Dynamic switching between shared and time division multiplexed access wireless medium based on channel quality

Abstract

If the selected first wireless channel is above a certain quality, the device can have collocated communication circuitry and operate in a parallel mode, and if the selected first wireless channel is below the certain quality, the device can operate in a time division (TD) mode. The parallel mode can include using the first channel for the first protocol that does not overlap with a second channel used by the second protocol. The TD mode can include a first time period in which the first protocol uses the first channel that overlaps with the second channel while the second protocol is inactive, and a second time period in which the first protocol is inactive and the second protocol is active.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to wireless systems, and more specifically to wireless systems having collocated devices that can communicate according to different protocols that can share a wireless medium. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the allocation of bandwidth among different wireless circuits on the same device using conventional methods. One wireless circuit may operate according to the 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11 standard (WLAN 2.4), while another may operate according to the Bluetooth (BT) standard and / or the BT Low Energy standard (BT / BLE). Such a device can be considered a BT / WLAN “coexistence” or combined device. WLAN 2.4 can operate on multiple different overlapping 22 MHz channels, shown as CH1 to CH14. CH1, located at one end of the WLAN spectrum, may have a center frequency of 2.412 GHz. CH14, located at the other end of the WLAN spectrum, may have a center frequency of 2.484 GHz.

[0003] The BT / BLE circuitry can adaptively hop frequencies (AFH) between 2.402 GHz and 2.481 GHz on either a 1 MHz (BT) or 2 MHz (BLE) channel. Therefore, WLAN channels CH1 through CH14 may partially overlap with the BT / BLE channels. Consequently, the WLAN 2.4 channel may interfere with BT / BLE operation. Furthermore, the BT / BLE circuitry can monitor the quality of the BT / BLE channels to avoid low-quality channels. Therefore, in the normal operation of a device with co-located BT / BLE and WLAN circuitry, the AFH operation of the BT / BLE circuitry will not use low-quality BT / BLE channels or BT / BLE channels overlapping with WLAN channels.

[0004] Using BT / BLE channels that avoid overlap with active WLAN channels can provide sufficient performance for coexisting devices, provided the 2.4 GHz band is sufficiently free from other interference. However, this is often not the case. In the congested 2.4 GHz band, multiple BT / BLE channels that do not overlap with WLAN channels may be used by other devices, resulting in lower quality. Therefore, the number of available non-overlapping BT / BLE channels can sometimes be less than the minimum required for AFH (Automatic Flow Hierarchy), leading to delayed BT / BLE operation.

[0005] For co-located devices with overlapping transmission channels, it is desirable to find a way to improve the availability of the transmission medium. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the combined device according to an embodiment.

[0007] Figures 2A to 2C It is shown that, according to an embodiment, it is similar to Figure 1 A graph showing the frequency band activity of the device.

[0008] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an IEEE 802.11 wireless (WLAN)-Bluetooth (BT / BLE) combo device according to an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of a WLAN-BT / BLE combined device according to another embodiment.

[0010] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the encoded BT channel quality values ​​according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figures 6A to 6D This is a diagram illustrating the frequency band operation of a WLAN-BT / BLE combined device according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a method for switching between parallel mode and time-division (TD) mode of accessing a frequency band according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method for switching between parallel mode and time-based TD mode for a WLAN-BT / BLE combined device based on BT channel quality, according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 9 This is a diagram of the combined device according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figures 10A to 10D This is a diagram of a system according to other embodiments.

[0016] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the typical use of the 2.4 GHz band by a conventional WLAN-BT combination device. Detailed Implementation

[0017] According to embodiments, the system and device can operate according to different wireless protocols with overlapping bandwidths. A first circuit operating according to a first protocol can frequency hopping between multiple first channels, some of which may overlap with a larger second channel. A second circuit operating according to a second protocol can operate across second channels. Operation can dynamically switch between a first (e.g., parallel coexistence) and a second (e.g., time division coexistence, TD) operating mode.

[0018] In the first operating mode, the first circuit can avoid overlapping with the second channel during frequency hopping, while the second circuit can use the second channel. In the second operating mode, operation can be divided into a first time slot and a second time slot. In the first time slot, the second circuit can operate across the second channel, while the first circuit does not operate on the first channel. In the second time slot, the first circuit can use those first channels that overlap with the second channel, and the second circuit does not operate across the second channel.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first circuitry can monitor the quality of the first channel. If the quality of the first channel is below a predetermined level in the first mode, the device can switch to a second mode. If the quality of the first channel is above the predetermined level in the second mode, the device can switch back to the first mode. In some embodiments, there may be hysteresis when switching between modes based on quality levels.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first circuit may be a Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BT / BLE) compatible circuit, and the second circuit may include an IEEE 802.11 wireless compatible circuit (e.g., WLAN) operating in the 2.4 GHz band.

[0021] In the various embodiments described below, the same items are represented by the same reference characters, but the leading numbers correspond to the drawing numbers. Unless otherwise stated, as used herein, the term "BT" is understood to include BLE.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a combined device 100 according to an embodiment. Device 100 may include different communication circuits juxtaposed within the same device. Combined device 100 may include a control circuit 102, a first communication circuit 104, a second communication circuit 106, and a radio circuit 108. The first communication circuit 104 may be a wireless communication circuit compatible with a first protocol. The first communication circuit 104 may include a mode control unit 104-0 and a first channel list 104-1. The mode control unit 104-0 can switch between a first (e.g., parallel coexistence) mode and a second (e.g., time-division coexistence (TD)) mode. In the first mode, the first communication circuit 104 may frequency hop among a set of first channels that do not overlap with the second channel. In the second mode, the first communication circuit 104 may operate in a time-division manner. In a first time slot, the first communication circuit 104 does not operate on the first channel. In a second time slot, the first communication circuit 104 may use the first channel that overlaps with the second channel during frequency hopping. In some embodiments, the first and second time slots may vary depending on traffic volume. The first channel list 104-1 can maintain one or more lists of the first channels to be used in frequency hopping operations.

[0023] The second communication circuit 106 may include a mode control unit 106-0 that can switch between a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first mode, the second communication circuit 106 can operate across the second channel. In the second mode, during the first time slot, the second communication circuit 106 can operate across the second channel. During the second time slot, the second communication circuit 105 does not operate on the second channel.

[0024] The control circuit 102 may include a first channel quality unit 102-0 and a mode selection unit 102-1. The first channel quality unit 102-0 can monitor the quality of a first channel. This monitoring may include any suitable quality metric, including but not limited to packet error rate and / or error code checking (e.g., CRC). The mode selection unit 102-1 can dynamically switch between a first operating mode and a second operating mode based on the quality value of the first channel. In some embodiments, while the device 100 operates in the first mode, the mode selection unit 102-1 can monitor the quality of the first channel used by the first communication circuit 104. If such quality is below a predetermined level, the device 100 can switch to the second operating mode. While the device 100 operates in the second mode, the mode selection unit 102-1 can monitor the quality of the first channel used by the first communication circuit 104. If such quality rises above a certain level, the device 100 can switch back to the first operating mode.

[0025] Radio circuit 108 can transmit data according to first and second protocols. In a particular embodiment, radio circuit 108 can enable the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit to share a common frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz).

[0026] In a particular embodiment, the first communication circuit 104 may be a BT / BLE compatible circuit and the second communication circuit 106 may be an IEEE 802.11 wireless compatible circuit.

[0027] In some embodiments, device 100 may be a single integrated circuit device.

[0028] Figures 2A to 2C It is shown as follows Figure 1 The diagram shows the operation of the coexistence device. Figures 2A to 2C The diagram illustrates the channels used by different protocols and how channel availability varies depending on the operating mode. Figures 2A to 2C A first channel 212, which can be used for the first protocol (PROTOCOL1), and a second channel 214, which can be used for the second protocol (PROTOCOL2), are shown. Furthermore, channels are indicated as 210-0 (no hash) available for the protocol, 210-1 (sparse hash) indicating low quality and therefore not used by the protocol, and 210-2 (dense hash) inactive (due to the operating mode).

[0029] Figure 2A Operation in "advanced parallel coexistence" (hereinafter referred to as "parallel") mode is illustrated. The second protocol can operate on the second channel 214. The first protocol can operate on the first channel, excluding those first channels that overlap with the second channel 212' and low-quality first channels.

[0030] Figure 2B The operation in TD mode during the first time slot (TD0) is illustrated. The second protocol can operate on the second channel 214. The first protocol will not operate on any of the first channels 212'.

[0031] Figure 2C Operation in TD mode during the second time slot (TD1) is illustrated. The second protocol will not operate on the second channel 214. The first protocol can operate on the first channel, excluding low-quality first channels but including those first channels that overlap with the second channel 212'.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a combined device 300 according to another embodiment. In some embodiments, device 300 may be... Figure 1 One implementation is shown. The combined device 300 may include a controller circuit 302, a BT communication circuit 304, a WLAN communication circuit 306, a radio circuit 308, and an input / output (I / O) circuit 322.

[0033] The BT communication circuit 304 can be a circuit compatible with BT standards (including BLE). The BT communication circuit 304 may include a BT operation unit 304-2 and a BT radio control circuit 304-5. The BT operation unit 304-2 may include a mode control unit 304-0, a BT channel control unit 304-3, and an adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) unit 304-4. The mode control unit 304-0 can operate the BT communication circuit 304 in parallel mode and TD mode. In parallel mode, BT communication can coexist with WLAN operation. However, BT channels overlapping with the currently used WLAN channels are excluded from BT operation. In TD mode, BT communication does not occur in the first time slot but in the second time slot. Furthermore, in the second time slot, BT channels overlapping with WLAN are included in the BT operation. In some embodiments, the first and second time slots can vary according to traffic volume and BT channel quality. That is, in TD mode, the device 300 can dynamically switch between the first and second time slots.

[0034] The BT channel control unit 304-3 can control which channels are used for AFH operation. In some embodiments, the BT channel control unit 304-3 can identify and indicate which BT channels overlap with selected WLAN channels, and indicate that such channels are not used in parallel mode, but such channels can be indicated as usable in TD mode during BT activity time slots. The AFH unit 304-4 can use the available BT channels to perform AFH operation for communication according to the BT standard. In some embodiments, the AFH unit 304-4 can also monitor the quality of each BT channel according to the BT standard and generate a BT quality value indicating the BT channel quality standard. The BT radio control circuit 304-5 generates packets for transmission according to the BT standard and processes received packets according to the BT standard.

[0035] The WLAN communication circuit 306 can operate according to one or more IEEE 802.11 wireless standards. The WLAN communication circuit 306 may include a WLAN operation unit 306-1 and a WLAN radio control circuit 306-2. The WLAN operation unit 306-1 may include a mode control unit 306-0 and a WLAN channel selection unit 306-3. The mode control unit 306-0 can operate the WLAN communication circuit 306 in parallel mode and TD mode. In parallel mode, WLAN communication can occur through a selected WLAN channel and can coexist with BT operation. In TD mode, WLAN communication can occur in a first time slot but not in a second time slot. The WLAN channel selection unit 306-3 can select a WLAN channel for operation from a plurality of possible overlapping WLAN channels in the 2.4 GHz band. In some embodiments, the WLAN channel can be selected dynamically based on the operating environment. However, in other embodiments, the WLAN channel can be selected through configuration commands (e.g., larger system or operator). The WLAN radio control circuit 306-2 generates packets for transmission according to the WLAN standard and processes packets received according to the WLAN standard.

[0036] Controller circuitry 302 can control the operation of combined device 300, including switching between parallel operation mode and TD operation mode. In some embodiments, controller circuitry 302 may include processor unit 316 and associated memory unit 318. Processor unit 316 may include one or more processors that execute instructions for various operations. Such operations may include mode switching based on BT channel quality determined by AFH unit 304-4. In some embodiments, mode switching 302-0 may include monitoring the number of BT channels with quality above a predetermined threshold and excluding those BT channels that overlap with selected WLAN channels (i.e., non-overlapping BT channels). In parallel mode, if the number of quality non-overlapping BT channels (i.e., BT channels with quality above the threshold) is below a limit, mode switching 302-0 may switch device 300 to TD mode, which may allow BT communication circuitry 304 to use overlapping BT channels in BT activity time slots. In TD mode, if the number of quality non-overlapping BT channels is above a limit, mode switching 302-0 may switch device 300 to parallel mode, which may prevent BT communication circuitry 304 from using overlapping BT channels. In some embodiments, the switching limit may be different. Furthermore, the evaluation of BT channels may require multiple samples, which can lead to lag when switching between modes.

[0037] The memory unit 318 may include any suitable memory circuit type, including non-volatile memory and / or volatile memory. The memory unit 318 may store any suitable data for the operation of the device 300, including instructions executable by the processor unit 316. In some embodiments, the memory unit 316 may store a channel map 320-0. The channel map 320-0 maps WLAN channels to BT channels to identify overlapping BT channels based on the selected WLAN channel. The memory unit 318 may also store a limit value 320-1. The limit value 320-1 may include a quality limit threshold that controls when the device 300 switches between parallel and TD modes. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller circuitry 302 may include a processor and a memory unit (316 / 318); however, any other suitable circuitry may be employed, including dedicated logic (fixed or programmable).

[0038] Radio circuit 308 may include circuitry for transmission in at least a 2.4 GHz band in accordance with BT standards and one or more IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0039] I / O circuitry 322 enables control of the combination device 300 from an external source. I / O circuitry 322 may include circuitry for communicating with the combination device 300 using any suitable method. Such methods may include any of a variety of serial data communication standards / methods, including but not limited to: Serial Digital Interface (SDI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), etc. 2 C or I 2 S.

[0040] Although Figure 3 A combined device including WLAN communication circuitry and BT communication circuitry is illustrated; other embodiments may include any other suitable communication circuitry. As an example only, the combined device may include communication circuitry compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard (i.e., Zigbee), which is juxtaposed with the WLAN communication circuitry and / or BT communication circuitry.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of a combination device 400 according to another embodiment. In some embodiments, the combination device 400 may be... Figure 1 Implementations of any of the devices shown in Figure 3. The combined device 400 may include a BT unit 404 and a WLAN unit 406. The BT unit 404 may include a processor unit 416-0, a memory unit 418-0, a BT control circuit 404-2, a media control circuit 426, a first I / O circuit 422-0, and a BT RF circuit 408-0. The processor unit 416-0 may execute instructions for BT operation, including switching between parallel and TD modes 404-0, as described herein or equivalents. In some embodiments, the processor unit 416-0 may include an encoded and transmitted quality value 404-8. This operation may encode the number of non-overlapping high-quality BT channels as a low-bit value for transmission to the WLAN unit 406, and optionally, as a value for output from the device 400. The low-bit value may be a value not exceeding 8 bits, and preferably less than 8 bits. The memory unit 418-0 can store data for BT operation, including instructions executable by the processor unit 416-0 and a WLAN-to-BT channel mapping 420-0, so that overlapping BT channels can be determined for a given WLAN channel.

[0042] The BT control circuit 404-2 may include circuitry for performing functions according to one or more BT standards, including an AFH unit 404-4, which includes BT channel selection 404-6 and BT channel quality 404-7 determination. The BT channel selection 404-4 can select BT channels for the AFH. Such a BT AFH channel list will vary depending on the mode, wherein a parallel AFH set excludes overlapping BT channels, and a TD AFH set includes overlapping BT channels. The BT channel quality 404-7 can monitor the BT channels and generate quality values, or equivalents, as described herein.

[0043] The BT RF circuit 408-0 can be controlled by BT control circuitry and may include radio circuitry to enable packet transmission according to one or more BT standards. In the illustrated embodiment, the BT RF circuit 408-0 can drive the BT power amplifier (PA) 428B and receive input signals from the BT low-noise amplifier (LNA) 430B.

[0044] The media control circuit 426 can communicate with the WLAN unit 406 via the bridge 442 to control access to the transmission medium (e.g., the 2.4 GHz band). The first I / O circuit 422-0 can communicate with the combined device 400 according to any embodiment or equivalent described herein.

[0045] The processor unit 416-0, memory unit 418-0, BT control circuit 404-2, media control circuit 426 and first I / O circuit 422-0 can communicate on bus 424.

[0046] The WLAN unit 406 may include a processor unit 416-1, a memory unit 416-1, a second I / O circuit 422-1, an IEEE 802.11 circuit 444, a bridge control circuit 434, and a radio circuit 408-1. The processor unit 416-1 may execute instructions for WLAN operation, including switching between parallel and TD modes 406-0 and determining BT channel quality 402-0. Switching between parallel mode and TD mode 406-0 may include different operating modes and equivalent modes as described herein. In some embodiments, determining BT channel quality 402-0 may include receiving a low-bit coding quality value from the BT unit 404 and comparing such a value with one or more limits. The memory unit 418-1 may store data for WLAN operation and may also include data for mode switching operations, including quality limit values ​​420-1 (i.e., limits that can be compared with low-bit coding quality values).

[0047] The second I / O circuit 422-1 can enable communication with the combined device 400 or equivalent according to any embodiment described herein, including communication with the BT unit 404 via bridge 442. Bridge control circuit 434 can control communication between the BT unit 404 and the WLAN unit 406 via bridge 442.

[0048] The IEEE 802.11 circuit 444 may include circuitry for performing functions according to one or more IEEE 802.11 wireless standards, including those operating in the 2.4 GHz band. In some embodiments, this may include IEEE 802.11 compliant Media Access Control (MAC) layer circuitry 444-0 and IEEE 802.11 compliant Physical Interface Layer (PHY) circuitry 444-1.

[0049] Radio circuit 408-1 may include a multi-band radio circuit that transmits and receives data on one or more WLAN bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz). In the illustrated embodiment, radio circuit 408-1 may drive 2.4 GHz band PA428-2 and 5 GHz band PA 428-5, and receive input signals from 2.4 GHz LNA 430-2 and 5 GHz LNA 430-5.

[0050] The combined device 400 may further include a Global Coexistence Interface (GCI) 440 connected to both the BT unit 404 and the WLAN unit 406. In some embodiments, the GCI enables the combined device to interface with other wireless systems, such as cellular network systems, including but not limited to 3G, 4G, LTE, and 5G networks. In some embodiments, operational values, including low-order BT channel quality values, can be accessed via the GCI.

[0051] The processor unit 416-1, the bridge control circuit 434, and the IEEE 802.11 circuit 444 can be connected via the backplane 432.

[0052] The combined device 400 can be connected to the antenna system 446. The antenna system 446 may include one or more physical antennas, and switches for implementing different connections to such antennas.

[0053] According to an embodiment, in order to facilitate transmission (from BT circuit to WLAN circuit) and / or evaluation (to achieve a predetermined quality limit), the quality value of the non-overlapping BT channel can be encoded into a low-bit quality value. Figure 5The low-order coding quality value according to one embodiment is shown. The quality value 548 can be a two-bit value representing four quality ranges for standard BT operation or BLE operation. The quality range can indicate how many non-overlapping BT channels are available (i.e., excluding BT channels overlapping with the selected WLAN channel and non-overlapping channels with error rates exceeding a predetermined limit). A first range corresponding to "00" can represent fewer than 20 available non-overlapping BT channels or fewer than 10 non-overlapping BLE channels. A second range corresponding to "01" can represent more than 20 available non-overlapping BT channels or more than 10 non-overlapping BLE channels. A third range corresponding to "10" can represent more than 40 available non-overlapping BT channels or more than 20 non-overlapping BLE channels. A fourth range corresponding to "11" can represent more than 60 available non-overlapping BT channels or more than 30 non-overlapping BLE channels.

[0054] Figure 5 The range and encoding represent one of many possible arrangements and should not be construed as restrictive. Encoding quality values ​​can be as small as one bit or as large as two bits.

[0055] Figures 6A to 6D This is a diagram illustrating the use of the 2.4 GHz band in different operating modes according to an embodiment. Figures 6A to 6D The WLAN band and the BT / BLE band are shown. Although Figures 6A to 6D A WLAN channel (CH9) is shown, but it is understood that different WLAN channels covering different parts of the frequency band can be used. Furthermore, the WLAN channel can change dynamically, in which case the set of overlapping BT channels will change accordingly.

[0056] Figure 6A Operation in parallel mode is illustrated. WLAN channel 614 can be used by WLAN circuitry. The BT channel may include an overlapping channel 612' and a low-quality channel 612X, both of which can be excluded in AFH operation.

[0057] Figure 6B This illustrates operation in parallel mode just before switching to TD mode. WLAN channel 614 can continue to be used by the WLAN circuitry. However, with... Figure 6A In contrast, the number of low-quality BT channels has increased significantly, causing the number of available BT channels 612A to drop below a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, such a threshold may be less than 20 channels for standard BT and less than 10 channels for BLE.

[0058] Figure 6COperation in TD mode during a single time slot (time slot 1, or BT active time slot) is illustrated. WLAN channel 614 can be inactive because it is rendered unavailable for WLAN circuitry. Overlapping BT channel 612', which is unavailable in parallel mode, is now available, along with... Figure 6B In comparison, the number of BT channels used for AFH operation has been significantly increased.

[0059] Figure 6D Operation in TD mode is illustrated during another time slot (time slot 0, or the WLAN active time slot). WLAN channel 614 can be used by the WLAN circuitry. All BT channels may be unavailable for AFH operation. As described herein, time slots can have dynamic durations that vary depending on traffic volume and / or BT channel availability (just two out of many possible examples).

[0060] While the described apparatus and figures have disclosed various methods according to embodiments, additional methods will be described with reference to flowchart illustrations. Figure 7 This is a flowchart of method 750 according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, method 750 may be performed by a combination device, such as the combination device or equivalent described herein.

[0061] Method 750 may include resetting the count value (CNT1 / 2) 750-0. This action may include resetting the count value used to establish hysteresis during mode switching, as will be described in more detail. Method 750 may begin in parallel mode 750-1. In parallel mode, the device may operate as described herein or equivalently, including wireless communication of a first protocol hopping between first channels, and wireless communication of a second protocol on a second channel greater than the first channel, wherein the first channel does not overlap with the second channel.

[0062] Method 750 may generate a channel quality value 750-2. Such an action may include determining the quality values ​​of a plurality of first channels that do not overlap with a larger second channel. In some embodiments, this may include generating coded values ​​or equivalents as described herein. The channel quality value may be compared with a first limit (Limit1) 750-3. Such an action may include determining whether there are sufficient first channels to perform the desired frequency hopping algorithm. If the channel quality remains sufficiently high (No from 750-3), method 750 may reset the count value (CNT1) 750-4 and return to generate another channel quality value 750-2.

[0063] If the channel quality is below the limit (yes from 750-3), method 750 can increment the count value (CNT1) 750-6. The count value can be compared with the count limit (CNT1Limit) 750-6. If the count value is below the count limit (no from 750-6), method 750 can return to generate another channel quality value 750-2. If the count value is above the count limit (yes from 750-6), method 750 can switch to TD mode 750-7. Thus, if the channel quality is below a certain threshold for a predetermined amount of time (determined by CNT1Limit), the device can switch from parallel mode to TD mode.

[0064] In TD mode, the device can operate as described herein, or equivalently. This may include, in a first time slot, communication of the first protocol including the first channel overlapping with the second channel, without communication of the second protocol. In a second time slot, communication of the second protocol may occur without communication of the first protocol.

[0065] Also in TD mode, method 750 can generate a channel quality value 750-8. This channel quality value can be compared to a second limit (Limit2) 750-9. If the channel quality remains sufficiently low (No from 750-9), method 750 can reset the count value (CNT2) 750-10 and return to generate another channel quality value 750-8. If the count value is higher than the count limit (Yes from 750-9), the method can increment the count value CNT2 750-11. The count value can be compared to the count limit (CNT2Limit) 750-12. If the count value is lower than the count limit (No from 750-12), method 750 can return to generate another channel quality value 750-8. If the count value is higher than the count limit (Yes from 750-12), method 750 can return to 750-0 to reset the count limit value and return to parallel mode 750-1.

[0066] The count value (CNT1 / 2) can introduce hysteresis during the handover between parallel mode and TD mode. In some embodiments, the count value (CNT1 / 2) can be the same. However, in other embodiments, the count value (CNT1 / 2) can be different. In some embodiments, the quality limit values ​​(Limit1, Limit2) can be the same (e.g., 25% of the total number of available first channels). However, in other embodiments, the quality limit values ​​can be different.

[0067] Figure 8This is a flowchart of method 850 according to another embodiment. Method 850 may include selecting a WLAN channel 850-0. Such action may include a device selecting one of a plurality of WLAN channels in the 2.4 GHz band for WLAN communication. Method 850 may also include a BT channel 850-1 being monitored. Such action may include BT circuitry monitoring the quality of the BT channel and determining whether any BT channel is of low quality.

[0068] Method 850 may further include establishing an AFH set (AFH set (parallel)) for parallel mode operation, which includes all BT channels minus overlapping BT channels (i.e., BT channels overlapping with selected WLAN channels) and low-quality BT channels 850-2. The parallel mode AFH set may be compared to a minimum value 850-3. The minimum value may be a minimum number of BT channels, depending on standards and / or quality / reliability requirements. In some embodiments, the quality value may be 20 BT channels (or 10 BLE channels). In some embodiments, such operation may include some hysteresis.

[0069] If the parallel mode AFH exceeds the limit (as in 850-3), the device operates according to the parallel mode 850-4. In parallel mode, the WLAN circuit can use the selected WLAN channel, and the coexisting BT circuit can use the parallel AFH set 850-5. Method 850 can continue to monitor the quality of the BT channel, update the BT channel quality 850-6, and then return to re-evaluate the quality of the parallel AFH set 850-3.

[0070] If the parallel mode AFH is below the limit (No in 850-3), the device can switch to TD mode 850-7. In TD mode, the AFH set can be updated. The AFH set used for TD mode operation (AFH set (TD)) can include all BT channels minus the low-quality BT channels 850-8 (i.e., it can include overlapping BT channels). In TD mode, operation 850-9 can include operation during the first time slot (slot 0) and the second time slot (slot 1). In the first time slot, the WLAN circuit can use the WLAN channel for operation, while the BT operation of the coexisting device can be inactive 850-10. In the second time slot, operation on the WLAN channel can be inactive, while the coexisting BT circuit can use the TD AFH set 850-11. Method 850 can continue to monitor and update the quality of the BT channels 850-12.

[0071] In TD mode, the set of parallel mode AFH can be compared with a minimum value 850-13. The minimum value can be the same as or different from the minimum value used in 850-3. In some embodiments, the minimum value can be 20 available BT channels (or 10 available BLE channels). Furthermore, such an action may include some hysteresis. If the parallel mode AFH exceeds the limit (yes from 850-13), method 850 can return to parallel mode 850-4. If the parallel mode AFH is below the limit (no from 850-13), the device can continue TD operation 850-8.

[0072] Although the device embodiments can take any suitable form, some embodiments may advantageously be a compact single integrated circuit (i.e., a chip). Figure 9 A single-chip combination device 900 packaged according to such an embodiment is shown. However, it should be understood that the combination device may include any other suitable integrated circuit package type, as well as direct bonding of the combination device chip to a circuit board or substrate. The combination device 900 may include a first communication circuit and a second communication circuit, which may share a frequency band and dynamically switch between parallel mode and TD mode, as described herein, or equivalents.

[0073] refer to Figures 10A to 10D Various other systems according to embodiments are illustrated in a series of figures. Figure 10A A handheld computing device 1060A is shown. The handheld computing device 1060A may include a combined device 1000A that can provide connectivity via two different protocols that operate in the same frequency band and can dynamically switch between a parallel operation mode and a TD operation mode (as described herein, or equivalents).

[0074] Figure 10B A vehicle 1060B according to an embodiment is illustrated. The vehicle 1060B may have a number of subsystems, including a communication subsystem 1062. In some embodiments, the communication subsystem 1062 enables the vehicle to provide WiFi communication (WLAN) and allows other devices to pair with the system via Bluetooth. The communication subsystem 1062 may include a combination device 1000B or equivalent as described herein, to serve as an access point or part of an access point. In such an arrangement, when the number of BT channels available for AFH operation falls below a threshold, the combination device 1000B can dynamically switch to TD mode to provide greater reliability for Bluetooth communication.

[0075] Figure 10CRouter device 1060C is shown. Router device 1060C can provide routing functionality according to the IEEE 802.11 wireless protocol, while also enabling access via shorter-range protocols (e.g., Bluetooth). Router device 1060C may include combined device 1000C or equivalent as described herein.

[0076] Figure 10D Human-Machine Interface (HID) device 1060D is shown. HID 1060D enables a person to interact with or control other devices and should not be construed as being limited to any particular HID. As several of many possible examples, HID 1060D can control computing systems, manufacturing equipment, or other systems. HID 1060D may include combination device 1000D or equivalent as described herein.

[0077] It should be understood that throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, it should be emphasized and understood that references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" two or more times in various parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics may be suitably combined in one or more embodiments of the invention.

[0078] Similarly, it should be understood that in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes combined together in their individual embodiments, figures, or descriptions in order to simplify the disclosure and aid in understanding one or more aspects of the invention. However, this method of disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, the inventive aspect lies in having fewer than all features in a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims appended to the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into that Detailed Description, wherein each claim is an independent embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for switching communication modes, comprising: Select a first group of first wireless channels, wherein the first group of first wireless channels does not overlap with the second wireless channel and has a quality higher than a predetermined threshold; If the number of first wireless channels in the first group exceeds a first limit, then operation is performed in a parallel mode, which includes: Wireless communication is performed according to a first protocol by hopping between the first wireless channels in the first group; and Wireless communication is performed across the second wireless channel according to the second protocol; and If the number of first wireless channels in the first group falls below a second limit during a first predetermined duration, the system switches from the parallel mode to a time-division (TD) mode, which includes: In the first TD time slot, wireless communication is performed according to the first protocol by hopping between the second set of first wireless channels, and communication is not performed according to the second protocol. The second set of first wireless channels includes the first set of first wireless channels and a first wireless channel overlapping with the second wireless channel. In the second TD time slot, wireless communication is performed according to the second protocol instead of the first protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first protocol is compatible with the Bluetooth standard; and The second protocol is compatible with the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard, which operates in the 2.4 GHz band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first protocol includes a maximum number of first wireless channels; and The first limit is not less than 30% of the maximum number of the first wireless channels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Generate a multi-bit value representing the number of first wireless channels in the first group, wherein each different multi-bit value represents a different range of the number of first wireless channels in the first group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: The maximum number of the first wireless channels is not less than twenty; and The multi-bit value has no more than eight bits.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The wireless communication according to the first protocol is performed through the operation of a first communication circuit of an integrated circuit device; and Wireless communication according to the second protocol is performed through the operation of a second communication circuit of the same integrated circuit device.

7. A device for switching communication modes, comprising: The first communication circuit is configured as follows: In parallel mode, a first group of first wireless channels is selected, and wireless communication is performed according to a first protocol by hopping between the first group of first wireless channels, wherein the first group of first wireless channels does not overlap with the second wireless channel and has a quality higher than a predetermined threshold. as well as In Time Division (TD) mode, a second group of first radio channels is selected, and wireless communication is performed according to the first protocol by hopping between the second group of first radio channels in the first time slot instead of the second time slot. The second group of first radio channels includes the first group of first radio channels and a first radio channel that overlaps with the second radio channel. as well as The second communication circuit is configured as follows: In the parallel mode, wireless communication is performed across the second wireless channel according to the second protocol; as well as In the TD mode, wireless communication is performed across the second wireless channel according to the second protocol in the second time slot instead of the first time slot; Among them, multiple first wireless channels overlap with second wireless channels. The device also includes: A quality circuit, configured to: monitor the quality of each of the first wireless channels; and The control circuit is configured to switch from the parallel mode to the TD mode in response to the number of the first wireless channels in the first group falling below a predetermined limit for a first predetermined duration.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The first communication circuit communicates according to at least one Bluetooth standard.

9. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The second communication circuit communicates according to at least one IEEE 802.11 wireless standard.

10. The device as claimed in claim 7, in, The control circuit is also configured to switch from the TD mode to the parallel mode in response to the number of the first wireless channels in the first group exceeding a predetermined limit for a second predetermined duration.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: A first radio circuit compatible with at least one Bluetooth standard, configured to drive an antenna system on either the first set of first wireless channels or the second set of first wireless channels; A second radio circuit, which is compatible with at least one IEEE 802.11 wireless standard operating in at least a 2.4 GHz band, is configured to drive the antenna system across at least the second wireless channel.

12. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The first communication circuit and the second communication circuit are part of the same integrated circuit device.

13. A system for switching communication modes, comprising: The first wireless device includes A first communication circuit is configured to hop frequencies between a first group of first wireless channels in parallel mode and between a second group of first wireless channels in time division multiplexing (TD) mode. as well as The second communication circuit is configured to transmit on the second wireless channel in both the parallel mode and the TD mode. in: The first wireless channel in the first group does not overlap with the second wireless channel and has a quality higher than a predetermined threshold. The second group of first wireless channels includes the first group of first wireless channels and a first wireless channel that overlaps with the second wireless channel; and In the TD mode, the first communication circuit communicates in the first time slot instead of the second time slot, and the second communication circuit communicates in the second time slot instead of the first time slot. The first wireless device further includes a control circuit configured to switch the first wireless device from the parallel mode to the TD mode in response to the number of the first wireless channels in the first group falling below a first limit for a first predetermined duration.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein: The first communication circuit is compatible with at least one Bluetooth standard; and The second communication circuit is compatible with at least one IEEE 802.11 wireless standard operating in at least the 2.4 GHz band.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising: The first communication circuit further includes at least one first power amplifier (PA) and at least one first low-noise amplifier (LNA); The second communication circuit also includes at least one second PA and at least one second LNA; as well as An antenna system coupled to the first PA and the second PA, as well as the first LNA and the second LNA.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein: The second wireless channel is selected from multiple frequency band channels of the first frequency band; and Each of the frequency band channels overlaps with at least a portion of the first wireless channel.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, The second communication circuit can also be configured to communicate on a channel in a second frequency band, wherein the second frequency band does not overlap with the first frequency band.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein, The control circuit is configured as follows: In response to the number of the first wireless channels in the first group exceeding a second limit for a second predetermined duration, the first wireless device is switched from the TD mode to the parallel mode.

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