Electronic device and method for supporting heterogeneous communication techniques sharing frequency band

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11546014-B2
Application number	US-202117197393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2021
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an antenna to transmit or receive a signal of a specific frequency band, a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication module, and an ultra-wide band (UWB) communication module, wherein the UWB communication module may be configured to transmit a first signal notifying that the specific frequency band is to be used to the WLAN communication module, and use the specific frequency band, wherein the WLAN communication module may be configured to terminate, in case that the specific frequency band is being used, a use of the specific frequency band within a preset time in response to reception of the first signal, and transmit, when the use of the specific frequency band is terminated, a second signal indicating whether the specific frequency band is used by the WLAN communication module to the UWB communication module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an antenna to transmit or receive a signal of a specific frequency band;
a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication circuit; and
an ultra-wide band (UWB) communication circuit, wherein the UWB communication circuit is configured to:
transmit a first signal to the WLAN communication circuit notifying that the UWB communication circuit transmit or receive data via the specific frequency band, and
transmit or receive data via the specific frequency band, wherein the WLAN communication circuit is configured to:
terminate transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band within a preset time in response to reception of the first signal, and
transmit, when the transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band is terminated, a second signal to the UWB communication circuit, the second signal indicating that the WLAN communication circuit terminates the transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the specific frequency band is available to the UWB communication circuit and the WLAN communication circuit, and is a frequency band where it is possible for the UWB communication circuit and the WLAN communication circuit to cause interference.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the UWB communication circuit is further configured to:
determine the second signal; and
transmit or receive the specific frequency band in case of determining that the transmitting or receiving of the specific frequency band by the WLAN communication circuit is terminated based on the determined second signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the UWB communication circuit is further configured to change the first signal when the transmitting or receiving of the specific frequency band is ended.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the WLAN communication circuit is further configured to determine the changed first signal to use the specific frequency band.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a processor, and wherein the UWB communication circuit is further configured to:
determine whether interference has occurred between signals of the specific frequency band, and
transmit a result of determining whether interference has occurred between signals of the specific frequency band to the processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the WLAN communication circuit is further configured to determine the first signal and determine whether to transmit or receive a signal of the specific frequency band based on the determined first signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the antenna includes a plurality of antennas, and
wherein the UWB communication circuit and the WLAN communication circuit are further configured to transmit or receive signals of the specific frequency band by using different antennas.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna switch circuit to connect the antenna to the WLAN communication circuit or the UWB communication circuit.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the WLAN communication circuit is further configured to transmit a third signal for switching the antenna to the antenna switch circuit.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the third signal is determined based on the first signal and the second signal.

12. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
transmitting, by an ultra-wide band (UWB) communication circuit, a first signal to a WLAN communication circuit notifying that the UWB communication circuit transmit or receive data via a specific frequency band;
transmitting or receiving, by the ultra-wide band (UWB) communication circuit, data via the specific frequency band,
terminating, by the WLAN communication circuit, transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band within a preset time in response to reception of the first signal; and
transmitting, by the WLAN communication circuit, when the transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band is terminated, a second signal to the UWB communication circuit, the second signal indicating that the WLAN communication circuit terminates the transmitting or receiving data via the specific frequency band.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein using, by the UWB communication circuit, the specific frequency band comprises:
determining, by the UWB communication circuit, the second signal; and
transmitting or receiving, by the UWB communication circuit , the specific frequency band in case of determining that the transmitting or receiving of the specific frequency band by the WLAN communication circuit is terminated based on the determined second signal.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising changing, by the UWB communication circuit, the first signal when the transmitting or receiving of the specific frequency band is ended.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining, by the WLAN communication circuit, the changed first signal and transmitting or receiving the specific frequency band.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the UWB communication circuit, whether interference has occurred between signals of the specific frequency band; and
transmitting, by the UWB communication circuit, a result of determining whether interference has occurred between signals of the specific frequency band to a processor.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining, by the WLAN communication circuit, the first signal and determining whether to transmit or receive a signal of the specific frequency band based on the determined first signal.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the WLAN communication circuit and the UWB communication circuit are configured to transmit or receive signals of the specific frequency band by using different antennas.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the WLAN communication circuit and the UWB communication circuit are configured to transmit or receive a signal of the specific frequency band by using a shared antenna.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising transmitting, by the WLAN communication circuit, a third signal for switching the antenna to an antenna switch circuit.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Yi
• Kang Moonseok
• Min Hyunkee
• Cho Moongee
• Kim Geonwoo
• Hong Sukgi

Classifications

• H04W72/1215 Primary

  for collaboration of different radio technologies · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W16/14 Primary

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04W88/06

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

• H04B1/719 Primary

  Interference-related aspects · CPC title