Coordinating data communications using frequency division multiplexing and time division multiplexing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9295075-B2
Application number	US-201314071141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2013
Priority date	Feb 12, 2007
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A method and system for Bluetooth® and Wireless LAN coexistence may include controlling wireless local area network (WLAN) communication and Bluetooth® communication in a coexistence system that handles at least a WLAN communication protocol and a Bluetooth® communication protocol based on time division multiplexing (TDM) and adaptive frequency hopping (AFH). Switching may occur between the WLAN communication and the Bluetooth® communication based on the TDM and the AFH. In one embodiment of the invention, the switching may occur adaptively. Notwithstanding, in instances where it may be determined that AFH is disabled, switching to TDM may occur. WLAN communication and/or Bluetooth® communication may be disabled or enabled based on a state of at the WLAN communication and/or the Bluetooth® communication. Use of the AFH may be enabled or disabled based on a link status of the WLAN communication and/or the Bluetooth® communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first wireless communication circuit configured to communicate data via a first wireless communication protocol, wherein the first wireless communication circuit is configured to select a first communication channel from a plurality of communications channels;
a second wireless communication circuit configured to communicate data via a second wireless communication protocol using a second communication channel that overlaps at least one of the plurality of communications channels; and
at least one processor circuit configured to:
determine whether the first communication channel is overlapped by the second communication channel;
select at least one of time-division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) to coordinate data communications of the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit in response to determining that the first communication channel is overlapped by the second communication channel; and
coordinate the data communications using TDM when TDM is selected and coordinate the data communications using FDM when FDM is selected.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to modify a frequency hopping pattern utilized by the first wireless communication circuit to exclude a spectrum of frequencies overlapping the second communication channel utilized by the second wireless communication circuit.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
evaluate a priority of data communications of the first wireless communication circuit with respect to a priority of data communications of the second wireless communication circuit;
disable the second wireless communication circuit in response to determining that the priority of the data communications of the first wireless communication circuit is higher than the priority of the data communications of the second wireless communication circuit; and
disable the first wireless communication circuit in response to determining that the priority of the data communications of the first wireless communication circuit is lower than the priority of the data communications of the second wireless communication circuit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to disable FDM in response to determining that the priority of the data communications of the first wireless communication circuit is higher than the priority of the data communications of the second wireless communication circuit.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein evaluating the priority of the data communications of the first wireless communication circuit is based at least in part on one of a link status of the first wireless communication circuit and a link status of the second wireless communication circuit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit comprises a Bluetooth communication circuit and the first wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication circuit comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication circuit and the second wireless communication protocol comprises a WLAN communication protocol.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
identifying, via processing circuitry, a first communication channel selected for use with a first wireless communication protocol;
identifying, via the processing circuitry, a second communication channel used for a second wireless communication protocol;
determining, via the processing circuitry, if the first communication channel overlaps with the second communication channel;
selecting, via the processing circuit, at least one of time-division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) to coordinate respective communications associated with the first wireless communication protocol with communications associated with the second wireless communication protocol in response to determining that the first communication channel overlaps with the second communication channel;
coordinating the respective communications associated with the first and second wireless communication protocols using TDM when TDM is selected; and
coordinating the respective communications associated with the first and second wireless communication protocols using FDM when FDM is selected.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising modifying, via the processing circuitry, a frequency hopping pattern utilized by the first wireless communication protocol to exclude a spectrum of frequencies overlapping the second communication channel.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth communication protocol.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
evaluating, via the processing circuitry, a priority of data communications using the first wireless communication protocol with respect to a priority of data communications using the second wireless communication protocol;
disabling, via the processing circuitry, the data communications using the second wireless communication protocol in response to determining that the priority of the data communications using the first wireless communication protocol is higher than the priority of the data communications using the second wireless communication protocol; and
disabling, via the processing circuitry, the data communications using the first wireless communication protocol in response to determining that the priority of the data communications using the first wireless communication protocol is lower than the priority of the data communications using the second wireless communication protocol.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising disabling FDM in response to determining that the priority of the data communications using the first wireless communication protocol is higher than the priority of the data communications using the second wireless communication protocol.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein evaluating the priority of the data communications of the first wireless communication protocol is based at least in part on one of a link status associated with the first wireless communication protocol and a link status associated with the second wireless communication protocol.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program that, when executed by processing circuitry, causes the processing circuitry to:
identify a first communication channel selected for use with a first wireless communication protocol;
identify a second communication channel used for a second wireless communication protocol;
determine if the first communication channel overlaps with the second communication channel;
select at least one of time-division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) to coordinate respective communications associated with the first wireless communication protocol with communications associated with the second wireless communication protocol in response to determining that the first communication channel overlaps with the second communication channel;
coordinating the respective communications associated with the first and second wireless communication protocols using TDM

Assignees

• Broadcom Corp

Inventors

• Wyper George A
• Jerlhagen Sven

Classifications

• H04W88/06 Primary

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

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W72/1215 Primary

  for collaboration of different radio technologies · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04J3/1694

  Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers (Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062) · CPC title