Co-existence Predictor for OFDMA and Bluetooth Transceivers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication devices face significant interference between co-located transceivers operating at closely spaced frequencies, such as WiMAX and Bluetooth, leading to packet loss due to the close physical proximity of transceivers, which existing solutions often require synchronized clocks or the use of chips from the same manufacturer to mitigate.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that predict when an OFDMA transceiver is transmitting and send a shutdown signal to the Bluetooth transmitter to prevent interference, allowing co-existence without requiring synchronization or same-manufacturer chips, and works in both TDD and FDD systems, protecting both Bluetooth and WiMAX transmissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If transceivers for different wireless technologies are co-located in the same device, then device functionality and versatility are improved, but signal interference and packet loss increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidsignal interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring the transmission status of the first transceiver and using this information to control the second transceiver before interference occurs. The controller receives information about when the first transceiver is transmitting and uses this to determine when to shut down the second transceiver, preventing packet loss before it happens rather than reacting after interference occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors the transmission status of the first transceiver and adjusts the operation of the second transceiver accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that the second transceiver shuts down when the first transceiver is transmitting, creating a feedback-driven interference prevention system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If existing co-existence solutions are used, then interference is reduced, but device complexity increases due to requirements for synchronized clocks or same-manufacturer chips

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveinterferenceVSAvoidsynchronization requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the essential interference prevention function from complex synchronization mechanisms and same-manufacturer chip requirements. By taking out the core need for clock synchronization and manufacturer-specific hardware integration, the system achieves interference reduction through simpler transmitter shutdown control based on transmission status monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary between the two transceivers, mediating their interaction by receiving transmission status information from the first transceiver and using it to control the second transceiver. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for direct synchronization between transceivers or requirements for same-manufacturer hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If transmitter shutdown control is implemented, then packet loss is reduced, but transmission timing flexibility is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket lossVSAvoidtransmission timing flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by shutting down the second transceiver only during specific time periods when the first transceiver is transmitting, rather than continuously disabling it. This selective shutdown approach reduces packet loss during interference-prone periods while maintaining transmission timing flexibility during non-interference periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9048932B2Method and apparatus for co-existence of an OFDMA transmitter with a synchronous frame-based transmitter

Publication Date: 2015.06.02 GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

A method and apparatus reduces the likelihood of packet loss when an OFDMA transceiver and synchronous frame-based transceiver are operating on the same device. More specifically, a method protects reception of Bluetooth signals (such as reception of slave device signals) from co-existence interference caused by co-located OFDMA transceiver transmissions. The method receives a transmission-enable (TXE) signal indicating that the OFDMA transceiver is transmitting, determines an estimated transmission-enable (TXE′) signal indicating when the OFDMA transceiver is expected to be transmitting in the future, and sends the TXE′ signal to the Bluetooth transmitter to shut down Bluetooth transmissions when a transmission is expected to be sent from the OFDMA transceiver.