Arbitration between multiple wireless protocols in a wireless device
View Patent ↗Arbitration between two wireless protocols in a wireless device. The wireless device may include first wireless protocol circuitry, configured to receive and process first signals according to a first wireless protocol and second wireless protocol circuitry, configured to receive and process second signals according to a second wireless protocol. The wireless device may also include coexistence circuitry. The coexistence circuitry may be configured to receive a request from the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception and arbitrate the requested transmission or reception between the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry. The decision may be based on current or future priority information, current configuration, or other factors. The coexistence circuitry (or other circuitry) may be configured to determine position of switches controlling antennas or transmission using shared or unshared antennas (or chains). The two wireless protocols may be WLAN and Bluetooth.
1. A system for use in a wireless device, the system comprising:
first wireless protocol circuitry, wherein the first wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process first signals according to a first wireless protocol, wherein the first wireless protocol circuitry is configured to generate a request to perform a transmission or reception;
second wireless protocol circuitry, wherein the second wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process second signals according to a second wireless protocol, wherein the second wireless protocol circuitry is configured to generate a request to perform a transmission or reception; and
coexistence circuitry coupled to the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry;
wherein the coexistence circuitry is configured to:
receive a request from the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception;
determine current priority information for the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry in response to the request;
determine current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry;
determine whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception based on the current priority information of the first wireless protocol circuitry, the current priority information of the second wireless protocol circuitry, and the current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry; and
first circuitry, wherein the first circuitry is configured to determine whether the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry are able to perform the transmission or reception concurrently, wherein if the concurrent transmission or reception is possible, the first circuitry is configured to assign equal priority to the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein if the first wireless protocol circuitry has a higher priority than the second wireless protocol circuitry, the coexistence circuitry is configured to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform the transmission or reception.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein if the first wireless protocol circuitry has an equal priority to the second wireless protocol circuitry, the coexistence circuitry is configured to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform the transmission or reception concurrently with a transmission or reception of the second wireless protocol circuitry.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry is comprised in the coexistence circuitry.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception is based on a current configuration of the wireless device.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception is based on a number of antennas in use by the wireless device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence circuitry determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception is also based on the priority information of scheduled or predicted activity of the second wireless protocol circuitry.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gain element configured to receive the first and second signals, wherein the gain element is adjustable to amplify the received first and second signals by an adjustable amount, wherein the gain element is coupled to the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coexistence circuitry is further configured to dynamically choose between using one or more shared or only unshared pathways for the transmission or reception of the first wireless protocol circuitry.
10. A method for arbitrating between a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol within a wireless device, comprising:
receiving a request from first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception, wherein the first wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process first signals according to the first wireless protocol;
determining current priority information for the first wireless protocol circuitry and second wireless protocol circuitry in response to the request, wherein the second wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process second signals according to the second wireless protocol;
determining current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry;
determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception based on the current priority information of the first wireless protocol circuitry, the current priority information of the second wireless protocol circuitry, and the current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry;
determining whether the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry are able to perform the transmission or reception concurrently; and assigning equal priority to the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry wherein if the concurrent transmission or reception is possible, allowing concurrent transmission or reception.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said receiving, said determining, said determining, and said determining is performed by coexistence logic of the wireless device.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein if the first wireless protocol circuitry has a higher priority than the second wireless protocol circuitry, the method comprises allowing the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform the transmission or reception.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein if the first wireless protocol circuitry has an equal priority to the second wireless protocol circuitry, the method comprises allowing the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform the transmission or reception concurrently with a transmission or reception of the second wireless protocol circuitry.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception is based on configuration information of the wireless device.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the configuration information comprises a number of antennas in use by the wireless device.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein said determining whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception is also based on the priority information of scheduled or predicted activity of the second wireless protocol circuitry.
17. A system for use in a wireless device, the system comprising:
first wireless protocol circuitry, wherein the first wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process first signals according to a first wireless protocol, wherein the first wireless protocol circuitry is configured to generate a request to perform a transmission or reception;
second wireless protocol circuitry, wherein the second wireless protocol circuitry is configured to receive, transmit, and process second signals according to a second wireless protocol, wherein the second wireless protocol circuitry is configured to generate a request to perform a transmission or reception; and
first circuitry configured to:
receive a request from the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception;
determine current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry, wherein the current state corresponds to whether the second wireless protocol circuitry is transmitting or receiving;
determine whether to allow the first wireless protocol circuitry to perform transmission or reception based on the current state of the second wireless protocol circuitry; and
determine whether the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry are able to perform the transmission or reception concurrently, wherein if the concurrent transmission or reception is possible, the first circuitry is configured to assign equal priority to the first wireless protocol circuitry and the second wireless protocol circuitry.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first circuitry is comprised in the first wireless protocol circuitry and/or the second wireless protocol circuitry.