Adaptive antenna selection for interference mitigation

• US 9,712,204 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jain, Swapnil S., Flynn, Paul V., McDonnell, Nicholas M., Zhao, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US14/870,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 455 631, 455 78, 455501, 455296, 455561, 4554351, 4554561, 455 25, 455434, 370331, 370252, 370329, 370208, 370310, 370335, 370444, 370342
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• 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 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• 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

This disclosure relates to performing antenna selection to reduce interference in a wireless device. According to some embodiments, it may be determined whether simultaneous communication according to first and second wireless communication technologies causes performance degradation to a third wireless communication technology. If the simultaneous communication according to first and second wireless communication technologies does cause performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology, selection of antenna(s) used for the communications may be based at least in part on the determination that the simultaneous communication according to the first and second wireless communication technologies causes performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing element configured to;

determine that simultaneous communication of a first wireless communication technology and a second wireless communication technology causes performance degradation to a third wireless communication technology; and

select a subset of antennas from a plurality of antennas to use for the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology based at least in part on determining that the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology causes performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology, wherein the selected subset of antennas are selected to provide increased isolation for an antenna used by the third wireless communication technology.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing element is further configured to:

determine that the third wireless communication technology is active; and

select the subset of antennas to use for the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology based at least in part on determining that the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology causes performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology when the third wireless communication technology is active.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises a wireless local area networking (WLAN) technology,

wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises a cellular communication technology,

wherein the third wireless communication technology comprises a global navigational satellite system (GNSS) technology).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to select the subset of antennas to use for the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology based at least in part on determining that the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology causes performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology, the processing element is further configured to:

select the subset of antennas to use for the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology to reduce performance degradation with respect to the third wireless communication technology.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to select the subset of antennas to use for the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology based at least in part on determining that the simultaneous communication of the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology causes performance degradation to the third wireless communication technology, the processing element is further configured to:

switch at least one of the first wireless communication technology or the second wireless communication technology from a multi-antenna communication mode to a single-antenna communication mode.

6. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

one or more radios coupled to the plurality of antennas; and

a processing element operably coupled to the one or more radios;

wherein the UE device is configured to;

determine whether an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for global navigational satellite system (GNSS) communication;

select a subset of antennas from a plurality of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication by the UE device based at least in part on determining whether an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication, wherein said selection comprises selecting an antenna for Wi-Fi communication with greatest isolation from a GNSS antenna; and

transmit Wi-Fi signals and cellular signals using the selected subset of antennas.

7. The UE device of claim 6, wherein the UE device is further configured to:

select the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication in a first manner if no intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication; and

select the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication in a second manner if an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication.

8. The UE device of claim 6, wherein the UE device is further configured to:

determine whether a GNSS module of the UE device is active;

wherein selecting the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is further based at least in part on determining whether a GNSS module of the UE device is active.

9. The UE device of claim 8, wherein the UE device is further configured to:

select the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication in a first manner if no intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication or if no GNSS module of the UE device is active; and

select the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication in a second manner if an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication and a GNSS module of the UE device is active.

10. The UE device of claim 9,

wherein to select the subset of antennas for one or more of cellular or Wi-Fi communication by the UE device in the second manner, the UE device is further configured to:

select a single antenna mode for Wi-Fi communication.

11. The UE device of claim 6, wherein to determine whether an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication by the UE device is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication, the UE device is configured to use one or more of:

a lookup table indicating intermodulation products of selected frequency combinations;

or

one or more formulas for calculating intermodulation products of frequency combinations.

12. The UE device of claim 6, wherein the UE device is further configured to:

select an antenna combination that causes a lowest amount of receiver desensitization to GNSS communication among possible antenna combinations if it is determined that an intermodulation product of cellular and Wi-Fi communication is in a frequency band used by the UE device for GNSS communication.

13. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a wireless user equipment (UE) device, cause the UE device to:

determine a first transmission frequency for transmitting according to a first wireless communication technology;

determine a second transmission frequency for transmitting according to a second wireless communication technology;

determine one or more frequencies on which interference is generated from simultaneously transmitting on the first transmission frequency and the second transmission frequency;

determine whether any of the one or more frequencies on which interference is generated at least partially overlap a frequency band associated with a third wireless communication technology;

determine an activity status of the third wireless communication technology;

perform antenna selection for transmitting signals according to at least one of the first wireless communication technology or the second wireless communication technology to reduce interference to the third wireless communication technology if the third wireless communication technology is active and the one or more frequencies on which interference is generated at least partially overlap a frequency band associated with the third wireless communication technology, wherein performing antenna selection comprises selecting a transmission antenna for at least one of the first wireless communication technology or the second wireless communication technology that provides increased isolation to an antenna used to receive signals according to the third wireless communication technology.

14. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein to perform antenna selection to reduce interference to the third wireless communication technology, the program instructions further cause the UE device to:

switch from a multi-antenna transmission mode to a single-antenna transmission mode for at least one of the first wireless communication technology or the second wireless communication technology.

15. The memory medium of claim 13,

wherein the first transmission frequency is associated with a frequency channel associated with the first wireless communication technology,

wherein the second transmission frequency is associated with a frequency channel associated with the second wireless communication technology.

16. The memory medium of claim 13,

wherein the first wireless communication technology is Wi-Fi,

wherein to perform antenna selection to reduce interference to the third wireless communication technology, the program instructions further cause the UE device to:

switch Wi-Fi from multiple input multiple output (MIMO) mode to single output single input (SISO) mode; and

select a Wi-Fi antenna among a plurality of available Wi-Fi antennas that provides greatest isolation to an antenna used to receive signals according to the third wireless communication technology.

17. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions further cause the UE device to:

perform antenna selection for transmitting signals according to the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology without regard to reducing interference to the third wireless communication technology if none of the one or more frequencies on which interference is generated overlap a frequency band associated with the third wireless communication technology.

18. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions further cause the UE device to:

perform antenna selection for transmitting signals according to the first wireless communication technology and the second wireless communication technology without regard to reducing interference to the third wireless communication technology if the third wireless communication technology is not active.