WLAN DIVERSITY/MIMO USING SHARED ANTENNA

• US 20140273884A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mantravadi, Ashok, Kadous, Tamer Adel
• Application Number:
  US13/801,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273884A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• 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 7/0413 MIMO systems

Abstract

A UE with a limited number of antennas may support multiple radio access technologies (RATS). In some instances, the UE may configure a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT. The UE may also allocate the shared antenna to the WLAN RAT when the cellular RAT is active based at least in part on an operating condition of the WLAN RAT and/or the cellular RAT.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT; and

allocating the shared antenna to the WLAN RAT when the cellular RAT is active based at least in part on an operating condition of the WLAN RAT and/or the cellular RAT.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the shared antenna for WLAN communication when a signal to noise ratio (SINR) of the cellular RAT is above a SINR threshold and when a data rate of WLAN communication is below a data rate threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the indication is based on at least one of channel state information or management frame information from the UE.

5. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT;

comparing a strength of the shared antenna to a dedicated WLAN antenna of a UE having a single receive chain; and

allocating the shared antenna or the dedicated WLAN antenna for WLAN communication based at least in part on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the indication is based on at least one of channel state information or management frame information from the UE.

8. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT; and

means for allocating the shared antenna to the WLAN RAT when the cellular RAT is active based at least in part on an operating condition of the WLAN RAT and/or the cellular RAT.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the allocating means further comprises means for allocating the shared antenna for WLAN communication when a signal to noise ratio (SINR) of the cellular RAT is above a SINR threshold and when a data rate of WLAN communication is below a data rate threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for adjusting a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the indication is based on at least one of channel state information or management frame information from the UE.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT;

means for comparing a strength of the shared antenna to a dedicated WLAN antenna of a UE having a single receive chain; and

means for allocating the shared antenna or the dedicated WLAN antenna for WLAN communication based at least in part on a comparison by the comparing means.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for adjusting a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the indication is based on a channel state information and/or management frame information from the UE.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured;

to configure a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT; and

to allocate the shared antenna to the WLAN RAT when the cellular RAT is active based at least in part on an operating condition of the WLAN RAT and/or the cellular RAT.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the at least one processor is further configured to allocate the shared antenna for WLAN communication when a signal to noise ratio (SINR) of the cellular RAT is above a SINR threshold and when a data rate of WLAN communication is below a data rate threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the indication is based on at least one of channel state information or management frame information from the UE.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured;

to configure a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT;

to compare a strength of the shared antenna to a dedicated WLAN antenna of a UE having a single receive chain; and

to allocate the shared antenna or the dedicated WLAN antenna for WLAN communication based at least in part on a comparison by the processor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, in which the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the indication is based on a channel state information and/or management frame information from the UE.

22. A computer program product for wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to configure a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT; and

program code to allocate the shared antenna to the WLAN RAT when the cellular RAT is active based at least in part on an operating condition of the WLAN RAT and/or the cellular RAT.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, in which the program code further comprises code to allocate the shared antenna for WLAN communication when a signal to noise ratio (SINR) of the cellular RAT is above a SINR threshold and when a data rate of the WLAN communication is below a data rate threshold.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, in which the program code further comprises code to adjust a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, in which the indication is based on at least one of channel state information or management frame information from the UE.

26. A computer program product for wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to configure a shared antenna for use by a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio access technology (RAT) or a cellular RAT;

program code to compare a strength of the shared antenna to a dedicated WLAN antenna of a UE having a single receive chain; and

program code to allocate the shared antenna or the dedicated WLAN antenna for WLAN communication based at least in part on the comparison.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, in which the program code further comprises code to adjust a data rate of the WLAN communication based at least in part on an indication from a UE identifying a change in an antenna capability of the UE.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, in which the indication is based on a channel state information and/or management frame information from the UE.