Method and system for collocated IEEE 802.11 B/G WLAN, and BT with FM in coexistent operation

Abstract

A method and system for collocated IEEE 802.11 b / g WLAN, and Bluetooth (BT) with FM in coexistent operation are provided. A single chip comprising an integrated BT radio and an integrated FM radio in a coexistence station may generate a priority signal to disable WLAN transmissions in a WLAN radio when a BT HV3 frame is available for transmission. When the priority signal is asserted, an exponentially growing retransmission backoff mechanism in the WLAN radio may be disabled. Moreover, when the BT radio and the WLAN radio are enabled for coexistence operation, a WLAN fragmentation threshold in the WLAN radio may be modified based on a WLAN modulation rate and the BT HV3 frame duration. An on-chip processor that time multiplexes FM and Bluetooth data processing may be utilized to control the BT radio operation and the FM radio operation in the single chip.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS / INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 143,559 (Attorney Docket No. 16039US02), filed Jun. 2, 2005, which makes reference to, claims priority to, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 600,394 (Attorney Docket No. 16039US01) filed Aug. 9, 2004. [0002] This application also makes reference to: [0003] U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 143,378 (Attorney Docket No. 16040US02) filed Jun. 2, 2005; [0004] U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 16663US02) filed on even date herewith; [0005] U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17106US02) filed on even date herewith; [0006] U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17107US02) filed on even date herewith; [0007] U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17108US02) filed on even date herewith; [0008] U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket N...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a way to have two different types of wireless networks, Bluetooth and WLAN, work together in the same area. This can be useful for people who need to use both types of networks simultaneously. The invention allows for seamless operation and reduces interference between the two networks."

Problems solved by technology

While the ISM band provides a suitable low-cost solution for many of short-range wireless applications, it may also have some drawbacks when multiple users operate simultaneously.

Multiple active users may also result in significant interference between operating devices.

Moreover, in some instances, microwave ovens may also operate in this frequency spectrum and may produce significant interference or blocking signals that may affect Bluetooth and / or WLAN transmissions.

When operating a Bluetooth radio and a WLAN radio in, for example, a wireless device, at least two different types of interference effects may occur.

First, when an interfering signal is present in a transmission medium along with the signal-of-interest, a low signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (SINR) may result.

In this instance, for example, a Bluetooth signal may interfere with a WLAN signal or a WLAN signal may interfere with a Bluetooth signal.

As a result, one radio may desensitize the front-end of the other radio upon transmission.

Moreover, since Bluetooth employs transmit power control, the collocated Bluetooth radio may step up its power level when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the Bluetooth link is low, effectively compromising the front-end isolation between radio devices even further.

The saturation may result in a reduction in sensitivity or desensitization of the receiver portion of a radio front-end, which may reduce the radio front-end's ability to detect and demodulate the desired signal.

When the isolation between collocated radio devices is low, collisions between WLAN communication and Bluetooth communication, due to greater levels of mutual interference than if the isolation were high, may result in a slowdown of the WLAN communication, as the access point does not acknowledge packets.

Moreover, this approach may also starve other Bluetooth packet traffic of any communication access.

Even when frequency division multiplexing techniques are applied, significant interference may still occur because a strong signal in a separate channel may still act as a blocking signal and may desense the radio front-end receiver, that is, increase the receiver's noise floor to the point that the received signal may not be clearly detected.

Due to high-volume, low-cost nature of WLAN and BT radio chips, the more expensive Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filtering devices that may filter out blocking signals from nearby channels are not generally utilized and collocated WLAN / Bluetooth radio device interference remains a concern in WPAN applications.

The PTA may then deny a communication request that would result in collision or interference.

These techniques may result in some transmission inefficiencies or in the need of additional hardware features in order to achieve better coexistent operation.

However, polling the Bluetooth radio device may have to be performed on a fairly constant basis and may detract the WLAN radio device from its own WLAN communication operations.

However, integrating multiple audio communication technologies and supporting coexistence may be a complex and costly approach.

Moreover, coordinating the reception and / or transmission of data to and / or from the portable electronic device or a wireless device may require significant processing overhead that may impose certain operation restrictions and / or design challenges

Furthermore, simultaneous use of a plurality of radios in a handheld may result in significant increases in power consumption.

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