Listen before talk system, device and method based on in-device operation

Abstract

This application relates to listen-before-talk systems, devices, and methods based on in-device operations. The disclosure relates to systems and methods for operating a control signal to transmit a signal using a first antenna and a first frequency band in response to determining that an in-device operation is occurring or is predicted to occur, a first amount of energy received by the first antenna is less than a threshold amount of energy, and the first antenna is not affected by the in-device operation. The control signal also delays transmission of the signal in response to determining that the in-device operation is occurring and the first amount of energy is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy.

Description

[0001] RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of Invention Patent Application No. 202111042951.1, filed on September 7, 2021, with the title of “Listen-Before-Talk System, Device, and Method Based on In-Device Operation”. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to electronic devices that utilize radio frequency signals, transmitters, receivers for wireless communication. BACKGROUND

[0004] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that can be related to various aspects of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the related art. The above discussion is believed to aid the reader in understanding the features and benefits of various aspects of the present disclosure, but it is not to be construed as an acknowledgement or impeachment of any prior art in this field.

[0005] The use of wireless communication systems is increasing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated, complex applications that utilize these functions.

[0006] Transmitters and / or receivers can be included in various electronic devices to enable communication between devices. Many electronic devices can be in communication at the same time, at least in part, in the same room and / or area. However, overlapping communications can increase the chance of interference between concurrent communications, affecting the quality or success of one or more of the communications.

[0007] To reduce the likelihood of interference between communications, an electronic device can listen to the airwaves before transmitting a new communication and / or enabling a receiver to verify that the airwaves are free of an ongoing communication. Signals associated with an ongoing communication can be received by an antenna of the electronic device as signal noise or energy. The electronic device can compare the received noise to a threshold amount of noise and determine to delay the communication if the received noise is greater than the threshold amount of noise. This process is often referred to as a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation. In fact, a listen-before-talk operation can include the electronic device verifying that the noise received by one or more antennas is less than a threshold amount of noise before transmitting a data packet to another electronic device, thereby verifying that each antenna is free. While these approaches allow for transmission when each antenna receives less than the threshold amount of noise, these approaches also prevent transmission from an antenna that receives a greater amount of noise than the threshold amount when another antenna receives less than the threshold amount of noise. That is, if any of the antennas senses an energy level above the threshold (e.g., receives an amount of noise), the antennas (even those that sense an energy level below the threshold) can not be allowed to transmit. Since an amount of noise received at one antenna is assumed to also affect another antenna, this approach (either completely or not at all) can drastically reduce operational efficiency by stopping transmission from all antennas even though some antennas receive an amount of noise less than the threshold amount of noise.

[0008] Various modifications of the features described above can exist with respect to each of the aspects of the application. Other features can also be added to each of these aspects. These modifications and additional features can exist individually, or in any combination. For example, various features discussed below in relation to one or more illustrated embodiments can be incorporated into any of the above aspects of the application, either individually or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of implementations of the disclosure, and does not limit the claimed subject matter. SUMMARY

[0009] The following presents a summary of certain implementations disclosed herein. It is to be understood that the following summary is merely representative of the certain implementations disclosed herein and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure can encompass a variety of aspects that can not be set forth in the following summary.

[0010] If any antenna senses an energy level greater than a noise threshold, a previous listen-before-talk (LBT) operation causes the device to delay communications on each antenna. However, electronic devices are complex systems in which many radios, sub-radios, concurrent communicators, and the like are integrated into a small form factor device. When multiple radios are operating concurrently, and / or when some subsystems are operating concurrently with communications (e.g., when performing communications with a universal serial bus (USB)), nearby antennas can receive electromagnetic waves from some of the emissions of these operations as noise. When following a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation, a control system can sense that an amount of noise received from a respective antenna is greater than a noise threshold, and confuse the noise source as an ongoing communication.

[0011] To improve these operations, systems and methods described herein involve selectively controlling antennas based on an amount of noise received from the respective antennas. These techniques can be compatible with listen-before-talk (LBT) operations, and can reduce the likelihood of noise from sources other than an ongoing communication from an external antenna triggering a delay in communications.

[0012] For example, if at least one antenna is free, communications can be sent through multiple antennas, rather than delaying communications using multiple antennas in cases where only some of the antennas sense noise. In another example, communications can be sent or received through only free antennas, without using antennas that sense noise to send or receive communications. In particular, antennas determined to be affected by parallel operation of subsystems can be marked in a memory of the electronic device during manufacturing (e.g., hardcoded based on test results). If the electronic device determines that a subsystem is in operation, the electronic device can reference the marking (e.g., an indication) to determine whether to consider or ignore noise received by an antenna. For example, if noise received by a marked antenna is greater than a threshold amount of noise, the electronic device can continue to use the marked antenna because the marked antenna has been previously indicated to be affected by operation of a subsystem. In some cases, the electronic device can determine whether each antenna of an antenna panel senses an amount of noise greater than a noise threshold, and thus can indicate whether the electronic device is to delay communications.

[0013] Various implementations can be used to deploy the disclosed systems. For example, a device can include a first antenna to communicate over a first band, a second antenna to communicate over the first band, and a third antenna to communicate over a second band that overlaps the first band. The device can also include one or more processors to cause transmission of signals from the first and second antennas in response to determining that the third antenna is not communicating using the second band, a first amount of energy received by the first antenna being less than a threshold amount of energy and a second amount of energy received by the second antenna being less than the threshold amount of energy. The one or more processors can delay the transmission of the signals in response to determining that the third antenna is not communicating using the second band and the first or second amount of energy is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy. The one or more processors can cause the transmission of the signals from the first and second antennas in response to determining that the third antenna is communicating using the second band, one of the first and second amounts of energy being less than the threshold amount of energy and the other of the first and second amounts of energy being greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy. Further, the one or more processors delay the transmission of the signals in response to determining that the third antenna is communicating using the second band and both the first and second amounts of energy are greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy.

[0014] In some implementations, a method can include receiving, from a memory, an indication that communication using a first antenna is not affected by an in-device operation. The method can include causing transmission of a signal using the first antenna via a first band in response to determining that the in-device operation is occurring, a first amount of energy received by the first antenna being less than a threshold amount of energy and the first antenna not being affected by the in-device operation. Further, the method can include delaying the transmission of the signal in response to determining that the in-device operation is occurring and the first amount of energy is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy.

[0015] In yet another implementation, one or more tangible, non-transitory computer- readable storage media include executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause transmission of signals from a first antenna and a second antenna using a first band in response to determining that a first amount of energy received by the first antenna is less than a threshold amount of energy and determining that a second amount of energy received by the second antenna is less than the threshold amount of energy. The instructions can also cause the one or more processors to delay the transmission of the signals in response to determining that the first and second amounts of energy are greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy. The instructions can also cause the one or more processors to cause transmission of signals from the first antenna in response to determining that the first amount of energy is less than the threshold amount of energy and the second amount of energy is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy. Further, the instructions can also cause the one or more processors to cause transmission of signals from the second antenna in response to determining that the first amount of energy is greater than or equal to the threshold amount of energy and the second amount of energy is less than the threshold amount of energy.

[0016] Various modifications of the above features can exist with respect to the various aspects of the present disclosure. Other features can also be added to these various aspects. These modifications and additional features can exist individually, or in any combination. For example, various features discussed below in relation to one or more illustrated embodiments can be incorporated into any of the above aspects of the present disclosure, either individually or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended to familiarize the reader with the aspects and context of the disclosed embodiments and is not intended to limit the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Various aspects of the disclosure can be better understood when read in light of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device including a transceiver according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a notebook computer representing a first embodiment of an electronic device of FIG. 1

[0020] FIG. 3 is a front view of a handheld device representing a second embodiment of an electronic device of FIG. 1

[0021] FIG. 4 is a front view of another handheld device representing a third embodiment of an electronic device of FIG. 1

[0022] FIG. 5 is a front view of a desktop computer representing a fourth embodiment of an electronic device of FIG. 1

[0023] FIG. 6 is a front view and a side view of a wearable electronic device representing a fifth embodiment of an electronic device of FIG. 1

[0024] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an electronic device including multiple radio frequency (RF) circuit chains (RF chains) according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 8 is an example electronic device of FIG. 7 according to a conventional listen-before-talk procedure with three antennas, where one antenna receives more than a threshold amount of noise, two antennas receive less than the threshold amount of noise, and no antenna is used for communication;

[0026] FIG. 9A is an example electronic device of FIG. 7 ​​​​​an example electronic device of FIG. 1 in which one antenna receives more than a threshold amount of noise, two antennas receive less than the threshold amount of noise, and each of the antennas is used for communication;

[0027] FIG. 9B an example electronic device of FIG. 1 in which three antennas receive more than a threshold amount of noise, and no antennas are used for communication; FIG. 7

[0028] FIG. 10 a block diagram of a logic circuit for generating a signal to be output by FIG. 7 an indication of noise received by an antenna of an electronic device of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 11 a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to communicate or delay communication in response to a signal output by FIG. 7 a logic circuit of FIG. 1; FIG. 10 a flowchart of a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to communicate or delay communication in response to a signal output by

[0030] FIG. 12 an example electronic device of FIG. 1 in which one antenna receives more than a threshold amount of noise, two antennas receive less than the threshold amount of noise, and two antennas are used for communication; FIG. 7

[0031] a flowchart of a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to adjust or delay transmission in response to noise received by one or more antennas; FIG. 13 FIG. 7 a flowchart of a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to adjust single-input single-output (SISO) transmission in response to noise received by one or more antennas; and

[0032] FIG. 14 a flowchart of a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to adjust multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission in response to noise received by one or more antennas. FIG. 7

[0033] a flowchart of a method for operating an electronic device of FIG. 1 to adjust multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission in response to noise received by one or more antennas. FIG. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 7

[0034] ​​​​One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are examples of the present disclosed technology. Additionally, it is contemplated that various embodiments of the present disclosure can not include all of the features described herein, that not all features described herein are required, and that one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can include only a subcombination of the features described herein. Further, it is contemplated that features described herein can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. It is further noted that, in this disclosure and particularly in the claims, use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, use of "or" means "and / or" unless stated otherwise. Furthermore, use of the term "including" as well as "comprising" is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and / or thereafter as well as other items. It is also contemplated that use of the term "comprising" is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and / or thereafter as well as other items. It is further noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various elements, and are not intended to mean that the elements are limited to a particular order or sequence. Also, the terms "top," "bottom," and the like are used for clarity in description of the various figures and are not intended to mean that the apparatus is limited to a particular orientation.

[0035] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there can be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate those features. Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from the context, the phrase "X employs A or B" is intended to mean that X employs A or B or both A and B. In other words, a combination of A and B is a subset of the combination of A or B. Stated differently, A or B means A or B or both A and B.

[0036] The present disclosure generally describes systems, devices, and methods of selectively using antennas for communication when operating in accordance with a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure. As described herein, the disclosed procedures bring certain advantages to operation. In light of the above, the following provides a general description of suitable electronic devices that can include practicing such procedures.

[0037] Turning first to FIG. 1 , an electronic device 10 according to embodiments of the present disclosure can include one or more processors 12, memory 14, non-volatile storage 16, a display 18, input structures 22, an input / output (I / O) interface 24, a network interface 26, a power supply 28, and a transceiver 30, among other things. FIG. 1 The various functional blocks shown in FIG. 1 can comprise hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium), or a combination of both hardware and software elements. In addition, the combination of elements can be implemented in a tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium including machine- readable instructions. The instructions can be executed by the processor 12 and can cause the processor 12 to perform operations as described herein. It should be noted that, FIG. 1 is merely one example of a particular embodiment and is intended to illustrate the types of elements that can be present in an electronic device 10.

[0038] For example, electronic device 10 can represent FIG. 2 The laptop shown FIG. 3 The handheld device shown FIG. 4 The handheld device shown FIG. 5 The desktop computer shown FIG. 6 The diagram shows a wearable electronic device or similar device. It should be noted that... FIG. 1 The processor 12 and other related items herein may be generally referred to as "data processing circuitry". This data processing circuitry may be implemented wholly or partially in software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single, contained processing module, or it may be wholly or partially integrated within any other element of the electronic device 10.

[0039] exist FIG. 1 In the electronic device 10, processor 12 may be coupled to memory 14 and non-volatile storage device 16 to execute various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by processor 12 may be stored in any suitable article of art, including one or more tangible computer-readable media, such as memory 14 and non-volatile storage device 16, that at least commonly store the instructions or routines. Memory 14 and non-volatile storage device 16 may include any suitable article of art for storing data and executable instructions, such as random access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard disk drive, and optical disk. Additionally, programs (e.g., operating systems) encoded on such computer program products may also include instructions executable by processor 12 to enable electronic device 10 to provide various functions.

[0040] In some embodiments, display 18 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a digital micromirror display (DMD), one or more organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, or some combination of these displays, which enables a user to view images generated by electronic device 10. In some embodiments, display 18 may include a touchscreen that facilitates user interaction with the user interface of electronic device 10.

[0041] In some cases, one or more processors 12 may operate circuitry to input or output data generated by electronic device 10. For example, one or more processors 12 may control and / or operate memory 14, non-volatile storage device 16, display 18, input structure 22, input / output (I / O interface) 24, network interface 26, transceiver 30, power supply 28, etc., to perform operation of electronic device 10 and / or facilitate control over the operation of electronic device 10. Specifically, one or more processors 12 may generate control signals for operating transceiver 30 to communicate using one or more communication networks.

[0042] The input structure 22 of electronic device 10 allows a user to interact with electronic device 10 (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease the volume level). Like network interface 26, I / O interface 24 enables electronic device 10 to interact with various other electronic devices. Network interface 26 may include, for example, one or more interfaces for personal area networks (PANs) such as... Networks, local area networks (LANs), or wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as Networks, and / or wide area networks (WANs) such as 3rd generation (3G) cellular networks, 4th generation (4G) cellular networks, LTE cellular networks, Long Term Evolution License Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) cellular networks, 5th generation (5G) cellular networks, or New Radio (NR) cellular networks. Network interface 26 may also include one or more interfaces, for example, for broadband fixed wireless access networks (e.g., Mobile broadband wireless network (mobile) Asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL) and digital video terrestrial broadcasting Network and its extension DVB handheld devices Networks, ultra-wideband (UWB) networks, AC power lines, etc.

[0043] In some implementations, electronic device 10 uses transceiver 30 to communicate via the aforementioned wireless network (e.g., 4G, ...). The transceiver 30 may include circuitry available for both wireless transmission and reception of signals (e.g., data signals, wireless data signals, wireless carrier signals, RF signals), such as a transmitter and a receiver. In fact, in some embodiments, the transceiver 30 may include a transmitter and receiver combined into a single unit, or in other embodiments, the transceiver 30 may include a transmitter separate from the receiver. The transceiver 30 can transmit and receive RF signals to support voice and / or data communications in wireless applications within the networks listed above or any suitable network (such as PAN networks, WLAN networks, UWB networks, etc.). As further shown, the electronic device 10 may include a power supply 28. The power supply 28 may include any suitable power source, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and / or an alternating current (AC) power converter.

[0044] In some embodiments, electronic device 10 may take the form of a computer, portable electronic device, wearable electronic device, or other type of electronic device. Such a computer may typically be portable (such as a laptop, notebook computer, or tablet computer) or used in one location (such as a desktop computer, workstation, and / or server). In some embodiments, electronic device 10 in the form of a computer may be a product purchased from Apple Inc., Cupertino, California. PRO, MacBook mini or MAC Model. For example, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, in FIG. 2 The image shows an electronic device 10 in the form of a laptop computer 10A. The laptop computer 10A may include a casing or housing 36, a display 18, input structures 22, and ports associated with an I / O interface 24. In one embodiment, the input structures 22 (such as a keyboard and / or touchpad) enable interaction with the laptop computer 10A, such as launching, controlling, or operating a graphical user interface (GUI) or application running on the laptop computer 10A. For example, the keyboard and / or touchpad facilitates user interaction with the user interface, GUI, and / or application interface displayed on the display 18.

[0045] FIG. 3 A front view of a handheld device 10B is depicted, representing one embodiment of an electronic device 10. The handheld device 10B may represent, for example, a portable telephone, media player, personal data manager, handheld gaming platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device 10B may be a product purchased from Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California. or Handheld device 10B may include a housing 36 to protect internal components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The housing 36 may enclose the display 18. I / O interface 24 can be opened through the housing 36 and may include, for example, I / O ports for hardwired connections to allow charging and / or content manipulation using connectors and protocols such as the Lightning connector supplied by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or other similar connectors and protocols.

[0046] The input structure 22, in conjunction with the display 18, enables the user to control the handheld device 10B. For example, the input structure 22 can activate or deactivate the handheld device 10B, navigate the user interface to the home screen, display a user-editable application screen, and / or activate the voice recognition features of the handheld device 10B. Other input structures 22 may provide volume control or switch between vibration and ringtone modes. The input structure 22 may also include a microphone for acquiring the user's voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker for enabling audio playback. The input structure 22 may also include a headphone input for enabling input from external speakers and / or headphones.

[0047] FIG. 4 A front view of another handheld device 10C is depicted, representing another embodiment of electronic device 10. Handheld device 10C can represent, for example, a tablet computer, or one of various portable computing devices. By way of example, handheld device 10C can be a tablet-sized embodiment of electronic device 10, specifically, for example, a device purchased from Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California. Handheld device.

[0048] See FIG. 5 Computer 10D can represent FIG. 1 Another embodiment of the electronic device 10. The computer 10D can be any computer, such as a desktop computer, server, or laptop computer, and / or can be a standalone media player or video game console. For example, the computer 10D could be Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. Or other similar devices. It should be noted that computer 10D may also refer to a personal computer (PC) from another manufacturer. Housing 36 may protect and enclose the internal components of computer 10D, such as display 18. In some embodiments, a user of computer 10D may interact with computer 10D using various peripheral input devices operatively coupled to computer 10D, such as keyboard 22A or mouse 22B (e.g., input structure 22).

[0049] Similarly, FIG. 6 Depicting the representation FIG. 1 Another embodiment of the electronic device 10 is a wearable electronic device 10E. By way of example, the wearable electronic device 10E, which may include a wristband 43, could be Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device 10E may include any wearable electronic device, such as a wearable motion monitoring device (e.g., a pedometer, accelerometer, heart rate monitor), or other devices from another manufacturer. The display 18 of the wearable electronic device 10E may include a display 18 (e.g., an LCD, OLED display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, etc.) and a touchscreen version of the input structure 22, which facilitates user interaction with the user interface of the wearable electronic device 10E. In some embodiments, as described above, each embodiment of the electronic device 10 (e.g., laptop 10A, handheld device 10B, handheld device 10C, computer 10D, and wearable electronic device 10E) may include a transceiver 30.

[0050] In view of the above, FIG. 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device 50 comprising multiple radio frequency (RF) circuit chains (RF chains) according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The electronic device 50 may also include... FIG. 1 Each of the components illustrated herein. For example, electronic device 50 may include control system 52, which has a similar function to... FIG. 1 The processor 12 operates the processor 54 and can be similar to FIG. 1 The memory 14 operates on the memory 56.

[0051] The control system 52 can control the operation of the radio frequency (RF) chains 58 (RF chains 58A, RF chains 58B) of the electronic device 50. The control system 52 can instruct RF chain 58A when to transmit and / or receive messages on antenna 60A, and can instruct RF chain 58B when to transmit and / or receive messages on antenna 60B. It should be noted that each of the RF chains 58 may include one or more antennas 60, and may include unequal numbers of antennas 60. Antennas 60 may be grouped into one or more antenna panels not specifically shown herein. Furthermore, the two RF chains 58A, 58B are exemplary, and there may be more than [missing information - likely a specific number]. FIG. 7 The number of RF chains 58 may be more or less.

[0052] The control system 52 can transmit control signals to transmitter 62A, causing transmitter 62A to transmit data packets using antenna 60A. In response to receiving the control signal, transmitter 62A can prepare or process data packets for transmission and transmit the data packets using radio frequency waves. Similarly, the control system 52 can transmit control signals to transmitter circuit 62B, causing transmitter 62B to transmit data packets using antenna 60B. The control system 52 can also transmit control signals to receiver 64A, causing receiver 64A to receive signals using antenna 60A. Receiver 64A can prepare to receive signals using antenna 60A in response to the control signal and can process any received signal according to the configuration implemented by the control system 52. Similarly, the control system 52 can transmit control signals to receiver 64B, causing receiver 64B to receive signals using antenna 60B.

[0053] Electronic device 50 may also include input / output (I / O) circuitry 66, which may include and / or be coupled to FIG. 1 The I / O interface circuit 24 and / or network interface 26 are provided. In fact, the electronic device 50 can receive input data from components coupled to the electronic device 50 via the additional I / O circuit 66. For example, a USB device can be coupled to the electronic device 50 at the additional I / O circuit 66.

[0054] The control system 52 can operate the electronic device 50 according to a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) procedure, and more specifically, operate the RF chain 58. That is, before transmitting data packets using one or more of the antennas 60, the control system 52 can verify that there is no ongoing communication within the frequency range (e.g., a communication channel defined using multiple frequencies within a frequency band). While beneficial in reducing the possibility of communication interruption or interference, these operations may prevent an "idle" antenna (e.g., an antenna that has not detected ongoing communication) from transmitting data packets when another antenna has detected ongoing communication. Furthermore, the Listen-Before-Speak procedure can assume that intra-device interference that may not cause communication interruption or interference (such as noise generated by a USB device or another device coupled to I / O circuitry 66 or a simultaneously operating antenna) is causing the communication interruption or interference.

[0055] For example, even when antennas 60B and 60A use different types of communication (e.g., cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication), antenna 60B can use a frequency range that overlaps with the frequency range used by antenna 60A during communication. When one antenna (e.g., 60B) is used, the other antenna (e.g., 60A) can receive some of the communication as noise from the antenna 60B in use. During the listen-before-speak process, this noise may be misinterpreted as disruptive or interfering, and the control system 52 can delay communication to avoid interrupting ongoing communication on the radio wave path. However, the noise may not cause communication interruption or interference, and therefore communication can continue without degradation or loss.

[0056] In detail, FIG. 8 This is an example of an electronic device 50 with three antennas 60 (e.g., antenna 60A, antenna 60B, and antenna 60C) following a conventional listen-before-speak process. Antenna 60B receives noise exceeding a threshold noise level, while antennas 60A and 60C receive noise below the threshold noise level, and no antenna 60 is used for communication. In this case, and as... FIG. 9A , FIG. 9B and FIG. 12 In the example shown, the threshold noise amount corresponds to the power of noise measured in decibels per milliwatt (dBm). Although any suitable noise power that disrupts communication via antenna 60 can be used as the threshold noise amount, for the purposes of this disclosure, the threshold noise amount is substantially approximated to -75 dBm (e.g., an amount between -70 dBm and -80 dBm).

[0057] In fact, when following the listen-before-speak procedure, even if antennas 60A and 60C receive noise less than a threshold noise level, the control system 52 instructs the transmitter 62 of each of the antennas 60 to delay transmission (e.g., not transmit). For example, these listen-before-speak operations can be improved when the control system 52 selectively considers which of the antennas 60 are known to be affected by a USB device or another device coupled to the additional I / O circuit 66 and then determines to delay transmission only in response to noise encountered by antenna 60B, as described below for at least Figures 9 to 10. FIG. 11Detailed explanation. In fact, communication using electronic device 50 can be improved when the listen-before-speak process is performed while considering in-device operation. Communication can be improved because, for example, fewer false alarms can be detected, thereby increasing the time spent on communication. That is, in-device operation will not be confused with speaking on a frequency band (e.g., a communication channel), and therefore communication can continue without disruption. In some cases, the firmware and / or software application of electronic device 50 can instruct the control system 52 on in-device operation. Therefore, these systems and methods can allow processing of operations to control communication circuitry via instructions to control system 52. For example, processor 54 of electronic device 50 can generate control signals and send control signals to control system 52, indicating ongoing USB device operation or another external device operation. Control system 52 can then adjust communication operations based on which communication circuitry is affected by the ongoing operation. Additionally or alternatively, when, for example, the following applies to at least FIG. 12 to FIG. 15 The detailed control system 52 is only applicable when antenna 60B encounters noise and transmission is delayed, thus allowing other antennas 60 to continue communicating, and the "listen first, speak later" operation can be improved.

[0058] Specifically, FIG. 9A This is an example of an electronic device 50 with antennas 60A, 60B, and 60C according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein antenna 60B receives noise greater than a threshold noise level, antennas 60A and 60C receive noise less than a threshold noise level, and each of the antennas 60 is used to transmit one or more data packets. In fact, in this example, the control system 52 may refer to memory 56 (e.g., memory 14) to determine when antenna 60B is damaged (e.g., such that the USB device or another device interferes with communications transmitted or received using antenna 60B). Because antenna 60B is damaged, the control system 52 cannot use antenna 60B for communication. In this example, in the presence of inter-device interference, the noise level of antenna 60B being damaged (e.g., a USB device or other device being inserted into electronic device 50) may be an inaccurate indication of whether ongoing communication is occurring. Therefore, the control system 52 may alternatively use an indication of the noise received by antennas 60A and / or 60C to determine when to delay transmission operations. In this way, the control system 52 can delay the transmission on one or more antennas 60 when antenna 60A and / or antenna 60C receive noise greater than a threshold noise amount, rather than when antenna 60B receives noise.

[0059] This example illustrates an electronic device 50 having antennas 60A, 60B, and 60C according to an embodiment of this disclosure. FIG. 9BAs shown, each of the antennas 60 receives noise exceeding a threshold noise level, and the control system 52 delays the transmission of each of the antennas 60. In fact, with FIG. 9A As with the example above, antenna 60B is known to be affected by interference within the device and is therefore a relatively inaccurate indication of whether ongoing communication is taking place. However, since antennas 60A and / or 60C are relatively more accurate indications of whether ongoing communication is taking place, the control system 52 can determine to delay transmission operations due to these antennas 60A, 60C receiving noise exceeding a threshold noise level.

[0060] In detail, FIG. 10 This is a block diagram of logic circuit 78 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is used to generate an indication of noise received by antenna 60 of electronic device 50. Logic circuit 78 can be located within control system 52, within Wi-Fi chipset of electronic device 50, and / or any suitable location within electronic device 50. In fact, each RF chain 58 of electronic device 50 can include logic circuit 78. Logic circuit 78 can use comparator 84 or other suitable comparison circuitry to compare noise energy 80A received by first antenna 60 (such as antenna 60A) with a noise energy threshold 82. This comparison can be repeated using comparator 84B for noise energy 80B of another antenna 60B. When the corresponding noise energies 80A, 80B are greater than the voltage value of noise energy threshold 82, signals are transmitted to OR gate 86 and AND gate 88. The output of OR gate 86 or AND gate 88 is transmitted from multiplexer 92 based at least in part on a pattern signal stored in command register 90.

[0061] The control system 52 can control the mode of operation of the logic circuit 78 (e.g., OR mode or AND mode). This mode can be set via configuration information (e.g., one or more configuration bits) stored in the command register 90. The output of the multiplexer 92 is either matched with the output of the OR gate 86 or the output of the AND gate 88. In AND mode, the control system 52 can delay communication of the electronic device 50 only if each antenna 60 receives a certain amount of noise energy 80 greater than or equal to the noise energy threshold 82. However, in OR mode, the control system 52 can delay communication of the electronic device 50 when any of the antennas 60 receives a certain amount of noise energy 80 greater than or equal to the noise energy threshold 82.

[0062] The indications obtained from the multiplexer 92 can be incorporated into the operation flow of the control system 52. FIG. 11This is a flowchart of a method 110 for operating electronic device 50 to transmit or delay transmission in response to a signal output from logic circuitry 78, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that although depicted in a specific order, the blocks of method 110 can be performed in any suitable order, and at least some blocks can be skipped entirely. Furthermore, it should be noted that although method 110 relates to transmission operations, similar operations can be used in receiving operations, such as determining when to turn on the receiver, since turning on the receiver in response to noise rather than a message may undesirably consume power. As described herein, method 110 is described as being performed by a control system 52 of electronic device 50; however, it should be understood that any suitable processing and / or control circuitry (such as one or more of processor 12, etc.) can perform some or all of the operations of method 110.

[0063] At block 112, the control system 52 transmits a command signal to operate the logic circuit 78 in an AND operation mode. The control system 52 can generate a control signal as a command signal for storage in the command register 90 of the logic circuit 78. In this way, when the command signal has a first state, the logic circuit 78 operates in a first operation mode (e.g., OR mode), and when the command signal has a second state, the logic circuit 78 operates in a second operation mode (e.g., AND mode). It should be noted that the data stored in the command register 90 as a result of the command signal may be used as a trigger mechanism to power off parts of the logic circuit 78 to save power, such as by disabling logic gate 86 and / or logic gate 88 when not in use.

[0064] At block 114, control system 52 receives the output of logic circuit 78 and determines whether the output is a voltage level indicating that each comparator 84 has detected a corresponding noise energy 80 greater than a noise energy threshold 82. For example, the voltage level may include a logic high voltage level (e.g., a logic high output). When the corresponding noise energy 80 received by each antenna 60—both damaged (causing the USB device or other devices coupled to electronics 50 to negatively affect the operation of antenna 60) and undamaged (causing the USB device or other devices coupled to electronics 50 to not negatively affect the operation of antenna 60)—is greater than or equal to the noise energy threshold 82, control system 52 may consider transmission inappropriate and may therefore delay transmission at block 116. A similar process applies when control system 52 sets logic circuit 78 to OR operation mode; however, when any of the antennas 60 receives noise energy 80 greater than or equal to the noise energy threshold 82, control system 52 may delay transmission at block 116.

[0065] At block 116, because each comparator 84 detects that the corresponding noise energy 80 is greater than the noise energy threshold 82, the control system 52 signals to the transmitter 62 that transmission is delayed (e.g., by not transmitting scheduled packets). The control system 52 may resume transmission at another uplink, downlink, or other transmission opportunity (such as a transmission opportunity indicated by the communication configuration). In some cases, the control system 52 may resume transmission when the output signal from the logic circuit 78 has a logic low voltage level (e.g., a logic low output) that generally indicates that resuming transmission will not disrupt ongoing communication.

[0066] Referring again to box 114, when the signal output from logic circuit 78 does not indicate that the comparator detects the corresponding noise energy 80 as a voltage level greater than or equal to the noise energy threshold 82, at box 118, control system 52 transmits packets using each antenna 60. Note that control system 52 may periodically poll logic circuit 78 to obtain the output signal, and / or may continuously receive the output signal.

[0067] As mentioned above, when, for example, for at least FIG. 12 to FIG. 15 The detailed control system 52 delays only when the transmission of the antenna 60B encounters noise, thus improving the "listen first, speak later" operation. FIG. 12 This is an example of an electronic device 50 having three antennas 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein antenna 60B receives noise greater than a threshold amount, two antennas 60A and 60C receive noise less than a threshold amount, and two of the antennas 60A and 60C continue to transmit. FIG. 12 The electronic device 50 can independently determine whether to use each of the three antennas 60 for communication. When the control system 52 determines that antenna 60 is idle, the control system 52 can use antenna 60 for communication. However, when the control system 52 determines that antenna 60 is not idle, the control system 52 cannot use antenna 60 for communication. Both of these decisions can be made independently of decisions made regarding the other antenna 60. It should be noted that independent determination can be related to... FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B The aspects illustrated in the example are combined with logical decision-making to ignore the noise energy 80 received by antenna 60 (e.g., a damaged antenna) that is known to be affected by interference within the device when determining which antennas to use for transmission.

[0068] In detail, FIG. 13This is a flowchart of a method 130 for operating electronic device 50 to adjust or delay transmission in response to noise received by one or more antennas 60, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that although depicted in a specific order, the blocks of method 130 can be performed in any suitable order, and at least some blocks can be skipped entirely. As described herein, method 130 is described as being performed by a control system 52 of electronic device 50; however, it should be understood that any suitable processing and / or control circuitry (such as one or more of processor 12, etc.) can perform some or all of the operations of method 130.

[0069] At block 132, control system 52 tests the noise of antenna 60 and / or receives an indication of noise stored in memory 56 (e.g., memory 14). If additional sensing circuitry is used to identify the amount of noise sensed by antenna 60, an indication of the noise, such as the sensed noise amount, can be generated. The noise may include noise energy 80 (e.g., energy) received at each respective antenna 60. When the received noise is less than a threshold noise amount, FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 In each of these, antenna 60 can be "idle". Control system 52 can execute method 130 to determine whether to communicate using a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO TX) transmit or receive mode (e.g., MIMO TX mode, MIMO RX mode) or a single-input single-output (SISO TX mode, SISO RX mode). "MIMO TX mode" refers to transmission using multiple antennas 60, and "MIMO RX mode" refers to reception using multiple antennas 60. "SISO TX mode" refers to transmission using a single antenna 60, and "SISO RX mode" refers to reception using a single antenna 60.

[0070] In some cases, receiver 64 can also be initialized to communicate in a transmission mode that matches transmitter 62, such as when a response communication is expected to return in a format similar to the transmission. Indeed, devices with dual MIMO and SISO capabilities can be enabled by using queues, where control system 52 uses both MIMO TX and SISO TX to generate packets for transmission, adds packets to queues, and determines before transmission whether to use MIMO TX, SISO TX, or multiple SISO TXs at once to transmit data. In some cases, packets stored in queues can be designed for transmission using either MIMO TX or SISO TX, and thus transmitter 62 can retrieve packets from the same queue. In some cases, a first packet can be designed for transmission using MIMO TX, and a second packet can be designed for transmission using SISO TX. Control system 52 can store the first and second packets in different queues (e.g., MIMO TX queue, SISO TX queue) relative to the transmission type for access at a later time (such as when preparing to transmit the first or second packet).

[0071] In order to make a decision between SISO TX mode and MIMO TX mode, at block 134, the control system 52 determines whether the first antenna 60 is idle. Specifically, the control system 52 may determine that the noise energy 80 and / or the indication of sensed noise from the memory 56 (or memory 14) corresponding to the first antenna 60 is less than a threshold noise amount. If the control system 52 determines that the first antenna 60 is not idle, then at block 136, the control system 52 determines whether the second antenna 60 is idle.

[0072] At block 138, if control system 52 determines that second antenna 60 is idle, control system 52 configures at least transmitter 62 to use SISO TX mode with second antenna 60. It should be noted that SISO TX mode can involve communication using any idle antenna 60 of the control system, as further detailed below, and should not be limited to using it only when first antenna 60 is determined to be idle. For example, it may be preferable to use some antennas 60 in SISO TX mode for communication compared to other antennas 60, such as if one or more antennas are affected by operation within the device (e.g., such antennas 60 could be used if needed, but doing so may not be preferred). Once transmitter 62 is ready to transmit, such as after performing any calibration or powering on the transmission circuitry, at block 140, control system 52 transmits packets. Control system 52 can use transmitter 62 to transmit packets. If queuing is being used, transmitter 62 can receive packets for transmission from the queue corresponding to SISO TX mode.

[0073] Returning to box 136, when the control system 52 determines that the second antenna 60 is not idle, at box 142, the control system 52 continues to delay transmissions using at least the first antenna 60 and the second antenna 60. Note that if the transmitter 62 includes additional antennas 60 (e.g., a third antenna 60), the control system 52 may continue to test each antenna 60 to determine if any of the antennas 60 is idle for transmission. When the antenna 60 used for transmission operations is not idle, the control system 52 may delay transmissions from each of the antennas 60. Note that this control decision to delay transmissions may be made based on each RF chain 58, such that the control system 52 may delay transmissions from RF chain 58A without also delaying transmissions from RF chain 58B. The control system 52 may delay transmission operations for at least one communication cycle, such as until a subsequent uplink or transmission allocation becomes available. In some cases, the control system 52 may monitor or repeatedly test the noise of the antenna 60 at block 132 and / or repeatedly access the indication in the memory 56 (e.g., memory 14), and continue to perform the operation of method 130 until an idle antenna 60 is found to be used to transmit data packets at block 140 according to the SISO TX or MIMOTX mode.

[0074] Returning to box 134, when the control system 52 determines that the first antenna 60 is idle, at box 144, the control system 52 can determine whether the second antenna 60 is idle. The control system 52 can access an indication of sensed noise and / or noise energy 80 from memory 56 (or memory 14). If the control system 52 determines that the second antenna 60 is not idle, at box 146, the control system 52 can continue to configure at least one transmitter 62 to use the SISO TX mode of the first antenna 60. It should be noted that the SISO TX mode can involve any idle antenna 60 of the control system as further detailed below, and should not be limited to the first antenna 60 determined to be idle. Once the transmitter 62 is ready to transmit, such as after performing any calibration or powering on the transmission circuitry, at box 140, the control system 52 can use the mode determined at box 146 to transmit packets. If queuing is being used, the transmitter 62 can receive packets for transmission from the queue corresponding to the SISO TX mode.

[0075] Returning to box 144, if the control system 52 determines that the second antenna 60 is idle, then at box 148, the control system 52 configures the transmitter 62 to at least MIMO TX mode using the first antenna 60 and the second antenna 60. When the electronics 50 includes more than two antennas 60, the control system 52 may determine to transmit using each idle antenna 60, only two idle antennas 60 (e.g., the first antenna 60 and the second antenna 60), or any number of idle antennas (e.g., after performing a suitable number of idle checks, such as those at boxes 134, 136, and 144). Once the transmitter 62 is ready to transmit, such as after performing any calibration or powering on the transmission circuitry, at box 140, the control system 52 transmits packets using the mode determined at box 146. If queuing is being used, the transmitter 62 can receive packets for transmission from the queue corresponding to the MIMO TX mode.

[0076] To further explain how antenna 60 preferences affect control decisions and other considerations that can be taken into account when determining how to transmit packets, FIG. 14 This is a flowchart of a method 162 for operating electronic device 50 to adjust single-input single-output (SISO) transmission (SISO TX) operation in response to noise received by one or more antennas 60, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that although depicted in a specific order, the blocks of method 162 can be performed in any suitable order, and at least some blocks can be skipped entirely. As described herein, method 162 is described as being performed by control system 52 of electronic device 50; however, it should be understood that any suitable processing and / or control circuitry (such as one or more of processor 12, etc.) can perform some or all of the operations of method 162. It should be noted that the following description of the operation assumes that each antenna 60 considered for SISO TX operation has been tested by control system 52 and determined to be either idle or not idle.

[0077] At box 164, control system 52 receives an instruction to use antenna 60 for communication. The antenna 60 to be used can be an antenna compatible with protocols or frequencies used for first-type communication such as Wi-Fi, cellular, or Bluetooth communication. Control system 52 can adjust the communication operation based on the type of antenna 60 to be used and whether in-device operation is in progress, as, for example, ongoing in-device operation can reduce the antenna 60's ability to accurately report speech on the radio wave path. In fact, based on the combination of the requested operation and the ongoing operation, control system 52 can delay communication and / or adjust which antenna 60 is used for communication.

[0078] At box 166, the control system 52 can determine whether there is an indication that an in-device operation is being performed. For example, the control system 52 may use a second antenna 60 that utilizes overlapping frequencies for communication and / or may communicate via USB, and / or other external devices may be plugged into the electronic device 50, causing interference with communication using the first antenna 60. The second antenna 60 may use the same type of communication as the antenna 60 and / or may use a different type of communication than the antenna 60, with overlapping frequencies that cause noise at the antenna 60. In fact, the control system 52 may receive an indication from memory 56, firmware, or user input, where the firmware or user input can be used to generate and / or store an indication that an in-device operation is being performed. This indication may indicate which antennas of the antennas 60 are affected by the in-device operation. Since some antennas may be affected by concurrent in-device operations while others may not be affected, additional checks can be performed when determining which antenna 60 is used in SISO TX mode transmission operations. In-device operation may include concurrent operation of another antenna 60 in an overlapping frequency band, concurrent operation of another antenna 60 in a non-overlapping frequency band, concurrent communication with a USB device or other external device, simultaneous access to power via a power connection input to the electronic device 10, etc.

[0079] In some cases, the indications can be learned by the control system 52 over time (e.g., via machine learning techniques). For example, the control system 52 can access operation logs detailing antenna performance and operation logic detailing in-device operations, and can analyze these logs to identify (e.g., over time) which in-device operations negatively affect the transmission operation of the corresponding antenna 60, and can learn to adjust the transmission during the identified operations over time. In some cases, the control system 52 also identifies which antennas 60 are affected by in-device operations and to what extent they are affected (if any). Indications using in-device operations can be generated based on these analyses and / or identifications and accessed at box 170 to determine whether there are antennas 60 of a type known to be affected by in-device operations. In some cases, the control system 52 accesses indications from encoded or stored data in memory 56 (e.g., memory 14). Alternatively or additionally, the control system 52 may associate the affected antenna with the current range of communication frequencies (e.g., the frequency used for Wi-Fi transmission or other transmissions when the antenna 60 will use cellular frequencies for communication, the range expected to be used) and / or with the current operating state (e.g., USB in use or no USB, external power connection in use or no external power connection).

[0080] When no indication is received, at box 168, when antenna 60 is idle, control system 52 uses antenna 60 to transmit data packets. In some cases, control system 52 may generate and store indications in memory 56 corresponding to each antenna 60 and whether antenna 60 is affected by concurrent operation within the device and / or is determined to be idle (e.g., receiving noise energy less than a threshold level). These indications can be accessed during subsequent repetition of process 162 when determining which antenna 60 to use in SISO TX mode transmission operation. After accessing the indications in memory 56 (or memory 14), control system 52 can transmit packets once antenna 60 is determined to be idle. If antenna 60 is not idle, control system 52 can use the next idle antenna 60 found.

[0081] Returning to box 166, if the control system 52 determines that it has received an instruction for in-device operation, then at box 170, the control system 52 determines whether antenna 60 is known to be affected by in-device operation. It should be noted that, as described above, in-device operation may include the following operating conditions: concurrent communication using one or more overlapping frequencies and / or using USB or other external devices coupled to electronic device 50 relative to the operation at box 164 (e.g., the communication indicated at box 164). The control system 52 may make this determination for each antenna 60 of the type corresponding to the communication operation based on one or more indications in memory 56 (or memory 14). For example, the control system 52 may determine whether the communication can have a relatively low priority, such that incomplete transmission will be allowed if transmission is interrupted. In some embodiments, the control system 52 may refer to antenna preferences in memory 56 (e.g., memory 14) to determine which antenna 60 to use.

[0082] If antenna 60 is not affected by operation within the device, then at block 168, when antenna 60 is idle, control system 52 uses antenna 60 to transmit data packets. The decisions related to the idleness of antenna 60 are similar to those made in the operation of the previously referenced method 130, and therefore are based on the previous discussion here.

[0083] Returning to box 170, if antenna 60 is affected by in-device operation, then at box 172, control system 52 determines whether transmission via antenna 60 affected by in-device operation is permitted. Specifically, in-device operation can negatively impact the performance of communications using antenna 60, to the point that packet loss may occur when communicating using antenna 60. Control system 52 may refer to indications stored in memory 56 to determine whether such communications (e.g., transmission and / or reception) are permitted. When, for example, data being set has a relatively low priority, communication can continue from antenna 60 affected by in-device operation, such that packet loss does not alter the operation of electronic device 50.

[0084] If, at box 172, the control system 52 determines that transmission via antenna 60 affected by in-device operation is not permitted, then at box 174, the control system 52 delays transmission via antenna 60. The control system 52 may use a different antenna 60 that is not affected by in-device operation and is determined to be idle, instead of the antenna 60 indicated to be affected by in-device operation. In other words, the control system 52 ensures that antenna 60 affected by in-device operation does not perform transmission.

[0085] When it is identified that another antenna 60 needs to be used, the control system 52 can refer to antenna preferences to determine which alternative antenna 60 to use and / or refer to previous sensing operations to determine which antennas 60 are idle. Antenna preferences may be set during manufacturing and stored in memory 56 (e.g., memory 14). Alternatively, antenna preferences may be learned by the control system 52 over time (and stored in memory 56 and / or memory 14), such as the control system 52 tracking over time which antenna 60 is relatively more reliable for communication based on the frequency or probability of incomplete transmissions occurring when using the respective antenna. Once an antenna 60 is selected, the control system 52 can operate according to the SISO TX mode to transmit packets using the selected antenna 60.

[0086] However, returning to box 172, if the control system 52 determines that transmission via antenna 60, which is affected by in-device operation, is permitted, then at box 168, the control system 52 uses antenna 60, which is determined to be idle, to transmit data, regardless of whether antenna 60 is affected by in-device operation. Once antenna 60 is selected, the control system 52 can use the selected antenna 60 to transmit packets according to SISO TX mode operation.

[0087] In some cases, it may be desirable to use a MIMO TX system instead of... FIG. 14 The SISO TX system is described. In fact, FIG. 15This is a flowchart of a method 188 for operating electronic device 50 to adjust multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission (MIMO TX) operation in response to noise received by one or more antennas 60, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that although shown in a specific order, the blocks of method 188 can be performed in any suitable order, and at least some blocks can be skipped entirely. As described herein, method 188 is described as being performed by a control system 52 of electronic device 50; however, it should be understood that any suitable processing and / or control circuitry (such as one or more of processor 12, etc.) can perform some or all of the operations of method 188. It should be noted that the following description of the operation assumes that each antenna 60 considered for MIMO TX operation has been tested and / or determined by control system 52 to be either idle or not idle.

[0088] When method 188 is executed, the operations performed at blocks 164, 166, 170, and 172 can also be performed by control system 52 when determining how to use MIMO TX operation for transmission. Although the same determination can be made, the operations performed in response to that determination can be modified for a MIMO TX system compared to a SISO TX system (e.g., to accommodate and operate multiple antennas compared to a single antenna). For ease of description, the description of the operations performed at blocks 164, 166, 170, and 172 will not be repeated herein.

[0089] In fact, at block 164, control system 52 receives an instruction to communicate using one or more antennas 60 (e.g., one or more Wi-Fi antennas). At block 166, control system 52 determines whether it has received an instruction for operation within the device.

[0090] If, at box 166, control system 52 determines that no indication has been received, then control system 52 transmits packets at box 190 using each available antenna 60. The absence of an indication (or a different indication) can convey to control system 52 that in-device operation is not in progress. When in-device operation is not in progress, if each antenna 60 is idle (e.g., the noise energy 80 is not marked as being above a threshold noise level), control system 52 may default to using each antenna 60. When in-device operation does not affect the current transmission, the noise energy 80 received by antenna 60 corresponds to speech occurring in the radio wave path and will therefore not be ignored.

[0091] However, if in-device operation is in progress, and control system 52 determines at block 166 that it has received an instruction for in-device operation, then control system 52 determines at block 170 whether there is an antenna 60 known to be affected by in-device operation (e.g., receiving interference when the subsystem is operating simultaneously with communication operation, or receiving interference when the USB is connected to electronic device 50). If control system 52 determines that there is no antenna 60 affected by in-device operation, then control system 52 uses each idle, unaffected antenna 60 for transmission at block 192. In fact, as long as one antenna 60 is idle when each antenna 60 is affected by in-device operation at overlapping frequencies, control system 52 can determine to use antenna 60 for communication.

[0092] Returning to box 170, control system 52 determines that antenna 60 is known to be affected by in-device operations, and at box 172, determines whether transmission based on antenna 60 affected by in-device operations is permitted. If control system 52 determines that transmission based on antenna 60 affected by in-device operations is not permitted, then at box 194, if unaffected antenna 60 is idle, control system 52 uses each antenna 60 to transmit packets. Control system 52 can generally ignore noise readings from antenna 60 affected by in-device operations and make control decisions based on the known unaffected antenna 60.

[0093] Returning to box 172, if the control system 52 determines that transmission based on antenna 60 affected by in-device operation is permissible, then at box 196, if antenna 60 is idle (e.g., any antenna 60 is idle), the control system 52 uses each antenna 60 to transmit packets. Therefore, the control system 52 can determine to transmit packets via MIMO TX based at least on the indication that antenna 60 is idle, regardless of whether antenna 60 is affected by in-device operation.

[0094] In some cases, if the control system 52 determines that antenna 60 is idle, the control system 52 can store the indication of the idle determination, so that the determination may not need to be re-determined. The idle determination may expire after a period of time and can be repeated continuously. It should be noted that marking antennas as idle and / or undamaged can provide an implementation where the control system 52 uses each antenna determined to be idle and damaged (or normally marked). These examples of using stored indications can reduce the amount of time the control system 52 spends preparing for communication, because the control system 52 can refer to the stored indications instead of re-determining idleness before each communication.

[0095] The technical effects of this disclosure include systems and methods for operating transceiver circuitry to selectively use antennas based on noise received by the antennas. When determining whether to not use an antenna for transmission, considerations may include whether the transmission will be MIMOTX or SISOTX, whether in-device operations overlap (e.g., indications of in-device operations), whether one or more antennas 60 are affected by overlapping in-device operations, and / or whether transmission based on the antenna affected by overlapping in-device operations will be permitted. Similar considerations may be made for some receive operations. Logic circuitry may be used in conjunction with a control system to implement at least some of the decisions, such as providing control signal outputs to the control system to determine when to delay transmission operations. The described systems and methods can improve the operation of electronic devices because the described techniques can reduce the likelihood of interrupting ongoing communication under the listen-before-talk operation in cases of underutilization of communication circuitry (e.g., when transmission is not performed using an antenna due to noise actually originating from interfering subsystem operations and / or interfering transmissions from the electronic device).

[0096] The specific embodiments described above have been illustrated by way of example, and it should be understood that various modifications and alternatives are permissible. It should also be understood that the claims are not intended to limit us to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of this disclosure.

[0097] The techniques described herein and protected by the claims are referenced and applied to specific examples of physical and practical nature, which significantly improve the technical field and are 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] [function]..." or "steps for [performing] [function]...", those elements shall be interpreted in accordance with 35U.SC112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, those elements shall not be interpreted in accordance with 35U.SC112(f).

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: First antenna; Second antenna; as well as One or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to The system receives an indication that the first antenna is configured to use a first frequency band, which overlaps with a second frequency band used by the second antenna. Based on the fact that communication from the first antenna is not interfered with by operation within the device, based on the fact that the first antenna is idle, and based on the fact that the amount of noise received by the second antenna is greater than or equal to a threshold noise amount, a signal is generated that uses the first antenna for communication without using the second antenna.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the signal using the first antenna and the second antenna based on the fact that both the noise amount received by the first antenna and the noise amount received by the second antenna are less than the threshold noise amount.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to delay the transmission of the signal using the first antenna and the second antenna based on the noise level received by the first antenna being greater than the threshold noise level.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the signal using the first antenna and the second antenna.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to delay the transmission of the signal using the first antenna and the second antenna based on the fact that both the noise amount received by the first antenna and the noise amount received by the second antenna are greater than or equal to the threshold noise amount.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit an additional signal using any combination of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the noise level received by the first antenna, the noise level received by the second antenna, and the threshold noise level.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are configured to delay communication from each of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the fact that both the noise amount received by the first antenna and the noise amount received by the second antenna are greater than the threshold noise amount.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the threshold noise level is between -70 dBm and -80 dBm.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: Receive an indication of whether the second antenna is affected by operations within the device; and Based on the indication that the second antenna is unaffected by the operation within the device, the signal is received using both the first antenna and the second antenna.

10. A method for communication, comprising: Instructions to receive communications via the first antenna using a first frequency band that overlaps with a second frequency band used by the second antenna; as well as Based on the fact that the communication from the first antenna is not interfered with by the operation within the device, based on the fact that the first antenna is idle, and based on the fact that the amount of noise received by the second antenna is greater than or equal to the threshold noise amount, the first antenna is used to transmit signals instead of the second antenna.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising: Based on the fact that the noise received by the first antenna is greater than the threshold noise level, based on the fact that the second antenna is idle, and based on the fact that the noise received by the second antenna is less than the threshold noise level, the second antenna is used instead of the first antenna to transmit additional signals.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-device operation includes concurrent operation of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-device operation includes concurrent operation of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device, a power connection, an external device, or any combination thereof.

14. A device for communication, comprising: The first antenna is configured to communicate via the first frequency band; The second antenna is configured to communicate via a second frequency band that overlaps with the first frequency band; as well as One or more processors are configured to Upon receiving an indication that communication using the first antenna is not subject to operational interference within the device, and Based on the indication that the communication using the first antenna is not interfered with by operation within the device, based on the indication that the second antenna is receiving a second noise amount greater than or equal to a threshold noise amount, and based on the fact that the first antenna is idle, the signal is transmitted via the first frequency band using the first antenna without using the second antenna.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the in-device operation includes concurrent operation of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the operation within the device includes operation of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device, a power connection, an external device, or any combination thereof.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the signal without the second antenna, based on an indication that the second antenna is affected by concurrent operation of the first antenna and based on a determination that transmission via the antenna affected by operation within the device is not permitted.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising a comparator that compares input noise received via the second antenna with the threshold noise amount, wherein an indication that the second antenna is receiving the second noise amount is generated based on the output of the comparator.

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