Device and method for antenna synchronization and selection

#A user equipment (UE) may include a communication component to establish a connection to one or more further components either through a direct connection or through a communications network. More specifically, the communication component may enable wireless communications. For example, the communication component may be a radio including one or more communication chips such as a WiFi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a cellular chip, etc. The communication chips may be configured to operate on different frequencies or channels as defined in a specification of the corresponding communication technology.

#The UE may further include an antenna arrangement that is utilized by the communication chips to transmit and receive signals on the corresponding frequencies. The antenna arrangement may include a plurality of antennas for use by the different communication chips. One of the communication chips may utilize one or more of the antennas in the antenna arrangement for transmission diversity and/or reception diversity. At a concurrent time, another one of the communication chips may utilize one or more of the antennas in the antenna arrangement also for transmission diversity and/or reception diversity. Conventional approaches in antenna selection to achieve the diversity entails each communication chip independently selecting the antennas for use without consideration of other communication chips being used. For example, each communication chip may have a respective algorithm to dynamically select the transmission antenna based on performance characteristics.

#When multiple communication chips operate concurrently and utilize antennas in the antenna arrangement, there may be adverse effects that result. For example, the use of antennas by multiple communication chips may result in an elevated specific absorption rate (SAR) condition. The SAR condition may be intended to be minimized for any number of a variety of reasons. In another example, the cellular chip may also entail a coexistence condition to be present. The coexistence condition may also negatively affect the manner in which the communication chips perform from an out of band emission, blocking, intermodulation distortion, etc.

#FIG. 1 shows components of an exemplary user equipment configured to select an antenna configuration according to various embodiments described herein.

#FIG. 2 shows an exemplary selection table according to various embodiments described herein.

#FIG. 3 shows an exemplary method for selecting an antenna for a communication functionality according to various embodiments described herein.

#The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments are related to a device and method for antenna synchronization and selection in a radio utilizing more than one communication chip and an antenna arrangement comprising more than one antenna. The antenna selection of the plurality of antenna in the antenna arrangement may be selected based upon a selection table given parameters of a current scenario being experienced by the communication chips in the radio. Specifically, based upon an existing condition of the communication chips including a specific absorption rate (SAR) condition and a coexistence condition, the exemplary embodiments provide a mechanism by which the selection table is utilized to minimize the adverse effects associated with either or both conditions. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments may enable the use of the radio and the antenna arrangement in an efficient manner.

#FIG. 1 shows components of an exemplary user equipment (UE) 100 configured to select an antenna configuration according to various embodiments described herein. The UE 100 may represent any electronic device configured to establish a communicative link with another UE or a network. That is, the UE 100 includes components corresponding to the various frequencies and wireless communications in which wireless communications are to be performed. Accordingly, the UE 100 is configured to enable coexistence between multiple wireless technologies within a single device. The UE 100 may represent any electronic device such as a portable device (e.g., a cellular phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a phablet, a laptop, a wearable, etc.) or a stationary device (e.g., desktop computer). The UE 100 may include an application processor 105, a memory arrangement 110, a cellular chip 120, an Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) chip 130, and an antenna arrangement including a plurality of antenna 150-165.

#The applications processor 105 may be configured to execute a plurality of applications of the station 100. For example, the applications may include a web browser when connected to a communication network via the cellular chip 120 and/or the ISM chip 130. In another example, the applications may include a short range exchange program with another UE via the ISM chip 130. The memory arrangement 110 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 100. Specifically, as will be described in further detail below, the memory arrangement 110 may store a selection table 180 that defines the antenna configuration to be used. It should be noted that the selection table 180 may also be stored in other components of the UE 100 such as in firmware executed by an integrated circuit. The UE 100 may include further components (not shown) such as a display device, an input/output (I/O) device, a portable power supply (e.g., battery), a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE 100 to other electronic devices via wired communications, etc.