Antenna management in dual connectivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11616544-B2
Application number	US-202117301608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus may operate in a dual connectivity mode in which the apparatus is simultaneously connected to carriers of different radio access technologies. The apparatus may operate via a first antenna set of a plurality of antenna sets, the first antenna set including a first communication path. The apparatus may determine to operate via a second antenna set of the plurality of antenna sets based on whether one or more criteria is satisfied. The apparatus may select at least one second communication path for the second antenna set based on the one or more criteria. The apparatus may operate via the second antenna set over the at least one second communication path when the criteria is satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
operating via a first antenna set of a plurality of antenna sets over a first communication path, the first antenna set being located at a first position of the UE that is different from a second position of the UE at which a second antenna set is located;
selecting at least one second communication path for the second antenna set based on one or more antenna switching diversity (ASDiv) criteria that are associated with one or more cascaded cross-switches on at least one of the first communication path or the second communication path; and
operating via the second antenna set over the at least one second communication path.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining operation via the first antenna set over the first communication path when the ASDiv criteria is not satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring the at least one second communication path based on at least one of sounding reference signal (SRS) interruption, front end path loss, or a communication path having cascaded cross-switches.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one second communication path is a radio frequency (RF) front end path.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring a communication blockage of at least one of the first antenna set or the second antenna set.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
adjusting the ASDiv criteria based on the communication blockage of at least one of the first antenna set or the second antenna set.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the ASDiv criteria is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second communication path is selected based on at least one of: reducing front end path loss, reducing SRS interruption, or avoiding paths having cascaded cross-switches.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is operating in an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) new radio dual connectivity (ENDC) mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is operating in a new radio (NR) dual connectivity (NRDC) mode, wherein a radio access technology (RAT) of a first connectivity leg is NR and a RAT of a second connectivity leg is NR.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second communication path is at least one transmit path or at least one receive path.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria is further associated with at least one of a sounding reference signal (SRS) interruption or a front end path loss.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna set corresponds to a top portion of the UE and the second antenna set corresponds to a bottom portion of the UE.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
operate via a first antenna set of a plurality of antenna sets over a first communication path, the first antenna set being located at a first position of the UE that is different from a second position of the UE at which a second antenna set is located;
select at least one second communication path for the second antenna set based on one or more antenna switching diversity (ASDiv) criteria that are associated with one or more cascaded cross-switches on at least one of the first communication path or the second communication path; and
operate via the second antenna set over the at least one second communication path.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
maintain operation via the first antenna set over the first communication path when the ASDiv criteria is not satisfied.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
configure the at least one second communication path based on at least one of SRS interruption, front end path loss, or a communication path having cascaded cross-switches.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one second communication path is a radio frequency (RF) front end path.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
measure a communication blockage of at least one of the first antenna set or the second antenna set.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
adjust the ASDiv criteria based on the communication blockage of at least one of the first antenna set or the second antenna set.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether the ASDiv criteria is satisfied.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one second communication path is selected based on at least one of: reduction of front end path loss, reduction of SRS interruption, or reduction of communication over paths having cascaded cross-switches.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the UE is operating in an evolved universal terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN) new radio dual connectivity (ENDC) mode.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the UE is operating in a new radio (NR) dual connectivity (NRDC) mode, wherein a radio access technology (RAT) of a first connectivity leg is NR and a RAT of a second connectivity leg is NR.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one second communication path is at least one transmit path or at least one receive path.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the criteria is further associated with at least one of a sounding reference signal (SRS) interruption or a front end path loss.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first antenna set corresponds to a top portion of the UE and the second antenna set corresponds to a bottom portion of the UE.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
means for operating via a first antenna set of a plurality of antenna sets over a first communication path, the first antenna set being located at a first position of the UE that is different from a second position of the UE at which a second antenna set is located;
means for selecting at least one second communication path for the second antenna set based on one or more antenna switching diversity (ASDiv) criteria that are associated with one or more cascaded cross-switches on at least one of the first communication path or the second communication path; and
means for operating via the second antenna set over the at least one second communication path.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising:
means for maintaining operation via the first antenna set over the first communication path when the ASDiv criteria is not satisfied.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising:
means for configuring the at least one second communication path based on at least one of SRS interruption, front end path loss, or a communication path having cascaded cross-switches.

30. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the code when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
operate via a first antenna set of a plurality of antenna sets over a first communication pa

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Gopal Thawatt
• George Brian
• Mahajan Vishal
• Banister Brian Clarke

Classifications

• H04B1/38

  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 title

• H04B1/005

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

• H04B7/0608 Primary

  Antenna selection according to transmission parameters · CPC title

• H04B7/0404

  the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity · CPC title

• H04B7/0817 Primary

  with multiple receivers and antenna path selection · CPC title