Punctured Sub-Channel Allocation for Wi-Fi Bluetooth Coexistence
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of wireless devices with multiple technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth low-energy operating in the same frequency bands poses challenges for coexistence, especially with the adoption of wider Wi-Fi channels and changes in contention-based protocols.
Innovation Solution
A co-located device with a WLAN radio and a WPAN radio uses punctured sub-channels to minimize interference, where the WLAN radio identifies and communicates punctured sub-channels to the WPAN radio, allowing the WPAN radio to transmit using adaptive frequency hopping over these channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If Wi-Fi channels are widened to increase bandwidth for higher data rates, then data transmission capacity is improved, but interference with co-located Bluetooth/BLE radios increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the Wi-Fi channel into multiple sub-channels and identifies specific punctured sub-channels that can be used by Bluetooth/BLE radios. The WLAN radio transmits a punctured sub-channel bitmap indicating which sub-channels are available for WPAN use, thereby dividing the wide channel into usable portions for both technologies simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of frequency resource management by implementing punctured sub-channel allocation within the wide Wi-Fi channel. Instead of treating the channel as a single resource block, the system adds granularity by identifying specific sub-channels (20 MHz units) that can be allocated to Bluetooth/BLE, enabling simultaneous operation in the same frequency band without full-channel interference.
2Productivity
If Wi-Fi 6/7 wider channels are used, then channel capacity increases, but coexistence with Bluetooth becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the WLAN radio transmits punctured sub-channel bitmap information to the WPAN radio, and the WPAN radio uses this information to select appropriate sub-channels for transmission. This feedback loop enables dynamic adaptation to the Wi-Fi channel configuration and ensures reliable coexistence by preventing simultaneous transmissions on the same frequencies.
3Adaptability or versatility
If co-located radios share the same device, then device integration is improved, but interference elimination becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the WLAN radio proactively transmit punctured sub-channel bitmap information before WPAN transmissions occur. This advance notification allows the WPAN radio to pre-select appropriate sub-channels and avoid frequencies currently in use by Wi-Fi, preventing interference before it occurs rather than reacting to it afterward.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for co-existence in a co-located device including a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) radio. Generally, the method includes using a WPAN side of the co-located device, notifying a WLAN side of latency sensitive traffic (LST) for the WPAN radio. The WLAN side then identifies a number of punctured sub-channels in a plurality of channels used in a basic service set (BSS) to communicate with the WLAN radio, and instructs the WPAN side over which of the number of punctured sub-channels to transmit using the WPAN radio. The WPAN radio then transmits the LST over the number of punctured sub-channels to eliminate interference between the WPAN radio and concurrent communications with the WLAN radio in the BSS.