Patent Publication Number: US-9843110-B2

Title: Mitigating co-channel interference in multi-radio devices

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to multi-radio devices, and in particular, to the mitigation of co-channel interference in multi-radio devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The ongoing development of data networks often involves enabling greater connectivity by expanding the area covered by a network and/or improving the robustness of accessible coverage within a particular area. Wireless access points (APs) simplify the deployment network infrastructure equipment and enable rapid installation and/or expansion of a network within a coverage area. As a result, various data networks, from local area networks (LANs) to wide area networks (WANs), now often include a number of wireless APs. Wireless APs also facilitate client device mobility by providing relatively seamless access to a network throughout a coverage area. 
     In order to satisfy demand, wireless APs include increasingly complicated and power hungry hardware in order to support wireless connectivity. For example, wireless APs typically include several radio frequency (RF) radios in order to both provide sufficient coverage and accommodate various networking protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.15, BLUETOOTH, ZigBee, and the like). 
     For example, a wireless access point may include two or more RF radios (i.e., radio frequency transceivers) operating in the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band in accordance with one or more variants specified under IEEE 802.11 or other wireless standards such as IEEE 802.15, BLUETOOTH, or the like. As a result, co-channel interference may occur between the RF radios as they operate in a same frequency band. Spatial diversity between the RF radios can be used to reduce co-channel interference. However, known spatial diversity arrangements suitable for reducing co-channel interference are based on placing RF radios as far apart as possible. In view of a number of factors, there is typically a preference for wireless access points that are relatively small and that have a discreet form factor. As such, using known arrangements, the amount of physical separation between RF radios is limited by the preferred size and form factor of a typical wireless access point. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the present disclosure can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, a more detailed description may be had by reference to aspects of some illustrative implementations, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a data network in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a networking device in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an example antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of an example tiered antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of another example tiered antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 5A  is a side view of an example inclined antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 5B  is a side view of another example inclined antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an example antennae arrangement in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 7B  is an exploded view of the apparatus in  FIG. 7A  in accordance with some implementations. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a computing device in accordance with some implementations. 
     
    
    
     In accordance with common practice various features shown in the drawings may not be drawn to scale, as the dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Moreover, the drawings may not depict all of the aspects and/or variants of a given system, method or apparatus admitted by the specification. Finally, like reference numerals are used to denote like features throughout the figures. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Numerous details are described herein in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative implementations shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings merely show some example aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that other effective aspects and/or variants do not include all of the specific details of the example implementations described herein. While pertinent features are shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features, including well-known systems, methods, components, devices, and circuits, have not been illustrated or described in exhaustive detail for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations disclosed herein. 
     Overview 
     Various implementations disclosed herein include apparatuses, devices, and systems for providing spatial diversity between at least two antennae without increasing the size or form factor of a networking device. For example, in some implementations, an apparatus includes: a first reflector portion having a first mount for a first antenna that is configured to operate in a first frequency range, where the first mount characterizes an emission point of a main lobe of the first antenna; and a second reflector portion having a second mount for a second antenna that is configured to operate in a second frequency range that overlaps the first frequency range, where the second mount characterizes an emission point of a main lobe of the second antenna. The second reflector portion is arranged relative to the first reflector portion in order to satisfy a near-field interference isolation criterion between the first and second antennae. In some implementations, the distance between the first and second antenna mounts is less than a distance between the first and second antenna mounts arranged in a plane due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. 
     Example Embodiments 
     Typical networking devices (e.g., wireless access points, switches, or network routers) may include several radio frequency (RF) radio transmitters (i.e., antennae). As one example, a networking device includes a first antenna operating according to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n, a second antenna operating according to BLUETOOTH, and a third scanning antenna. In this example, the first and second antennae both operate in the 2.4 GHz band, which results in co-channel interference (i.e., crosstalk between radio transmitters operating in a same frequency band) between the first and second antennae. To that end, a second reflector portion of the networking device having a second antenna mount for the second antenna is arranged relative to a first reflector portion in order to satisfy a near-field interference isolation criterion between the first and second antennae (e.g., a threshold co-channel interference limit such as a predefined number of decibels). In some implementations, co-channel interference between the first and second antennae may be eliminated or substantially reduced by arranging a first reflector portion having a first antenna mount for the first antenna relative to a second reflector portion having a second antenna mount for the second antenna in a tiered antennae arrangement as shown in  FIG. 4A . In some implementations, co-channel interference between the first and second antennae may be eliminated or substantially reduced by arranging a first reflector portion having a first antenna mount for the first antenna relative to a second reflector portion having a second antenna mount for the second antenna in an inclined antennae arrangement as shown in  FIG. 5A . In some implementations, the distance between the first and second antenna mounts is less than a distance between the first and second antenna mounts arranged in a same plane due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae as shown in  FIG. 3 . As such, the arrangement between the first and second antenna portions (e.g., step or inclined) provides spatial diversity without increasing the form factor or physical size of the networking device. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a data network  100  in accordance with some implementations. While pertinent features are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations disclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, the data network  100  includes a networking device  110  (e.g., a network router, a switch, or wireless access point [AP]) that provides access to a network  105  for a number of devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N. The network  105  may include any public or private LAN (local area network) and/or WAN (wide area network), such as an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network, and/or portions of the Internet. 
     In some implementations, one or more of the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N are client devices including hardware and software for performing one or more functions. Example client devices include, without limitation, desktop computers, laptops, video game systems, tablets, mobile phones, media playback systems, wearable computing devices, IP (internet protocol) cameras, VoIP (Voice-over-IP) phones, intercoms and public address systems, clocks, sensors, access controllers (e.g., keycard readers), lighting controllers, security systems, building management systems, or the like. In some implementations, one or more of the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N may be virtual devices that consume power through the use of underlying hardware. 
     The networking device  110  (which may also be referred to as an AP, a switch, or a network router) receives and transmits data between the network  105  and the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N. In some implementations, the networking device  110  manages the flow of data of the data network  100  by transmitting messages (e.g., data packets) received from the network  105  to the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N for which the messages are intended. The networking device  110  is communicatively coupled to each of the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N via respective transmission media  115 , which may be wired or wireless. For example, in some implementations, the networking device  110  is coupled to at least one of the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N via an Ethernet cable. For example, in other implementations, the networking device  110  is coupled to at least one of the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N via a wireless networking specification such as IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, IEEE 802.15, or the like. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the networking device  110  in accordance with some implementations. While pertinent features are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations disclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, the networking device  110  includes one or more ports  250  for coupling to the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N via respective transmission media  115 . The transmission media  115  may be a wired or wireless transmission medium. In one example, the transmission media  115  are Ethernet cables and the one or more ports  250  are Ethernet ports. In another example, the one or more ports  250  are USB ports or the like. 
     In some implementations, the networking device  110  includes a networking module  210  configured to route data to and/or from the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N. Although the networking device  110  may receive power from an external source (e.g., an AC outlet, via a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) standard from a switching hub, inductive means, or the like), it is to be appreciated that the networking device  110  may include an optional internal power supply  215  such as one or more batteries. 
     In some implementations, the networking device  110  also includes one or more sensors  260  such as a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a light sensor, an infrared sensor, and/or a position sensor such as an accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and/or GPS (global positioning system) sensor. The networking device  110  may include other types of sensors  260  such as a camera, a chemical sensor, a microphone, and/or the like. 
     In some implementations, the networking device  110  enables one or more power consuming functions  270  (e.g., features of the networking device  110 ) according to various factors such as client demand, power available, and/or the like. The power consuming functions  270  may include hardware  271  and/or executable code  272 . For example, in some implementations, the hardware  271  includes backup 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz radios, interference scanning, BLUETOOTH/BLUETOOTH Low Energy radios, or additional data ports (e.g., USB or Ethernet ports). In some implementations, the executable code  272  includes software for performing one or more functions such as security functionality or spectral analysis. 
     In some implementations, in order to enable a power consuming function  270  including hardware  271 , the networking device  110  enables power received via the port  250  to activate the hardware  271 , transmits a signal to the hardware  271  to activate it, transmits a signal to other hardware that enables power to activate the hardware  271 , or the like. In some implementations, in order to enable a power consuming function  270  including executable code  272 , the networking device  110  instructs a processor to execute the executable code  272 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of an example antennae arrangement  300  in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the antennae arrangement  300  includes a reflector  345  having a first antenna mount  320  provided for a first antenna  310  and a second antenna mount  340  provided for a second antenna  330 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  are co-located in a same plane. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the radiation pattern for the first antenna  310  includes a main lobe  312  (e.g., a hemispherical shape) and side lobes  314 ,  316 . Similarly, the radiation pattern for the second antenna  330  includes a main lobe  332  and side lobes  334 ,  336 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that the antenna radiation patterns illustrated in  FIG. 3  are provided merely as examples, and that antennae with various other types of radiation patterns are suitable for various other implementations. 
     The first antenna  310  operates in a first frequency range, and the second antenna  330  operates in a second frequency range, where the first and second frequency ranges at least partially overlap. Thus, in some implementations, the first antenna  310  and the second antenna  330  experience co-channel interference (e.g., antenna-to-antenna near-field interference) from one another due to destructive antenna-to-antenna interference from operating in at least partially overlapping frequency bands. In some implementations, the lowest frequency of the first frequency range is one of: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In order to establish spatial diversity between the first antenna  310  and the second antenna  330  and reduce the effect of co-channel interference, the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna  340  are separated by a distance of  335  (e.g., measured from the center of the first mount  320  to the center of the second mount  340 ). 
       FIG. 4A  is a side view of an example tiered antennae arrangement  400  in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the tiered antennae arrangement  400  includes a first reflector portion  405  having a first antenna mount  420  provided for a first antenna  410  and a second reflector portion  415  having a second antenna mount  440  provided for a second antenna  430 . In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  form a common ground plane. For example, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are electrically and/or mechanically coupled as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     In some implementations, the first antenna  410  is an omnidirectional radio transceiver that operates according to one or more of the following wireless networking protocols: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.15, and/or the like. In some implementations, the first antenna  410  is an N×N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio transceiver with N receive chains and N transmit chains in order to support N bidirectional streams. In some implementations, the second antenna  430  is one of a BLUETOOTH radio transceiver, a ZigBee radio transceiver, a clear channel radio transceiver, a scanning radio transceiver, or the like. 
     The first antenna  410  operates in a first frequency range, and the second antenna  430  operates in a second frequency range. For example, if the first antenna  410  is operating according to IEEE 802.11ac, the first frequency range is between 5170 MHz to 5825 MHz. In another example, if the first antenna  410  is operating according to BLUETOOTH, the first frequency range corresponds to the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio band between 2400 MHz to 2485 MHz. In some implementations, the first and second frequency ranges at least partially overlap. In some implementations, the first and second frequency ranges are identical. Thus, in some implementations, the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  potentially experience co-channel interference (e.g., antenna-to-antenna near-field interference) from one another due to destructive antenna-to-antenna interference from operating in at least partially overlapping frequency bands. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , the radiation pattern for the first antenna  410  includes a main lobe  412  (e.g., a hemispherical shape) with an emission point  418  and side lobes  414 ,  416 . Similarly, the radiation pattern for the second antenna  430  includes a main lobe  432  with an emission point  438  and side lobes  434 ,  436 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that the antenna radiation patterns illustrated in  FIG. 4A  are provided merely as examples, and that antennae with various other types of radiation patterns are suitable for various other implementations. 
     In some implementations, the first antenna mount  420  characterizes the emission point  418  of the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . For example, the origin point of the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410  is characterized by the center of the first antenna mount  420 . In another example, the origin point of the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410  is characterized by a point of the first antenna mount  420  that is off-center. Similarly, in some implementations, the second antenna mount  440  characterizes the emission point  438  of the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  420 . For example, the origin point of the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430  is characterized by the center of the second antenna mount  440 . In another example, the origin point of the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430  is characterized by a point of the second antenna mount  440  that is off-center. 
     In some implementations, the first antenna mount  420  includes a depression stamped into the first reflector portion  405  for receiving and mounting the first antenna  410 . In some implementations, the first antenna mount  420  is a hole within the first reflector portion  405  for receiving and mounting the first antenna  410 . In some implementations, the first antenna mount  420  is a structure for receiving and mounting the first antenna  410 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that, in various implementations, the second antenna mount  440  is configured similarly to the first antenna amount  420 . Therefore, the second antenna mount  440  will not be described in detail for the sake of brevity. 
     In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  is defined by a first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  is defined by a second plane. In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  resides in the first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  resides in the second plane. In some implementations, the first plane is characterized by a tangential plane relative to a point on the first reflector portion  405  and the second plane is characterized by a tangential plane relative to a point on the second reflector portion  415 . Put another way, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are curved. As such, in one example, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  have a concave shape. 
     In some implementations, the direction of the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410  is perpendicular to and away from the first plane in which the first reflector portion  405  resides. As such, the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410  is directed away from the first reflector portion  405 , and the first reflector re-directs any back lobe(s) of the first antenna  410  in the same direction as the main lobe  412 . Similarly, the direction of the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430  is perpendicular to and away from the second plane in which the second reflector portion  415  resides. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , the first and second planes are offset, parallel planes. In other words, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are disposed in a tiered antennae arrangement, in  FIG. 4A , whereby the first reflector portion  405  is located at a higher elevation than the second reflector portion  415 . In some implementations, the offset  425  between the first and second planes is set in order to a satisfy near-field interference isolation criterion between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430 . For example, the offset  425  between the first and second planes is set such that the near-field interference between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is less than a threshold value (e.g., in dB). 
     In some implementations, the distance  435  between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  in the tiered antennae arrangement  400  shown in  FIG. 4A  is less than the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3  due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. Put another way, if the first and second antenna mounts were located in a same plane (as is the case with antenna mounts  320 ,  340  in  FIG. 3 ), the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  335  in  FIG. 3 ) to establish spatial diversity between the first and second antennae would be greater than the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  435  in  FIG. 4A ) in the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A . As such, the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A  provides mutual isolation between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430 , which operate in substantially overlapping frequency bands, to reduce antenna-to-antenna near-field interference. 
     As a result, the effective spatial distance between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is increased without increasing the physical distance between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  and/or the size/form factor of the apparatus including the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or network router). For example, the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  434  on the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . Continuing with this example, the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  416  on the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430 . 
     Alternatively, in some implementations, the distance  435  between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  in the tiered antennae arrangement  400  shown in  FIG. 4A  is the same as the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3 , but the spatial diversity between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  is greater than that between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  due to the tiered antennae arrangement  400 . In other words, the tiered antennae arrangement  400  increases the spatial diversity between the first and second antenna mounts due to the offset  425 . 
       FIG. 4B  is a side view of another example tiered antennae arrangement  450  in accordance with some implementations. In  FIG. 4B , the components of the tiered antennae arrangement  450  are similar to and adapted from those discussed above with reference to the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A . Elements common to  FIGS. 4A and 4B  include common reference numbers, and only the differences between  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are described herein for the sake of brevity. To that end, in some implementations, the tiered antennae arrangement  450  includes a first reflector portion  405  having a first antenna mount  420  provided for a first antenna  410 , a second reflector portion  415  having a second antenna mount  440  provided for a second antenna  430 , and a third reflector portion  455  having a third antenna mount  465  provided for a third antenna  460 . In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405 , the second reflector portion  415 , and the third reflector portion  455  form a common ground plane. For example, the first reflector portion  405 , the second reflector portion  415 , and the third reflector portion  455  are electrically and/or mechanically coupled as shown in  FIG. 4B . 
     In some implementations, the third antenna  460  is one of a BLUETOOTH radio transceiver, a ZigBee radio transceiver, a clear channel radio transceiver, a scanning radio transceiver, or the like. As shown in  FIG. 4B , the radiation pattern for the third antenna  460  includes a main lobe  462  with an emission point  468  and side lobes  464 ,  466 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that the antenna radiation patterns illustrated in  FIG. 4B  are provided merely as examples, and that antennae with various other types of radiation patterns are suitable for various other implementations. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that, in various implementations, the third antenna mount  465  is configured similarly to the first antenna amount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  as described with reference to  FIG. 4A . Therefore, the third antenna mount  465  will not be described in detail for the sake of brevity. In some implementations, the third antenna mount  465  characterizes the emission point  468  of the main lobe  462  of the third antenna  460 . For example, the origin point of the main lobe  412  of the third antenna  460  is characterized by the center of the third antenna mount  465 . In another example, the origin point of the main lobe  462  of the third antenna  460  is characterized by a point of the third antenna mount  465  that is off-center. 
     The first antenna  410  operates in a first frequency range, the second antenna operates in a second frequency range, and the third antenna  460  operates in a third frequency range. In some implementations, the first, second, and third frequency ranges at least partially overlap. In some implementations, the first, second, and third frequency ranges are identical. Thus, in some implementations, the first antenna  410 , the second antenna  430 , and the third antenna  460  potentially experience co-channel interference (e.g., antenna-to-antenna near-field interference) from one another due to destructive antenna-to-antenna interference from operating in at least partially overlapping frequency bands. 
     In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  is defined by a first plane, the second reflector portion  415  is defined by a second plane, and the third reflector portion  455  is defined by a third plane. In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  resides in the first plane, the second reflector portion  415  resides in the second plane, and the third reflector portion  455  resides in the third plane. In some implementations, the third plane is characterized by a tangential plane relative to a point on the third reflector portion  455 . Put another way, the third reflector portion  455  are curved. As such, in one example, the third reflector portion  455  has a concave shape. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4B , the first, second, and third planes are offset, parallel planes. In other words, the first reflector portion  405 , the second reflector portion  415 , and the third reflector portion  455  are disposed in a tiered antennae arrangement  450 , in  FIG. 4B , whereby the first reflector portion  405  is located at a higher elevation than the second reflector portion  415  and the third reflector portion  455 . Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the third reflector portion  455  is located at a higher elevation than the second reflector portion  415 . In other words, as one example, in  FIG. 4B , the offset  472  is less than the offset  425 . In some implementations, the offset  472  between the first and third planes is set in order to a satisfy near-field interference isolation criterion between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460 . For example, the offset  472  between the first and third planes is set such that the near-field interference between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460  is less than a threshold value (e.g., in dB). 
     Alternatively, in some implementations, the third reflector portion  455  is located at a higher elevation than the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415 , and the second reflector portion  415  and located at a higher elevation than the first reflector portion  405 . In other words, the reflector portions are disposed in a stair arrangement where the relative elevations of the reflector portions are as follows: the third reflector portion  455 &gt;the second reflector portion  415 &gt;the first reflector portion  405 . 
     In various implementations, the distance  474  between the first antenna mount  420  and the third antenna mount  465  in the tiered antennae arrangement  450  shown in  FIG. 4B  is less than the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3  due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. Put another way, if the first and third antenna mounts were located in a same plane (as is the case with antenna mounts  320 ,  340  in  FIG. 3 ), the distance between the first and third antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  335  in  FIG. 3 ) to establish spatial diversity between the first and third antennae would be greater than the distance between the first and third antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  474  in  FIG. 4B ) in the tiered antennae arrangement  450  in  FIG. 4B . As such, the tiered antennae arrangement  450  in  FIG. 4B  provides mutual isolation between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460 , which operate in substantially overlapping frequency bands, to reduce antenna-to-antenna near-field interference. 
     As a result, the effective spatial distance between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460  is increased without increasing the physical distance between the first antenna mount  420  and the third antenna mount  465  and/or the size/form factor of the apparatus including the first antenna  410 , the second antenna  430 , and the third antenna  460  (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or network router). For example, the tiered antennae arrangement  450  in  FIG. 4B  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  466  on the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . Continuing with this example, the tiered antennae arrangement  450  in  FIG. 4B  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  414  on the main lobe  462  of the third antenna  460 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a side view of an example inclined antennae arrangement  500  in accordance with some implementations. In  FIG. 5A , the components of the inclined antennae arrangement  500  are similar to and adapted from those discussed above with reference to the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A . Elements common to  FIGS. 4A and 5A  include common reference numbers, and only the differences between  FIGS. 4A and 5A  are described herein for the sake of brevity. To that end, in accordance with some implementations, the inclined antennae arrangement  500  includes a first reflector portion  405  having a first antenna mount  420  provided for a first antenna  410  and a second reflector portion  415  having a second antenna mount  440  provided for a second antenna  430 . In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  form a common ground plane. For example, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are electrically and/or mechanically coupled as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  is defined by a first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  is defined by a second plane. In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  resides in the first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  resides in the second plane. As shown in  FIG. 5A , the second plane characterizing the second reflector portion  415  intersects the first plane characterizing the first reflector portion  405  at angle  525 . In other words, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are disposed in an inclined antennae arrangement, in  FIG. 5A , whereby the second reflector portion  415  is positioned at the angle  525  relative to the first reflector portion  405 . In some implementations, the angle  525  is set in order to satisfy a near-field interference isolation criterion between the first and second antennae. For example, the angle  525  between the first and second planes is set such that the near-field interference between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is less than a threshold value (e.g., in dB). In one example, the angle  525  is between 90° to 180°. 
     In some implementations, the distance  435  between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  in the inclined antennae arrangement  500  shown in  FIG. 5A  is less than the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3  due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. Put another way, if the first and second antenna mounts were located in a same plane (as is the case with antenna mounts  320 ,  340  in  FIG. 3 ), the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  335  in  FIG. 3 ) to establish spatial diversity between the first and second antennae would be greater than the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  435  in  FIG. 5A ) in the inclined antennae arrangement  500  in  FIG. 5A . As such, the inclined antennae arrangement  500  in  FIG. 5A  provides mutual isolation between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430 , which operate in substantially overlapping frequency bands, to reduce antenna-to-antenna near-field interference. 
     As a result, the effective spatial distance between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is increased without increasing the physical distance between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  and/or the size/form factor of the apparatus including the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or network router). For example, the inclined antennae arrangement  500  in  FIG. 5A  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  434  on the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . Continuing with this example, the inclined antennae arrangement  500  in  FIG. 5A  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  416  on the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430 . 
       FIG. 5B  is a side view of another example inclined antennae arrangement  550  in accordance with some implementations. In  FIG. 5B , the components of the inclined antennae arrangement  550  are similar to and adapted from those discussed above with reference to the tiered antennae arrangement  450  in  FIG. 4B  and the inclined antennae arrangement  500  in  FIG. 5A . Elements common to  FIGS. 4B, 5A, and 5B  include common reference numbers, and only the differences between  FIGS. 4B, 5A, and 5B  are described herein for the sake of brevity. To that end, in some implementations, the inclined antennae arrangement  550  includes a first reflector portion  405  having a first antenna mount  420  provided for a first antenna  410 , a second reflector portion  415  having a second antenna mount  440  provided for a second antenna  430 , and a third reflector portion  455  having a third antenna mount  465  provided for a third antenna  460 . In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405 , the second reflector portion  415 , and the third reflector portion  455  form a common ground plane. For example, the first reflector portion  405 , the second reflector portion  415 , and the third reflector portion  455  are electrically and/or mechanically coupled as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
     In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  is defined by a first plane, the second reflector portion  415  is defined by a second plane, and the third reflector portion  455  is defined by a third plane. As shown in  FIG. 5B , the third plane characterizing the third reflector portion  455  intersects the first plane characterizing the first reflector portion  405  at angle  535 . In other words, the first reflector portion  405  and the third reflector portion  455  are disposed in an inclined antennae arrangement, in  FIG. 5B , whereby the third reflector portion  455  is positioned at the angle  535  relative to the first reflector portion  405 . In some implementations, the angle  535  is set in order to satisfy a near-field interference isolation criterion between the first and second antennae. For example, the angle  535  between the first and third planes is set such that the near-field interference between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460  is less than a threshold value (e.g., in dB). In one example, the angle  535  is between 90° to 180°. As one example, in  FIG. 5B , the angle  525  is greater than the angle  535 . In some implementations, the angles  525  and  535  are equal. In some implementations, the angles  525  and  535  are different. 
     In various implementations, the distance  474  between the first antenna mount  420  and the third antenna mount  465  in the inclined antennae arrangement  550  shown in  FIG. 5B  is less than the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3  due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. Put another way, if the first and third antenna mounts were located in a same plane (as is the case with antenna mounts  320 ,  340  in  FIG. 3 ), the distance between the first and third antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  335  in  FIG. 3 ) to establish spatial diversity between the first and third antennae would be greater than the distance between the first and third antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  474  in  FIG. 5B ) in the inclined antennae arrangement  550  in  FIG. 5B . As such, the inclined antennae arrangement  550  in  FIG. 5B  provides mutual isolation between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460 , which operate in substantially overlapping frequency bands, to reduce antenna-to-antenna near-field interference. 
     As a result, the effective spatial distance between the first antenna  410  and the third antenna  460  is increased without increasing the physical distance between the first antenna mount  420  and the third antenna mount  465  and/or the size/form factor of the apparatus including the first antenna  410 , the second antenna  430 , and the third antenna  460  (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or network router). For example, the inclined antennae arrangement  550  in  FIG. 5B  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  466  on the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . Continuing with this example, the inclined antennae arrangement  550  in  FIG. 5B  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  414  on the main lobe  462  of the third antenna  460 . 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of an example antennae arrangement  600  in accordance with some implementations. In  FIG. 6 , the components of the antennae arrangement  600  are similar to and adapted from those discussed above with reference to the tiered antennae arrangement  400  in  FIG. 4A . Elements common to  FIGS. 4A and 6  include common reference numbers, and only the differences between  FIGS. 4A and 6  are described herein for the sake of brevity. To that end, in accordance with some implementations, the antennae arrangement  600  includes a first reflector portion  405  having a first antenna mount  420  provided for a first antenna  410  and a second reflector portion  415  having a second antenna mount  440  provided for a second antenna  430 . In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  form a common ground plane. For example, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are electrically and/or mechanically coupled as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  is defined by a first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  is defined by a second plane. In some implementations, the first reflector portion  405  resides in the first plane, and the second reflector portion  415  resides in the second plane. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the second plane characterizing the second reflector portion  415  is offset from the first plane characterizing the first reflector portion  405  by an offset  625 . Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the second plane characterizing the second reflector portion  415  intersects the first plane characterizing the first reflector portion  405  at angle  635 . In other words, the first reflector portion  405  and the second reflector portion  415  are disposed in an offset, inclined antennae arrangement in  FIG. 6 . In some implementations, the offset  625  and the angle  635  are set in order to satisfy a near-field interference isolation criterion between the first and second antennae. For example, the offset  625  and the angle  635  between the first and second planes is set such that the near-field interference between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is less than a threshold value (e.g., in dB). In one example, the angle  635  is between 90° to 180°. 
     In some implementations, the distance  435  between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  in the antennae arrangement  600  shown in  FIG. 6  is less than the distance  335  between the first antenna mount  320  and the second antenna mount  340  arranged in a same plane in  FIG. 3  due to increased spatial diversity between the first and second antennae. Put another way, if the first and second antenna mounts were located in a same plane (as is the case with antenna mounts  320 ,  340  in  FIG. 3 ), the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  335  in  FIG. 3 ) to establish spatial diversity between the first and second antennae would be greater than the distance between the first and second antenna mounts (e.g., the distance  435  in  FIG. 6 ) in the antennae arrangement  600  in  FIG. 6 . As such, the antennae arrangement  600  in  FIG. 6  provides mutual isolation between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430 , which operate in substantially overlapping frequency bands, to reduce antenna-to-antenna near-field interference. 
     As a result, the effective spatial distance between the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  is increased without increasing the physical distance between the first antenna mount  420  and the second antenna mount  440  and/or the size/form factor of the apparatus including the first antenna  410  and the second antenna  430  (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or network router). For example, the antennae arrangement  600  in  FIG. 6  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  434  on the main lobe  412  of the first antenna  410 . Continuing with this example, the antennae arrangement  600  in  FIG. 6  eliminates or at least substantially reduces the effect of side lobes  416  on the main lobe  432  of the second antenna  430 . 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of an apparatus  700  in accordance with some implementations. While pertinent features are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations disclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, the apparatus  700  is a packaging for a networking device (e.g., a wireless AP, switch, or a network router). The packaging is a clamshell structure having a top section  702 , to which antennae  710 ,  720 , and  730  are mounted, and a bottom section  704 . In some implementations, the apparatus  700  surrounds and encloses a substrate  715  ( FIG. 7B ) associated with one or more electrical components. For example, the top section  702  and the bottom section  704  are coupled using fastening hardware, an adhesive, or the like. In another example, the top section  702  and the bottom section  704  are manufactured from a single piece of metal. In yet another example, the top section  702  and the bottom section  704  are fused or welded together. In some implementations, the apparatus  700  is enclosed by a housing such as a plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. shell. 
     For convenience of explanation, the top section  702  is discussed as having a body sub-section  740 , a first foot sub-section  742 , and a second foot sub-section  744 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate will appreciate from the present disclosure that the sub-sections illustrated in  FIG. 7A  are provided merely as examples. As such, in various other implementations, the sub-sections may be shaped and/or divided differently. 
     In some implementations, the first antenna  710  is mounted on the body sub-section  740 , the second antenna  720  is mounted on the first foot sub-section  742 , and the third antenna  730  is mounted on the second foot sub-section  744 . As shown in  FIGS. 7A-7B , the first foot sub-section  742  and the second foot sub-section are disposed in a tiered arrangement with the body sub-section  740 . As such, there is a step or offset  752  between the body sub-section  740  and the first foot sub-section  742 . Similarly, there is a step or offset  754  between the body sub-section  740  and the second foot sub-section  744 . 
     In some implementations, the body sub-section  740  resides in a first plane, the first foot sub-section  742  resides in a second plane, and the second foot sub-section  744  resides in a third plane. In some implementations, the first, second, and third planes are offset, parallel planes. For example, the offset  752  is greater than the offset  754 . In another example, the offset  752  is less than the offset  754 . In some other implementations, the second and third planes are co-planar. For example, the offsets  752  and  754  are equal. In another example, the offsets  752  and  754  are different. 
       FIG. 7B  is an exploded view of the apparatus  700  in  FIG. 7A  in accordance with some implementations. While pertinent features are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations disclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, the apparatus  700  includes: antennae  710 ,  720 , and  730 ; a top section  702 ; a substrate  715  with one or more electrical components; and a bottom section  704 . 
     For example, the one or more electrical components on the substrate  715  include one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s), volatile memory (e.g., RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., NAND or NOR), media access controller (MAC), physical transceiver (PHY), radios, power amplifiers (PAs), low noise amplifiers (LNAs), front-end modules (FEMs), diplexers, filters, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), connectors (e.g., RF or RJ45). In some implementations, the antenna  710  is coupled to an electrical component (e.g., a modulator/demodulator component, an A/D or D/A component, a signal driver, and/or the like) associated with the substrate  715  via a cable  705  that extends through a hole  708  in the top section  702  of the apparatus  700 . In some implementations, the antennae  720  and  730  are also coupled (not shown) to electrical components associated with the substrate  715 . In some implementations, as shown in  FIG. 7B , the apparatus  700  includes an antenna mount  712  for receiving and mounting antenna  710 , an antenna mount  714  for receiving and mounting antenna  720 , and an antenna mount  716  for receiving and mounting antenna  730 . 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a computing device  800  in accordance with some implementations. For example, in some implementations, the computing device  800  is a representation of the networking device  110  in  FIGS. 1-2 . While certain specific features are illustrated, those skilled in the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity, and so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the implementations disclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, in some implementations the computing device  800  includes one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  802  (e.g., processors or cores), a network interfaces  803 , a memory  806 , a programming interface  808 , a primary radio resource  805 , a secondary radio resource  807 , and one or more communication buses  804  for interconnecting these and various other components. 
     In some implementations, the one or more communication buses  804  include circuitry that interconnects and controls communications between system components. The memory  806  includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. The memory  806  optionally includes one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)  802 . The memory  806  comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. Moreover, in some implementations, the memory  806  or the non-transitory computer readable storage medium of the memory  806  stores the following non-exclusive programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof including an operating system  830 , a wireless connectivity module  840 , and a networking module  842 . In some implementations, one or more instructions are included in a combination of logic and non-transitory memory. 
     In some implementations, the primary radio resource  805  is provided to support and facilitate traffic bearing communications between the computing device  800  and one or more client devices (e.g., the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N shown in  FIG. 1 ). In some implementations, the primary radio resource  805  includes first and second radio transceivers. For example, the first radio transceiver operates according to IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, or IEEE 802.15, and the second radio transceiver operates according to BLUETOOTH. In some implementations, the primary radio resource  805  includes one radio transceiver. In some implementations, the secondary radio resource  807  is provided to scan available channels in order to identify neighboring wireless APs, and includes at least one radio receiver—which may be a third radio in various implementations. 
     In some implementations, the operating system  830  includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. 
     In some implementations, the wireless connectivity module  840  is configured to provide wireless connectivity to a number of client devices (e.g., the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N in  FIG. 1 ) using the primary radio resource  805  operating according to any of a number of various wireless networking protocols such as IEEE 802.11b, IEEE, 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, or the like. To that end, the wireless connectivity module  840  includes a set of instructions  841   a  and heuristics and metadata  841   b.    
     In some implementations, the networking module  842  is configured to route information between a network (e.g., the network  105  in  FIG. 1 ) and the number of client devices (e.g., the devices  120 - 1 , . . . ,  120 -N in  FIG. 1 ). To that end, the networking module  842  includes a set of instructions  843   a  and heuristics and metadata  843   b.    
     Although the wireless connectivity module  840  and the networking module  842  are illustrated as residing on a single computing device  800 , it should be understood that in other implementations, any combination of the wireless connectivity module  840  and the networking module  842  may reside in separate computing devices. For example, each of the wireless connectivity module  840  and the networking module  842  may reside on a separate computing device. 
     Moreover,  FIG. 8  is intended more as functional description of the various features which may be present in a particular embodiment as opposed to a structural schematic of the implementations described herein. As recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separately could be combined and some items could be separated. For example, some functional modules shown separately in  FIG. 8  could be implemented in a single module and the various functions of single functional blocks could be implemented by one or more functional blocks in various implementations. The actual number of modules and the division of particular functions and how features are allocated among them will vary from one embodiment to another, and may depend in part on the particular combination of hardware, software and/or firmware chosen for a particular embodiment. 
     While various aspects of implementations within the scope of the appended claims are described above, it should be apparent that the various features of implementations described above may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and that any specific structure and/or function described above is merely illustrative. Based on the present disclosure one skilled in the art should appreciate that an aspect described herein may be implemented independently of any other aspects and that two or more of these aspects may be combined in various ways. For example, an apparatus may be implemented and/or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, such an apparatus may be implemented and/or such a method may be practiced using other structure and/or functionality in addition to or other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein. 
     It will also be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first antenna could be termed a second antenna, and, similarly, a second antenna could be termed a first antenna, which changing the meaning of the description, so long as all occurrences of the “first antenna” are renamed consistently and all occurrences of the “second antenna” are renamed consistently. The first antenna and the second antenna are both antennae, but they are not the same antenna. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “in response to detecting,” that a stated condition precedent is true, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined [that a stated condition precedent is true]” or “if [a stated condition precedent is true]” or “when [a stated condition precedent is true]” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “upon detecting” or “in response to detecting” that the stated condition precedent is true, depending on the context.