RF collaboration method to reduce RF interference with wireless adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649560-B2
Application number	US-201514750021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Dec 23, 2004
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for preventing a wireless controller system and WiFi radio system within a game console from interfering with each other. Specifically, the WiFi system is adapted to avoid activating its transmitter during the controller receive times by detecting a signal sent to the WiFi module indicating where the controller receive times occur without an explicit signal indicative of the controller receive times.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory;
a microprocessor;
a first radio subsystem that transmits data to and receives data from a network infrastructure; and
a second radio subsystem that transmits data to and receives data from a wireless accessory during defined time slots that repeat over time, the first and second radio subsystems operating independently of each other; and
a radio frequency (RF) energy detection module that detects wireless transmissions of said second radio subsystem and autonomously generates, based on the detected wireless transmissions of said second radio subsystem, a frame timing signal that reflects the time slots in which data is transmitted and received by the second radio subsystem,
the frame timing signal generated by the RF energy detection module being used to control the timing of transmissions by said first radio subsystem to reduce interference between the first and second radio subsystems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a comparator that compares the transmissions from said second radio subsystem to said autonomously generated frame timing signal to adjust said autonomously generated frame timing signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first radio subsystem delays transmissions in accordance with said autonomously generated frame timing signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first radio subsystem and said second radio subsystem transmit in a same frequency band.

5. The console of claim 4 , wherein said first radio subsystem comprises a WiFi radio and said second radio subsystem comprises an Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) radio.

6. A method of collaboration between a first radio subsystem and a second radio subsystem in an apparatus, comprising:
generating a local timing signal provided to said first radio subsystem;
detecting transmissions of said second radio subsystem, the first and second radio subsystem operating independently of each other adjusting said local frame timing signal based on said detected wireless transmissions so that said local frame timing signal reflects defined time slots in which said second radio subsystem wirelessly transmits and receives information; and
controlling wireless output of said first radio subsystem in accordance with said local frame timing signal so that the wireless transmissions from the first radio subsystem do not interfere with the wireless transmissions of said second radio subsystem.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said first radio subsystem delays transmissions in accordance with said local frame timing signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said first radio subsystem and said second radio subsystem transmit in a same frequency band.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said second radio subsystem comprises an AFH radio, and wherein said generating step further comprises determining transmit and receive timeslots of said AFH radio from said detected transmissions.

10. The method of claim 9 , said delaying the output of said WiFi radio occurring during said transmit and receive timeslots of said AFH radio as reflected by the generated local frame timing signal.

11. A method of collaboration between a WiFi radio and an Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) radio both of which are disposed within an apparatus and both of which share frequency spectrum, the WiFi radio wirelessly transmitting information to and wirelessly receiving information from a wireless infrastructure, the AFH radio wirelessly transmitting information to and wirelessly receiving information from a wireless accessory of the apparatus, the method, comprising:
detecting, by a radio frequency (RF) detection module, wireless transmissions of said AFH radio to the wireless accessory device, the AFH radio and the WiFi radio operating independently of each other;
autonomously generating in response to the detected wireless transmissions, a local frame timing signal that reflects defined time slots in which the AFH radio wirelessly transmits and receives information;
adjusting said local frame timing signal based on said detected wireless transmissions to ensure that the local frame timing signal tracks the frame timing of the AFH radio; and
controlling said WiFi radio using the local frame timing signal so that wireless transmissions from said WiFi radio do not interfere with the wireless transmissions of said AFH radio, wherein controlling said WiFi radio comprises delaying wireless transmissions from said WiFi radio based on the local frame timing signal so that the WiFi radio transmissions do not occur during the transmit and receive time slots of the AFH radio reflected by the local frame timing signal.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Hall Paul W
• Russo David W

Classifications

• H04W72/541

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• A63F13/31 Primary

  Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range · CPC title

• A63F13/327 Primary

  using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet · CPC title

• A63F2300/534

  for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction · CPC title

• A63F2300/407

  Data transfer via internet · CPC title