Radio efficiency improvement

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices and systems for a wireless communication device. In some examples, the wireless device can be implemented to concurrently operate both a scan radio and a serving radio. To mitigate one radio receiving transmissions from the other radio, the serving radio and the scan radio may transmit signals, via coexistence (CoEx) hardware modules, such as Packet Traffic Arbitration (PTA) modules, to the other radio indicating active transmission on a particular frequency band. When the signals of the scan radio and the serving radio coincide, either radio can disable radio transmission for a duration of time via a blanking operation in association with which radio was actively operating on the frequency band first, and whereby the switching radio can defer to the active radio in order to avoid potential disruptions.

Description

RADIO EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically, to improvements of radio transmission traffic efficiency on a wireless device. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY

[0002] A wireless local area network (WLAN) may be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices also referred to as wireless stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a Basic Service Set (BSS), which is managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) that is advertised by the AP. An AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STAs within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. SUMMARY

[0003] The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0004] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device. The method includes tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band. The method includes transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel. The method includes receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel. The method includes disabling, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

[0005] In some examples, the first frequency band and the second frequency band are the same frequency band.

[0006] In some examples, the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands.

[0007] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a wireless communication device that includes a coexistence hardware module having a scan radio and a serving radio. The device has a processing system that includes one or more processors coupled to the scan radio and serving radio and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors. The processing system is configured to cause the wireless communication device to tune the scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band. The processing system is configured to cause the wireless communication device to transmit, from the scan radio to the serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel. The processing system is configured to cause the wireless communication device to receive, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel. The processing system is configured to cause the wireless communication device to disable, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device. The method includes tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band. The method includes transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel. The method includes receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel. The method includes receiving, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, an indication that a second signal from the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel and disabling a radio transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

[0009] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 shows a pictorial diagram of an example wireless communication network.

[0011] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports improvements of radio transmission traffic efficiency.

[0012] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band.

[0013] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process performable by or at a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band.

[0014] Figure 5 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process performable by or at a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band.

[0015] Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process performable by or at a wireless AP that supports wireless communication between radios co-located on a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band.

[0016] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following description is directed to some particular examples for the purposes of describing innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. Some or all of the described examples may be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, the IEEE 802.15 standards, the Bluetooth® standards as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), or the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP), among others. The described examples can be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), spatial division multiple access (SDMA), rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), multi-user shared access (MUSA), single-user (SU) multiple- input multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user (MU)-MIMO (MU-MIMO). The described examples also can be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or an internet of things (IOT) network.

[0018] A WLAN device may have one or more serving radios and one or more scan radios co-located on the device. The serving radio may operate on a specific band and the scan radio may scan across all bands. The scan radio may receive a radio transmission from the serving radio co-located on the same WLAN device, such as an AP. For instance, if the scan radio scans on any of the serving radio’s channels on any band, the scan radio may receive the same co- located AP’s signal. This local signal or traffic may be misleading for the channel utilization computation, noise floor calculation, and spectral scan, and it may increase unwanted signal processing. Also, due to the interference between 5 GHz and 6 GHz overlapping channels, it also may be possible to receive 5 GHz / 6 GHz serving radio traffic by the scan radio when the scan radio operates on 6 GHz / 5 GHz channels.

[0019] Various aspects relate to wireless communication and radio transmission traffic on a wireless device. The wireless device can be implemented to concurrently operate both a scan radio and a serving radio. In some implementations, the serving radio may transmit data over a channel of a frequency band while a scan radio may tune into the same channel, or a similar channel, as the serving radio on the same, or on a overlapping frequency band. To mitigate one radio receiving transmissions from the other radio, the serving radio and the scan radio may transmit signals, via one or more hardware modules, such as coexistence (CoEx) hardware modules, or one or more Packet Traffic Arbitration (PTA) modules, etc., to the other radio. A hardware module associated with a radio may transmit a signal to the other radio indicating active transmission on a particular frequency band. When the signals of the scan radio and the serving radio coincide, either radio can disable radio transmission for a duration of time via a blanking operation. In some implementations, disabling radio transmissions by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio may be associated with which radio was actively operating on the frequency band first, and whereby the switching radio can defer to the active radio in order to avoid potential disruptions.

[0020] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. The present disclosureaims to avoid unwanted reception of other radio transmissions co-located on the same wireless device. By disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band, aspects of the present disclosure may achieve more precise scan radio computations. These scan radio computations include, but are not limited to, channel utilization computations, noise floor measurements, spectral scans, and unwanted signal processing. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure aim to avoid unwanted radio reception processing by both the serving radio and the scan radio of a wireless device. The unwanted radio reception processing may lead to unnecessary computations occurring by either radio when receiving receptions from the other co-located radio. By disabling transmissions of a radio while another radio is active on a frequency band, these unnecessary computations may be avoided. Avoiding these unnecessary computations may improve processor efficiency, reduce processor response time, and decrease the power consumption of the device, thereby improving user experience. In some examples, a hardware module may detect serving radio traffic and apply blanking on the scan radio in a matter of microseconds, thereby providing a low latency solution.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a pictorial diagram of an example wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a Wi-Fi network. For example, the wireless communication network 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (such as defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn). In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a cellular radio access network (RAN), such as a 5G or 6G RAN that implements one or more cellular protocols such as those specified in one or more 3GPP standards. In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 can include a WLAN that functions in an interoperable or converged manner with one or more cellular RANs to provide greater or enhanced network coverage to wireless communication devices within the wireless communication network 100 or to enable such devices to connect to a cellular network’s core, such as to access the network management capabilities and functionality offered by the cellular network core.

[0022] The wireless communication network 100 may include numerous wireless communication devices including at least one wireless access point (AP) 102 and any number of wireless stations (STAs) 104. While only one AP 102 is shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication network 100 can include multiple APs 102. The AP 102 can be or representvarious different types of network entities including, but not limited to, a home networking AP, an enterprise-level AP, a single-frequency AP, a dual-band simultaneous (DBS) AP, a tri-band simultaneous (TBS) AP, a standalone AP, a non-standalone AP, a software-enabled AP (soft AP), and a multi-link AP (also referred to as an AP multi-link device (MLD)), as well as cellular (such as 3GPP, 4G LTE, 5G or 6G) base stations or other cellular network nodes such as a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNB, a transmission reception point (TRP) or another type of device or equipment included in a radio access network (RAN), including Open-RAN (O-RAN) network entities, such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) or a radio unit (RU).

[0023] Each of the STAs 104 also may be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile handset, a wireless handset, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 104 may represent various devices such as mobile phones, other handheld or wearable communication devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, Chromebooks, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) or extended reality (XR) wireless headsets or other peripheral devices, wireless earbuds, other wearable devices, display devices (for example, TVs, computer monitors or video gaming consoles), video game controllers, navigation systems, music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices, printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators) or other household appliances, key fobs (for example, for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and vehicles, among other examples.

[0024] A single AP 102 and an associated set of STAs 104 may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102. Figure 1 additionally shows an example coverage area 108 of the AP 102, which may represent a basic service area (BSA) of the wireless communication network 100. The BSS may be identified by STAs 104 and other devices by a service set identifier (SSID), as well as a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which may be a medium access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 may periodically broadcast beacon frames (“beacons”) including the BSSID to enable any STAs 104 within wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish a respective communication link 106 (hereinafter also referred to as a “Wi-Fi link”), or to maintain a communication link 106, with the AP 102. For example, the beacons can include an identification or indication of a primary channel used by the respective AP 102 as well as a timing synchronization function (TSF) for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with theAP 102. The AP 102 may provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the wireless communication network 100 via respective communication links 106.

[0025] To establish a communication link 106 with an AP 102, each of the STAs 104 is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations (“scans”) on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (for example, the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, a STA 104 listens for beacons, which are transmitted by respective APs 102 at periodic time intervals referred to as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs). To perform active scanning, a STA 104 generates and sequentially transmits probe requests on each channel to be scanned and listens for probe responses from APs 102. Each STA 104 may identify, determine, ascertain, or select an AP 102 with which to associate in accordance with the scanning information obtained through the passive or active scans, and to perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. The selected AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the culmination of the association operations, which the AP 102 uses to track the STA 104.

[0026] As a result of the increasing ubiquity of wireless networks, a STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within range of the STA 104 or to select among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) including multiple connected BSSs. For example, the wireless communication network 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that may enable multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. As such, a STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can associate with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after association with an AP 102, a STA 104 also may periodically scan its surroundings to find a more suitable AP 102 with which to associate. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 may perform a “roaming” scan to find another AP 102 having more desirable network characteristics such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reduced traffic load.

[0027] In some cases, STAs 104 may form networks without APs 102 or other equipment other than the STAs 104 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). Ad hoc networks may alternatively be referred to as mesh networks or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In some cases, ad hoc networks may be implemented within a larger network such as the wireless communication network 100. In such examples, while the STAs 104 may be capable of communicating with each other through the AP 102 using communication links 106, STAs 104 also can communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication links 110. Additionally, two STAs 104 may communicate via a directcommunication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104 may assume the role filled by the AP 102 in a BSS. Such a STA 104 may be referred to as a group owner (GO) and may coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established by using a Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) link, and other P2P group connections.

[0028] In some networks, the AP 102 or the STAs 104, or both, may support applications associated with high throughput or low-latency requirements, or may provide lossless audio to one or more other devices. For example, the AP 102 or the STAs 104 may support applications and use cases associated with ultra-low-latency (ULL), such as ULL gaming, or streaming lossless audio and video to one or more personal audio devices (such as peripheral devices) or AR / VR / MR / XR headset devices. In scenarios in which a user uses two or more peripheral devices, the AP 102 or the STAs 104 may support an extended personal audio network enabling communication with the two or more peripheral devices. Additionally, the AP 102 and STAs 104 may support additional ULL applications such as cloud-based applications (such as VR cloud gaming) that have ULL and high throughput requirements.

[0029] As indicated above, in some implementations, the AP 102 and the STAs 104 may function and communicate (via the respective communication links 106) according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical (PHY) and MAC layers. The AP 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi- Fi communications” or “wireless packets”) to and from one another in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs).

[0030] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload that is in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble may be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances in which a PPDU is transmitted over a bonded or wideband channel, the preamble fields may be duplicated and transmitted in each of multiple component channels. The PHY preamble may include both a legacy portion (or “legacy preamble”) and a non-legacy portion (or “non-legacy preamble”). The legacy preamble may be used for packet detection, automatic gain control and channel estimation, among other uses. The legacy preamble also may generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format of, coding of, and information provided in the non-legacy portionof the preamble is associated with the particular IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0031] The APs 102 and STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 may transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which may be a portion of spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, and 60 GHz bands. Some examples of the APs 102 and STAs 104 described herein also may communicate in other frequency bands that may support licensed or unlicensed communications. For example, the APs 102 or STAs 104, or both, also may be capable of communicating over licensed operating bands, where multiple operators may have respective licenses to operate in the same or overlapping frequency ranges. Such licensed operating bands may map to or be associated with frequency range designations of FR1 (410 MHz – 7.125 GHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz – 52.6 GHz), FR3 (7.125 GHz – 24.25 GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz – 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz – 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz – 300 GHz).

[0032] Each of the frequency bands may include multiple sub-bands and frequency channels (also referred to as subchannels). For example, PPDUs conforming to the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be and 802.11bn standard amendments may be transmitted over one or more of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands, each of which is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. As such, these PPDUs are transmitted over a physical channel having a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs may be transmitted over physical channels having bandwidths of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 240 MHz, 320 MHz, 480 MHz, or 640 MHz by bonding together multiple 20 MHz channels.

[0033] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 200 that supports improvements of radio transmission traffic efficiency. In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 is configured to perform the process 500 described with reference to Figure 5. The wireless communication device 200 may include one or more chips, SoCs, chipsets, packages, components or devices that individually or collectively constitute or comprise a processing system. The processing system may interface with other components of the wireless communication device 200, and may generally process information (such as inputs or signals) received from such other components and output information (such as outputs or signals) to such other components. In some aspects, an example chip may include a processing system, a first interface to output or transmit information and a second interface to receive or obtain information. For example, the first interface may refer to an interface between theprocessing system of the chip and a transmission component, such that the device 200 may transmit the information output from the chip. In such an example, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip and a reception component, such that the device 200 may receive information that is then passed to the processing system. In some such examples, the first interface also may obtain information, such as from the transmission component, and the second interface also may output information, such as to the reception component.

[0034] The processing system of the wireless communication device 200 includes processor (or “processing”) circuitry in the form of one or multiple processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs) or digital signal processors (DSPs)), processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry (all of which may be generally referred to herein individually as “processors” or collectively as “the processor” or “the processor circuitry”). One or more of the processors may be individually or collectively configurable or configured to perform various functions or operations described herein. The processing system may further include memory circuitry in the form of one or more memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry, each of which may include tangible storage media such as random-access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof (all of which may be generally referred to herein individually as “memories” or collectively as “the memory” or “the memory circuitry”). One or more of the memories may be coupled with one or more of the processors and may individually or collectively store processor-executable code that, when executed by one or more of the processors, may configure one or more of the processors to perform various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more of the processors may be preconfigured to perform various functions or operations described herein without requiring configuration by software. The processing system may further include or be coupled with one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (for example, IEEE compliant) modem or a cellular (for example, 3GPP 4G LTE, 5G or 6G compliant) modem). In some implementations, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the modems. The processing system may further include or be coupled with multiple radios (collectively “the radio”), multiple RF chains or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more ofmultiple antennas. In some implementations, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the radios, RF chains or transceivers.

[0035] In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 can be configurable or configured for use in an AP, such as the AP 102 described with reference to Figure 1. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 200 can be an AP that includes such a processing system and other components including multiple antennas. In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 can be configurable or configured for use in an STA, such as the STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 200 can be an STA that includes such a processing system and other components including multiple antennas.

[0036] The wireless communication device 200 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications in the form of, for example, wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device 200 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 200 can be configurable or configured to transmit and receive signals and communications conforming to one or more 3GPP specifications including those for 5G NR or 6G. In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 also includes or can be coupled with one or more application processors which may be further coupled with one or more other memories. In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 further includes at least one external network interface coupled with the processing system that enables communication with a core network or backhaul network that enables the wireless communication device 200 to gain access to external networks including the Internet.

[0037] The wireless communication device 200 includes a processor component 202, a memory component 204, and display component 206, a user interface component 208, a modem component 210, and a radio component 212. Portions of one or more of the components 206, 208, 210, and 212 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some examples, at least some of the components 206, 208, 210, and 212 of the device 200 are implemented at least in part by a processor and as software stored in a memory. For example, portions of one or more of the display component 206, the user interface component 208, and the modem component 210 can be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or “code”) executable by the processor 202 to perform the functions or operations of the respective module.

[0038] In some implementations, the processor 202 may be a component of a processing system. A processing system may generally refer to a system or series of machines or components that receives inputs and processes the inputs to produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components of, for example, the device 200). For example, a processing system of the device 200 may refer to a system including the various other components or subcomponents of the device 200, such as the processor, or a transceiver, or a communications manager, or other components or combinations of components of the device 200. The processing system of the device 200 may interface with other components of the device 200 and may process information received from other components (such as inputs or signals) or output information to other components. For example, a chip or modem of the device 200 may include a processing system, a first interface to output information and a second interface to obtain information. In some implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or modem and a transmitter, such that the device 200 may transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or modem and a receiver, such that the device 200 may obtain information or signal inputs, and the information may be passed to the processing system. A person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the first interface also may obtain information or signal inputs, and the second interface also may output information or signal outputs.

[0039] The processor 202 is capable of, configured to, or operable to processes information received through the radio 212 and the modem 210, and processes information to be output through the modem 210 and the radio 212 for transmission through the wireless medium. The processor 202 may perform logical and arithmetic operations using program instructions stored within the memory 204. The instructions in the memory 204 may be executable (by the processor 202, for example) to implement the methods described herein. In some examples, the processor 202, together with the memory 204, is capable of or configured to facilitate tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band, transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel, receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel, and disabling, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

[0040] The memory 204 is capable of, configured to, or operable to store and communicate instructions and data to and from the processor 202.

[0041] The user interface 208 may be any device that allows a user to interact with the wireless communication device 200, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, et cetera. In aspects, the user interface 208 may be integrated with the display component 206 to present a touchscreen.

[0042] The modem 210 is capable of, configured to, or operable to modulate packets and to output the modulated packets to the radio 212 for transmission over the wireless medium. The modem 210 is similarly configured to obtain modulated packets received by the radio 212 and to demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets.

[0043] The radio 212 includes at least one radio frequency transmitter and at least one radio frequency receiver, which may be combined into one or more transceivers. The transmitter(s) and receiver(s) may be coupled to one or more antennas. In some aspects, the processor 202, the memory 204, the modem 210, and the radio 212 may collectively facilitate the wireless communication of the wireless communication device 200 with other wireless communication devices over multiple frequency bands (such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz).

[0044] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 300 that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band. In some examples, the wireless communication device 300 is an AP or an STA. For example, the wireless communication device 300 can be an example implementation of the AP 102 or STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1. The wireless communication device 300 includes one or more scan radios 302 and one or more serving radios 304. In some implementations, the serving radio 304 may transmit data over a channel of a frequency band while the scan radio 302 may tune into the same channel, or a similar channel, as the serving radios 304 on the same, or on a overlapping frequency band. To mitigate one radio receiving transmissions from the other radio, the serving radio and the scan radio 302 may transmit signals, via CoEx hardware modules 306, such as PTA modules 308 and 310 to the serving radios 304. The CoEx hardware module 306 associated with the scan radio 302 may transmit a signal to one of the serving radios 304 indicating active transmission on a particular frequency band. When the signals of the scan radio 302 and one of the serving radios 304 coincide, either radio can disable radio transmission for a duration of time via a blanking operation. In some implementations, disabling radio transmissions may be associated with whichradio was actively operating on the frequency band first, and whereby the switching radio can defer to the active radio in order to avoid potential disruptions.

[0045] For example, the scan radio 302 may scan on radio frequencies of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, and may be capable of transmitting at these same frequencies. The serving radios 304 may likewise scan or transmit on radio frequencies of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. In aspects of the disclosure, reception of the scan radio 302 may be disabled when the scan radio 302 is receiving data on a particular channel and the serving radio 304 is transmitting on the same or an overlapping channel. In aspects of the disclosure, reception of the serving radio 304 may be disabled when the serving radio 304 is receiving data on a particular channel and the scan radio 302 is transmitting on the same channel or an overlapping channel. Thus, in some examples, any one of the scan radio 302 and the serving radio 304 may be temporarily inactivated to ensure that one radio (such as one of the scan radio 302 and the serving radio 304) does not receive transmissions of the other radio (such as the other one of the scan radio 302 and the serving radio 304) of the same device 300. In some aspects, an application or other software associated with the wireless device 300 may, in association with the CoEx hardware module 306, disable or facilitate disabling of one of the scan radio 302 and the serving radio 304 in view of operation of the other of the scan radio 302 and the serving radio 304 on the same channel or an overlapping channel.

[0046] In some aspects, lines 314 and 316 associated with Power Amplifier (PA) 312 of the scan radio 302 may be high when the scan radio 302 is transmitting, and may be low otherwise. PTA1308 of the scan radio 302 may be associated with detection of operation on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, and may be disabled if the scan radio 302 is not operating on either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequencies. PTA2310 of the scan radio 302 may be associated with detection of operation on the 6GHz frequencies, and may be disabled if the scan radio 302 is not operating on 6 GHz.

[0047] In some aspects, inactivation of the serving radio 304 can occur in view of operation of the scan radio 302. In some aspects, when the scan radio 302 is transmitting at a particular channel at 2.4 GHz, the wireless device 300 may ensure that the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324 is not receiving at that channel or at an overlapping channel at the same time. When the scan radio 302 is transmitting at 2.4 GHz, the line 314 may be high. Further, when the scan radio 302 is operating on 2.4 GHz, line 318 (WLAN_Active(1)) associated with PTA1308 may be high. The output 2G_BT_ACTIVE (line 322) of AND gate 320 may therefore be high and output to the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324, and consequently, the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324 may be disabled. Receptionby the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324 at the 2.4 GHz channel at which the scan radio 302 is transmitting or an overlapping channel may be precluded.

[0048] In some examples, when the scan radio 302 is transmitting at a particular channel at 5 GHz, the wireless device 300 may ensure that the 5 GHz serving radio 340 is not receiving at that channel or at an overlapping channel at the same time. When the scan radio 302 is transmitting at 5 GHz, the line 314 may be high. Further, when the scan radio 302 is operating on 5 GHz, line 318 (WLAN_ACTIVE(1)) associated with PTA1308 may be low. The output at line 318 (WLAN_ACTIVE(1)) may be inverted at invertor 332. The output 5G_BT_ACTIVE (line 388) of AND gate 336 may therefore be high and output to the 5 GHz serving radio 340, and consequently, the 5 GHz serving radio 340 may be disabled. Reception of the 5 GHz serving radio 340 at the 5 GHz channel at which the scan radio 302 is transmitting or an overlapping channel may be precluded.

[0049] In some examples, when the scan radio 302 is transmitting at a particular channel at 6 GHz, the wireless device 300 may ensure that the 6 GHz serving radio 358 is not receiving at that channel or at an overlapping channel at the same time. When the scan radio 302 is transmitting at 6 GHz, the line 316 may be high. Further, when the scan radio 302 is operating on 6 GHz, line 352 (WLAN_ACTIVE(2)) associated with PTA2310 may be high. The output 6G_BT_ACTIVE (line 356) of AND gate 354 may therefore be high and output to the 6 GHz serving radio 358, and consequently, the 6 GHz serving radio 358 may be disabled. Reception of the 6 GHz serving radio 358 at the 6 GHz channel at which the scan radio 302 is transmitting or an overlapping channel may be precluded.

[0050] In some aspects, the wireless device 300 may ensure that the scan radio 302 is not receiving at the same channel on which the serving radio 304 is transmitting, or an overlapping channel.

[0051] When the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324 is transmitting, the associated PA_en (line 326) may be high. If the scan radio 302 is receiving at 2.4 GHz, WLAN_ACTIVE(1) (line 318) may be high. The output BT_ACTIVE(1) (line 330) of AND gate 328 may be high and output to the scan radio 302, and the scan radio 302 may be disabled. Reception of the scan radio 302 at the same or an overlapping 2.4 GHz channel at which the 2.4 GHz serving radio 324 is transmitting may be avoided.

[0052] When the 5 GHz serving radio 340 is transmitting, the associated PA_en (line 342) may be high. If the scan radio 302 is receiving at 5 GHz, WLAN_ACTIVE(1) (line 318) may be low. The low WLAN_ACTIVE(1) (line 318) may be inverted at inverter 344. Line 346 and line342 to AND gate 348 may both be high. The output BT_Priority(1) (line 350) of AND gate 348 may be high and output to the scan radio 302. Reception of the scan radio 302 at the same or an overlapping 5 GHz channel at which the 5 GHz serving radio 340 is transmitting may be avoided.

[0053] When the 6 GHz serving radio 358 is transmitting, the associated PA_en (line 360) may be high and may be input to PTA2 310 associated with scan radio 302, consequently disabling the scan radio 302. Reception of the scan radio 302 at the same or an overlapping 6 GHz channel at which the 6 GHz serving radio 358 is transmitting may be avoided.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process 400 performable by or at a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co- located radio is active on a particular frequency band. The operations of the process 400 may be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, the process 400 may be performed by a wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 200 described with reference to Figure 2, operating as or within a wireless AP. In some examples, the process 400 may be performed by a wireless AP such as one of the APs 102 described with reference to Figure 1. In some implementations, the wireless communication device can be a STA, and in some other implementations the wireless communication device can be an AP.

[0055] In some examples, in block 402, the wireless AP may service a PTA interrupt. In block 404, if the blank timer active is high (BT_ACT HIGH), then the high time (HT) is updated at block 406, and the counter register is frozen (Freeze Counter Register) at block 408. In block 410, if the blank timer active is low (BT_ACT LOW), then the low time (LT) is updated at block 412, and the counter register is un-frozen (Un-freeze Counter Register) at block 414. The duration of the blank timer is calculated at the LT – HT at block 416. During blanking, the counter registers are frozen to discount channel utilization in determination of the noise floor calculation.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process 500 performable by or at a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co- located radio is active on a particular frequency band. The operations of the process 500 may be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, the process 500 may be performed by a wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 200 described with reference to Figure 2, operating as or within a wireless AP. In some examples, the process 500 may be performed by a wireless AP such as one of the APs 102 described with reference to Figure 1. In some examples, the process 500 may be performed by a wireless STA such as one of the STAs 104 described with reference to Figure 1.

[0057] In some examples, in block 502, the wireless AP may be configured for blanking, and blanking may be enabled at block 504. If the blank timer active is high (BT_ACT HIGH) at block 506, the noise floor calculation value is invalid (Invalid NV_Cal Value) at block 508, and the noise floor calculation value is discarded. At block 510, a variable A is set to the hardware blanking timer active count (HW_BT_ACTIVE_CNT). The noise floor for the device is calculated at block 512. At block 514, a variable B is set to the current hardware blanking timer active count (HW_BT_ACTIVE_CNT). Variable A is compared to variable B at block 516. If variable A does not equal variable B, indicating that the scan radio was blanked while the device noise floor was being calculated, the noise floor calculated value (NF_Cal Value) is invalid and discarded at block 518. If variable A equals variable B, indicating that the scan radio was not blanked while the device noise floor was being calculated, the noise floor calculated value (NF_Cal Value) is valid at block 520.

[0058] Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process 600 performable by or at a wireless AP that supports wireless communication between radios co-located on a wireless AP or STA that supports disabling radio transmission of a radio while another co-located radio is active on a particular frequency band. The operations of the process 600 may be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, the process 600 may be performed by a wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 200 described with reference to Figure 2, operating as or within a wireless AP. In some examples, the process 600 may be performed by a wireless AP such as one of the APs 102 described with reference to Figure 1.

[0059] In some examples, the wireless communication device is configured to perform the process 600 described with reference to Figure 6. In block 602, the wireless communication device tunes a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band. In block 604, the wireless communication device transmits from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal that indicates the scan radio is operating on the channel. In block 606, the wireless communication device receives by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio that indicates the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel. At block 608, the wireless communication device disables, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

[0060] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:A method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device, including: tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel; receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; and disabling, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band. The method of clause 1, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band. The method of any of clauses 1-2, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands. The method of any of clauses 1–3, further including discarding a noise floor in accordance with disabling the transmission capability of the scan radio. The method of any of clauses 1-4, further including discarding a second noise floor in association with a blanking counter reading. The method of any of clauses 1-5, where the first frequency band is operable on a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band. The method of any of clauses 1-6, where the transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled for a duration in accordance with prior radio transmission disablements of the scan radio. The method of any of clauses 1-7, further including: setting a blanking counter indicating a number of times the radio transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled; associating a second noise floor with the device; setting a second blanking counter indicating a second number of times the radio transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled; and discarding the second noise floor in association with a comparison of the blanking counter and the second blanking counter; where the noise floor and the second noise floor each represent a level of background noise present in a wireless environment associated with the device.The method of any of clauses 1-8. where the hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio includes hardware logic components. The method of any of clauses 1-9, where the hardware logic components include an AND gate associated with each of a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band. The method of any of clauses 1-10, where the hardware logic components include an inverter associated with each of a 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz band. A wireless communication device including: a coexistence hardware module having a scan radio and a serving radio; a processing system that includes one or more processors coupled to the scan radio and serving radio and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, the processing system configured to cause the wireless communication device to: tune the scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmit, from the scan radio to the serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel; receive, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; and disable, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band. The wireless communication device of clause 12, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band. The wireless communication device of any of clauses 12-13, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands. The wireless communication device of any of clauses 12-14, where the hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio includes hardware logic components that include an AND gate and an inverter. A method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device, including: tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel;receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; and receiving, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, an indication that a second signal from the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel, and disabling a radio transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band. 17. The method of clause 16, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band. 18. The method of any of clauses 16-17, where the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands. 19. The method of any of clauses 16-18, where the first frequency band is operable on a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band. 20. The method of any of clauses 16-19, where the transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled for a duration in accordance with prior radio transmission disablements of the serving radio.

[0061] As used herein, the term “determine” or “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, estimating, investigating, looking up (such as via looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), inferring, ascertaining, or measuring, among other possibilities. Also, “determining” can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory) or transmitting (such as transmitting information), among other possibilities. Additionally, “determining” can include resolving, selecting, obtaining, choosing, establishing and other such similar actions.

[0062] As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” or “one or more of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted in the inclusive sense, unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, “a or b” may include a only, b only, or a combination of a and b. Furthermore, as used herein, a phrase referring to “a” or “an” element refers to one or more of such elements actingindividually or collectively to perform the recited function(s). Additionally, a “set” refers to one or more items, and a “subset” refers to less than a whole set, but non-empty.

[0063] As used herein, “based on” is intended to be interpreted in the inclusive sense, unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “based at least in part on,” “associated with,” “in association with,” or “in accordance with” unless otherwise explicitly indicated. Specifically, unless a phrase refers to “based on only ‘a,’” or the equivalent in context, whatever it is that is “based on ‘a,’” or “based at least in part on ‘a,’” may be based on “a” alone or based on a combination of “a” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information.

[0064] The various illustrative components, logic, logical blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithm processes described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and the structural equivalents thereof. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software has been described generally, in terms of functionality, and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0065] Various modifications to the examples described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0066] Additionally, various features that are described in this specification in the context of separate examples also can be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation also can be implemented in multiple examples separately or in any suitable subcombination. As such, although features may be described above as acting in particular combinations, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0067] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular ordershown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations that are not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all examples, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

ASPECTS:

1. A method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device, comprising: tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel; receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; and disabling, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding a noise floor in accordance with disabling the transmission capability of the scan radio.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising discarding a second noise floor in association with a blanking counter reading.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band is operable on a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled for a duration in accordance with prior radio transmission disablements of the scan radio.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:setting a blanking counter indicating a number of times the radio transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled; associating a second noise floor with the device; setting a second blanking counter indicating a second number of times the radio transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled; and discarding the second noise floor in association with a comparison of the blanking counter and the second blanking counter; wherein the noise floor and the second noise floor each represent a level of background noise present in a wireless environment associated with the device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio includes hardware logic components.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hardware logic components include an AND gate associated with each of a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the hardware logic components include an inverter associated with each of a 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz band.

12. A wireless communication device comprising: a coexistence hardware module having a scan radio and a serving radio; a processing system that includes one or more processors coupled to the scan radio and serving radio and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, the processing system configured to cause the wireless communication device to: tune the scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmit, from the scan radio to the serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel; receive, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; anddisable, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, a transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio includes hardware logic components that include an AND gate and an inverter.

16. A method of wireless communication between radios co-located on a device, comprising: tuning a scan radio to a channel defined within a first frequency band; transmitting, from the scan radio to a serving radio, a first signal indicating the scan radio is operating on the channel; receiving, by the scan radio, a second signal from the serving radio indicating the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel; and receiving, by a hardware module associated with the scan radio and the serving radio, an indication that a second signal from the serving radio is operating on a second frequency band of the channel, and disabling a radio transmission capability of the scan radio on the second frequency band.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are a same frequency band.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are overlapping frequency bands.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency band is operable on a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the radio transmission capability of the scan radio is disabled for a duration in accordance with prior radio transmission disablements of the serving radio.

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