Shared Antenna Structure for Co-located Radio Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile computing devices with multiple radios face interference and performance degradation due to the need for multiple antennas, which increases costs, space requirements, and thermal emissions, and conventional solutions for shared antennas either suffer from insertion loss or poor coexistence performance.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a shared antenna structure with combiner and switching elements allows multiple co-located radios to share a single antenna, enabling simultaneous or mutually-exclusive use, and radio coordination techniques coordinate transmission and reception activities to improve coexistence, reducing insertion loss and enhancing power utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple antennas are used for each radio, then each radio has dedicated antenna resources, but device cost, space consumption, and thermal emissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio performanceVSAvoiddevice space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple radios share a single antenna through a shared antenna structure with combiner and switching elements, reducing the total number of antennas from multiple to one, thereby decreasing device space consumption while maintaining radio functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A single antenna serves multiple radios simultaneously or sequentially through time-division multiplexing controlled by switching elements, making the antenna multi-functional and eliminating the need for dedicated antennas for each radio

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple antennas are used for each radio, then each radio has dedicated antenna resources, but device cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio performanceVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If multiple antennas are used for each radio, then each radio has dedicated antenna resources, but thermal emissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio performanceVSAvoidthermal emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Area of stationary object

If a shared antenna structure is used, then the number of antennas is reduced, but insertion loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice spaceVSAvoidinsertion loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The switching elements dynamically connect the antenna to different radios based on which radio is currently active, allowing the antenna to be exclusively used by one radio at a time, thereby minimizing insertion loss while maintaining the space benefits of a shared antenna structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses time-division multiplexing where the antenna is periodically allocated to different radios in sequence, with switching elements rapidly switching between radios to provide exclusive antenna access to the active radio, reducing insertion loss through periodic exclusive use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

5Reliability

If radio coordination techniques are used, then coexistence performance is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoexistence performanceVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coordination module receives activity information from multiple radios and uses this feedback to control the switching elements, dynamically allocating antenna access based on real-time radio activity status to improve coexistence performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

A coordination module acts as an intermediary between multiple radios and the shared antenna structure, managing antenna allocation and coordinating radio activities to reduce interference while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8498574B2Techniques for enhanced co-existence of co-located radios

Publication Date: 2013.07.30 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Techniques for enhanced co-existence for co-located radios are described. A mobile computing device may comprise a first radio module operative to communicate wirelessly across a first link using a first set of communications channels, a second radio module operative to communicate wirelessly across a second link using a second set of communications channels, and a coordination module operative to receive information regarding operation of the first and second radio modules, and modify a communications parameter for the first or second radio module based on the received information. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.