Apparatus and method for self-interference suppression in Bluetooth systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, a method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for self-interference suppression in a Bluetooth (BT) system. The apparatus includes a cellular modem for cellular communication; a first controller for general purpose; and a second controller for Bluetooth BT communication. The first controller receives information about self-interference from the cellular modem, the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the device in a frequency band of cellular communication and one or both of: one or more associated frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or associated potential harmonic products of the one or more transmissions of the device affecting BT communication. The first controller determines a BT channel affected by one or more transmissions of a device in a frequency band of cellular communication based on the information about the self-interference. The first controller transmits information on the determined BT channel to the second controller, and the second controller is configured to control BT communication with the slave BT device based on the information on the determined BT channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to apparatus, methods and nontransient computer-readable media for self-interference suppression in Bluetooth (BT) systems. Background Technology

[0002] In modern wireless communication devices such as User Equipment (UE), the device can manage multiple wireless connections simultaneously to achieve efficient data transmission and enhanced network performance. While wireless connections to cellular networks can provide high-throughput data services, this high throughput relies on the coordinated operation of multiple wireless links. Therefore, technologies such as Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Dual Connectivity (DC) are widely implemented to optimize the utilization of wireless signals, thereby meeting users' demands for high-speed data transmission.

[0003] When a UE operates with more than one transceiver active at different spectrum allocations, typically in implementations of technologies such as carrier aggregation or dual connectivity, the UE’s radio hardware may cause self-interference. Self-interference refers to the UE’s transmitter having spectral content, harmonic response, or harmonic products that generate interference within the same UE’s active receiving frequency band.

[0004] Currently, Bluetooth (BT) is widely used as a popular short-range communication technology, and BT data connections with nearby devices are constantly increasing. BT communication typically operates within the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. The ISM band consists of radio frequencies reserved for unlicensed communication, typically ranging from 2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz. Due to its open nature, the ISM band is widely used for various wireless communication technologies, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other short-range wireless devices. Because BT connections may operate simultaneously with multiple cellular network connections within the same UE, cellular bands (such as fifth-generation (5G) or sixth-generation (6G) bands) can generate interference that affects Bluetooth signals, leading to self-interference in Bluetooth systems.

[0005] However, issues related to self-interference in Bluetooth systems have not been adequately addressed and still require further investigation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Generally, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide apparatus, methods, and computer-readable media for self-interference suppression in Bluetooth (BT) systems.

[0007] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a cellular modem for cellular communication, a first controller for general purposes, and a second controller for Bluetooth BT communication. The first controller is configured to receive information about self-interference from the cellular modem, wherein the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the apparatus in the frequency band of the cellular communication, and one or more associated frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or associated potential harmonic products of the one or more transmissions of the apparatus affecting BT communication. The first controller is further configured to determine a BT channel affected by one or more transmissions of the apparatus in the frequency band of the cellular communication based on the information about self-interference. The first controller is also configured to send information about the determined BT channel to the second controller, wherein the second controller is configured to control BT communication with a subordinate BT device based on the information about the determined BT channel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the second controller is further prompted to: estimate the channel quality between the device and the subordinate BT device based only on a portion of the determined BT channel; and to control BT transmission by the second controller based on information about the determined BT channel, including: scheduling reception from the subordinate BT device on the determined BT channel when the estimated channel quality is higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0009] In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold is indicated by the self-interference level per BT channel; wherein the self-interference level per BT channel is determined by a first controller based on information of the maximum self-interference level when the device transmits at maximum output power on the cellular band; and when the number of determined BT channels is higher than a predetermined minimum number for BT channels marked as unknown, the self-interference level per BT channel is sent by the first controller to a second controller.

[0010] In some embodiments, the self-interference level of each BT channel is sent via a first custom command in the BT host controller interface (HCI), and the first custom command has a predetermined opcode group field (OGF) value and an opcode command field (OCF) for providing information on the self-interference level of each BT channel.

[0011] In some embodiments, controlling BT transmission by the second controller based on information about the determined BT channels includes scheduling transmissions from the second controller to the slave BT device on any of the BT channels, while scheduling transmissions from the slave BT device on BT channels marked as bad is restricted.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first controller is further configured to send a license command to the second controller, wherein the license command only allows transmission from the BT master device of the device in any of the following BT channels: BT channels marked as bad, or BT channels identified in the license command, including the remaining BT channels among the identified BT channels other than the BT channels marked as bad.

[0013] In some embodiments, the license command includes a second custom command in BT HCI, wherein the second custom command has a predetermined opcode group field OGF value and an opcode command field OCF for transmitting the license.

[0014] In some embodiments, information about the determined BT channels affected by the device's transmission includes information about BT channels marked as bad, the number of which is no greater than a predetermined minimum number of BT channels marked as unknown.

[0015] In some embodiments, information about the determined BT channel affected by the active frequency band is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification command provided by the HCI protocol.

[0016] In some embodiments, the device stores a frequency band combination table in a cellular modem, and the frequency band combination table includes frequency band combinations that generate IMD products or harmonic products in the operating frequency range of BT communication by the supported cellular communication system, as well as information indicating the maximum self-interference level when the device transmits on the cellular frequency band at maximum output power.

[0017] In some embodiments, the device has a formula stored therein for calculating IMD or harmonic products of a combination of operating frequency bands, and the IMD or harmonic products can be calculated based on one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions in a cellular communication band and their center frequencies.

[0018] In some embodiments, the device is further prompted to send frame configuration information about cellular communication from the first controller to the second controller, wherein the frame configuration information includes one or more of the following: frame duration, uplink timing, downlink timing, and protection period; wherein the frame configuration information is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_External_Frame_Configuration command provided by the HCI protocol.

[0019] In some embodiments, the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) or is implemented in a user equipment.

[0020] In a second aspect, a method implemented by an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a cellular modem for cellular communication; a first controller for general purposes; and a second controller for Bluetooth BT communication. The method includes: receiving information about self-interference from the cellular modem by the first controller, wherein the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the apparatus in a frequency band of the cellular communication, and one or more associated frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or associated potential harmonic products of the one or more transmissions of the apparatus affecting BT communication. The method further includes determining, by the first controller, a BT channel affected by one or more transmissions of the apparatus in a frequency band of the cellular communication based on the information about self-interference. The method also includes sending information about the determined BT channel from the first controller to the second controller, wherein the second controller is configured to control BT communication with a subordinate BT device based on the information about the determined BT channel.

[0021] In a third aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided. Program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium. When executed by a device, the program instructions cause the device to perform at least the method according to the second aspect described above.

[0022] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example network environment in which some embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2 An example diagram of the coupling path for self-interference in a UE is shown.

[0024] Figures 3A to 3D Example diagrams of four types of self-interference are shown; Figure 4 Example structural and functional diagrams of a Bluetooth master controller according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 5 Example signaling diagrams are shown illustrating example processes according to some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 6 Example diagrams are shown for calculations of potential intermodulation distortion products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 An example diagram of the adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) algorithm within the ISM band is shown; Figure 8A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0027] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0028] References to "an embodiment," "example embodiment," "embodiment," "some embodiments," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiments may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s). Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, the effect of such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, whether explicitly described or not.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may also be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of the embodiments, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprising” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, 5G communication protocols, 6G communication protocols, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will also be communication technologies and systems in which future types of communication technologies embody this disclosure. This disclosure should not be construed as limiting its scope to the aforementioned systems.

[0032] As used herein, the term "network device" generally refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices can access the communication network and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (or NB), Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes, Evolved Node B (eNode B or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), infrastructure equipment for V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication, Transceiver Point (TRP), Receiver Point (RP), Remote Radio Header (RRH), Relay, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) nodes, low-power nodes (such as femtoBS, picoBS, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0033] As used herein, the term "terminal device" generally refers to any end device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), end user equipment, subscriber station (SS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices (e.g., remote surgical equipment), industrial equipment (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0034] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block,” “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication between a terminal device and a network device or between terminal devices, such as resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, or any other resource capable of communication. In the following, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some embodiments of this disclosure. Note that embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0035] Figure 1 An example network environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. Environment 100 may be part of a communication network, including terminal devices and network devices.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110 (hereinafter also referred to as user equipment 110 or UE 110). The communication network 100 may also include a network device 120. The network device 120 can manage cell 101. The terminal device 110 and the network device 120 can transmit data and control information to each other within the coverage area of ​​the cell. The link from the network device 120 to the terminal device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120 is called an uplink (UL).

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, terminal device 110 can also connect to nearby devices via a BT connection. Nearby devices include any smart device that supports BT communication, such as smartwatch 130, smart earphones 140, smart glasses 150, or any other suitable device. Multiple nearby devices can connect to terminal device 110 simultaneously and exchange data using BT communication.

[0038] In embodiments of this disclosure, terminal device 110 may be configured to perform methods implemented at the terminal device according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0039] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be located in environment 100.

[0040] Communication in communication network 100 can conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), LTE, LTE Evolution, LTE-A Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSMEDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Furthermore, communication can be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols.

[0041] When a UE activates multiple transceivers across different spectrum allocations, as commonly observed in carrier aggregation or dual-connectivity scenarios, the UE's radio hardware may generate self-interference. This self-interference occurs when transmissions from the UE (including spectrum content, harmonic responses, or harmonic products) intrude into the same UE's active receive band, thereby degrading the UE's receive performance. Self-interference is typically caused by signal coupling between printed circuit boards (PCBs) or antennas, and the impact of self-interference depends on the specific design of these components.

[0042] Figure 2 Possible coupling paths causing self-interference within the same UE are shown, illustrated using example frequency ranges. Figure 2 As shown, due to spectral content, harmonic response, or harmonic products, signal channels with a frequency band of 1.7 to 2.1 GHz and signal channels with a frequency band of 600 MHz to 1 GHz can couple transmitted signals to each other to the receiver.

[0043] Self-interference in a UE can be attributed to several mechanisms within the cellular system. These mechanisms may include uplink (UL) harmonics, harmonic mixing, and cross-band intermodulation distortion.

[0044] UL harmonics refer to interference caused by uplink harmonics falling into other downlink component carriers. For example... Figure 3A As shown, in the case of 2CA (dual-band combination) with one uplink, this type of self-interference occurs when the harmonic (xUL1) of the uplink transmission UL1 falls within the bandwidth (DL2) of another DL component carrier at the fundamental carrier frequency.

[0045] Harmonic mixing refers to the interference caused by the mixing of uplink harmonics and the fundamental carrier frequency with the DL harmonics of other downlink component carriers. In other words, in the case of 2CA with one uplink, such as Figure 3B As shown, this type of self-interference occurs when the combination of the UL fundamental frequency (UL1) or harmonic (xUL1) of the uplink coincides with the DL harmonic (xDL1) of another DL component.

[0046] Cross-band interference refers to the type of self-interference that occurs when the output spectrum of the UL component carrier falls within the bandwidth of the DL component carrier. This scenario can be viewed as leakage from the adjacent channel of the transmitter, which depends on the nonlinear behavior of the power amplifier. Figure 3C As shown, in 2CA with one uplink and 2CA with two or more UL CCs, uplink transmissions on UL1 and UL2 may cause self-interference with other frequency bands RX (DL1) due to adjacent channel leakage.

[0047] When two or more UL component carriers are mixed, IMD occurs, and the resulting intermodulation product falls within the bandwidth of the DL component carrier at the base frequency of the downlink band. Special cases of IMD (including discontinuous UL carrier aggregation (ULCA) and third-order intermodulation scenarios) can also cause self-interference. Figure 3D As described, two simultaneous uplinks (fundamental or harmonic, such as 2f1-f2) generate products (intermodulation products) within the DL component carrier (DL1) falling in the second or third frequency band (3CA DL).

[0048] In addition to cellular connections using 5G / 6G communication protocols, UEs can connect to other Bluetooth devices, such as smart headsets and smartwatches. Such 5G / 6G frequency bands may generate interference that affects Bluetooth signals, leading to self-interference in the Bluetooth system. In particular, UEs operating in 5G / 6G CA mode, when connected to active Bluetooth devices, are more likely to experience self-interference issues in the ISM band.

[0049] Currently, various coexistence solutions have been proposed to enable Bluetooth controllers to coexist with mobile wireless communications located within the same device. These solutions may include: I: Host controller interface for adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) channel classification. II: Mobile Wireless Standards (MWS) coexistence signaling, and III: Synchronization of Bluetooth operation with the clock / frame structure of other radio technologies.

[0050] The above techniques aim to mitigate the effects of co-location interference between Bluetooth radios and another modem (operating either within the ISM band or in a licensed band surrounding the ISM band). These techniques target co-location interference typically characterized as airborne interference, which often stems from insufficient isolation between the Bluetooth antenna and other mobile radios.

[0051] However, it should be noted that interference from 5G / 6G cellular band transmissions to ISM band receptions does not require over-the-air transmission and may only affect Bluetooth reception of specific devices experiencing self-interference on the affected channels. However, existing mechanisms relying on measurements performed by the Bluetooth controller itself typically result in the exclusion of a large number of channels within the ISM band.

[0052] Furthermore, while Bluetooth reception is generally feasible when the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) level exceeds the level of self-interference, the level of self-interference (primarily a function of harmonic order) can vary significantly with just a few dB changes in transmit power. Therefore, current methods for updating the list of available and unavailable channels based on observed interference levels are insufficient to handle rapid fluctuations in interference levels. Consequently, a better solution for self-interference suppression in UEs with Bluetooth systems is needed.

[0053] In view of the foregoing, embodiments of this disclosure provide an improved solution for self-interference suppression in Bluetooth systems. In one aspect of the solution, an apparatus includes a cellular modem for cellular communication; a first controller for general purposes; and a second controller for Bluetooth BT communication. The first controller receives information about self-interference from the cellular modem, wherein the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the apparatus in the cellular communication band, and one or more associated frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion (IMD) products or associated potential harmonic products affecting the one or more transmissions of the apparatus in the BT communication. Based on the information about self-interference, the first controller determines a BT channel affected by one or more transmissions of the apparatus in the cellular communication band. The first controller sends information about the determined BT channel to the second controller. The first controller may be, for example, a host controller; the second controller may be, for example, a master BT controller, which controls BT communication with subordinate BT devices based on the information about the determined BT channel.

[0054] In this way, the first controller can monitor and evaluate the self-interference level of harmonic products or IMD products in real time, and the second controller can flexibly adjust the use of the BT channel when self-interference is identified, avoiding the impact of self-interference on BT transmission and improving the robustness of BT transmission. In the following text, for illustrative purposes, reference will be made to... Figures 5 to 9 The principles and implementation methods of the embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0055] Example Method In embodiments of this disclosure, the self-interference suppression method in the BT system can be implemented in the UE, which acts as the master Bluetooth device. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), as the specification group for BT standards, specifies the Bluetooth Host Controller Interface (HCI) for host processor control and configuration of the BT controller. Figure 4As shown, the UE can be used as the primary Bluetooth device and may include a cellular modem for cellular communication, an HCI controller, and a primary BT controller. Through the HCI, the host controller enables peripheral systems to interact with the Bluetooth system. In embodiments of this disclosure, we may use portions of the HCI controller, which will be described below. However, it should be noted that this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the solutions proposed herein can also be implemented based on any other suitable system architecture.

[0056] Figure 5 An example signaling diagram of an example process 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In example process 500, when cellular modem 401 has detected a radio configuration with self-interference effects in the ISM band and notifies a first controller (such as host controller 402), host controller 402 may send a 501 frame configuration to a second controller (such as master BT controller 403) to provide a 5G / 6G frame structure with uplink, downlink timing, and guard periods.

[0057] As mentioned, in-equipment coexistence studies offer some solutions to cross-band interference problems. However, it should be noted that some aspects of cellular carrier aggregation have not been considered in the analysis of in-equipment coexistence problems, particularly the self-interference mechanisms caused by uplink harmonics, harmonic mixing, and intermodulation distortion in the ISM band purely due to cellular band carrier aggregation. The following are some examples of problems caused by non-obvious operating bands in the ISM band:

[0058] To improve the robustness of Bluetooth systems, embodiments of this disclosure propose using an existing HCI interface to control the adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) channel and enabling the UE cellular modem to calculate the location of the frequency domain products generated by the uplink configuration of the cellular modem.

[0059] In embodiments of this disclosure, the UE can implement one or more tables for all supported frequency band combinations in 4G / 5G and 6G to include data on the impact in the ISM band. Therefore, whenever a frequency band combination has a product falling within the ISM band, the UE has information stored along with the self-interference level. Preferably, the self-interference level can be found in factory production, or it can be a number matching existing 3GPP specifications under similar MSD (Maximum Sensitivity Degradation) conditions. The UE can also store equations for the uplink products that cause self-interference for each of these conditions. In other words, the UE can have information in memory about CA combinations that produce products within the ISM band and values ​​representing the interference level (dBm), including equations for calculating a “hit” in the ISM band.

[0060] During cellular operation, the UE performs actions based on messages from the cellular network configuring its radio resources. If a combination of frequency bands affecting the ISM band is configured for the UE, specifically the cellular modem 401 can use the uplink carrier bandwidth and center frequency to perform calculations found in its stored memory. If these produce artifacts within the ISM band, the UE will use the HCI interface to alert the BT system.

[0061] Figure 6 Examples of calculations for potential intermodulation distortion products according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown, where the UE uses frequency bands n3 (uplink 1710 MHz-1785 MHz) and n12 (uplink 699 MHz-716 MHz). n3 has an uplink carrier bandwidth of 10 MHz, while n12 has an uplink carrier bandwidth of 5 MHz. The allocation of these carrier bandwidths will form the frequency range of IMD2 products (equation) within the ISM band: Center: n3 1715 MHz + n12 705 MHz = ISM 2420 MHz Range: 2412.5 MHz to 2427.5 MHz (5+10MHz carrier bandwidth) Therefore, whenever uplink transmission products overlap in the ISM band, the cellular modem 401 can signal the Bluetooth controller to notify of the overlap, including a channel classification matching the overlap information. Thus, AFH can suppress self-interference problems similar to Wi-Fi / cellular or other suppression schemes available for AFH today.

[0062] In some embodiments of this disclosure, frame configuration can be sent via HCI commands (e.g., the HCI_Set_External_Frame_Configuration command). This command defines the cellular 5G / 6G frame structure and the independent uplink / downlink time slots within each frame, and more information about it can be found in Bluetooth Core Specification Release 5.3, Volume 4, Part E. The HCI_Set_External_Frame_Configuration command provides frame configuration information (such as frame duration, uplink / downlink time slot timing, etc.) to a second controller.

[0063] Cellular modem 401 sends self-interference information 502 to host controller 402 to notify host controller 402 that a frequency range in a certain 5G / 6G band has become active. The self-interference information may also indicate: Due to the frequency range of possible harmonic products of transmission in the ISM band within the new active frequency range.

[0064] The frequency range of IMD products in the ISM band due to intermodulation between the new active frequency range and all other active frequency ranges.

[0065] Self-interference level in this frequency range Cell Intf (Optional).

[0066] As described above, the UE can store information about CA combinations in its memory, which generate products within the ISM band and have values ​​representing the interference level (dBm). Therefore, the level of self-interference can be obtained from the information stored in the UE. Cell Intf The value of .

[0067] like Figure 5 As shown, if these harmonics or IMD products fall entirely or partially in the ISM band, then the host controller 402 calculates 503: I: Approximately which 1MHz BT channels will be affected and their total number N.

[0068] II: Maximum self-interference level SI dBm This value is the self-interference level reported by the cellular modem 401. Cell Intf The result after conversion to BT channel bandwidth (optional).

[0069] The Bluetooth / ETSI standard has defined up to 80 channels in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, each approximately 1 MHz wide. The Bluetooth standard subsequently defined a protocol for deterministic frequency hopping between these channels (which channel each transmission occurs on), known as Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH). The host controller 402 determines, from the 80 BT channels, which are affected by cellular transmissions based on information about self-interference, and the total number of affected BT channels is N.

[0070] Preferably, the host controller 402 can also determine the self-interference level of each BT channel. This can be achieved by analyzing the self-interference level reported from the cellular modem. Cell Intf Convert to BT channel bandwidth to determine maximum self-interference SI dBm The self-interference level for each BT channel can be provided to the master controller 403 to control BT communication, as will be described below.

[0071] Furthermore, when the cellular modem 401 does not calculate and notify the frequency range, the host controller 402 can also calculate 503 the possible harmonic / IMD products in the frequency range within the ISM band due to the new active frequency range, similar to reference. Figure 6 Those described.

[0072] Next, host controller 402 sends information 504 to master BT controller 403 regarding the affected BT channels, for example, marking N as "bad" when N < 60, or specifically marking BT channels affected by harmonic / IMD products as "bad" when N > 60. The BT specification requires a minimum of Nmin = 20 BT channels for reporting, which will be marked as "unknown". Information about affected BT channels can be provided to the master BT controller via HCI commands. HCI commands can be, for example, the HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification command, which marks channels known to the host processor as degraded due to possible interference from other simultaneously active radios.

[0073] The Bluetooth specification provides an HCI interface that can run on USB or UART and is used by the host processor to control the Bluetooth controller. This interface also includes the following commands: the host assigns good / bad channels based on its own understanding, and defines a frame structure that includes uplink, downlink, and guard periods (see Bluetooth Core Specification Version 5.3, Volume 4, Part E for more information). AFH_host_channel_classification can set good / bad conditions for all 80 Bluetooth channels defined in the ISM band. However, a minimum number of channels, Nmin = 20, must be marked as unknown. The host controller 402 can mark as many "bad" channels as possible within the affected bandwidth / frequency range of 5G / 6G uplink harmonics / IMD products.

[0074] Based on information about the affected BT channels, the master BT controller 403 can control BT communication to minimize self-interference.

[0075] As mentioned above, the Bluetooth / ETSI standard defines up to 80 channels and employs AFH (Average Frequency Hopping). The UE, acting as the primary Bluetooth device, maintains a list of good and bad channels shared with other devices, and the device hops frequencies on good channels during each transmission. Channel quality is determined based on measured interference in each of these channels. This mechanism is designed to counter external interference caused by Wi-Fi devices or other Bluetooth devices within the ISM band.

[0076] Multiple Bluetooth devices pair with a central master device, and they form a piconet. The master device updates the list of channels to be used, the hopping sequence, and also schedules the transmit / receive operations for each device in the piconet. A piconet can have only one master device and up to seven slave devices in active mode, and only communication between the master and slave devices is allowed.

[0077] Figure 7 A diagram illustrating the functionality of AFH within the ISM band is provided. For example... Figure 7 As shown, through AFH, the central master device can dynamically select available frequencies in the Bluetooth communication system based on real-time interference conditions. To minimize interruptions and optimize signal transmission quality, the master device will not schedule BT transmissions on frequency ranges overlapping with WLAN when sending Wireless LAN (WLAN) packets.

[0078] With AFH, the master BT controller 403 can schedule transmissions from the master BT device on any BT channel in all BT channels, but based on information about interference and affected BT channels, it only schedules transmissions from the master BT device on those good BT channels.

[0079] The host controller 402 may send a 505 permission command to the master BT controller 403 to allow transmission from the device's BT master in the affected BT channels. In some embodiments, the permission command may be a custom command within an HCI command. For example, this custom command has an opcode group field of 0x3F and includes an opcode command field that allows transmissions only from the local Bluetooth transmitter. Permitted transmissions may apply to channels marked "bad" by the HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification command, as well as to other channels identified by the command, particularly those within the BT channel range marked "unknown" by HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification.

[0080] Therefore, the master BT controller 403 only schedules its own transmissions on any Bluetooth channel, including the bad channels identified in the above steps, while transmissions from the BT device will not be scheduled on BT channels affected by self-interference.

[0081] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the number N of affected Bluetooth channels exceeds a minimum threshold Nmin (20), the host controller 501 may send another custom command to the main BT controller, where OGF is set to 0x3F and OCF is used to convey the current self-interference level (SIdBm). This operation is intended to notify the Bluetooth controller of the interference situation, allowing it to optimize the scheduling and reception of Bluetooth communications, thereby enhancing communication performance.

[0082] When scheduling signal reception from Bluetooth devices, the master BT controller 403 considers Received Signal Strength (RSSI). Specifically, when the RSSI level of the received signal from a slave device exceeds a set self-interference level (SIdBm), the master controller selects to receive on a channel previously marked as "bad". In some embodiments of this disclosure, the RSSI level can be measured based on all affected BT channels. In some other embodiments of this disclosure, the co-located master Bluetooth controller can measure the RSSI level of slave transmissions only on a few affected channels.

[0083] Therefore, in embodiments of this disclosure, when interference is identified as self-interference, the master BT controller 403 uses a self-interference level compared to the transmission opportunity to allow transmission. This means the master BT controller knows that the interference exists only at the master device, and the slave BT device will have no problem receiving transmissions from the master Bluetooth device. Therefore, if the master Bluetooth controller receives a signal level (RSSI) higher than the self-interference level, the master controller can maintain the scheduling of the affected channel as a good channel.

[0084] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution to address rapid changes in interference levels caused by variations in the transmit power of cellular 5G / 6G bands, and further provide a BT transmission control scheme for affected BT channels. The embodiments do not simply prohibit transmission on all affected BT channels, but rather allow both master and slave BT devices to transmit under certain conditions, providing more BT transmission opportunities and thus improving the performance of the BT system. For example, IMD and harmonic products generated by 5G / 6G band transmissions far from the ISM band will not cause multiple BT channels to be excluded from the AFH sequence; the co-located master Bluetooth controller will not miss the opportunity to transmit on self-interference-affected Bluetooth channels. Furthermore, when the master Bluetooth received signal level is higher than the self-interference level that would normally cause the channel to be blocked (marked as bad), the co-located master Bluetooth controller will not miss the opportunity to receive on self-interference-affected Bluetooth channels.

[0085] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, method 800 may be implemented in, for example, Figure 1 This is implemented in the communication equipment of the terminal device 110 shown.

[0086] Furthermore, it should be understood that method 800 may include additional boxes not shown and / or some boxes as shown in the figures may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect. For the purposes of discussion, reference will be made to... Figure 5 Method 800 is described from the perspective of terminal device 110.

[0087] like Figure 8 As shown, at block 810, the first controller 501 receives information about self-interference from the cellular modem. The information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the device in the cellular communication band and one or more related frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or related potential harmonic products of one or more transmissions of the device that affect BT communication.

[0088] At block 830, the first controller 501 determines, based on information about self-interference, one or more BT channels affected by transmissions of a device in the frequency band of cellular communication.

[0089] At block 820, the first controller 501 sends information about the determined BT channel to the second controller, and the second controller is configured to control BT communication with the subordinate BT device based on the information about the determined BT channel.

[0090] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second controller is also prompted to estimate the channel quality between the device and the subordinate BT device based only on a portion of the determined BT channel; and wherein controlling BT transmission by the second controller based on information about the determined BT channel includes scheduling reception from the subordinate BT device on the determined BT channel when the estimated channel quality is higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0091] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a predetermined threshold is indicated by the self-interference level per BT channel; wherein the self-interference level per BT channel is determined by a first controller based on information of the maximum self-interference level when the device transmits at maximum output power on the cellular band; and wherein the self-interference level per BT channel is sent by the first controller to a second controller when the number of determined BT channels is higher than a predetermined minimum number for BT channels marked as unknown.

[0092] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the self-interference level of each BT channel is sent via a first custom command in the BT host controller interface (HCI), wherein the first custom command has a predetermined opcode group field (OGF) value and an opcode command field (OCF) for providing information on the self-interference level of each BT channel.

[0093] In some embodiments of this disclosure, controlling BT transmission by a second controller based on information about the determined BT channels includes scheduling transmissions from the second controller to the slave BT device on any of the BT channels, while scheduling transmissions from the slave BT device on BT channels marked as bad is restricted.

[0094] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first controller is further configured to send a permission command to the second controller, wherein the permission command only allows transmission from the BT master device of the device in any of the following BT channels: BT channels marked as bad, or BT channels identified in the permission command, including the remaining BT channels among the identified BT channels other than the BT channels marked as bad.

[0095] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the license command includes a second custom command in BT HCI, wherein the second custom command has a predetermined opcode group field OGF value and an opcode command field OCF for transmitting the license.

[0096] In some embodiments of this disclosure, information about the determined BT channels affected by the device's transmission includes information about BT channels marked as bad, the number of which is no greater than a predetermined minimum number of BT channels marked as unknown.

[0097] In some embodiments of this disclosure, information about the determined BT channel affected by the active frequency band is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification command provided by the HCI protocol.

[0098] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the device stores a frequency band combination table in a cellular modem, wherein the frequency band combination table includes frequency band combinations that generate IMD products or harmonic products in the operating frequency range of BT communication by the supported cellular communication system, and information indicating the maximum self-interference level when the device transmits on the cellular frequency band at maximum output power.

[0099] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the apparatus has formulas stored therein for calculating IMD or harmonic products of operating frequency band combinations, and The IMD or harmonic products can be calculated based on one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions in the cellular communication band and their center frequency.

[0100] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the apparatus is further prompted to send frame configuration information about cellular communication from a first controller to a second controller, wherein the frame configuration information includes one or more of the following: frame duration, uplink timing, downlink timing, and protection period; wherein the frame configuration information is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_External_Frame_Configuration command provided by the HCI protocol.

[0101] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) or is implemented in a user equipment.

[0102] Example device Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Device 900 can be considered as another example implementation of terminal device 110 or as... Figure 1 Another example implementation of the network device 120 shown. Therefore, device 900 may be implemented at or as at least a part of network device 120.

[0103] As shown in the figure, device 900 includes a processor 910, a memory 920 coupled to the processor 910, suitable transmitters (TX) and receivers (RX) 940 coupled to the processor 910, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 940. The memory 920 stores at least a portion of a program 930. The TX / RX 940 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, but in practice, the access node mentioned in this disclosure may have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs or gNBs, an S1 interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Serving Gateway (S-GW) and an eNB or gNB, an Un interface for communication between an eNB or gNB and a Relay Node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB or gNB and a terminal device.

[0104] Assume that program 930 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 910, enable device 900 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1 to 9 The embodiments discussed herein can be implemented by computer software executable by processor 910 of device 900, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 910 can be used to implement various embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the combination of processor 910 and memory 920 can form a processing apparatus 950 suitable for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0105] As a non-limiting example, memory 920 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 920 is shown in device 900, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 900. As a non-limiting example, processor 910 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0106] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 800 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include components for performing corresponding steps of method 800. The apparatus may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the apparatus may be implemented in a circuit or software module. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the execution of method 800.

[0107] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0108] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module that executes in a device on a target real or virtual processor, to perform the processes or methods described above. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for the program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0109] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0110] The aforementioned program code can be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0111] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0112] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: Cellular modems used for cellular communications; First controller for general purposes; as well as Second controller for Bluetooth BT communication The first controller is configured as follows: Receive information about self-interference from the cellular modem, wherein the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the device in the frequency band of the cellular communication and one or more related frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or related potential harmonic products of the one or more transmissions of the device that affect the BT communication. Based on the information about self-interference, determine the BT channel affected by the transmissions of the device in the frequency band of the cellular communication; as well as Information about the determined BT channel is sent to the second controller, wherein the second controller is configured to control BT communication with the subordinate BT device based on the information about the determined BT channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second controller is further prompted to: The channel quality between the device and the subordinate BT device is estimated based only on a portion of the determined BT channel; and The second controller controlling the BT transmission based on the information about the determined BT channel includes: When the estimated channel quality is higher than a predetermined threshold, the second controller schedules reception from the slave BT device on the determined BT channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is indicated by the self-interference level per BT channel; The self-interference level of each BT channel is determined by the first controller based on information about the maximum self-interference level when the device transmits at maximum output power on the cellular band; and When the number of determined BT channels is higher than the predetermined minimum number of BT channels marked as unknown, the self-interference level of each BT channel is sent by the first controller to the second controller.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the self-interference level of each BT channel is sent via a first custom command in the BT host controller interface HCI, and wherein the first custom command has a predetermined opcode group field OGF value and an opcode command field OCF for providing information on the self-interference level of each BT channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein controlling the BT transmission by the second controller based on the information regarding the determined BT channel comprises: The second controller schedules transmissions to the slave BT device on any of the BT channels, while transmissions from the slave BT device are restricted on the BT channels that are marked as bad.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first controller is further configured to: Send a permission command to the second controller, wherein the permission command only allows transmission from the BT master device of the device in any of the following BT channels: A BT channel marked as bad, or The BT channels identified in the licensing command include the remaining BT channels among the identified BT channels, excluding those marked as bad.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the license command comprises a second custom command in BT HCI, and wherein the second custom command has a predetermined opcode group field OGF value and an opcode command field OCF for transmitting license.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the determined BT channels affected by the transmission of the apparatus includes information regarding BT channels marked as bad, the number of BT channels marked as bad not exceeding a predetermined minimum number of BT channels marked as unknown.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the determined BT channel affected by the active frequency band is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_AFH_Host_Channel_Classification command provided by the HCI protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus stores a frequency band combination table in the cellular modem, and The frequency band combination table includes frequency band combinations that generate IMD products or harmonic products in the operating frequency range of BT communication by the supported cellular communication system, and information indicating the maximum self-interference level when the device performs the transmission on the cellular frequency band at maximum output power.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a formula stored therein for calculating intermodulation distortion or harmonic products of operating frequency band combinations, and The intermodulation distortion or harmonic products thereon can be calculated based on the frequency range of one or more transmissions in the frequency band of the cellular communication and its center frequency.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further prompted to: The first controller sends frame configuration information about cellular communication to the second controller, wherein the frame configuration information includes one or more of the following: frame duration, uplink timing, downlink timing, and protection period; The frame configuration information is sent to the second controller via the HCI_Set_External_Frame_Configuration command provided by the HCI protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) or is implemented in a user equipment.

14. A method for communication implemented by an apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises: Cellular modems used for cellular communications; First controller for general purposes; And a second controller for Bluetooth BT communication, The method includes: The first controller receives information about self-interference from the cellular modem, wherein the information about self-interference includes one or more frequency ranges of one or more transmissions of the device in the frequency band of the cellular communication and one or more related frequency ranges of potential intermodulation distortion products or related potential harmonic products of the one or more transmissions of the device that affect the BT communication. The first controller determines, based on the information about self-interference, the BT channel affected by one or more transmissions of the device in the frequency band of the cellular communication; The first controller sends information about the determined BT channel to the second controller, wherein the second controller is configured to control BT communication with the subordinate BT device based on the information about the determined BT channel.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to claim 14.

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