UWB coexistence scheme

1. A first radio configured to operate according to a first protocol and configured to use a coexistence signaling scheme with a second radio configured to operate according to a second protocol, the coexistence signaling scheme being configured to allow a radio configured to operate according to the second protocol to be co-located and non-interfering with a third radio configured to operate according to a third protocol that is different to the first protocol, the first radio comprising:

interface logic for generating messages for the second radio in accordance with the coexistence signaling scheme to cause the second radio to adopt behavior suitable for coexistence with the first radio, said generated messages suitable for being generated by the third radio;

wherein the coexistence signaling scheme is suitable for allowing an IEEE 802.11 radio and a Bluetooth radio to be co-located and non-interfering;

wherein the first protocol is a protocol other than Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 and the second protocol is IEEE 802.11 protocol;

wherein coexistence signaling scheme is implemented using a 2-wire coexistence signaling arrangement, comprising:

a first signal line for transmitting a signal from the first radio to the second radio and suitable for being asserted by a Bluetooth radio whenever it is receiving a packet that it considers to be high priority; and

a second signal line for transmitting a signal from the second radio to the first radio asserted by the IEEE 802.11 radio whenever it is receiving or transmitting; and

wherein the interface logic is configured to cause the first radio to assert the first signal line for a period for which the first radio expects to receive a beacon of the first protocol.

2. The first radio according to claim 1 , wherein the first protocol is Ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol.

3. The first radio according to claim 2 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

assert the first signal line for the period for which the first radio expects to transmit or receive UWB reservations.

4. The first radio according to claim 2 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

if the second signal line is asserted by the second radio, block UWB transmissions.

5. The first radio according to claim 2 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

if the second signal line is asserted by the second radio, force the UWB radio to use channel 1 while waiting for a UWB preamble.

6. The first radio according to claim 2 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to allow the first radio to transmit transmissions when the second signal line is asserted by the second radio if the transmissions comprise UWB beacons or UWB reservations.

7. A first radio configured to operate according to a first protocol and configured to use a coexistence signaling scheme with a second radio configured to operate according to a second protocol, the coexistence signaling scheme being configured to allow a radio configured to operate according to the second protocol to be co-located and non-interfering with a third radio configured to operate according to a third protocol that is different to the first protocol, the first radio comprising:

interface logic for generating messages for the second radio in accordance with the coexistence signaling scheme to cause the second radio to adopt behavior suitable for coexistence with the first radio, said generated messages suitable for being generated by the third radio;

wherein the coexistence signaling scheme is suitable for allowing an IEEE 802.11 radio and a Bluetooth radio to be co-located and non-interfering;

wherein the first protocol is a protocol other than Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 and the second protocol is IEEE 802.11 protocol;

wherein the coexistence signaling scheme is implemented using a 3-wire coexistence signaling arrangement, comprising;

a first signal line suitable for transmitting a signal from the first radio to the second radio and asserted by a Bluetooth radio for Bluetooth transactions,

a second signal line suitable for transmitting a signal from the first radio to the second radio and asserted by the Bluetooth radio to indicate whether the Bluetooth transaction is low- or high-priority and whether the current activity is transmit or receive,

a third signal line for transmitting a signal from the second radio to the first radio asserted by the IEEE 802.11 radio whenever it needs to prevent the Bluetooth radio from transmitting; and

wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to assert the first signal line to indicate activity by the first radio a period of time prior to the start of all activity by the first radio.

8. The first radio according to claim 7 , wherein the first protocol is Ultra-wideband (UWB) protocol.

9. The first radio according to claim 8 , wherein the interface logic is configured to cause the first radio to:

when performing any transmit or receive activity, assert the second signal line to indicate that receive activity is being performed by the first radio, and

for the period for which the first radio expects to receive a UWB beacon or a small number of UWB reservations, assert the second signal line to indicate the first radio activity as high-priority, and

for all remaining UWB activity, assert the second signal line to indicate the first radio activity as low-priority.

10. The first radio according to claim 8 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

during first radio activity which does not involve receiving UWB beacons and preceding a period in which the first radio expects to receive a UWB beacon, de-assert the first signal line a preset length of time before the next beacon reception period,

otherwise, de-assert the first signal line one Bluetooth slot period length after the activity began, or when the activity is finished.

11. The first radio according to claim 8 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

if the third line is asserted by the second radio to indicate activity by the second radio, other than for UWB beacon transmissions by the first radio or for a predefined number of reservation transmissions by the first radio, block UWB transmissions by the first radio.

12. The first radio according to claim 8 , wherein the interface logic is further configured to cause the first radio to:

if the third line is asserted by the second radio to indicate activity by the second radio, force the UWB radio to use channel 1 while waiting for a UWB preamble.

13. A multi-radio system comprising:

a first radio configured to operate according to a first protocol and configured to use a shared coexistence signaling arrangement with a second radio configured to operate according to a second protocol;

a third radio configured to operate according to a third protocol and configured to use the shared coexistence signaling arrangement with the second radio as the second radio uses with the first radio; and

the second radio, wherein the second radio has several modes of operation, and wherein the first and second radios interfere with each other when the second radio is operating in a first mode and the second and third radios interfere with each other when the second radio is operating in a second mode,

wherein the shared coexistence signaling arrangement is suitable for allowing a radio configured to operate according to the second protocol to be co-located and non-interfering with another radio configured to operate according to the first or third protocol by allowing the radios to communicate coexistence data to each other,

wherein the first and second radios communicate coexistence data with each other via signaling wires when the second radio is operating in the first mode and the second and third radios communicate coexistence data with each other via signaling wires when the second radio is operating in the second mode.

14. The multi-radio system of claim 13 wherein the first protocol is Ultra-wideband protocol, the second protocol is IEEE 802.11 protocol, and the third protocol is the Bluetooth protocol.