PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICE WITH HIGH-SPEED DATA COMMUNICATION

• US 20130281024A1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Rofougaran, Maryam, Ibrahim, Brima B., Darabi, Hooman
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04

Abstract

A portable computing device includes a radio frequency (RF) wired link, a core module, and a plurality of multi-mode RF units. When one or more of the multi-mode RF units are supporting a high-speed data communication, the core module is operable to detect a blocker that is adversely affecting the high-speed data communication. The core module is further operable to determine whether a radiation pattern alternative for the high-speed data communication will reduce the adverse affects on the high-speed data communication. When the radiation pattern alternative for the high-speed data communication will reduce the adverse affects on the high-speed data communication, the core module is further operable to enable the radiation pattern alternative. The one or more multi-mode RF units are operable to adjust at least one of transmission and reception of the high-speed data communication in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative.

Claims

1. A portable computing structure comprising:

a Radio Frequency (RF) link;

a core module communicatively coupled to the RF link;

a plurality of multi-mode RF units communicatively coupled to the RF link, the core module configured to;

detect a blocker that adversely affects high-speed data communication between two multi-mode RF units;

determine a radiation pattern alternative for the high-speed data communication to reduce the adverse effects caused by the blocker; and

enact the radiation pattern alternative for the two multi-mode RF units.

2. The portable computing structure of claim 1, wherein the core module is further configured to:

identify a plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for the high-speed data communication; and

select one of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives as the radiation pattern alternative based on a desired level of communication.

3. The portable computing structure of claim 1, the two multi-mode RF units configured to:

adjust a transmission radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to reflect an outbound transmission of the high-speed data communication off of a reflective surface; and

adjust a receiving radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to receive a reflection of an inbound transmission of the high-speed data communication off of the reflective surface.

4. The portable computing structure of claim 1, the two multi-mode RF units configured to:

adjust a transmission radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to transmit an outbound transmission of the high-speed data communication to a repeater; and

adjust a receiving radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to receive an inbound transmission of the high-speed data communication from the repeater.

5. The portable computing structure of claim 1, wherein the core module is further configured to:

establish a plurality of sets of coordinates of phase array antennas for various combinations of the plurality of multi-mode RF units for a plurality of radiation pattern alternatives;

determine radiation pattern properties for each of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for a given communication environment; and

rank the radiation properties for each of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for the given communication environment to produce a prioritized list of radiation pattern alternatives.

6. The portable computing structure of claim 1, the core module further configured to communicate control information with the two multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the RF link, wherein the control information includes an instruction to enable the radiation pattern alternative.

7. The portable computing structure of claim 1, the core module further configured to communicate:

data of the high-speed data communication with the two multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link; and

clock information to the two multi-mode RF units in a third frequency band via the RF link.

20. The portable computing structure of claim 1, wherein the high-speed data communication between two multi-mode RF units are millimeter wave communication.

8. A core module of a portable computing structure that supports a plurality of multi-mode Radio Frequency (RF) units, the core module comprising:

a processing module; and

a Radio Frequency (RF) link interface communicatively coupled to the processing module, wherein the processing module configured to;

detect a blocker that adversely affects high-speed data communication between two communicatively coupled multi-mode RF units;

determine a radiation pattern alternative for the high-speed data communication to reduce the adverse effects caused by the blocker; and

enact the radiation pattern alternative for the two multi-mode RF units.

9. The core module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

identify a plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for the high-speed data communication; and

select one of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives as the radiation pattern alternative based on a desired level of communication.

10. The core module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

establish a plurality of sets of coordinates of phase array antennas for various combinations of the two communicatively coupled multi-mode RF units for a plurality of radiation pattern alternatives;

determine radiation pattern properties for each of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for a given communication environment; and

rank the radiation properties for each of the plurality of radiation pattern alternatives for the given communication environment to produce a prioritized list of radiation pattern alternatives.

11. The core module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further configured to communicate control information with the two communicatively coupled multi-mode RF units in a first frequency band via the RF link interface, wherein the control information includes an instruction to enable the radiation pattern alternative.

12. The core module of claim 8, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

communicate data of the high-speed data communication with the two communicatively coupled multi-mode RF units in a second frequency band via the RF link interface; and

communicate clock information to the two communicatively coupled multi-mode RF units in a third frequency band via the RF link interface.

13. A multi-mode (MM) radio frequency (RF) unit comprising:

an RF link interface; and

a plurality of RF specific protocol modules, one of the RF specific protocol modules is configured to;

convert an inbound high-speed data signal into an inbound RF link signal in accordance with an inbound RF link resource allocation;

convert an outbound RF link signal into an outbound high-speed data signal in accordance with an outbound RF link resource allocation;

adjust at least one of transmission of the outbound high-speed data signal and reception of the inbound high-speed data signal in accordance with a radiation pattern alternative, wherein the radiation pattern alternative is based upon a blocker'"'"'s adverse effects on at least one of the inbound and outbound high-speed data signals.

14. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the RF link interface is configured to:

output the inbound RF link signal to an RF link of a portable computing structure for conveyance to a core module of the portable computing structure; and

receive the outbound RF link signal from the RF link.

15. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the one of the RF specific protocol modules is configured to at least one of:

adjust a transmission radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to reflect the outbound high-speed data signal off of a reflective surface; and

adjust a receiving radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to receive a reflection of the inbound high-speed data signal off of the reflective surface.

16. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the one of the RF specific protocol modules is configured to at least one of:

adjust a transmission radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to transmit the outbound high-speed data signal to a repeater; and

adjust a receiving radiation pattern in accordance with the radiation pattern alternative to receive the inbound high-speed data signal from the repeater.

17. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the one of the RF specific protocol modules is configured to communicate control information with the core module via the RF link in a first frequency band, wherein the control information includes an instruction to enable the radiation pattern alternative.

18. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the one of the RF specific protocol modules is configured to:

communicate the inbound RF link signal and the outbound RF link signal with the core module via the RF link in a second frequency band; and

receive clock information from the core module via the RF link in a third frequency band.

19. The MM RF unit of claim 13, wherein the one of the RF link signal is a millimeter wave communication.