US 10,476,569 B1Granted

Antenna selection for interference avoidance

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsMorris Yuanhsiang Hsu, Rohit Sammeta

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Described herein are technologies for intelligent antenna selection for optimal performance in an electronic device. One electronic device includes a first radio, coupled to a first antenna and a second antenna, and a processing device coupled to the first radio. During a first period, the first radio transmits a sequence of data packets using the first antenna and the processing device receives a first metric value indicative of a first amount of power received on a third antenna of the second electronic device. During a second period, the first radio transmits the sequence using the second antenna and the processing device receives a second metric value indicative of a second mount of power received on the third antenna. The processing device selects one of the first antenna and the second antenna as a selected antenna based on which one of the first metric value and the second metric value is lower. The processing device causes the first radio to communicate data with a third device using the selected antenna.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a first electronic device comprising:
an enclosure;
a processing device disposed within the enclosure;
a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio coupled to the processing device;
a primary antenna coupled to the WLAN radio and disposed within the enclosure;
and
a diversity antenna coupled to the WLAN radio and disposed within the enclosure, wherein the WLAN radio is to cause the primary antenna, the diversity antenna, or both to radiate electromagnetic energy in an industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio band;
and
a second electronic device disposed within a dongle enclosure, the dongle enclosure being part of a power cable configured to supply power to the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device comprises a personal area network (PAN) radio and a third antenna coupled to the PAN radio, wherein the PAN radio is to cause the third antenna to radiate electromagnetic energy in the ISM radio band, wherein the processing device is to:
set the PAN radio into a channel sweep mode in which the PAN radio measures an amount of power received by the third antenna on a plurality of channels of the PAN radio;
cause the WLAN radio to transmit a sequence of data packets using only the primary antenna during a first period;
cause the WLAN radio to transmit the sequence of data packets using only the diversity antenna during a second period;
receive a first metric from the PAN radio, the first metric indicative of a first amount of power received on the third antenna on the plurality of channels during the first period;
receive a second metric from the PAN radio, the second metric indicative of a second amount of power received on the third antenna on the plurality of channels during the second period;
select one of the primary antenna or the diversity antenna as a selected antenna based on which of the first metric and the second metric is lower;
cause the WLAN radio to communicate WLAN data with a third device using the selected antenna during a third period, wherein the third period is after the first period and the second period;
and
cause the PAN radio to communicate PAN data with a fourth device using the third antenna during the third period, wherein at least a portion of the WLAN data and at least a portion of the PAN data are communicated concurrently in the ISM radio band.

15 more elements

An electronic device comprising:

a first antenna;
a second antenna;
a first radio coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the first antenna is to radiate electromagnetic energy in a first radiation pattern and the second antenna is to radiate electromagnetic energy in a second radiation pattern that is different than the first radiation pattern;
and
a processing device coupled to the first radio, the processing device to:
send a first command to a second radio of a second electronic device to measure a first amount of power received on a third antenna coupled to the second radio during a first period, wherein the second electronic device is part of a power cable configured to supply power to the electronic device;
during the first period, cause the first radio to transmit a sequence of data packets using the first antenna;
receive, from the second electronic device, a first metric value indicative of the first amount of power received on the third antenna during the first period;
send a second command to the second radio to measure a second amount of power received on the third antenna during a second period;
during the second period, cause the first radio to transmit the sequence of data packets using the second antenna;
receive, from the second electronic device, a second metric value indicative of the second amount of power received on the third antenna during the second period;
determine that the first metric value is lower than the second metric value;
select the first antenna to communicate data with a third device;
and
cause the first radio to communicate the data with the third device using the first antenna.

12 more elements

A method comprising:

sending, by a first electronic device via a wired interface, a first command to a second radio of a second electronic device to measure a first amount of power received on a third antenna coupled to the second radio during a first period;
during the first period, transmitting, by a first radio of the first electronic device, a sequence of data packets using a first antenna of the first electronic device;
receiving, from the second electronic device via the wired interface, a first metric value indicative of the first amount of power received on the third antenna during the first period;
sending, by the first electronic device via the wired interface, a second command to the second electronic device to measure a second amount of power received on the third antenna during a second period;
during the second period, transmitting, by the first radio, the sequence of data packets using a second antenna of the first electronic device;
receiving, from the second electronic device via the wired interface, a second metric value indicative of the second amount of power received on the third antenna during the second period;
determining, by the first electronic device, that the first metric value is lower than the second metric value;
selecting the first antenna to communicate data with a third device;
and
communicating, by the first radio, the data with the third device using the first antenna.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/362,219Filed 28 Nov 2016
Granted: 12 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04B 7/0604
Using antenna switching: with predefined switching scheme
H04B 7/0608
Using antenna switching: antenna selection according to transmission parameters
H04W 72/1263
Wireless traffic scheduling: mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
H04W 4/80
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: services using short range communication, e.g. near-field…