Resource mapping for multi SIM multi active multi RAT scenarios using WLAN transceiver supporting partial WWAN transceiver capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538579-B2
Application number	US-201514699860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

In a user equipment (UE) supporting multiple radio access technologies (RATs) and operating in an multiple-SIM multiple-active (MSMA) scenario, at least a portion of the wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver may be used opportunistically to support the operation of the wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support the multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs). For example, when a first SIM is in an active mode and using the WWAN transceiver for transmit and/or receive operations, at least a portion of the WLAN transceiver may be used in addition to the WWAN transceiver to support the WWAN operation of a second (or third, etc.) SIM. The WLAN transceiver may be used for transmit, receive, or both for the second SIM, while the first SIM continues to use the resources of the WWAN transceiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
operating a wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceiver to support a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of a user equipment (UE); and
selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver to support a second SIM of the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and
transferring from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode; and
operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM standby mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring paging, by the WWAN transceiver, for the second SIM to detect a voice call for the second SIM; and
operating the WLAN transceiver to support the voice call for the second SIM while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM comprises:
operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the first period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode further comprises:
processing, with a receive chain of the WLAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM during the first period; and
processing, with a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM during the first period.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the first period further comprises:
processing, with a receive chain of the WWAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM during the first period; and
processing, with a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM during the first period.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM standby mode.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM active mode.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode and the second SIM is in a second SIM active mode.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
detecting a voice call for the second SIM; and
switching from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode to operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode comprises:
operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM active mode.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the voice call for the second SIM comprises:
receiving, at the UE, a page for the voice call from a WWAN.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the voice call comprises a global system for mobile communications (GSM) voice call.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
terminating a voice call for the second SIM; and
switching from operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a first period while the first SIM is in a first SIM active mode to operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during a second period while the first SIM is in a first SIM standby mode.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM standby mode comprises:
operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM during the second period while the first SIM is in the first SIM standby mode.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM comprises:
operating the WLAN transceiver to support a second SIM active mode, regardless of a first SIM active mode.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WLAN transceiver to support a second SIM standby mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein selectively operating the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM further comprises:
operating the WWAN transceiver to support a second SIM standby mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM active mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode comprises:
processing, with a receive chain of the WLAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM; and
processing, with a transmit chain of the WWAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein operating the WLAN transceiver to support the second SIM active mode, regardless of the first SIM active mode comprises:
processing, with a receive chain of the WWAN transceiver, a first signal received at the UE from a WWAN for the second SIM; and
processing, with a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver, a second signal to be transmitted from the UE to the WWAN for the second SIM.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the first SIM has switched from a first SIM standby mode to a first SIM active mode; and
switching from operating the WWAN transceiver to support the second SIM to operating one of a receive chain or a transmit chain of the WLAN transceiver

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Song Bongyong
• Das Soumya
• Soliman Samir Salib

Classifications

• H04W88/06 Primary

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

• H04W68/02

  Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W60/005 Primary

  Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming · CPC title

• H04B1/406

  with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes · CPC title