Method and apparatus for temperature-based antenna selection

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for temperature-based antenna selection. The present disclosure relates to an electronic device having multiple antenna groups for data communication, which can determine the temperature of a first antenna group and determine the power gain of a second antenna group. In response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds a temperature threshold and the power gain of the second antenna group exceeds a gain threshold, the electronic device can communicate using the second antenna group. In some embodiments, the electronic device can receive a communication link preference, determine an antenna group that is located outside a thermal hotspot of the electronic device, and determine a beam that can achieve the communication link preference via the antenna group. The electronic device can then transmit or receive data via the antenna group by forming the beam.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications using electronic devices, and more particularly to techniques for selecting antennas of electronic devices for wireless communications.

[0002] An electronic device may include multiple antennas and / or multiple antenna groups disposed in different areas of the electronic device, and may use one or more of the antennas and / or antenna groups to transmit and / or receive data. However, the temperature of one or more of the antennas and / or antenna groups may increase over time during operation. When the temperature of one or more antennas and / or antenna groups becomes sufficiently high, the high temperature may reduce the lifespan of components and / or circuits of the electronic device, and / or the lifespan of one or more of the antennas and / or antenna groups themselves, which may degrade communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following describes a summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a concise summary of these specific embodiments, and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the present disclosure may encompass a number of aspects that may not be described below.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device that can select one or more antenna groups for data communication. The electronic device may include multiple antenna groups, transmit circuitry and receive circuitry communicatively coupled to the multiple antenna groups, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may communicate with a communication hub using at least one antenna group. The processing circuitry may switch from operating a first antenna group to operating a second antenna group for data communication with the communication hub based on the temperature and power gain of the antenna group. The processing circuitry may determine the temperature of the first antenna group and determine the power gain of the second antenna group for receiving data from the communication hub. In response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds a temperature threshold and the power gain of the second antenna group for receiving data from the communication hub exceeds a gain threshold, the processing circuitry may cause the transmit circuitry to communicate with the communication hub using the second antenna group.

[0005] Additional or alternative aspects of the present disclosure provide a method. The method may include, using at least one processor, determining one or more antenna groups having a temperature below a temperature threshold among a plurality of antenna groups of an electronic device, determining a power gain of the one or more antenna groups having a temperature below the temperature threshold when forming a beam, and forming a beam using the antenna group having the highest power gain among the one or more antenna groups.

[0006] Yet another additional or alternative aspect of the present disclosure provides a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive one or more communication link preferences to execute one or more software applications on an electronic device; and determine whether at least one antenna group of the electronic device is disposed outside one or more thermal hotspots of the electronic device. Furthermore, in response to determining that at least one antenna group of the electronic device is disposed outside one or more thermal hotspots of the electronic device, the instructions may cause the processor to determine whether data can be transmitted or received using the communication link preference via at least one antenna group beam. Furthermore, in response to determining that the beam can transmit or receive data using the communication link preference via at least one antenna group, the instructions may cause the processor to cause a transmitting circuit of the electronic device or a receiving circuit of the electronic device to transmit or receive data by forming a beam via at least one antenna group.

[0007] Various improvements to the above-described features may exist with respect to various aspects of the present invention. Other features may also be added to these various aspects. These improvements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For example, the various features associated with one or more of the illustrated embodiments discussed below may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present invention individually or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with the specific aspects and context of the disclosed embodiments and does not limit the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings described hereinafter, wherein like numerals refer to like parts.

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 Functional block diagram of an electronic device that can implement Figure 1 The components shown in and / or the circuits and / or components described in the following figures;

[0011] Figure 3A According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A perspective view of the electronic device relative to the front side, showing the relative positions of the antenna groups in the electronic device;

[0012] Figure 3B According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 a perspective view, relative to the top side, of an electronic device illustrating exemplary beams formed by different antenna groups of the electronic device;

[0013] Figure 4A According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 a perspective view of an electronic device that forms a beam to communicate with a base station;

[0014] Figure 4B is a power gain graph illustrating power gains of different antenna groups of an electronic device when forming different beams according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a process for selecting an antenna group for transmitting and / or receiving data based on temperature and power gain according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process of selecting antenna groups for transmitting and / or receiving data by grouping the antenna groups based on high power gain and low temperature according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a beam configuration management system for selecting antenna groups based on temperature and power gain to form beams for transmitting and / or receiving data according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a process for beam configuration management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A block diagram of a system for determining an antenna group for data transmission and / or reception based on link preferences and thermal hotspots of an electronic device; and

[0020] Figure 10 is a flow chart of a process of selecting an antenna group based on link preference and antenna group and hotspot information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In order to provide a brief description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as meeting system-related and business-related constraints that may vary from one implementation to another. In addition, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but it will still be a routine task of design, processing, and manufacturing for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0022] When introducing the elements of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a / an" and "the / said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprise", "comprising" and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements in addition to the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that reference to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the cited features. Furthermore, specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any appropriate manner. The use of the terms "roughly", "close to", "approximately" and / or "substantially" should be understood to mean including close to a target (e.g., design, value, amount), such as within the limits of any suitable or conceivable error (e.g., within 0.1% of a target, within 1% of a target, within 5% of a target, within 10% of a target, within 25% of a target, etc.).

[0023] The present disclosure relates to mitigating and / or preventing an antenna of an electronic device from operating at high temperatures to maintain or increase the lifespan of the electronic device and / or avoid degradation of communication quality when the antenna is in use. The electronic device may include multiple antenna groups, each of which may include one or more antennas disposed in different areas of the electronic device.

[0024] To mitigate and / or prevent the antenna groups from operating at high temperatures, the electronic device (e.g., one or more processors of the electronic device) may select, prioritize, and / or use antenna groups with lower temperatures (e.g., below a temperature threshold) to transmit and / or receive data. In some embodiments, the electronic device may ensure adequate or excellent antenna performance by first determining a set of antenna groups that have temperatures below a temperature threshold when forming a beam (e.g., in different directions); and selecting an antenna group from the set of antenna groups that has performance (e.g., power gain) above a threshold performance value (e.g., a threshold gain value) and / or has the highest performance (e.g., power gain).

[0025] For example, the electronic device can determine the temperature of each antenna group based on receiving temperature measurements associated with each respective antenna group, and compare the temperature to a temperature threshold to identify an antenna group having a low temperature. In some embodiments, the electronic device can compare the temperature of each antenna group to a different predetermined temperature threshold (e.g., based on the position of the respective antenna group in the electronic device, surrounding components in the electronic device relative to the respective antenna group, ambient temperature and / or other conditions near the respective antenna group, and / or empirical operating data of the respective antenna group).

[0026] To determine the performance of each antenna group (e.g., power gain, signal quality, signal-to-noise ratio, reference signal received power, reference signal received quality, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio, etc.), the electronic device may configure each antenna group with multiple test beam configurations corresponding to the multiple beams and determine the power gain of each antenna group for each beam.

[0027] In some embodiments, the electronic device may preferentially select an antenna group that is disposed outside a thermal hotspot of the electronic device for transmitting and / or receiving data. A thermal hotspot may include an area of ​​the electronic device that may exhibit an increased temperature rise due to operation of the antenna group at that location. That is, an antenna array at a thermal hotspot may experience an increased temperature rise during operation compared to the same antenna array operating at a non-thermal hotspot location. Thus, the electronic device may select an antenna group based on whether the antenna group is disposed outside a thermal hotspot and is capable of transmitting and / or receiving data at a data rate (e.g., throughput) requested by the electronic device (e.g., its software application).

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 10 may include, among other things, one or more processors 12 (collectively referred to herein as a single processor for convenience, which may be implemented as any suitable form of processing circuitry), memory 14, non-volatile storage 16, a display 18, input structures 20, an input / output (I / O) interface 22, a network interface 24, and a power supply 26. Figure 1 The various functional blocks shown in the drawings may include hardware elements (including circuits), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium), or a combination of both hardware and software elements.

[0029] The processor 12, memory 14, non-volatile storage device 16, display 18, input structure 20, input / output (I / O) interface 22, network interface 24 and / or power supply 26 can each be communicatively coupled to each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus and / or a network) to transmit and / or receive data between each other. It should be noted that Figure 1 It is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in electronic device 10 .

[0030] By way of example, electronic device 10 may comprise any suitable computing device, including a desktop or laptop computer (e.g., a computer available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California). Pro, MacBook mini or Mac ), a portable electronic device or a handheld electronic device such as a wireless electronic device, user equipment or a smart phone (e.g., in the form of a computer available from Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California models), tablet computers (e.g., in the form of the models), wearable electronic devices (e.g., in the form of Apple of the form) and other similar devices. It should be noted that Figure 1 The processor 12 and other related items in the ® processor may be generally referred to herein as “data processing circuitry.” Such data processing circuitry may be implemented in whole or in part in software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.

[0031] In addition, the processor 12 and Figure 1 The other related items in the may be single independent processing modules, or may be fully or partially incorporated into any of the other elements within the electronic device 10. The processor 12 may be implemented using a combination of a general purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, a dedicated hardware finite state machine, or any other suitable entity that can perform computations or other manipulations of information.

[0032] The processor 12 may perform various functions described herein and below. In some embodiments, the processor 12 may include an application processor and / or a baseband processor to facilitate performing various functions, such as radio frequency (RF) operations associated with transmitting and receiving data. For example, the processor 12 may receive signals associated with different antenna groups ( Figure 1 10 , the temperature threshold may be based on the position of the corresponding antenna group in the electronic device 10, surrounding components of the electronic device 10 relative to the corresponding antenna group, the ambient temperature and / or other conditions near the corresponding antenna group, and / or empirical operating data for the corresponding antenna group.

[0033] In addition, processor 12 may determine the power gain of different antenna groups when forming one or more beams. Processor 12 may then select an antenna group that has a low temperature and high power gain when forming a beam in a target direction. In particular embodiments, processor 12 may select an antenna group based at least in part on the location of the antenna group relative to one or more thermal hotspots of electronic device 10.

[0034] exist Figure 1In the electronic device 10, the processor 12 may be operably coupled to the memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 to execute various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor 12 may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture including one or more tangible computer-readable media. The tangible computer-readable medium may include the memory 14 and / or the non-volatile storage device 16, individually or collectively, to store instructions or routines. The memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 may include any suitable article of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drive, and optical disk. In addition, the program encoded on such a computer program product (e.g., an operating system) may also include instructions that can be executed by the processor 12 to enable the electronic device 10 to provide various functions.

[0035] In some embodiments, display 18 can facilitate a user viewing images generated on electronic device 10. In some embodiments, display 18 can include a touch screen that can facilitate user interaction with a user interface of electronic device 10. Furthermore, it should be understood that in some embodiments, display 18 can include one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) displays, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, or some combination of these and / or other display technologies.

[0036] The input structures 20 of the electronic device 10 may enable a user to interact with the electronic device 10 (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease the volume level). As may the network interface 24, the I / O interface 22 may enable the electronic device 10 to interact with various other electronic devices. The network interface 24 may, for example, include one or more interfaces for a personal area network (PAN) such as a A network, a local area network (LAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as one of the IEEE 802.11x family of protocols (e.g., ) networks and / or wide area networks (WANs) such as any standards associated with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including, for example, third generation (3G) cellular networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), fourth generation (4G) cellular networks, Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular network, Long Term Evolution Licensed Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) cellular network, fifth generation (5G) cellular network and / or new radio (NR) cellular network. Specifically, the network interface 24 may include, for example, one or more interfaces for the Release-15 cellular communication standard of the 5G specification using a millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 24.25-300 gigahertz (GHz)). The network interface 24 of the electronic device 10 may allow communication through the aforementioned networks (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, LTE-LAA, etc.).

[0037] The network interface 24 may also include, for example, one or more interfaces for: a broadband fixed wireless access network (eg, ), mobile broadband wireless network (mobile ), asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video terrestrial broadcasting Network and its extension DVB handheld Networks, ultra-wideband (UWB) networks, alternating current (AC) power lines, etc.

[0038] As shown, the network interface 24 may include a transceiver 28. The transceiver 28 may support communication via one or more antennas ( Figure 1 (not shown) transmits and receives various wireless signals. In some embodiments, all or part of transceiver 28 may be provided within processor 12. For example, an application processor and / or a baseband processor may utilize transceiver 28 and facilitate the transmission and reception of wireless signals via one or more antennas.

[0039] The power supply 26 of the electronic device 10 may include any suitable power source, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and / or an alternating current (AC) power converter. In some embodiments, the electronic device 10 may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other types of electronic devices.

[0040] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which can implement Figure 1 As shown, the processor 12, memory 14, transceiver 28, transmitter 50, receiver 52, antenna array 53 (shown as 53A-53N) each consisting of one or more antennas 54 (shown as 54A-54N), external temperature sensor 56 and / or internal temperature sensor 58 can be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to each other (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus, a network) to facilitate the transmission and / or reception of data between each other.

[0041] The electronic device 10 may include a transmitter 50 and a receiver 52, which may respectively enable transmission and reception of data between the electronic device 10 and a remote location. For example, the transmitter 50 and / or the receiver 52 may transmit data to and / or receive data from an external transceiver (e.g., in the form of a cell, an eNB (E-UTRAN Node B or Evolved Node B), a base station, etc.) using a network in the direction of the electronic device 10. As shown, the transmitter 50 and the receiver 52 may be combined into the transceiver 28.

[0042] One or more antennas 54A to 54N can be electrically coupled to the transceiver 28 of the electronic device 10. The antennas 54A to 54N can be configured in an omnidirectional or directional configuration, in a single beam, dual beam or multi-beam arrangement, etc. Each antenna 54 can be associated with one or more beams, various beam configurations and / or one or more antenna groups 53. In addition, each antenna 54A-54N in the corresponding antenna group 53 can emit a radio frequency signal that can constructively and / or destructively combine with the radio frequency signals emitted by the other antennas 54-54N in the corresponding antenna group 53 to form a beam (e.g., the beam can implement millimeter wave and / or 5G communications). That is, each antenna group 53 can transmit data in a target direction based on a single signal emitted by the constituent antennas 54. In some embodiments, each antenna group 53 can be coupled to a designated transceiver 28 (e.g., separate from other designated transceivers coupled to other antenna groups 53). Thus, the electronic device 10 may include multiple transmitters 50, multiple receivers 52, multiple transceivers 28, and / or multiple antennas 54 for communicating according to multiple communication standards.

[0043] Transmitter 50 can wirelessly transmit packets having different packet types or functions. For example, transmitter 50 can transmit packets of different types generated by processor 12. Receiver 52 can wirelessly receive packets having different packet types. In some examples, receiver 52 can detect the type of packet being used and process the received packet accordingly. In some embodiments, transmitter 50 and receiver 52 can transmit and receive information via other wired or wireless systems or devices. Furthermore, in some embodiments, transmitter 50 and receiver 52 can be isolated by any feasible device to reduce interference when transmitting and / or receiving data between the respective circuits.

[0044] The external temperature sensor 56 and the internal temperature sensor 58 may each include one or more temperature sensors to measure and provide the external temperature and internal temperature of the electronic device 10, respectively. Furthermore, each of the external temperature sensor 56 and the internal temperature sensor 58 may provide updated temperature measurements based on a corresponding temperature measurement time period. Therefore, as will be appreciated, the electronic device 10 may use the latest temperature measurement results to select the antenna group 53 to form a beam in a target direction.

[0045] In some embodiments, external temperature sensors 56 can be positioned proximate to a surface of electronic device 10 to measure the external temperature of electronic device 10. For example, each of external temperature sensors 56 can measure the temperature of the surface of electronic device 10. In some embodiments, external temperature sensors 56 can include skin temperature sensors, ambient air temperature sensors, and the like. Internal temperature sensors 58 can be positioned proximate to one or more components of electronic device 10. Specifically, internal temperature sensors 58 can be positioned proximate to antenna 54, processor 12, memory 14, non-volatile storage 16, display 18, input structures 20, I / O interface 22, network interface 24, power supply 26, transceiver 28, transmitter 50, receiver 52, and / or other components. Internal temperature sensors 58 can include circuit junction temperature sensors, pixel temperature sensors, display temperature sensors, processor temperature sensors, memory temperature sensors, and the like. Thus, each of internal temperature sensors 58 can measure the temperature of one or more components of electronic device 10.

[0046] Furthermore, each antenna group 53 can be disposed proximate to an internal temperature sensor 58 or an external temperature sensor 56. Thus, the internal temperature sensor 58 or the external temperature sensor 56 disposed proximate to (closest to) each respective antenna group 53 can provide an estimate or determination of the temperature of the respective antenna group 53. Thus, the processor 12 can receive internal temperature measurements or external temperature measurements from the internal temperature sensor 58 or the external temperature sensor 56 to determine or estimate the temperature of each antenna group 53 of the electronic device 10.

[0047] However, in some cases, processor 12 may perform processing and / or normalization on the temperature to more accurately reflect the temperature at antenna group 53. Specifically, internal temperature sensor 58 may be located near antenna group 53 (e.g., it may be temperature sensors 56, 58 closest to antenna group 53) and near another heat-generating component of electronic device 10, which may cause the internal temperature measurement to inaccurately reflect the temperature at the proximal antenna group 53. Furthermore, as described above, external temperature sensor 56 may measure the external temperature of the electronic device. Such a temperature sensor may provide indirect temperature measurements of antennas 54 of different antenna groups 53. Thus, processor 12 may perform processing and / or normalization on the received temperature measurements to achieve a more accurate temperature at antenna group 53.

[0048] In any case, using the external and internal temperature sensors 56, 58, the processor 12 can determine which antenna group 53 is "hot" and has a temperature exceeding a temperature threshold. That is, in some embodiments, the processor 12 can use different temperature thresholds for the external and internal temperature sensors 56, 58. In fact, in a particular embodiment, the processor 12 can use a different temperature threshold for each temperature sensor corresponding to an antenna group 53 (e.g., the closest antenna group 53). In a particular embodiment, the external temperature threshold can be in the range of 30 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius (e.g., 33 degrees Celsius to 48 degrees Celsius, 36 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, etc.), and the internal temperature threshold can be in the range of 100 degrees Celsius to 200 degrees Celsius (e.g., 105 degrees Celsius to 115 degrees Celsius, 115 degrees Celsius to 125 degrees Celsius, 125 degrees Celsius to 135 degrees Celsius, etc.).

[0049] In this way, the processor 12 can determine and select between antenna groups 53 having a temperature below a corresponding temperature threshold and having a power gain exceeding a gain threshold (e.g., when forming a beam in the target direction). In addition, when the temperature of a previously selected (e.g., currently operating) antenna group 53 forming a beam in the target direction exceeds the corresponding temperature threshold, the processor 12 can switch to another antenna group 53 having a high power gain and a low temperature (if available) to form a beam in the target direction.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the high temperature of the currently operating antenna group 53 may reduce the lifespan of the electronic device 10, the processor 12 may switch to another antenna group 53 without delay. As described above, the internal temperature measurement results received from the internal temperature sensor 58 may be associated with one or more components disposed within the electronic device 10 (e.g., the antenna 54). Therefore, a high temperature measurement result in the internal temperature measurement results may immediately cause the lifespan of one or more components of the electronic device 10 to be reduced. For example, the processor 12 may switch antenna groups 53 without delay in the following scenarios: when the temperature rises above a threshold, when the temperature reading of the temperature sensor is above a threshold, when the temperature of the selected antenna group 53 is determined to be above a threshold, and other scenarios.

[0051] Therefore, processor 12 may switch antenna groups 53 to prevent the lifespan of electronic device 10 from being reduced. In such embodiments, to proceed without delay, processor 12 may omit obtaining (e.g., requesting and receiving, searching) a new beam configuration for antenna group 53 with a lower temperature (e.g., from a base station and / or cellular network). In this manner, processor 12 may utilize the same beam configuration used by the currently operating antenna group 53 (e.g., the hot antenna group) to operate antenna group 53 with a lower temperature for transmitting and / or receiving data. For example, processor 12 may utilize the currently operating antenna group 53's beam configuration to transmit and receive data with a communication hub (e.g., a base station and / or cellular network operator). That is, when antenna group 53 has a lower temperature, utilizing the same beam configuration of the currently operating antenna group 53 (e.g., not requesting and receiving a new beam configuration specifically configured for antenna group 53 with a lower temperature) may degrade communication performance (e.g., power gain) of antenna group 53 with a lower temperature.

[0052] In additional or alternative embodiments, processor 12 may switch antenna groups 53 after requesting and receiving a new beam configuration for an antenna group 53 with a lower temperature (e.g., from a communication hub). For example, processor 12 may delay switching between antenna groups 53 based on the time elapsed for requesting and receiving the new beam configuration (e.g., a threshold time period) and / or the receipt of an indication of a new beam configuration associated with an antenna group 53 with a lower temperature. In some embodiments, processor 12 may delay switching when a high temperature is determined based on temperature measurements from external temperature sensor 56. That is, when the temperature of the currently operating antenna group 53 exceeds a temperature threshold based on the temperature measurements from external temperature sensor 56, processor 12 may switch antenna groups 53 after a delay. In specific embodiments, processor 12 may additionally or alternatively switch antenna groups 53 after a delay based on a high internal temperature measurement from a specific internal temperature sensor 58.

[0053] In another embodiment, the processor 12 can use temperature measurements from the external temperature sensor 56 and / or the internal temperature sensor 58 to dynamically determine a thermal hotspot of the electronic device 10. A thermal hotspot can include an area of ​​the electronic device that may exhibit an increased temperature rise due to the operation of the antenna group at that location. That is, the antenna array at the thermal hotspot may experience an increased temperature rise during operation compared to the same antenna array operating at a non-thermal hotspot location. In addition, in some embodiments, the electronic device 10 can store (e.g., in the memory 14) predetermined thermal hotspots (e.g., static thermal hotspots), where the temperature of such thermal hotspots may rise faster than other areas of the electronic device 10. Therefore, the processor 12 can determine or select an antenna group 53 located outside of a (e.g., dynamic or static) thermal hotspot of the electronic device 10 for use in forming a beam.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, the various components of electronic device 10 can be coupled together via a bus system 60. Bus system 60 may include, for example, a data bus and, in addition to the data bus, a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus. The components of electronic device 10 may be coupled together to receive and / or provide input from / to each other using some other mechanism.

[0055] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a perspective view of an antenna group 53 (eg, an antenna array) of the electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A A perspective view relative to the front of electronic device 10 is depicted. As shown, electronic device 10 includes front antenna group 100, side antenna group 102, and back antenna group 104. It should be understood that, in different embodiments, front antenna group 100, side antenna group 102, and back antenna group 104 can be positioned at different locations within electronic device 10. Furthermore, in different embodiments, electronic device 10 can include different antenna groups and / or a different number of antenna groups.

[0056] Figure 3BA perspective view of electronic device 10 is depicted relative to the top side. As shown, front antenna group 100 forms front beam 106, side antenna group 102 forms side beam 108, and back antenna group 104 forms back beam 110. However, it should be understood that front beam 106, side beam 108, and back beam 110 are formed based on the positions of antenna groups 100, 104, and 106 and may take different forms or positions based on the specific implementation of the antenna groups in different embodiments of electronic device 10. In view of the above, each of front antenna group 100, side antenna group 102, and back antenna group 104 can transmit and / or receive data by forming a corresponding beam in a corresponding target direction. However, the power gain of each antenna group 53, including antenna groups 100, 102, and / or 104, when forming different beams may be different. For example, electronic device 10 may communicate with a communication hub (e.g., a base station) using front antenna group 100 and back antenna group 104 using beam 112. However, side antenna group 102 may provide a higher power gain when forming beam 112. Therefore, electronic device 10 may preferentially use side antenna group 102 to form beam 112. That is, electronic device 10 may factor power gain into the selection of antenna groups (e.g., 100, 102, 104) with which to communicate.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above and discussed in further detail below, the electronic device 10 can select and use an antenna group 53 having a temperature less than a threshold temperature. Thus, to transmit and / or receive data with the communication hub, the electronic device 10 can select and use an antenna group 53 (when available) having a temperature less than a temperature threshold and a power gain greater than a gain threshold. That is, the electronic device 10 can additionally or alternatively factor temperature into the selection of an antenna group (e.g., 100, 102, 104) with which to communicate.

[0058] In view of the above, Figure 4A 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device 10 forming a beam 112 to communicate with a base station 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, a directional axis 152 indicates an azimuth angle 154 and an elevation angle 156 of a beam (e.g., beam 112) formed by antenna group 53 of electronic device 10. For example, front antenna group 100, side antenna group 102, and / or back antenna group 104 of electronic device 10 may form a beam 112 having an azimuth angle of 90 degrees and an elevation angle of 90 degrees relative to the corresponding antenna group.

[0059] although Figure 4AWhile depicted as data communication between electronic device 10 and base station 150, it should be understood that electronic device 10 can communicate with additional and / or alternative communication hubs in different embodiments using the techniques discussed herein. For example, electronic device 10 can use similar systems and methods to transmit data to and / or receive data from another electronic device, a router device, and the like.

[0060] As previously mentioned, the power gains of different antenna groups 53 of the electronic device 10 when forming different beams may be different. In some embodiments, the electronic device 10 may determine the antenna performance (e.g., power gain, signal quality, etc.) of each antenna group 53 when forming different beams (e.g., in different directions) and store the antenna performance (e.g., in the memory 14). Figure 4B is a power gain graph 158 indicating the antenna group 53 having high power gain for each beam (eg, each having a different direction) of the electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] As described above, when the power gain exceeds a gain threshold, the processor 12 can determine that the antenna group 53 has a high power gain. The gain threshold can be a fixed value and / or related to the power gains of the other antenna groups 53. For example, the gain threshold can be 3 decibels less than the highest measured power gain among the antenna groups 53 of the electronic device 10. The power gain chart 158 ​​identifies, for each beam, the antenna group 53 having a power gain within 3 decibels of the highest measured power gain among the antenna groups 53. That is, in different embodiments, the gain threshold can be selected differently (e.g., the antenna group 53 having the highest gain, the antenna group 53 having a gain greater than a fixed gain value, etc.).

[0062] use Figure 4A As an example, beam 112 is shown (e.g., having an azimuth angle of 90 degrees and an elevation angle of 90 degrees), and power gain graph 158 indicates that side antenna group 102 has a high power gain when forming beam 112. In the depicted example, front antenna group 100 and back antenna group 104 have low power gains that are less than 3 decibels lower than the highest measured power gain in antenna group 53. Therefore, when power gain is a factor, electronic device 10 can preferentially select side antenna group 102 to form beam 112.

[0063] Now see Figure 5 , depicts a process 190 for selecting an antenna group 53 for transmitting and / or receiving data based on temperature and power gain according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processor 12 of the electronic device 10 may perform the process 190. For example, the above description of the processor 12 with respect to Figure 1The depicted application processor and / or baseband processor may perform all or a portion of process 190. Although the following blocks of process 190 are provided in sequence, it should be understood that the blocks may be performed in a different order and, in some cases, blocks may be skipped entirely.

[0064] At block 192, the processor 12 determines the temperature of each antenna group 53. In particular, the processor 12 may receive temperature measurements from the external temperature sensor 56 and / or the internal temperature sensor 58 to determine the temperature of each antenna group 53. For example, the processor 12 may receive temperature measurements from the external temperature sensor 56 and / or the internal temperature sensor 58 closest to each antenna group 53 to determine the temperature at the antenna group 53.

[0065] Then, at block 194, the processor 12 determines the power gain (and / or another measure of antenna performance, such as signal quality) of the antenna groups 53. In some embodiments, the processor 12 may determine the antenna groups 53 that have high power gain when forming different beams. For example, the processor 12 may determine, for one or more beams, the antenna groups 53 that have a power gain within 3 decibels of the highest measured power gain, as described above. Figure 4B This is reflected in the power gain chart 158. In some embodiments, the processor 12 may store and / or update the power gain of the antenna group 53 when forming each beam. That is, for each beam, the processor 12 may store the power gain for each antenna group 53 when forming the corresponding beam.

[0066] At block 196, processor 12 selects antenna group 53 based on the determined temperatures and power gains of antenna groups 53 in blocks 192 and 194. For example, processor 12 may select antenna group 53 with the highest power gain and a temperature below a temperature threshold. For another example, processor 12 may select antenna group 53 with the lowest temperature and a power gain above a gain threshold. In some embodiments, processor 12 may assign weights to temperature and power gain and select antenna group 53 based on the weights applied to the temperature and power gain of each antenna group 53. Additionally or alternatively, processor 12 may select antenna group 53 having antennas 54 located outside of a thermal hotspot of electronic device 10. As described above, processor 12 may determine a thermal hotspot or a thermal hotspot of a predetermined electronic device 10 based on temperature measurements received from different temperature sensors (e.g., based on the operations of block 192). At block 198, processor 12 transmits or receives data using the selected antenna group 53. Thus, process 190 enables processor 12 to select antenna group 53 for transmitting and / or receiving data based on temperature and power gain.

[0067] Now see Figure 6, depicts a process 200 for selecting antenna groups 53 for transmitting and / or receiving data by grouping antenna groups 53 based on high power gain and low temperature, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to Figure 5 The processor 12 of the electronic device 10 may perform the process 200. For example, the above description of the processor 12 is relative to Figure 1 The depicted application processor and / or baseband processor may perform all or a portion of process 200. Although the following blocks of process 200 are provided in sequence, it should be understood that the blocks may be performed in a different order and, in some cases, blocks may be skipped entirely.

[0068] At block 202, the processor 12 may determine a set of antenna groups 53 having a temperature less than a temperature threshold. As described above, the temperature threshold may be based on the location of the antenna groups 53 in the electronic device 10, surrounding components of the electronic device 10 relative to the antenna groups 53, ambient temperature and / or other conditions near the antenna groups 53, empirical operating data for the respective antenna groups 53, the type of sensor that detects temperature (e.g., external temperature sensor 56 or internal temperature sensor 58), etc. In any case, the processor 12 may exclude antenna groups 53 having a temperature greater than the temperature threshold from the set of antenna groups 53 to ensure that antenna arrays 53 with excessively high temperatures are not used.

[0069] Subsequently, at block 204, processor 12 may also exclude antenna groups 53 having power gains less than a gain threshold from the set of antenna groups 53. For example, processor 12 may receive or determine the uplink power gain, downlink power gain, or both of each antenna group 53 when forming one or more beams for transmitting or receiving data. Thus, processor 12 may determine antenna groups 53 having power gains greater than the gain threshold when forming a target or desired beam (e.g., for a communication node or base station). This enables selection of antenna groups 53 for transmitting or receiving data that have power gains close to the performance of antenna groups 53 having the best power gain. Furthermore, as described above, the gain threshold may vary in different embodiments. In one embodiment, the gain threshold may be based on the highest power gain determined among the antenna groups 53. In different embodiments, the gain threshold may be a predetermined value stored in memory 14 of electronic device 10.

[0070] At block 206, processor 12 excludes from the set of antenna groups any antenna groups 53 having a lower power gain than other antenna groups 53 having temperatures within a threshold temperature range. That is, processor 12 may determine antenna groups 53 having similar temperatures by identifying multiple antenna groups 53 within a threshold temperature range of one another. For each set of antenna groups 53 within a threshold temperature range of one another, processor 12 may exclude those antenna groups 53 having a lower power gain. The threshold temperature range may be predetermined or determined by processor 12 during operation and may include any suitable temperature range indicating similar temperatures (e.g., 0°C to 25°C, in 5°C increments, 10°C increments, etc.). A lower power gain may be defined as being below a threshold power gain, such as the threshold power gain discussed above (e.g., 3 decibels less than the highest measured power gain in a set of antenna groups 53). In this manner, selection of antenna groups 53 having a lower power gain and no or insignificant temperature advantage may be avoided.

[0071] At block 208, processor 12 may select the antenna group 53 with the lowest temperature from the set of antenna groups 53. In this manner, process 200 prioritizes temperature. In an alternative embodiment, process 200 may prioritize power gain and select the antenna group 53 with the highest power gain from the set of antenna groups 53.

[0072] In an alternative or additional embodiment, at block 206, the processor 12 may determine whether beams formed using antenna groups 53 in the set of antenna groups 53 can achieve an estimated throughput, an estimated delay, or both for executing one or more software applications. In such an embodiment, at block 208, the processor 12 may select an antenna group 53 in the set of antenna groups 53 based on determining that the selected antenna group 53 can form a beam using the estimated throughput, the estimated delay, or both.

[0073] At block 210, the processor 12 may transmit and / or receive data using the selected antenna group 53. In this manner, the process 200 may enable the processor 12 to transmit and / or receive data using an antenna group 53 in a group of antenna groups 53 that has high power gain and low temperature.

[0074] Figure 7is a block diagram of a beam configuration management system 240 that facilitates selecting antenna groups 53 based on temperature and power gain when forming beams, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 10 can use the beam configuration management system 240 to select antenna groups 53 and / or update the selected antenna groups 53 to communicate data using one or more beams. Each of the depicted components can be implemented using hardware (e.g., circuitry), software (e.g., machine-executable instructions), or both (e.g., logic components). As shown, the beam configuration management system 240 may include a beam database 242, a temperature sensor 244, a panel and beam selection logic component 246, a metric buffer 248, and a payload beam buffer 250. However, it should be understood that in different embodiments, the beam configuration management system 240 may use different, additional, or fewer components to perform similar or different functions to facilitate selecting antenna groups 53 for transmitting and / or receiving data based on temperature and power gain.

[0075] By way of example, beam database 242 may receive power gain measurements of multiple antenna groups 53 when forming beams. For example, electronic device 10 may determine the signal quality (e.g., power gain) of each antenna group 53 (e.g., antenna groups 53A-53G of FIG. 4 ) when forming one or more beams and use beam database 242 to store the power gain corresponding to each beam. Furthermore, electronic device 10 may query beam database 242 using one or more beams and may receive the power gain of each antenna group 53 to provide to metric buffer 248 for reporting to one or more communication hubs (e.g., base stations).

[0076] Temperature sensors 244, which may include external temperature sensors 56 and / or internal temperature sensors 58, determine temperature measurements associated with antenna array 53 and transmit the temperature measurements to panel and beam selection logic 246. As described above, each of temperature sensors 244 may provide updated temperature data according to a corresponding time interval. Thus, temperature sensors 244 may provide updated temperature data, which panel and beam selection logic 246 may use to overwrite previous temperature data.

[0077] Thus, the panel and beam selection logic 246 can facilitate selecting an antenna group 53 for data communication based on determining and / or receiving temperature measurements and power gain for each antenna group 53 when forming a beam. That is, the panel and beam selection logic 246 can receive and analyze the power gain of the antenna group 53 when forming a beam stored in the beam database 242 in a target direction, as well as the temperature data provided by the temperature sensor 244. Based on the temperature data and power gain, the panel and beam selection logic 246 can determine and select an antenna group 53 with a low temperature and high power gain. The panel and beam selection logic 246 can also select a beam configuration for the selected antenna group 53 to form a beam in the target direction to transmit and / or receive data.

[0078] In some embodiments, the panel and beam selection logic 246 may select a beam configuration based on requesting and receiving beam configuration information from the communication hub (e.g., after a delay corresponding to sending the request and receiving the beam configuration information). However, in additional or alternative embodiments, the panel and beam selection logic 246 may apply the beam configuration used by the currently operating antenna group 53 to the selected antenna group 53 to facilitate switching antenna groups 53 without delay. The panel and beam selection logic 246 may provide an indication of the selected antenna group 53 and beam configuration to the metrics buffer 248 and / or the payload beam buffer 250. In some embodiments, the panel and beam selection logic 246 may include processing circuitry, such as the processor 12. Furthermore, as described above, the processor 12 may include application processor circuitry and baseband processing circuitry for performing radio frequency functions. As such, the panel and beam selection logic 246 may be associated with the application processor circuitry, the baseband processor circuitry, or both.

[0079] The beam metric buffer 248 may store signal quality characteristics for beam reporting to the communication hub (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), when transmitting or receiving data via a certain frequency band (such as the L1 frequency band centered at 1575.42 megahertz (MHz)) (L1-RSRP); signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), when transmitting or receiving data via a certain frequency band (such as the L1 band) (L1-SINR); etc.). In particular, the electronic device 10 may report the highest quality signal quality characteristics (e.g., beam reporting metrics) as part of the beam reporting process, as specified in the 3GPP 38.214 specification. The electronic device 10 may update the beam reporting metrics when the same antenna group 53 has been selected by the processor 12 to form the same beam based on its quasi-co-location (QCL) configuration and / or the signal quality characteristics are higher quality than the previous version stored in the beam metric buffer 248. The payload beam buffer 250 can store beams (e.g., transmit or receive spatial filters) for each active transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state. In 5G New Radio (NR), the TCI state is used to establish a QCL connection between a target reference signal (RS) and a source RS. Two antenna ports are quasi-co-located if the properties of the channel transmitting symbols on one antenna port can be inferred from the channel transmitting symbols on another antenna port.

[0080] In view of the above, Figure 8 A flow chart of a process 280 for beam configuration management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, the processor 12 may execute the process 280 to switch to another antenna group 53 when the temperature of the currently operating antenna group 53 is at a high temperature (e.g., exceeds a temperature threshold). Similar to the above-described processes 190 and 200, the processor 12 in the form of an application processor and / or a baseband processor may execute all or part of the process 280. Although the following blocks of the process 280 are provided in sequence, it should be understood that the blocks may be executed in a different order and, in some cases, the blocks may be skipped entirely.

[0081] At block 282, the processor 12 determines to switch operation from the first antenna group 53 (e.g., the currently operating antenna group 53) to the second antenna group 53. In some embodiments, the processor 12 may determine to switch operation from the first antenna group 53 and / or reduce the temperature of the first antenna group 53 because the first antenna group 53 exceeds a temperature threshold. The processor 12 may use Figure 5 The process of 190 Figure 6 or both to determine the second antenna group 53.

[0082] At block 284, processor 12 reports to the base station that second antenna group 53 has been selected for operation. In response, the base station may change the active TCI state. Furthermore, the base station may select an appropriate beam to be formed by second antenna group 53. It should be understood that the base station is used herein as an exemplary communication hub, such as a 5G next-generation NodeB (gNB) or an LTE evolved NodeB (eNB), and that different communication hubs may be used in different embodiments.

[0083] At block 286, processor 12 determines whether the switch should occur with or without a delay. As described above, processor 12 may switch antenna group 53 without a delay when delaying the switch may reduce the lifespan of electronic device 10. For example, processor 12 may determine to switch without a delay when the temperature of first antenna group 53 is provided by internal temperature sensor 58. Because internal temperature sensor 58 may be located in critical areas of electronic device 10 (e.g., circuit connectors, display components, RF communication components, etc.), allowing internal temperature sensor 58 to remain at a high temperature may shorten the lifespan of the electronic device. For another example, processor 12 may switch antenna group 53 without a delay when the temperature of first antenna group 53 increases at a rate greater than a threshold, when the temperature of first antenna group 53 increases above a threshold, etc. In various embodiments, processor 12 may switch antenna group 53 without a delay based on any other suitable criteria.

[0084] When switching antenna group 53 without delay, processor 12 operates second antenna group 53 using the current beam configuration at block 288. That is, processor 12 may operate second antenna group 53 using the beam configuration used by the (currently operating) first antenna group 53 to transmit and / or receive data. In some embodiments, the transmission and / or reception efficiency of processor 12 may be reduced when using the beam configuration of first antenna group 53 for second antenna group 53 because the beam configuration is not configured for second antenna group 53. Therefore, upon receiving a new beam configuration from the base station, processor 12 may use the new beam configuration configured for second antenna group 53. For example, in response to receiving a report from electronic device 10 that second antenna group 53 has been selected for operation at block 284, the base station may transmit the new beam configuration to electronic device 10. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a new beam report (e.g., as provided by metric buffer 248), the base station may transmit the new beam configuration to electronic device 10.

[0085] However, at block 286, when a handover does not need to occur without delay, processor 12 proceeds to block 290. For example, the high temperature may be based on temperature measurements from external temperature sensor 56 (e.g., such that the temperature measurements may not degrade the life of electronic device 10), the high temperature may not exceed a threshold for handover without delay, or the like. At block 290, processor 12 determines whether a new beam configuration has been received for second antenna group 53. As described above, in response to receiving a report from electronic device 10 that second antenna group 53 has been selected for operation at block 284 or in response to receiving a new beam report (e.g., as provided by metrics buffer 248), the base station may transmit the new beam configuration to electronic device 10.

[0086] If a new beam configuration has not been received, then at block 296, the processor 12 determines whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed. In some embodiments, the threshold amount of time may correspond to a synchronization time (e.g., adaptation time, predetermined adaptation time) between the base station and the processor 12 based on the transmission of the request for the new beam configuration (e.g., synchronization switching time). In additional or alternative embodiments, the threshold amount of time may correspond to a maximum time that is guaranteed to receive the new beam configuration based on the transmission of the request for the new beam configuration. The threshold amount of time may be on the order of several synchronization signal block (SSB) burst periods (e.g., 5 milliseconds (ms) per period). That is, the threshold amount of time may include 0.1 ms to 100 ms, 1 ms to 25 ms, 5 ms to 20 ms, etc.

[0087] If the threshold amount of time has elapsed at block 296, the processor 12 operates the second antenna group 53 using the current beam configuration at block 288. That is, the processor 12 may operate the second antenna group 53 using the beam configuration used by the (currently operating) first antenna group 53 to transmit and / or receive data. As previously mentioned, the transmission and / or reception efficiency of the processor 12 may decrease when the beam configuration of the first antenna group 53 is used for the second antenna group 53 because the beam configuration is not configured for the second antenna group 53. Therefore, when a new beam configuration is received from the base station, the processor 12 may use the new beam configuration configured for the second antenna group 53.

[0088] On the other hand, if a new beam configuration has been received at block 290, the processor 12 proceeds to block 292 to operate the second antenna group 53 using the new beam configuration. Subsequently, after operating the second antenna group 53 using either the current beam configuration at block 288 or the new beam configuration at block 292, the processor 12 deactivates the first antenna group 53 at block 294. Thus, the method 280 implements beam configuration management, and more specifically, implements switching to another antenna group 53 when the temperature of the currently operating antenna group 53 is high. It should be understood that the high temperature of the processor 12 may change during the delayed switching of the antenna group 53. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processor 12 may periodically determine the temperature of the antenna group 53 at any point in the process 280 and, for example, restart the process 280, cancel certain blocks of the process 280 to continue using the first antenna group 53, and so on.

[0089] Now turn Figure 9 , depicts a system 320 for determining an antenna group 53 (e.g., antenna 54) for data transmission and / or reception based on the link preferences and thermal hotspots of an electronic device 10. In some embodiments, multiple antenna groups 53 may include similar temperatures and power gains when forming beams. However, data transmission and / or reception using such antenna groups 53 may have different effects on the link characteristics and / or thermal hotspots of the electronic device 10. The link preference may include a specified or estimated data rate or throughput for one or more software applications executed by the processor 12 (e.g., stored in the memory 14 of the electronic device 10). In some embodiments, the link preference may include a delay in executing one or more software applications. A thermal hotspot may include an area of ​​the electronic device that may exhibit an increased temperature rise due to the operation of the antenna group at that location. That is, an antenna array at a thermal hotspot may experience an increased temperature rise during operation compared to the same antenna array operating at a non-thermal hotspot location.

[0090] For example, data transmission and / or reception using antenna group 53 located in a hotspot of electronic device 10 may result in a higher rate of temperature increase of antenna group 53 and components located in or near the hotspot. Furthermore, since antennas 54 of selected antenna group 53 are located in the hotspot, the signal quality (e.g., power gain) of antenna group 53 may also be reduced. Therefore, electronic device 10 may prioritize the use of antenna groups 53 located outside any hotspot based on the rapid temperature increase in the hotspot region to prevent a reduction in the life of electronic device 10.

[0091] The application processor 322 and the baseband processor 324 (e.g., they may both or each represent the processor 12) may prioritize antenna groups 53 that meet the link preferences and / or are located outside of the hotspot. In the depicted embodiment, the application processor 322 may communicate the link preferences 326 of the electronic device 10 to the baseband processor 324. In particular, the application processor 322 may use link preference logic 328 to determine the link preferences 326. For example, the link preference logic 328 may include dedicated circuitry, software, or both for determining the link preferences 326. In some embodiments, the link preference logic 328 may determine data rate, throughput, and / or latency preferences (e.g., estimated usage, specifications, requirements, etc.) based on applications (e.g., software) running on the electronic device 10 and / or the processor 12. For example, the link preference logic 328 may determine the link preferences 326 for transmitting and / or receiving data based on the current usage of the electronic device 10 (including whether the user is making a call, browsing the internet, streaming video, etc.).

[0092] In addition, the application processor 322 can use the thermal hotspot mapper 330 to determine the thermal hotspots of the electronic device 10. The thermal hotspot mapper 330 may include dedicated circuitry, software, or both for determining the thermal hotspots of the electronic device 10. Subsequently, the application processor 322 can determine the antenna groups 53 that are located outside the determined thermal hotspots. The application processor 322 can then transmit antenna group and hotspot information 332 indicating whether each antenna group 53 is located in the thermal hotspot to the baseband processor 324.

[0093] In light of this, the baseband processor 324 can determine the antenna group 53 for transmitting and / or receiving data when forming a beam based on the link preference 326 and the antenna group and hotspot information 332. That is, the baseband processor 324 can select an antenna group 53 capable of data communication based on the link preference 326 and / or located outside the hotspot. In some embodiments, the processor 12 can also use the temperature and power gain determined above to select the antenna group 53. Thus, the selected antenna group 53 can include antennas 54 capable of data communication based on the link preference 326, located outside the hotspot, a temperature less than a threshold temperature, and / or a power gain greater than a gain threshold.

[0094] In additional or alternative embodiments, the baseband processor 324 may apply weights to antenna groups 53 that meet the link preference 326, antenna groups 53 that are located outside of a hot spot, antenna groups 53 that have a temperature below a temperature threshold, and antenna groups 53 that have a power gain above a gain threshold. That is, based on the applied weights, the baseband processor 324 may weight some of the antenna groups 53 more than others. As another example, when selecting an antenna group 53, the baseband processor 324 may ignore one or more of the factors discussed, e.g., when no antenna group 53 meets all of the antenna selection factors and / or criteria.

[0095] Now see Figure 10 , shows a process 350 for selecting an antenna group 53 based on the link preference 326 and the above antenna group and hotspot information 332 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 The depicted application processor 322 and / or baseband processor 324 may perform all or a portion of process 350. Although the following blocks of process 350 are provided in sequence, it should be understood that the blocks may be performed in a different order and, in some cases, blocks may be skipped entirely.

[0096] At block 352, the processor 12 receives an indication to establish a wireless connection for data transmission and / or reception. Subsequently, at block 354, the processor 12 determines whether there is an indication of the link preference 326. For example, as described above with respect to Figure 9 As discussed above with respect to the system 320 for link preference logic 328, the link preference logic 328 may determine the data rate, throughput, and / or latency preferences of one or more software applications executing on the electronic device 10 and send one or more of the preferences 326 to the baseband processor 324. Thus, the processor 12 may determine that there is an indication of the link preferences 326. However, in some cases, the link preference logic 328 may not generate any link preferences 326, and as such, the baseband processor 324 does not receive the link preferences 326.

[0097] At block 354, when processor 12 determines that there is no indication of link preference 326, processor 12 proceeds to block 356. At block 356, processor 12 utilizes antenna group 53 with the highest power gain to form a beam for transmitting and / or receiving data. In additional or alternative embodiments, at block 356, processor 12 then uses processes 190, 200, and / or 280 to select antenna group 53 for data transmission and / or reception, thereby selecting antenna group 53 with a low temperature and high power gain at the corresponding switching (or selection / activation) time. Thus, at block 356, processor 12 can select antenna group 53 with the highest power gain (e.g., highest bandwidth, highest data rate, highest throughput, lowest latency), which is unlikely to cause data communication quality and / or lifespan degradation of electronic device 10 due to high temperature. In another embodiment, processor 12 can utilize antenna group 53 with the lowest temperature to form a beam.

[0098] However, when the processor 12 determines an indication of link preference at block 354, the processor 12 may proceed to block 358. At block 358, the processor 12 determines whether one or more antenna groups 53 located outside the hotspot are available for data communication. In some embodiments, the processor 12 may determine an antenna group 53 that is at least partially (e.g., at least some of its antennas 54) located outside the hotspot. As described above, the hotspot mapper 330 of the application processor 322 may provide such information to the baseband processor 324. When no antenna group 53 is available outside the hotspot at block 358, the processor 12 proceeds to block 356 to form a beam using the antenna group 53 with the highest power gain to transmit and / or receive data.

[0099] When it is determined at block 358 that the antenna group 53 is available outside the hot spot, the processor 12 proceeds to block 360. At block 360, the processor 12 receives a beam for the antenna group 53 disposed outside the hot spot from the base station. For example, at block 360, the processor 12 may request a beam configuration from the base station, report the selection of the antenna group 53, etc., and receive the beam configuration in response.

[0100] Subsequently, at block 362, the processor 12 determines whether the beam satisfies the link preference 326 (as mentioned at block 354). Specifically, the processor 12 may determine whether the beam configuration received from the base station at block 360 can achieve data communication using the antenna group 53 that satisfies the estimated (or required) throughput, latency, or both indicated by the link preference 326. When the beam does not satisfy the link preference 326, the processor 12 proceeds to block 356 to form a beam using the antenna group 53 with the highest power gain to transmit and / or receive data. That is, when the beam does not satisfy the link preference 326, the processor 12 may not use the antenna group 53 determined at block 358. However, when the beam satisfies the link preference 326, the processor 12 proceeds to block 364 to form a beam using the antenna group 53 to transmit and / or receive data.

[0101] Thus, process 350 may select antenna group 53 based on link preference 326 and antenna group and hotspot information 332. Furthermore, processor 12 may repeatedly perform process 350 upon receiving a triggering event, or may iterate portions of the process upon receiving, for example, updated temperature measurements, gain measurements, requests to establish a wireless connection, time periods, etc.

[0102] The above specific embodiments have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should also be understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0103] The technology described and claimed herein is cited and applied to specific examples of a tangible and practical nature that significantly advance the art and is therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Furthermore, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] [the function]..." or "a step for [performing] [the function]...", then those elements will be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, those elements will not be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: multiple antenna groups; transmit circuitry communicatively coupled to the plurality of antenna groups; a receiving circuit communicatively coupled to the plurality of antenna groups; as well as a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: communicating with a communication hub using a first antenna group of the plurality of antenna groups; determining a temperature of the first antenna group; determining a set of antenna groups of the plurality of antenna groups each having a temperature less than or equal to a temperature threshold, excluding antenna groups having a power gain less than or equal to a gain threshold from the set of antenna groups, excluding from the set of antenna groups an antenna group having a temperature within a threshold temperature range of an additional antenna group in the set of antenna groups and having a lower power gain than the additional antenna group; selecting a second antenna group having a lowest temperature from the remainder of the set of antenna groups; as well as In response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds the temperature threshold, the transmit circuitry is caused to communicate with the communication hub using the second antenna group.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising one or more internal temperature sensors configured to determine an internal temperature of the electronic device, the temperature of the first antenna group being based on the internal temperature of the electronic device, and the temperature threshold being associated with the internal temperature of the electronic device.

3. An electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: cause the transmitting circuit or the receiving circuit to use the first antenna group to form a beam to transmit data to the communication hub or receive data from the communication hub; and in response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds the temperature threshold associated with the internal temperature of the electronic device and the power gain of the second antenna group for receiving data from the communication hub exceeds the gain threshold, cause the transmitting circuit or the receiving circuit to use the second antenna group to form the beam to transmit data to the communication hub or receive data from the communication hub. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the temperature threshold is between 36 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising one or more external temperature sensors configured to determine an external temperature of the electronic device, the temperature of the first antenna group being based on the external temperature of the electronic device, and the temperature threshold being associated with the external temperature of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds the temperature threshold and the power gain of the second antenna group for receiving data from the communication hub exceeds the gain threshold, the processing circuit is configured to request and receive a beam configuration from the communication hub to use the second antenna group to transmit data to or receive data from the communication hub.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein, in response to not receiving the beam configuration from the communication hub within a threshold time, the processing circuit is configured to cause the transmitting circuit or the receiving circuit to form a beam with the second antenna group using the current beam configuration used by the first antenna group.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the transmit circuit or the receive circuit to form a beam using the beam configuration to transmit data to or receive data from the communication hub using the second antenna group.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the temperature threshold is between 105 degrees Celsius and 115 degrees Celsius.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the gain threshold is based on a highest power gain of the set of antenna groups.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the gain threshold is 3 decibels less than a highest power gain of the set of antenna groups.

12. A method for communication, comprising: communicating, using at least one processor, with a communication hub using a first antenna group of a plurality of antenna groups of the electronic device; determining, using the at least one processor, a temperature of the first antenna group; determining, using the at least one processor, a set of antenna groups from the plurality of antenna groups that each have a temperature less than or equal to a temperature threshold; excluding, using the at least one processor, from the set of antenna groups, antenna groups having a power gain less than or equal to a gain threshold, excluding, using the at least one processor, from the set of antenna groups an antenna group having a temperature within a threshold temperature range of an additional antenna group in the set of antenna groups and having a lower power gain than the additional antenna group; selecting, using the at least one processor, a second antenna group having a lowest temperature from a remainder of the plurality of antenna groups; as well as In response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds the temperature threshold, using the at least one processor, causing transmit circuitry to communicate with the communication hub using the second antenna group.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the power gain corresponds to a downlink wireless power gain when forming a beam.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising: determining an estimated throughput, an estimated latency, or both using the at least one processor to execute one or more software applications by the at least one processor, and determining, using the at least one processor, that a beam formed using the second antenna group achieves the estimated throughput, the estimated delay, or both, Wherein, in response to determining that the beam formed using the second antenna group achieves the estimated throughput, the estimated latency, or both, causing the communicating using the second antenna group using the at least one processor occurs.

15. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: communicating with a communication hub using a first antenna group of the plurality of antenna groups; determining a temperature of the first antenna group; determining a set of antenna groups of the plurality of antenna groups each having a temperature less than or equal to a temperature threshold, excluding antenna groups having a power gain less than or equal to a gain threshold from the set of antenna groups, excluding from the set of antenna groups an antenna group having a temperature within a threshold temperature range of an additional antenna group in the set of antenna groups and having a lower power gain than the additional antenna group; selecting a second antenna group having a lowest temperature from the remainder of the set of antenna groups; as well as In response to determining that the temperature of the first antenna group exceeds the temperature threshold, transmit circuitry is caused to communicate with the communication hub using the second antenna group.

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