Dynamic Receive Diversity Allocation for Wireless Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communications devices that support multiple standards and frequency bands require significant hardware, increasing size, complexity, and cost due to the need for multiple antennas and separate hardware for each standard and frequency band, leading to inefficiencies in resource sharing and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for dynamic receive diversity allocation, where a communications device uses a shared antenna coupled to multiple physical layer units through a switchable signal path, allowing the antenna to be dynamically allocated between different wireless communications standards and frequency bands, reducing hardware requirements by enabling sharing of components like antennas, RF units, and digital hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple antennas and separate hardware are used for each wireless communications standard and frequency band, then compatibility with multiple standards is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single antenna system that can be dynamically configured to serve multiple wireless communications standards (802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n) and frequency bands through reconfigurable RF front-end circuitry. The universal antenna and shared RF components can be programmed to operate across different standards without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each standard, thereby achieving multi-standard compatibility while reducing overall hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic reconfiguration of the RF front-end components including variable gain amplifiers, filters, and mixers that can be programmatically adjusted to optimize performance for different wireless standards and frequency bands. This dynamic adaptability allows a single hardware platform to seamlessly switch between standards (802.11a at 5GHz, 802.11g at 2.4GHz, 802.11n at both bands) without requiring static dedicated hardware for each standard.
2Reliability
If separate hardware is allocated for each wireless communications standard, then performance for each standard is maintained, but resource sharing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously separate RF front-end components (amplifiers, filters, mixers, ADC/DAC) into a shared reconfigurable resource pool that serves multiple wireless standards. By combining these components into a unified system with dynamic reconfiguration capabilities, the patent maintains full performance for each standard (802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n) while enabling efficient resource sharing, as the same hardware resources can be dynamically allocated to different standards based on current communication needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service through automated resource allocation where the system dynamically determines and configures the optimal use of shared RF components for different wireless standards based on current operational requirements. The reconfigurable architecture automatically adjusts parameters such as gain, filtering, and frequency conversion to serve the active standard without manual intervention, thereby optimizing resource sharing efficiency while maintaining performance integrity.
3Productivity
If more antennas are used for transmit and receive diversity, then data rate is increased, but hardware requirements and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal antenna system that can be dynamically configured to provide transmit and receive diversity functions across multiple wireless standards. The single reconfigurable antenna replaces what would traditionally require multiple dedicated antennas for each standard, allowing the system to achieve diversity gains (using the same antenna for both transmit and receive functions) while significantly reducing the total number of physical antennas required compared to having separate antenna arrays for each standard.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for dynamic receive diversity allocation. A communications device comprises a first physical layer (PHY) unit, a second PHY unit, a first signal path coupled to a first antenna and to the first PHY unit, a switchable signal path coupled to a second antenna and switchably coupled to the first PHY unit and the second PHY unit, and a switch control unit coupled to the second antenna. The switch control unit dynamically generates a control signal used to switchably couple the second antenna to either the first PHY unit or the second PHY unit. The second antenna may be used to provided a needed transmit or receive antenna or an extra antenna for use in increasing diversity. Switching antennas reduces the total number of antennas and support hardware, such as digital processing hardware, for wireless communications standards having a high ratio of idle to busy time.