IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,831,532

Granted Patent B2

US 8,831,532 · App. 13/406,444 · Granted Sep 9, 2014

Transmit antenna selection in a mobile wireless device

Inventors: Gaurav R. Nukala (Sunnyvale, CA); Venkatasubramanian Ramasamy (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 8,831,532
App. No.: 13/406,444
Granted: Sep 9, 2014
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to select a transmit antenna in a mobile wireless device connected to a wireless network are described. The mobile wireless device monitors received signal characteristics through first and second antennas and switches antennas based on the monitored signal characteristics and on an assessment of the sufficiency of available transmit power headroom to accommodate data transmissions in the uplink direction. Sufficiency is determined based on one or more criteria including achievable data rate throughput, quality of service, grade of service, an amount of data buffered, an amount of resources allocated by the wireless network and a number of “power up” commands received by the mobile wireless device during a pre-determined time interval.

Claims (65)

1. A method of selecting a transmit antenna in a mobile wireless device connected to a wireless network, the method comprising:

in the mobile wireless device, while connected to the wireless network through a first antenna and a second antenna:

measuring a received signal characteristic of a first signal received through the first antenna and of a second signal received through the second antenna;

selecting the first antenna for transmission to the wireless network when the measured received signal characteristic of the first signal exceeds the measured received signal characteristic of the second signal;

selecting the second antenna for transmission to the wireless network when the measured received signal characteristic of the second signal exceeds the measured received signal characteristic of the first signal by at least a pre-determined signal characteristic threshold level and when an available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support a data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network; and

otherwise, selecting a presently used antenna for transmission to the wireless network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring a transmit power level of an uplink pilot signal transmitted through the first antenna; and

determining that the available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support the data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network when the monitored transmit power level of the uplink pilot signal exceeds a pre-determined pilot threshold level for a pre-determined time interval and when the mobile wireless device receives repeated commands from the wireless network to increase the uplink pilot signal transmit power level during the pre-determined time interval.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring an amount of data in a buffer in the mobile wireless device to be transmitted to the wireless network;

calculating a required transmit power level to transmit the amount of data in the buffer and an available transmit power level; and

determining that the available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support the data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network when a ratio of the required transmit power level divided by the available transmit power level is greater than a pre-determined transmit power ratio threshold.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the available transmit power level is calculated based on an amount of network resource allocated for uplink data transmission by the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the measured received signal characteristic is a received signal to interference plus noise ratio.

9. A mobile wireless device comprising:

an application processor configured to control establishing and releasing connections to a wireless network for application services in the mobile wireless device;

a baseband processor configured to process signals according to one or more wireless communication protocols; and

a transceiver configured to transmit radio frequency signals to and receive radio frequency signals from the wireless network through a first antenna and a second antenna;

wherein, while the mobile wireless device is connected to the wireless network through the first antenna and the second antenna, the baseband processor is further configured to:

measure a received signal characteristic of a first signal received through the first antenna and of a second signal received through the second antenna;

select the first antenna for transmission to the wireless network when the measured received signal characteristic of the first signal exceeds the measured received signal characteristic of the second signal;

select the second antenna for transmission to the wireless network when the measured received signal characteristic of the second signal exceeds the measured received signal characteristic of the first signal by at least a pre-determined signal characteristic threshold level and when an available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support a data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network; and

otherwise, select a presently used antenna for transmission to the wireless network.

10. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

11. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

12. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

13. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

monitor a transmit power level of an uplink pilot signal transmitted through the first antenna; and

determine that the available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support the data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network when the monitored transmit power level of the uplink pilot signal exceeds a pre-determined pilot threshold level for a pre-determined time interval and when the mobile wireless device receives repeated commands from the wireless network to increase the uplink pilot signal transmit power level during the pre-determined time interval.

14. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

monitor an amount of data in a buffer in the mobile wireless device to be transmitted to the wireless network;

calculate a required transmit power level to transmit the amount of data in the buffer and an available transmit power level; and

determine that the available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support the data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network when a ratio of the required transmit power level divided by the available transmit power level is greater than a pre-determined transmit power ratio threshold.

15. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the available transmit power level is calculated based on an amount of network resource allocated for uplink data transmission by the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

16. The mobile wireless device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the measured received signal characteristic is a received signal to interference plus noise ratio.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program code stored thereon for selecting a transmit antenna in a mobile wireless device connected to a wireless network, the computer program code, when executed by one or more processors in the mobile wireless device, causes the mobile wireless device to perform a method comprising:

measuring a received signal characteristic of a first signal received through a first antenna and of a second signal received through a second antenna;

otherwise selecting a presently used antenna for transmission to the wireless network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring a transmit power level of an uplink pilot signal transmitted through the first antenna; and

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring an amount of data in a buffer in the mobile wireless device to be transmitted to the wireless network;

calculating a required transmit power level to transmit the amount of data in the buffer and an available transmit power level; and

determining that the available power to transmit through the first antenna is insufficient to support the data traffic from the mobile wireless device to the wireless network when a ratio of the required transmit power level divided by the available transmit power level is greater than a pre-determined transmit power ratio threshold.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 22 , wherein the available transmit power level is calculated based on an amount of network resource allocated for uplink data transmission by the wireless network to the mobile wireless device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program code as recited in claim 17 , wherein the measured received signal characteristic is a received signal to interference plus noise ratio.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2012

From: NUKALA, GAURAV R.; RAMASAMY, VENKATASUBRAMANIAN

To: APPLE INC.

Reel/Frame 027888/0983 →

Continuity (1)

Related Publication 20130225223A1 · Aug 29, 2013