Dynamic antenna configuration on systems with spare antennas

A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

• when a first wireless mode of operation is active, operating, by the computing device, a first antenna as a default antenna for the first wireless mode of operation, wherein the computing device has three different antennas comprising the first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna;
• when a second wireless mode of operation is active, operating, by the computing device, the second antenna as a default antenna for the second wireless mode of operation, wherein the first and the second wireless modes of operation are different;
• generating, by the computing device, a connectivity score representing a performance of wireless transmissions/receptions by the computing device relative to one or more of a plurality of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) when the first and the second antennas are operated as default antennas,
• generating, by the computing device, a mode-specific score for each active wireless mode of operation by assessing performance of the active wireless mode of operation against one or more of the plurality of KPIs at a respective one of the first and the second antennas associated with the active wireless mode of operation, wherein the plurality of KPIs comprises:
• a signal quality of a wireless transmission/reception,
• a power consumption for a wireless transmission/reception,
• a latency associated with a wireless transmission/reception,
• a throughput of a wireless transmission/reception, and
• a processing cost of a wireless transmission/reception;
• generating, by the computing device, the connectivity score by combining the mode-specific scores;
• determining, by the computing device, a respective increase in the connectivity score based on selecting the third antenna in each of the first and the second wireless modes of operation;
• determining, by the computing device, a wireless usage and a workload associated with each active wireless mode of operation;
• based on the wireless usage and workload, determining, by the computing device, one or more additional operational configurations for the third antenna, wherein each additional configuration assigns a different active wireless mode of operation to the third antenna and treats the third antenna as operating in combination with the first and the second antennas;
• generating, by the computing device, a configuration-specific connectivity score for each additional configuration for the third antenna, wherein each configuration-specific connectivity score represents an overall performance of wireless transmissions/receptions by the computing device relative to one or more of the plurality of KPIs when the third antenna is considered operational in a respective additional configuration along with the first and the second antennas in the computing device;
• for each configuration-specific connectivity score, determining, by the computing device, the respective increase in the connectivity score by subtracting the connectivity score from the configuration-specific connectivity score;
• and
• operating, by the computing device, the third antenna in that one of the first and the second wireless modes of operation which results in a higher respective increase in the connectivity score.

A computing device comprising:

• a memory for storing program instructions;
• a plurality of wireless mode-specific antennas;
• a spare antenna that is in addition to the plurality of wireless mode-specific antennas;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the plurality of wireless mode-specific antennas, and the spare antenna, wherein the processor executes the program instructions to:
• activate a wireless mode of operation from a plurality of wireless modes of operation;
• select an antenna from the plurality of wireless mode-specific antennas as a default antenna for the wireless mode of operation;
• generate a connectivity score representing a performance of wireless transmissions/receptions by the computing device relative to one or more of a plurality of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) based on selecting the default antenna;
• determine, by the computing device, a wireless usage and a workload associated with each active wireless mode of operation;
• based on the wireless usage and the workload, determine, by the computing device, one or more additional operational configurations for a spare antenna, wherein each additional configuration assigns a different active wireless mode of operation to the spare antenna and treats the spare antenna as operating in combination with the default antenna;
• generate, by the computing device, a configuration-specific connectivity score for each additional configuration for the spare antenna, wherein each configuration-specific connectivity score represents an overall performance of wireless transmissions/receptions by the computing device relative to one or more of the plurality of KPIs when the spare antenna is considered operational in a respective additional configuration along with the default antenna in the computing device;
• and
• for each configuration-specific connectivity score, determine, by the computing device, an increase in the connectivity score by subtracting the connectivity score from the configuration-specific connectivity score;
• determine an increase in the connectivity score based on selecting the spare antenna in the computing device in each wireless mode of operation that is active, wherein the spare antenna is used in addition to the plurality of wireless mode-specific antennas in the computing device;
• and
• operate the spare antenna in a particular wireless mode of operation that results in a highest increase in the connectivity score.