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring paging, by the WWAN transceiver, for the second SIM to detect a voice call for the second SIM; and

operating the WLAN transceiver to support the voice call for the second SIM while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM comprises:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the first period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode further comprises:

processing, with a receive chain of the WLAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM during the first period; and

processing, with a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM during the first period.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the first period further comprises:

processing, with a receive chain of the WWAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM during the first period; and

processing, with a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM during the first period.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM standby mode.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM active mode.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM active mode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

detecting a voice call for the second SIM; and

switching from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode comprises:

operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the voice call for the second SIM comprises:

receiving, at the UE, a page for the voice call from a WWAN.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the voice call comprises a global system for mobile communications (GSM) voice call.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

terminating a voice call for the second SIM; and

switching from operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode to operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM standby mode comprises:

operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM standby mode.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM comprises:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support a second SIM active mode, regardless of a first SIM active mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support a second SIM standby mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:

operating the WWAN transceiver to support a second SIM standby mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM active mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode comprises:

processing, with a receive chain of the WLAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM; and

processing, with a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM active mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode comprises:

processing, with a receive chain of the WWAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM; and

processing, with a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and

switching from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM active mode to a first SIM standby mode; and

switching from operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating the WLAN transceiver to support a WLAN function of the UE that is unrelated to support of the first SIM and that is unrelated to support of the second SIM; and

switching operation of the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM while operating the WLAN transceiver to support the WLAN function.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for operating a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE); and

means for selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to support a second SIM of the UE.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, comprising:

means for detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and

means for transferring from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

operate a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE); and

selectively operate the WWAN transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to support a second SIM of the UE.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions stored in the memory further comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

operate the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM;

detect that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and

transfer from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication, the code executable by a processor to:

operate a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE); and

selectively operate the WWAN transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to support a second SIM of the UE.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

detect that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and

transfer from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM.