Case-based radio platform for wireless network

• US 9,554,413 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Jeremy, Burra, Gangadhar, Lee, MeeLan, Rajendran, Gireesh, Savla, Anup, Das, Soumya, Song, Bongyong
• Primary Examiner(s): ODOM, CURTIS B
• Application Number:
  US14/615,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• 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 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

One aspect of an apparatus for wireless communications is disclosed. The apparatus includes a controller, a first transceiver, and a second transceiver. The first transceiver is configurable by the controller to support first communications through a cellular network to at least one of a packet-based network and a circuit-switched network. The second transceiver configurable by the controller to operate with the first transceiver to support first communications through the cellular network in a first mode and support second communications through an access point to the packet-based network in a second mode. In an aspect, the second transceiver is further configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode by moving its wireless connection from the cellular network to the access point while maintaining a network-layer connection to the cellular network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a controller;

a first transceiver configurable by the controller to support first communications through a cellular network to at least one of a packet-based network and a circuit-switched network; and

a second transceiver configurable by the controller to;

operate with the first transceiver to support first communications through the cellular network in a first mode, and

support second communications through an access point to the packet-based network in a second mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch the second transceiver from the first mode to the second mode by moving its wireless connection from the cellular network to the access point while maintaining a network-layer connection to the cellular network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second transceivers are further configurable by the controller to:

support the first communications through the cellular network using carrier aggregation in the first mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is further configurable by the controller to:

support third communications through the cellular network to the circuit-switched network in a third mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

configure a channel estimator to generate a signal for transmission to the cellular network to enable the second transceiver to switch from the first mode to the second mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the signal comprises one of a channel quality indicator or a rank indicator.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the channel estimator is further configured to:

compute a channel quality indicator from a reference signal transmitted from the cellular network, and

provide the computed channel quality indicator to the cellular network, wherein the controller is further configured to override the computed channel quality indicator provided to the cellular network to switch the second transceiver between the first mode and the second mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a signal for transmission to the access point to enable the second transceiver to switch from the second mode to the first mode, wherein the signal is configured to provide an indication to the access point that the second transceiver is operating in a power-saving mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the second transceiver from the first mode to the second mode in response to a threshold level of bandwidth congestion during first communications through the cellular network in the first mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein only one of the transmitter portion or the receiver portion of the second transceiver is configured by the controller.

11. A method of wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

configuring a first transceiver to support first communications through a cellular network to at least one of a packet-based network and a circuit-switched network; and

configuring a second transceiver to support first communications through the cellular network in a first mode with the first transceiver, and second communications through an access point to the packet-based network in a second mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

switching the second transceiver from the first mode to the second mode by moving its wireless connection from the cellular network to the access point, and maintaining a network-layer connection to the cellular network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second transceivers support the first communications through the cellular network using carrier aggregation in the first mode.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring the second transceiver to support third communications through the cellular network to the circuit-switched network in a third mode.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring a channel estimator to generate a signal for transmission to the cellular network to enable the second transceiver to switch from the first mode to the second mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal comprises one of a channel quality indicator or a rank indicator.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

computing a channel quality indicator from a reference signal transmitted from the cellular network;

providing the computed channel quality indicator to the cellular network; and

overriding the computed channel quality indicator provided to the cellular network to switch the second transceiver between the first mode and the second mode.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, to the access point, a signal to switch from the second mode to the first mode, wherein the signal is configured to provide an indication to the access point that the second transceiver is operating in a power-saving mode.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

switching the second transceiver from the first mode to the second mode in response to a threshold level of bandwidth congestion during first communications through the cellular network in the first mode.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein only one of the transmitter portion or the receiver portion of the second transceiver are configured based on the first mode and the second mode.

21. An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a controller;

a transceiver, configurable by the controller, for supporting first communications through a cellular network to at least one of a packet-based network and a circuit-switched network; and

second transceiver means, configurable by the controller, for;

supporting first communications through the cellular network in a first mode; and

supporting second communications through an access point to the packet-based network in a second mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to switch the means from the first mode to the second mode by moving a wireless connection from the cellular network to the access point while maintaining a network-layer connection to the cellular network.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means is configurable by the controller to:

support the first communications through the cellular network using carrier aggregation in the first mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means is further configurable by the controller to:

support third communications through the cellular network to the circuit-switched network in a third mode.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to:

configure a channel estimator to generate a signal for transmission to the cellular network to enable the means to switch from the first mode to the second mode.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second transceiver means are further configured to:

compute a channel quality indicator from a reference signal transmitted from the cellular network, and

provide a second channel quality indicator that is different than the computed channel quality indicator to the cellular network when switching the second transceiver between the first mode and the second mode.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a signal for transmission to the access point when switching the second transceiver from the second mode to the first mode, wherein the signal is configured to provide an indication to the access point that the second transceiver is operating in a power-saving mode.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

code for configuring a first transceiver to support first communications through a cellular network to at least one of a packet-based network and a circuit-switched network; and

code for configuring a second transceiver to support first communications through the cellular network in a first mode with the first transceiver, second communications through an access point to the packet-based network in a second mode.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

code for switching from the first mode to the second mode by moving its wireless connection from the cellular network to the access point, and maintaining a network-layer connection to the cellular network.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the code provides for the first and second transceivers to support the first communications through the cellular network using carrier aggregation in the first mode.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

code for configuring the second transceiver to support third communications through the cellular network to the circuit-switched network in a third mode.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

code for configuring a channel estimator to generate a signal for transmission to the cellular network to switch the second transceiver from the first mode to the second mode.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising code for:

computing a channel quality indicator from a reference signal transmitted from the cellular network, and

providing a second channel quality indicator that is different than the computed channel quality indicator to the cellular network when switching the second transceiver between the first mode and the second mode.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising code for generating a signal for transmission to the access point when switching the second transceiver from the second mode to the first mode, wherein the signal is configured to provide an indication to the access point that the second transceiver is operating in a power-saving mode.