Abstract:
A method for reducing interference between WiMAX signals and WiFi signals includes: obtaining a work frequency of the WiMAX module via the processor; comparing the work frequency of the WiMAX module with a preset frequency via the processor; and selecting a work frequency for the WiFi module according to the comparison result via the processor to make a difference between the work frequency of the WiFi module and the work frequency of the WiMAX module as greater as possible to reduce the interference between the WiFi module and the WiMAX module. An electronic device is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to interference reducing technique in a wireless network and, particularly, to an electronic device and a method for reducing the interference between World Interoperability of Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi). 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    When a difference between work frequencies of a WiMAX module and a WiFi module is not wide enough, the interference between WiMAX signals and WiFi signals may be great. Thus, it is desirable to provide a method to disclose how to assign work frequencies of the WiMax module and the WiFi module, causing the difference to be great enough to decrease the interference between the WiMax signals and the WiFi signals. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the present disclosure should be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The units in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding units throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating structure of an electronic device for reducing the interference between a WiMAX module and a WiFi module, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for reducing the interference between WiMAX and WiFi in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the present disclosure of an electronic device  100 . The electronic device  100  includes a WiMAX module  10 , a WiFi module  20 , a storage unit  30 , and a processor  40 . The WiMAX module  10  communicates with a communication base station  200 . In this embodiment, the WiMAX module  10  operates in a first frequency range or a second frequency range. Each frequency value in the second frequency range is greater than each frequency value in the first frequency range. In this embodiment, the first frequency range is 2.3 GHz-2.4 GHz, and the second frequency range is 2.5 GHz-2.7 GHz. The communication base station  200  assigns a work frequency to the WiMAX module  10 , and the work frequency may fall in the first frequency range or the second frequency range. The WiFi module  20  operates in a third frequency range. Each frequency value in the third frequency range is greater than each frequency value in the first frequency range and less than each frequency value in the second frequency range. In this embodiment, the third frequency range is 2.412 GHz-2.472 GHz. The third frequency range 2.412 GHz-2.472 GHz is equally divided into a number of units, that is, each of the units has an equal bandwidth. In this embodiment, the third frequency range 2.412 GHz-2.472 GHz are equally divided into thirteen units, the number of the units is an odd number. 
         [0010]    The storage unit  30  may be a smart media card, a secure digital card, or a flash card. The storage unit  30  stores computerized codes of an interference reducing system  300 . The interference reducing system  300  includes various software components and/or instructions implemented by the processor  40  to select a work frequency for the WiFi module  20  from the third frequency range according to the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10 . The difference between the work frequency of the WiFi module  20  and the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  is greater, the interference between the WiFi module  10  and the WiMAX module  20  is less. 
         [0011]    The interference reducing system  300  includes a frequency obtaining module  301 , a comparison module  302 , and a frequency setting module  303 . 
         [0012]    The frequency obtaining module  301  includes various components and/or instructions, which may be implemented by the processor  40  to obtain the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  assigned by the communication base station  200 . 
         [0013]    The comparison module  302  includes various components and/or instructions implemented by the processor  40  to compare the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  with a preset frequency. In this embodiment, the preset frequency is 2.6 GHz, within the second frequency range 2.5 GHz-2.7 GHz. In other embodiments, the preset frequency may be other values in the first frequency range or the second frequency range. 
         [0014]    The frequency setting module  303  includes various components and/or instructions, which may be implemented by the processor  40  to select a frequency for the WiFi module  20  from the third frequency range according to the comparison result, and set the selected frequency as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0015]    In detail, in this embodiment, when the comparison module  302  determines that the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  is greater than the preset frequency 2.6 GHz, the frequency setting module  303  determines a middle unit of the number of units of the third frequency range, and selects a frequency, which is equal to or less than a center frequency of the middle unit, as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . In other embodiments, if the number of the units is a even number, such as fourteen, and there are two middle positioned units, the frequency setting module  303  may selects the unit whose frequency is less than the other one in the two middle positioned units as the middle unit. For example, when the work frequency of the WiMAX module  20  is 2.69 GHz, which is greater than the preset frequency 2.6 GHz, the frequency setting module  303  may set a center frequency 2.442 GHz of the seventh unit as the frequency of the WiFi module  10 . As the difference between the work frequencies of the WiMAX module  20  and the WiFi module  10  is great enough, the interference between the WiFi module  10  and the WiMAX module  20  may not affect the communication. 
         [0016]    When the comparison module  302  determines that the work frequency of the WiMAX module  20  is less than the preset frequency, the comparison module  302  is further operated by the processor  40  to determine the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  falls in which of the first frequency range or the second frequency range. 
         [0017]    When the comparison module  302  determines that the work frequency of the WiMAX module  20  falls within the first frequency range, the frequency setting module  303  regards a predetermined number of units whose frequencies are lower than remaining units as unusable units, regards the remaining units as usable units, and selects a highest frequency from the unemployed frequencies of the usable units as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . In this embodiment, as the difference between each frequency in the units whose frequencies are lower and the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  is too small, the interference may be greater if one lower frequency is selected as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . Thus, the frequency setting module  303  regards the lower frequencies as unusable frequencies. For example, when the comparing module  302  determines that the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  is in the first frequency range, the frequency setting module  303  regards the frequencies in the first, second, and third units as unusable frequencies. When the highest frequency in the thirteenth unit is not employed, the frequency setting module  303  sets the highest frequency in the thirteenth unit as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . When all the frequencies of the thirteenth unit have been employed and the highest frequency of the twelfth unit is not employed, the frequency setting module  303  sets the highest frequency of the twelfth unit as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0018]    When the comparison module  302  determines that the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  falls within the second frequency range, the frequency setting module  303  regards a predetermined number of units whose frequencies are higher than remaining units as unusable units, regards the remaining units as usable units, and selects a lowest frequency from the unemployed frequencies of the usable units as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for reducing the interference between WiMAX signals and WiFi signals, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         [0020]    In step S 201 , the frequency obtaining module  301  obtains a work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  assigned by the communication base station  200 . 
         [0021]    In step S 202 , the comparison module  302  compares the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  with a preset frequency to determine whether the frequency of the WiMAX module is greater than the preset frequency. In this embodiment, the preset frequency value falls within the second frequency range. If the comparison module  302  determines that the frequency of the WiMAX module  20  is greater than the preset frequency, the procedure goes to step S 203 , otherwise, the procedure goes to step S 204 . 
         [0022]    In step S 203 , the frequency setting module  303  determines a middle unit of the number of the units of the third frequency range, and selects a frequency, which is equal to or less than a center frequency of the middle unit, as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0023]    In step S 204 , the comparing module  302  determines which frequency range the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  falls in. If the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  falls within the first frequency range, the procedure goes to step S 205 , and if the work frequency of the WiMAX module  10  falls within the second frequency range, the procedure goes to step S 206 . 
         [0024]    In step S 205 , the frequency setting module  303  regards a predetermined number of units whose frequencies are lower as unusable units, regards the remaining units as usable units, and selects a highest frequency from the unemployed frequencies of the usable units as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0025]    In step S 206 , the frequency setting module  303  regards a predetermined number of units whose frequencies are higher as unusable units, regards the remaining units as usable units, and selects a lowest frequency from the unemployed frequencies of the usable units as the work frequency of the WiFi module  20 . 
         [0026]    It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.