Opportunistic Mobile Receive Diversity in Dual-SIM Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) devices do not fully utilize their RF capabilities when one subscription is inactive, leading to underutilization of receive diversity features, which can result in suboptimal data throughput and increased hardware costs due to the need for dual antenna support.
Innovation Solution
Implementing opportunistic mobile receive diversity (OMRD) by allowing a protocol stack associated with a higher priority SIM to utilize the RF resource of a lower priority SIM, enabling receive diversity only when needed, through a transceiver resource manager module that determines priority based on current modes and power-saving cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dual antenna support is implemented for receive diversity in a DSDA device, then data throughput is improved and dropped calls are prevented, but hardware costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic receive diversity where the system adaptively switches between single-antenna and dual-antenna modes based on real-time signal conditions. When signal quality degrades below a threshold, the system activates the second antenna for diversity reception. This dynamic approach maintains high data throughput when needed while avoiding the continuous hardware overhead of always-on dual-antenna operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.
2Reliability
If receive diversity is continuously enabled, then reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic monitoring of signal quality metrics and activates receive diversity only during specific periods when degradation is detected. The patent continuously evaluates channel conditions and switches to diversity mode periodically when thresholds are breached, rather than maintaining continuous dual-antenna operation. This periodic activation ensures call stability when needed while minimizing power consumption during normal operating conditions.
3Productivity
If opportunistic receive diversity is implemented by sharing RF resources between SIMs, then device efficiency is improved, but RF resource availability for the primary SIM may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a resource manager as an intermediary layer that coordinates RF resource allocation between SIM1 and SIM2. When SIM2 requests RF resources for receive diversity, the resource manager mediates the allocation by temporarily borrowing unused RF chains from SIM2's idle resources. This intermediary management ensures that primary SIM operations are not compromised while enabling opportunistic diversity for the secondary SIM, thus maintaining both device efficiency and RF resource availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are disclosed for implementing opportunistic mobile receive diversity (“OMRD”) on a multi-SIM wireless device. The wireless device may receive a request from a protocol stack associated with the first SIM to utilize the second RF resource for receive diversity, and determine whether a protocol stack associated with the second SIM currently has a lower priority than the protocol stack associated with the first SIM. Upon determining that the protocol stack associated with the second SIM currently has a lower priority than the protocol stack associated with the first SIM, the wireless device may grant control of the second RF resource to the protocol stack associated with the first SIM. Granting control may provide, to the protocol stack associated with the first SIM, a capability to enable and disable receive diversity using the first and second RF resources.