Radio apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9591658-B2
Application number	US-201414574575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Jan 29, 2009
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A radio apparatus includes a first transceiver arranged to receive and transmit packets according to a first protocol, and a second transceiver arranged to receive or transmit packets according to a second, different protocol, wherein the second transceiver is located such that there is the possibility of interference between packets of the first and second protocols. An analyzer unit determines a probability that a packet to be transmitted or received by the first transceiver does not contain only redundant information; and a decision unit makes a decision based on the determined probability as to whether or not the packet should be respectively transmitted or received. The first transceiver is arranged to respectively transmit or receive the packet or not according to the decision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio apparatus comprising:
a first transceiver arranged to receive and transmit packets according to a first protocol;
a second transceiver arranged to receive packets according to a second, different protocol, the second transceiver being located such that interference is possible between packets of the first and second protocols;
a third transceiver arranged to receive packets; and
at least one hardware processing unit configured to detect the presence of non-redundant information in packets received at the third transceiver,
determine a probability that a packet to be received by the first transceiver does not contain only redundant information based on whether the presence of non-redundant information is detected in the packets received at the third transceiver, wherein the determined probability is low when there is a detection of non-redundant packets, and the determined probability is high when there is a detection of only redundant packets, and
make a decision based on the determined probability as to whether or not the packet should be received by the first transceiver; wherein the first transceiver is arranged to receive the packet or not according to the decision.

2. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to, if the determined probability is high, make a decision that the packet should be received by the first transceiver.

3. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising non-volatile memory for storing one or more criteria defining whether information is redundant or non-redundant, wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to determine the probability by means of the stored one or more criteria.

4. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to operate a voice activity detection unit to detect the presence of voice data in packets received at the third transceiver and determine the probability in dependence on whether the presence of voice data is detected or not and to thereby determine a low probability for a packet to be received if voice data is detected and a high probability for a packet to be received if only redundant information is detected.

5. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to operate a non-voice audio activity detection unit to detect the presence of non-voice audio data in packets received at the third transceiver and determine the probability in dependence on whether the presence of non-voice audio data is detected or not and to thereby determine a low probability for a packet to be received if non-voice audio data is detected and a high probability for a packet to be received if only redundant information is detected.

6. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to detect the absence of packets at the third transceiver and to thereby determine a high probability for a packet to be received if an absence is detected.

7. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third transceiver is different from the second transceiver and is arranged to receive packets according to a third protocol.

8. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to allocate a receiving priority to a packet based on the determined probability and make the decision based on the allocated priority.

9. A radio apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the second transceiver is further arranged to request the hardware processing unit to allocate a receiving priority to packets, and allocate a receiving priority to the packets based on receiving priorities of other packets.

10. A radio apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to inform the second transceiver of the receiving priority of packets and wherein the second transceiver is further arranged to receive packets according to their allocated priority.

11. A radio apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to allocate a receiving priority to a packet, and allocate a priority to the packet based on receiving priorities of other packets.

12. A radio apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the hardware processing unit is configured to allocate receiving priorities of packets based on other information including at least one of:
type of data carried in packet; size of packet; amount of data in packet; signal strengths in the first and second protocols; throughput requirement of message of which the packet forms a part; number of packets of the message of which the packet forms part; number of packets awaiting reception; processing status of previously-received packets; position of packet in a message; and priority pre-assigned to packet.

13. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processing unit is further configured to:
allocate receiving and/or transmission priorities to packets of the first protocol for the first transceiver; and
allocate receiving priorities to packets of the second protocol for the second transceiver, wherein hardware processing unit informs each of the first transceiver and the second transceiver of all the allocated priorities.

14. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an antenna to receive packets from the first and second transceiver and to transmit the packets, and wherein the first and second transceiver are arranged to send packets to the antenna according to priorities of packets and/or the decision.

15. A radio apparatus, comprising:
a first transceiver arranged to receive and transmit packets according to a first protocol;
a second transceiver arranged to receive packets according to a second, different protocol, the second transceiver being located such that interference is possible between packets of the first and second protocols, wherein the second transceiver is additionally arranged to determine an indication of a signal quality of packets received according to the second protocol;
non-volatile memory storing information relating to characteristics of signals of the first protocol; and
at least one hardware processing unit configured to:
determine a probability that a packet to be received by the first transceiver does not contain only redundant information;
compare the indication to the stored information to determine a likelihood of interference between signals of the first and second protocols,
make a decision based on the determined probability and based on the determined likelihood as to whether or not the packet should be received by the first transceiver;

wherein the first transceiver is arranged to receive the packet or not according to the decision.

16. A radio apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the indication comprises one or more of: received signal strength; received signal frequency: and error rate of received signal.

17. A radio apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the non-volatile memory stores further information relating to characteristics of signals of the second protocol and the hardware processing unit is configured to determine the likelihood of interference based on the stored further information.

18. A radio apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the stored information and further information comprise one or more of: minimum desirable signal strengths; modelled interference behaviour of the first and second radio signals; and working frequency ranges of the first and second radio signals.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Technologies Int Ltd

Inventors

• Thoukydides Alexander

Classifications

• H04W72/569

  of the traffic information · CPC title

• H04W72/541 Primary

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• H04W88/06

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

• H04W72/1242

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W72/082 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic