Mechanism to mitigate transmitter and receiver voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) pulling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10367541-B2
Application number	US-201715493996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for wireless communication. One example apparatus generally includes a first transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a first frequency band and a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a second frequency band. The apparatus may also include a processing system coupled to the first transceiver and the second transceiver. The processing system may be configured to dynamically assign transmission operations or reception operations of a signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a first transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a first frequency band;
a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a second frequency band; and
a processing system coupled to the first transceiver and the second transceiver and configured to dynamically assign transmission operations or reception operations of a signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver,
wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether at least one of:
the transmission operations and reception operations of the signals in the first frequency band are time-division duplexed (TDD); or
transmission operations and reception operations of the signals in the second frequency band are time-division duplexed (TDD); and

the processing system is configured to dynamically assign the transmission operations or the reception operations of the signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver based on the determination.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to dynamically assign the transmission operations or the reception operations in the first frequency band to the second transceiver by adjusting a frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) used to upconvert another signal to generate the signal in the first frequency band for transmission or downconvert the signal in the first frequency band for reception, respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver comprises a first VCO and a second VCO, and wherein, after the transmission operations or the reception operations of the signal in the first frequency band are assigned to the second transceiver:
the first VCO is configured to provide a first local oscillator (LO) signal for:
upconverting another signal to generate the signal in the first frequency band for transmission; or
downconverting the signal in the first frequency band for reception; and

the second VCO is configured to provide a second LO signal for:
upconverting another signal to generate a signal in the second frequency band for transmission; or
downconverting the signal in the second frequency band for reception.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing system is configured to assign the transmission operations of the signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver; and
the processing system is configured to assign transmission operations of a signal in the second frequency band to the first transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third transceiver coupled to the processing system and configured to transmit and receive signals in a third frequency band, wherein the processing system is configured to assign transmission operations or reception operations of a signal in the second frequency band to the third transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the processing system is configured to assign the transmission operations of the signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver;
the processing system is configured to assign the transmission operations of the signal in the second frequency band to the third transceiver; and
the processing system is configured to assign transmission operations of a signal in the third frequency band to the first transceiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission operations and reception operations of the signals in the first frequency band or the second frequency band are time-division duplexed (TDD).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver reside in separate chips.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to:
assign the transmission operations and reception operations of the signals in the first frequency band to the first transceiver;
determine whether to use the second frequency band for communication; and
assign the transmission operations or the reception operations of the signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver in response to the determination.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band corresponds to a primary component carrier (PCC), and wherein the second frequency band corresponds to a secondary component carrier (SCC).

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band corresponds to a first subscription of a dual subscriber identify module (SIM) system, and the second frequency band corresponds to a second subscription of the dual SIM system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein signals in the first frequency band are carrier aggregated with signals in the second frequency band.

13. An apparatus for wireless communication of claim 1 , comprising:
a first transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a first frequency band;
a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals in a second frequency band; and
a processing system coupled to the first transceiver and the second transceiver and configured to dynamically assign transmission operations or reception operations of a signal in the first frequency band to the second transceiver,
wherein the processing system is configured to:
rank a plurality of carriers of the first transceiver and the second transceiver based on current throughput of the carriers; and
dynamically assign the transmission operations or the reception operations of the signal in the first frequency band corresponding to one of the plurality of carriers to the second transceiver based on the ranking.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to:
determine that the one of the plurality of carriers has the highest current throughput based on the ranking; and
dynamically assign the transmission operations or the reception operations of the signal in the first frequency band corresponding to the one of the plurality of carriers to the second transceiver in response to the determination.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the processing system is configured to determine that it is not possible to dynamically assign transmission operations or reception operations of signals in at least one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band such that each of the first transceiver and the second transceiver have VCOs operating in different frequencies; and
the ranking of the plurality of carriers is in response to the determination.

16. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
determining whether transmission operations and reception operations of a first transceiver chip are time-division duplexed (TDD), the first transceiver chip being configured to transmit and receive signals in a first frequency band; and
dynamically assigning the transmission operations or the reception operations of a signal in the first frequency band to a second transceiver chip based on the determination, the second transceiver chip being configured to transmit and receive signals in a second frequency band.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein dynamically assigning the transmission operations or the reception operations comprises adjusting a frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) used to upconvert another signal to generate the signal in the first frequency band for transmission or downconvert the signal in the first frequency band for reception, respectively.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the second transceiver chip comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Akash
• Patel Rimal
• Juneja Raveesh

Classifications

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04B1/005 Primary

  adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H04B1/525

  with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver · CPC title

• H04W88/10

  adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points · CPC title