US 2013/0210364 A1 · Methods for Mitigating Effects of Radio-Frequency Interference

Abstract

An electronic device may include sensitive circuitry such as radio-frequency receiver circuitry. A noise source may produce radio-frequency interference that can disrupt operation of the sensitive circuitry. The noise source may include a first transmitter such as a cellular telephone transmitter and as second transmitter such as a wireless local area network transmitter. Interference may be produced by simultaneous operation of the first and second transmitters. The radio-frequency receiver circuitry may be satellite navigation system receiver circuitry that includes one or more satellite navigation receivers. The impact of interference may be reduced by blanking the satellite navigation system receiver, by imposing a duty cycle limitation on the second transmitter, by switching between alternative receivers in the satellite navigation system receiver circuitry, by using an interference-dependent cross-correlation protection scheme, or by using a combination of these schemes.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for mitigating the impact of radio-frequency interference on sensitive circuitry in an electronic device, wherein the radio-frequency interference interferes with the sensitive circuitry and is produced by a noise source in the electronic device, the method comprising:

with control circuitry in the electronic device, determining whether the radio-frequency interference is present;
and
in response to detection of the radio-frequency interference by the control circuitry, imposing duty cycle limitations on the noise source.

A method for mitigating the impact of radio-frequency interference on satellite navigation system receiver circuitry in an electronic device, wherein the radio-frequency interference is produced by a noise source in the electronic device and wherein the satellite navigation system receiver circuitry comprises a first satellite navigation system receiver and a second satellite navigation system receiver, the method comprising:

receiving location data from the first satellite navigation system receiver with control circuitry in the electronic device while using the control circuitry to determine whether radio-frequency interference from the noise source that interferes with operation of the first satellite navigation system receiver is present;
and
in response to determining that the radio-frequency interference that interferes with the operation of the first satellite navigation system receiver is present, using the control circuitry to switch the second satellite navigation system receiver into use in place of the first satellite navigation system receiver so that the control circuitry receives location data from the second satellite navigation system receiver.

A method for mitigating the impact of radio-frequency interference on satellite navigation system receiver circuitry in an electronic device, wherein the radio-frequency interference for the satellite navigation system receiver circuitry is produced by a noise source in the electronic device, the method comprising:

with control circuitry in the electronic device, measuring a satellite signal received from a first satellite to produce a first satellite signal value;
with the control circuitry, measuring an additional satellite signal associated with a second satellite to produce a second satellite signal value;
with the control circuitry, applying a cross-correlation validation test to the second satellite signal value and the first satellite signal value to determine whether the second satellite signal is valid;
with the control circuitry, determining whether the radio-frequency interference for the satellite navigation system receiver circuitry is present;
and
in response to determining that the radio-frequency interference is present, changing the cross-correlation validation test.

3 more elements

with control circuitry in the electronic device, determining whether persistent radio-frequency interference is present;
and
in response to determining that persistent radio-frequency interference is not present, operating the electronic device in a first radio-frequency interference mitigation mode using the control circuitry;
and
in response to determining that persistent radio-frequency interference is present, operating the electronic device in a second radio-frequency interference mitigation mode using the control circuitry.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for Mitigating Effects of Radio-Frequency Interference

Life of this patent

Methods for Mitigating Effects of Radio-Frequency Interference

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20