# US 10,375,035 B2 · Coexistence management for multiple wireless devices by a wireless network device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,035 B2 - Document ID: US10375035B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/479,191 - Filed: 2017-04-04 - Published: 2018-03-22 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-22 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Camille Chen; Ye Sun; Hsin-Yao Chen; Siegfried Lehmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375035B2 ## CPC - H04L 63/0428: {wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload} - H04L 9/08: Key distribution {or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06)} - H04W 4/21: for social networking applications - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L 2209/80: Wireless - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 12/61: Time-dependent - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods and apparatuses for managing coexistence of multiple wireless devices that share a radio frequency band and communicate with a wireless network device. The wireless devices include both wireless personal area network (WPAN) and wireless local area network (WLAN) devices. The wireless network device monitors data activity for WPAN devices to determine whether the WPAN devices are active or inactive, and sets one or more polling intervals for the WPAN devices accordingly. The wireless network device consolidates polling for multiple WPAN devices into a common WPAN polling time period and sends a radio frequency (RF) reservation request to a WLAN access point (AP), the RF reservation request including an indication of a duration for the common WPAN polling time period, during which the multiple WPAN devices are polled. WLAN data packet transmission is delayed during the common WPAN polling time period to mitigate coexistence interference. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for managing coexistence of multiple wireless devices communicating with a wireless network device, the method comprising: by the wireless network device: in response to an internal trigger indicating a wireless personal area network (WPAN) polling period for a plurality of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device, sending a radio frequency (RF) reservation request to a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, the RF reservation request including an indication of a duration of the polling period for the wireless network device to communicate in an RF band shared with the WLAN device; and polling the plurality of active WPAN devices for data during the polling period, wherein: the duration of the polling period is based at least in part on the number of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device, and the wireless network device adjusts the use of aggregation for WLAN data packets communicated with the WLAN device based at least in part on (i) a signal strength measured by the wireless network device and/or (ii) the number of active WPAN devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the polling period is sufficiently long to poll each of the plurality of active WPAN devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network device sends the RF reservation request to the WLAN device at least one millisecond before the polling period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the polling period is based at least in part on a history of activity for the plurality of active WPAN devices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: by the wireless network device: delaying transmission of WLAN data during the polling period to mitigate coexistence interference between a WLAN interface and a WPAN interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: by the wireless network device: measuring a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for signals received from the WLAN device; enabling aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the RSSI satisfies an RSSI threshold; and disabling aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the RSSI does not satisfy the RSSI threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: by the wireless network device: enabling aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the number of active WPAN devices not exceed an associated WPAN device threshold; and disabling aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the number of active WPAN devices the associated WPAN device threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: by the wireless network device: determining whether a WPAN device is active based at least in part on whether the WPAN device has data to send in response to the polling; and designating the WPAN device as inactive when polling indicates the WPAN device has no data to send for a time period that exceeds a polling threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: by the wireless network device: adjusting a polling interval between polls of the WPAN device based at least in part on whether the WPAN device is active or inactive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of active WPAN devices comprise at least one of human interface devices (HIDs) or game controllers, and the wireless network device adjusts the duration of the polling period based on one or more profiles associated with the plurality of active WPAN devices, the profiles indicating polling intervals for at least one of HIDs or game controllers. ### Claim 11 A wireless network device configurable to manage coexistence of multiple wireless devices communicating with the wireless network device, the wireless network device comprising: one or more antennas; wireless circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more antennas and to processing circuitry, the wireless circuitry configurable to communicate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) and with wireless personal area network (WPAN) devices; and the processing circuitry, including one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless network device to: transmit, in response to an internal trigger indicating a WPAN polling period for one or more active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device, a radio frequency (RF) reservation request to the WLAN AP, the RF reservation request including an indication of a duration of the polling period for the wireless network device to communicate in an RF band shared with the WLAN AP; and poll the one or more active WPAN devices for data during the polling period, wherein: the duration of the polling period is based at least in part on the number of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device; and the wireless network device adjusts the use of aggregation for WLAN data packets communicated with the WLAN device based at least in part on (i) a signal strength measured by the wireless network device and/or (ii) the number of active WPAN devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein the duration of the polling period is sufficiently long to poll each of the active WPAN devices. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein the wireless network device sends the reservation request at least one millisecond before the polling period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein the duration of the polling period is based at least in part on a history of activity for the active WPAN devices. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the wireless network device to delay transmission of WLAN data during the polling period to mitigate coexistence interference between WLAN data and WPAN data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the wireless network device to: measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for signals received from the WLAN AP; enable aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the RSSI satisfies an RSSI threshold; and disable aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the RSSI does not satisfy the RSSI threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the wireless network device to: enable aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the number of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device does not exceed an associated WPAN device threshold; and disable aggregation for the WLAN data packets when the number of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device exceeds the associated WPAN device threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the wireless network device to: determine whether a WPAN device is inactive based at least in part on whether the WPAN device has data to send in response to the polling; designate the WPAN device as inactive when polling indicates the WPAN device has no data to send for a time period that exceeds a polling threshold; and adjust a polling interval for polling the WPAN device based at least in part on designating the WPAN device as inactive. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The wireless network device of claim 11, wherein the active WPAN devices comprise at least one of human interface devices (HIDs) or game controllers, and the wireless network device adjusts the duration of the polling period based on a profile associated with the active WPAN devices, the profile indicating a polling interval for HIDs or game controllers. ### Claim 20 An apparatus configurable for managing coexistence of multiple wireless devices communicating with a wireless network device, the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry, including one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless network device to: monitor data activity of a plurality of wireless personal area network (WPAN) devices associated with the wireless network device; determine whether each WPAN device of the plurality of WPAN devices is active or inactive based at least in part on the monitored data activity; determine a polling interval for each WPAN device of the plurality of WPAN devices based at least in part on whether the WPAN device is active or inactive; consolidate polling for multiple WPAN devices of the plurality of WPAN devices into a common polling time period; transmit a radio frequency (RF) reservation request to a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP), the RF reservation request including an indication of a duration for the common polling time period; and poll the multiple WPAN devices during the common polling time period, wherein: the duration of the common polling time period is based at least in part on the number of active WPAN devices associated with the wireless network device, and the wireless network device adjusts the use of aggregation for WLAN data packets communicated with the WLAN device based at least in part on (i) a signal strength measured by the wireless network device and/or (ii) the number of active WPAN devices.