LTE cell search and bluetooth eSCO coexistence using shared antenna

• US 9,713,018 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Barot, Nitinkumar, Das, Soumya
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwar, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKMAN, ANGEL T
• Application Number:
  US14/522,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 370252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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 UE may use a same antenna for both Bluetooth communications and WWAN cell search and measurement operations. In order to avoid interference, the UE may adjust the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and measurement operations. Adjustment of the WWAN cell search and measurement periodicity may be based on a link quality of the Bluetooth communications.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

using a receive chain for both Bluetooth (BT) communications and wireless wide area network (WWAN) cell search and/or measurements;

detecting a BT link quality for the BT communications that use the receive chain; and

adjusting a periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based at least in part on the BT link quality, wherein the WWAN cell search and/or measurements use the receive chain used for the BT communications, wherein the adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN search cell and/or measurements comprises increasing the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT link quality decreases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

determining a type of the BT communications, parameters of the BT communications and a BT packet type used for the BT communications; and

adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on at least one of the BT link quality, the type of the BT communications, the parameters of the BT communications, and the BT packet type used for the BT communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein using the receive chain comprises:

using the receive chain for BT communications that include enhanced voice (EV) packet type EV3, 2EV3 or 3EV3.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the receive chain comprises:

using the receive chain for WWAN cell search and/or measurements on a frequency or radio access technology (RAT) that is different from a frequency or RAT used by a second receive chain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the BT link quality comprises:

determining a packet error rate (PER) for the BT communications.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

increasing the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT PER increases, the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements having an upper limit based on the WWAN.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

determining that the BT PER is in excess of one of a plurality of threshold PER limits; and

setting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on the threshold PER limit exceeded by the BT PER.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

setting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements in order to maintain a BT PER within a predetermined PER range.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining the PER for the BT communications comprises:

measuring the BT PER over a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

using a scaling factor to adjust the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting a lowest possible scaling factor in order to maintain a BT packet error rate within a predetermined range.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aligning a timing of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements and BT communication so that a minimum number of BT communication intervals are affected by the WWAN cell search and/or measurements.

13. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for using a receive chain for both Bluetooth (BT) communications and wireless wide area network (WWAN) cell search and/or measurements;

means for detecting a BT link quality for the BT communications that use the receive chain; and

means for adjusting a periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based at least in part on the BT link quality, wherein the WWAN cell search and/or measurements use the receive chain used for the BT communications, wherein the means for adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN search cell and/or measurements comprises means for increasing the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT link quality decreases.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

means for determining a type of the BT communications, parameters of the BT communications and a BT packet type used for the BT communications; and

means for adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on at least one of the BT link quality, the type of the BT communications, the parameters of the BT communications, and the BT packet type used for the BT communications.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for using the receive chain comprises:

means for using the receive chain for BT communications that include enhanced voice (EV) packet type EV3, 2EV3 or 3EV3.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for using the receive chain comprises:

means for using the receive chain for WWAN cell search and/or measurements on a frequency or radio access technology (RAT) that is different from a frequency or RAT used by a second receive chain.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for detecting the BT link quality comprises:

means for determining a packet error rate (PER) for the BT communications.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

means for increasing the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT PER increases, the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements having an upper limit based on the WWAN.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

means for determining that the BT PER is in excess of one of a plurality of threshold PER limits; and

means for setting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on the threshold PER limit exceeded by the BT PER.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

means for setting the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements in order to maintain a BT PER within a predetermined PER range.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for determining the PER for the BT communications comprises:

means for measuring the BT PER over a predetermined period of time.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further comprises:

means for using a scaling factor to adjust the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for selecting a lowest possible scaling factor in order to maintain a BT packet error rate within a predetermined range.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for aligning a timing of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements and BT communication so that a minimum number of BT communication intervals are affected by the WWAN cell search and/or measurements.

25. 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;

use a receive chain for both Bluetooth (BT) communications and wireless wide area network (WWAN) cell search and/or measurements;

detect a BT link quality for the BT communications that use the receive chain; and

adjust a periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based at least in part on the BT link quality, wherein the WWAN cell search and/or measurements use the receive chain used for the BT communications, wherein the instructions for adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN search cell and/or measurements include instructions executable by the processor to increase the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT link quality decreases.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further include instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a type of the BT communications, parameters of the BT communications and a BT packet type used for the BT communications; and

adjust the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on at least one of the BT link quality, the type of the BT communications, the parameters of the BT communications, and the BT packet type used for the BT communications.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions for detecting the BT link quality include instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a packet error rate (PER) for the BT communications.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further include instructions executable by the processor to:

use a scaling factor to adjust the frequency of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements.

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

use a receive chain for both Bluetooth (BT) communications and wireless wide area network (WWAN) cell search and/or measurements;

detect a BT link quality for the BT communications that use the receive chain; and

adjust a periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based at least in part on the BT link quality, wherein the WWAN cell search and/or measurements use the receive chain used for the BT communications, wherein the code for adjusting the periodicity of the WWAN search cell and/or measurements includes code executable by the processor to increase the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements as the BT link quality decreases.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code for adjusting of the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements further includes code executable by the processor to:

determine a type of the BT communications, parameters of the BT communications and a BT packet type used for the BT communications; and

adjust the periodicity of the WWAN cell search and/or measurements based on at least one of the BT link quality, the type of the BT communications, the parameters of the BT communications, and the BT packet type used for the BT communications.