METHODS FOR PREVENTING IN-DEVICE COEXISTENCE INTERFERENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS UTILIZING THE SAME
A method for preventing in device coexistence (IDC) interference of a communications apparatus including at least a first radio module providing a first wireless communications service in a first wireless network in compliance with a first protocol and a second radio module providing a second wireless communications service in a second wireless network in compliance with a second protocol, the method includes: determining whether a protection scheme for preventing IDC interference is to be performed; determining a predetermined time to activate the protection scheme when the protection scheme is determined to be performed; and transmitting a predetermined message to the second wireless network at the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme.
1 . A communications apparatus, comprising:
a first radio module, providing a first wireless communications service in a first wireless network in compliance with a first protocol; and
a second radio module, providing a second wireless communications service in a second wireless network in compliance with a second protocol,
wherein the first radio module determines whether a protection scheme is to be performed, and when the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is to be performed, the first radio module further determines a predetermined time to activate the protection scheme, and
wherein the second radio module transmits a predetermined message to the second wireless network at the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme.
2 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second radio module stops receiving any data or signal from the second wireless network after transmitting the predetermined message.
3 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein after transmitting the predetermined message to the second wireless network, there is no data or signal received from a peer communications device associated with the second radio module to the second radio module.
4 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined message is a clear to send (CTS) message.
5 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined message is a power saving on message to inform a peer communications device associated with the second radio module that the second radio module enters a power save mode.
6 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed and the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme according to a sub-frame configuration, and wherein the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration of a special sub-frame configured for the first radio module.
7 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed according to a physical data control channel (PDCCH) decoding result of a downlink sub-frame n, where n is a positive integer, and wherein when the PDCCH decoding result of the downlink sub-frame n indicates that a uplink grant for granting uplink transmission is received, the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is to be performed.
8 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration of the downlink sub-frame n.
9 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration of a special sub-frame following the downlink sub-frame n.
10 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the PDCCH decoding result of the downlink sub-frame n indicates that the uplink grant for granting uplink transmission in a following uplink sub-frame k is received, where k is a positive integer and k>n, the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration from the downlink sub-frame n to a following uplink sub-frame (k−1).
11 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first radio module further determines a predetermined duration for performing the protection scheme according to the PDCCH decoding results of a plurality of successive downlink sub-frames.
12 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed according to a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle configured for the first radio module, and when a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module falls in a DRX on duration and a PDCCH decoding result of the downlink sub-frame n indicates that a uplink grant for granting uplink transmission in a following uplink sub-frame k is received, the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is to be performed, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.
13 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration from the downlink sub-frame n to a following uplink sub-frame (k−1).
14 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein when the downlink sub-frame n falls in a DRX off duration, the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is not to be performed in the following uplink sub-frame k.
15 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed according to a measurement gap pattern configured for the first radio module for measuring one or more measurement objects, and wherein when a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module falls in a measurement gap, the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is not to be performed in a following uplink sub-frame k, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.
16 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed according to a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configured for the first radio module.
17 . The communications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first radio module determines whether the protection scheme is to be performed according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) operation of the first radio module, and wherein when an acknowledge (ACK) is received in a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module and no PDCCH message is received in the downlink sub-frame n, the first radio module determines that the protection scheme is not to be performed in a following uplink sub-frame k, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.
18 . A method for preventing in device coexistence (IDC) interference of a communications apparatus comprising at least a first radio module providing a first wireless communications service in a first wireless network in compliance with a first protocol and a second radio module providing a second wireless communications service in a second wireless network in compliance with a second protocol, the method comprising:
determining whether a protection scheme for preventing IDC interference is to be performed;
determining a predetermined time to activate the protection scheme when the protection scheme is determined to be performed; and
transmitting a predetermined message to the second wireless network at the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme.
19 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
stopping to receive any data or signal from the second wireless network after transmitting the predetermined message.
20 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the predetermined message is a clear to send (CTS) message.
21 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the predetermined message is a power saving on message to inform a peer communications device associated with the second radio module that the second radio module enters a power save mode.
22 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed and the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme are determined according to a sub-frame configuration of the first radio module, and wherein the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration of a special sub-frame configured for the first radio module.
23 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed is determined according to a physical data control channel (PDCCH) decoding result of a downlink sub-frame n, where n is a positive integer, and wherein when the PDCCH decoding result of the downlink sub-frame n indicates that a uplink grant for granting uplink transmission is received, the protection scheme is determined to be performed.
24 . The method as claimed in claim 23 , when the PDCCH decoding result of the downlink sub-frame n indicates that a uplink grant for granting uplink transmission in a following uplink sub-frame k is received, the predetermined time to activate the protection scheme falls in a duration from the downlink sub-frame n to a following uplink sub-frame (k−1), where k is a positive integer and k>n.
25 . The method as claimed in claim 23 , further comprising:
determining a predetermined duration for performing the protection scheme according to the PDCCH decoding results of a plurality of successive downlink sub-frames.
26 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed is determined according to a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle configured for the first radio module, and wherein when a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module falls in a DRX off duration, the protection scheme is determined not to be performed in a following uplink sub-frame k, where n is a positive integer, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.
27 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed is determined according to a measurement gap pattern configured for the first radio module for measuring one or more measurement objects, and wherein when a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module falls in a measurement gap, the protection scheme is determined not to be performed in a following uplink sub-frame k, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.
28 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed is determined according to a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configured for the first radio module.
29 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein whether the protection scheme is to be performed is determined according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) operation of the first radio module, and wherein when an acknowledge (ACK) is received in a downlink sub-frame n configured for the first radio module and no PDCCH message is received in the downlink sub-frame n, the protection scheme is determined not to be performed in a following uplink sub-frame k, where n and k are positive integers and k>n.