Dual antenna topology for bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network devices

• US 9,577,699 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Brima, Desai, Prasanna, Gonikberg, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/685,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/550.1, 455/101, 370/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• 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

A method includes determining that an antenna shared between a Bluetooth transceiver and a WLAN transceiver is available to the WLAN transceiver based on an activity signal associated with the Bluetooth transceiver. Access to the shared antenna is provided to the WLAN transceiver based on the determination, and the WLAN transceiver is configured to use diversity in transacting WLAN signals via a plurality of antennas, including the shared antenna. Access to the shared antenna is transferred from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver based on the activity signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a first transceiver requests access to a first antenna based on an indication from the first transceiver;

determining that a first signal path associated with a second transceiver is coupled to the first antenna;

detecting an interrupt signal based on the determination that the first signal path is coupled to the first antenna;

terminating a packet transmission between the first antenna and the second transceiver based on the interrupt signal;

storing a status of the terminated packet transmission, the status having information on a location within the packet transmission where the termination occurred; and

transferring access to the first antenna from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, the first antenna accessed by the first transceiver through a second signal path, the second transceiver having access to a second antenna through a third signal path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of function associated with the first transceiver, the type of function being one or more of a data communication or a voice communication; and

determining that arbitration between the first transceiver and the second transceiver is to be employed based on the type of function determined to be the data communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the access to the first antenna comprises sending a control signal to one or more switches having control over the access to the first antenna, the control signal causing the one or more switches to decouple the first signal path from the first antenna and couple the second signal path to the first antenna.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first transceiver is in an idle state based on a second indication from the first transceiver; and

transferring the access to the first antenna from the first transceiver back to the second transceiver based on the second indication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting respective test signals through the first antenna and the second antenna;

receiving respective response signals through the first antenna and the second antenna based on the respective test signals transmitted;

determining a signal strength of each of the respective response signals; and

selecting between the first antenna and the second antenna based on the signal strength.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a guard time associated with the indication;

determining that an existing communication from the second transceiver through the first antenna will be completed within the guard time, the guard time relating to a predetermined time duration for completing the existing communication or terminating the access since receiving the indication;

terminating the access between the second transceiver and the first antenna within the guard time; and

transferring the access to the first antenna from the second transceiver to the first transceiver within the guard time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver is configured to communicate first type of signals and the second transceiver is configured to communicate second type of signals, the first type of signals being associated with a communication protocol that is different from the second type of signals.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the second type of signals through the first signal path and the third signal path;

performing diversity on the received second type of signals;

determining a signal strength of each signal in the second type of signals; and

selecting one or more signals from the received second type of signals for processing based on the signal strength.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing diversity on the second type of signals for transmission; and

transmitting the second type of signals through the first antenna and the second antenna based on the diversity performed.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a priority associated with the first type of signals is greater than a priority associated with the second type of signals, wherein the access is transferred from the second transceiver to the first transceiver based on the determined priority.

11. A system comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate first type of signals through one or more of a first signal path with access to a first antenna or a second signal path with configurable access to a second antenna;

a second transceiver configured to communicate second type of signals through a third signal path with configurable access to the second antenna; and

a switch configured to select between the second signal path and the third signal path for access to the second antenna based on an indication from the second transceiver, the first transceiver configured to;

communicate the first type of signals with the first antenna and the second antenna based on a status of the second transceiver included in the indication;

determine a guard time associated with the indication;

determine that an existing communication from the first transceiver through the second antenna will be completed within the guard time, the guard time relating to a predetermined time duration for completing the existing communication or terminating a packet transmission since receipt of the indication;

terminate the packet transmission between the second antenna and the first transceiver within the guard time; and

transfer access to the second antenna from the first transceiver to the second transceiver within the guard time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first transceiver comprises a diversity logic component configured to employ a diversity scheme on signals being communicated through the first antenna and the second antenna.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the diversity logic component is configured to combine a first portion of a signal received through the first antenna with a second portion of the signal received through the second antenna to result in a receipt of the signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second transceiver comprises a frequency hopping logic component configured to determine whether a frequency band is occupied and select a next available frequency band if the frequency band is determined to be occupied, the second transceiver configured to communicate the second type of signals on the next available frequency band.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by at least one processor cause a computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining that a first transceiver requests access to a first antenna based on an indication from the first transceiver;

determining that a first signal path associated with a second transceiver is coupled to the first antenna;

determining an interrupt signal from the indication;

terminating a packet transmission to the first antenna through the first signal path based on the interrupt signal;

storing a status of the terminated packet transmission, the status having information on a location within the packet transmission where the termination occurred; and

transferring access to the first antenna from the second transceiver to the first transceiver, the first antenna accessed by the first transceiver through a second signal path, the second transceiver having access to a second antenna through a third signal path.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

communicating first type of signals through the first signal path with access to the first antenna; and

receiving the indication from the first transceiver.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second type of signals through the first signal path and the third signal path;

performing diversity on the received second type of signals;

determining a signal strength of each signal in the second type of signals; and

selecting one or more signals from the received second type of signals for processing based on the signal strength.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a type of function associated with the first transceiver, the type of function being one or more of a data communication or a voice communication; and

determining that arbitration between the first transceiver and the second transceiver is to be employed based on the type of function determined to be the data communication.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a priority associated with the first transceiver is greater than a priority associated with the second transceiver, wherein the access is transferred from the second transceiver to the first transceiver based on the determined priority.