System and method for controlling a wireless device

• US 9,936,399 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McCoy, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/263,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/50 using different frequencies for the two directions of communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15557 Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and a device are provided for controlling operation of a wireless device (200). The method (500) includes transmitting an initial signal (410) to a controller device (120) in an initial mode (505); receiving initial instructions (420) from the controller device in the initial mode, after transmitting the initial signal (510), the initial instructions identifying an operational mode; setting transmit and receive circuitry in the wireless device to transmit and receive according to the operational mode (515, 520, 525); and transmitting operational signals (430) in the operational mode (530). The wireless device 200 includes an antenna controller (290) and an antenna switch (225) for implementing this method.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a base station;

receiving an association request from a mobile device operating in a first operational mode that is a default operational mode for association requests;

sending a first mode control instruction to the mobile device in response to receiving the association request, wherein the first mode control instruction is sent by the base station operating in the first operational mode and includes an instruction for the mobile device to switch to a second operational mode;

receiving additional signals from the mobile device operating in the second operational mode; and

sending a second mode control instruction to the mobile device based on the received additional signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is a half-duplex mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second operational mode is a full-duplex mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mode control instruction includes an instruction for the mobile device to one of continue to operate in the second operational mode, switch to the first operational mode or switch to a third operational mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a signal quality based on the additional signals, wherein the second mode control instruction is based on the signal quality.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal quality is one of a signal-to-noise ratio, a signal-to-interference ratio, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio or a quality of service requirement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional signals include metrics relating to the mobile device and the second mode control instruction is based on the metrics related to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining metrics related to a network on which the base station is operating, wherein the second mode control instruction is based on the metrics related to the network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a mode request from the mobile device comprising a request to operate in a requested operational mode, wherein the requested operational mode is one of the first or second operational modes;

determining whether the requested operational mode is appropriate for the mobile device; and

sending a further mode control instruction that instructs the mobile device to operate in the requested operational mode when it is determined the requested operational mode is appropriate for the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving further signals from the mobile device operating in one of the first and second operational modes;

determining a further signal quality based on the further signals; and

sending a further mode control instruction based on the further signal quality, wherein the further mode control instruction instructs the mobile device to switch to an other one of the first and second operational modes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the further mode control instruction is based on the further signal quality compared to a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold is different when the further mode control instruction instructs the mobile device to switch to the first operational mode than further mode control instruction instructs the mobile device to switch to the second operational mode.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode comprises an arrangement of parameters for a mode of operation or includes at least a type of signal flow used.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station has previously instructed the mobile device as to the default operational mode for association requests.

12. A method, comprising:

at a mobile device;

setting the mobile device to operate in a first operational mode that is a default mode for sending association requests to a base station;

sending an association request to the base station while operating in the first operational mode;

in response to sending the association request, receiving a first mode control instruction from the base station operating in the first operational mode, wherein the first mode control instruction includes an instruction for the mobile device to switch to a second operational mode;

setting the mobile device to operate in the second operational mode;

sending additional signals to the base station while operating in the second operational mode; and

receiving a second mode control instruction from the base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first operational mode is a half-duplex mode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second operational mode is a full-duplex mode.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second mode control instruction includes an instruction for the mobile device to one of continue to operate in the second operational mode, switch to the first operational mode or switch to a third operational mode.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein operating in the first operational mode causes the mobile device to consume less power than operating in the second operational mode.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending a mode request to the base station that comprises a request to operate in one of the first and second operational modes.

18. An integrated circuit, comprising

circuitry to receive an association request from a mobile device operating in a first operational mode that is a default operational mode for association requests;

circuitry to send a first mode control instruction to the mobile device in response to receiving the association request, wherein the first mode control instruction is sent by the base station operating in the first operational mode and includes an instruction for the mobile device to switch to a second operational mode;

circuitry to receive additional signals from the mobile device operating in the second operational mode; and

circuitry to send a second mode control instruction to the mobile device based on the received additional signals.