Single Antenna Sharing WLAN and Bluetooth Signals via Circulator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile wireless communications devices face increased size, weight, and cost due to the need for additional antennas and hardware to support non-cellular wireless communications such as WLAN and Bluetooth, which existing dual-mode RF radios do not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A mobile wireless communications device utilizing a circulator to share an antenna between a WLAN radio and a Bluetooth radio, with separate transmit and receive paths and bandpass filters, allowing simultaneous operation and reducing the need for separate antennas, thereby saving space, weight, and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate antennas are used for WLAN and Bluetooth radios, then transmission quality is improved, but device size, weight, and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines WLAN and Bluetooth transmission functions into a single antenna system. The antenna is configured to support both 2.4 GHz WLAN operations and Bluetooth operations through integrated circuitry and signal combining mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate physical antennas and reducing overall device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The single antenna is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple wireless communication protocols (WLAN and Bluetooth) across different frequency ranges. The antenna structure and associated circuitry are engineered to provide multi-functional operation, allowing one antenna to replace what would traditionally require two separate antennas.
2Reliability
If separate antennas are used for WLAN and Bluetooth radios, then transmission quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges WLAN and Bluetooth radio circuits into a single integrated transmission system that shares common components including the antenna, amplifier, and filtering structures. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete components and interconnections, thereby simplifying the overall device architecture despite supporting multiple protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated radio circuit is designed with universal capabilities to handle both WLAN and Bluetooth protocols through a unified signal processing path. By using shared components and a common transmission architecture, the device achieves multi-protocol support without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If separate antennas are used for WLAN and Bluetooth radios, then receiver sensitivity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines WLAN and Bluetooth receiver functions into a single integrated circuit block that shares common RF front-end components including the antenna, low-noise amplifier, and mixer stages. This merging reduces the total component count and assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining receiver sensitivity through optimized signal paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated receiver circuit provides universal support for both WLAN and Bluetooth protocols using shared hardware resources. This multi-functional design reduces per-unit manufacturing costs by eliminating redundant components and simplifying the bill of materials, while still achieving the required receiver sensitivity for both protocols through careful circuit design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables simultaneous WLAN and Bluetooth operations using a single antenna, improving Bluetooth performance and reducing device size and weight while maintaining good receiver sensitivity and isolating transmit and receive paths effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The use of one antenna to transmit or receive both WLAN and Bluetooth at the same time, as opposed to prior art systems that use two separate antennae, advantageously saves space, weight, and cost. The transmit path further comprises a first bandpass filter coupled between the WLAN and Bluetooth radios and the circulator
Implementation Method 2
The transmit path further comprises a first bandpass filter coupled between the WLAN and Bluetooth radios and the circulator and the receive path comprises a second bandpass filter coupled downstream from said circulator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A mobile wireless communications device (10) includes a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio (14) configured to generate a WLAN transmit signal, and a Bluetooth radio (16) configured to generate a Bluetooth transmit signal. A circulator (24) is coupled downstream of an antenna (25). A transmit path couples the WLAN radio and the Bluetooth radio to the circulator such that the WLAN radio and the Bluetooth radio are capable of transmitting simultaneously. In addition, a receive path also couples the WLAN radio and the Bluetooth radio to the circulator such that the WLAN radio and the Bluetooth radio are capable of receiving simultaneously.