Patent Publication Number: US-9420600-B2

Title: Dynamic aggregation for coexistence between wireless transceivers of a host device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present U.S. Utility patent application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 14/084,850, “DYNAMIC AGGREGATION FOR COEXISTENCE BETWEEN WIRELESS TRANSCEIVERS OF A HOST DEVICE”, filed Nov. 20, 2013, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,472 on Nov. 30, 2015, which claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/904,104, entitled “DYNAMIC AGGREGATION FOR COEXISTENCE BETWEEN WIRELESS TRANSCEIVERS OF A HOST DEVICE”, filed Nov. 14, 2013, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility patent application for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This application relates generally to wireless communication systems and to cooperative transceiving by wireless transceivers of the same host device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Depending on the type of wireless communication system, a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone, two-way radio, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), laptop computer, home entertainment equipment, etc., communicates directly or indirectly with other wireless communication devices. For direct communications (also known as point-to-point communications), the participating wireless communication devices tune their receivers and transmitters to the same channel or channels (e.g., one of the plurality of radio frequency (RF) carriers of the wireless communication system) and communicate over that channel or channels. For indirect wireless communications, each wireless communication device communicates directly with an associated base station (e.g., for cellular services) and/or an associated access point (e.g., for an in-home or in-building wireless network) via an assigned channel. To complete a communication connection between the wireless communication devices, the associated base stations and/or associated access points communicate with each other directly, via a system controller, via the public switch telephone network, via the Internet, and/or via some other wide area network. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication system in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a frequency diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication device in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless transceiver in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 6  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart representation of a method in accordance with various embodiments; and 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart representation of a method in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication system in accordance with various embodiments. A communication system  100  includes a plurality of base stations and/or access points  112 ,  114  and  116 , a plurality of wireless communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  and a network hardware component  134 . The wireless communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  may be laptop host computers  118  and  116 , tablet hosts  120  and  130 , personal computer hosts  124  and  132 , cellular telephone hosts  122  and  128  and/or other wireless devices. 
     The base stations or access points  112 ,  114  and  116  are operably coupled to the network hardware  134  via local area network connections  136 ,  138  and  140 . The network hardware  134 , which may be a router, switch, bridge, modem, system controller, etcetera, provides a wide area network connection  142  for the communication system  100 . Each of the base stations or access points  112 ,  114  and  116  has an associated antenna or antenna array to communicate with the wireless communication devices in its area. Typically, the wireless communication devices register with a particular base station or access point  112 ,  114  or  116  to receive services from the communication system  100 . For direct connections (i.e., point-to-point communications), wireless communication devices communicate directly via an allocated channel. 
     Typically, base stations are used for cellular telephone systems and like-type systems, while access points are used for in-home or in-building wireless local area networks. Regardless of the particular type of communication system, each wireless communication device includes a built-in transceiver and/or is coupled to a transceiver. 
     In an embodiment, one or more of the communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  operates over an additional wireless network, such as a voice and data cellular network that shares the same spectrum or otherwise could potentially interfere with wireless communication between the base stations or access points  112 ,  114  and  116  and the wireless communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132 . For example, the base stations or access points  112 ,  114  and  116  could operate in accordance with a wireless local area network protocol such as an 802.11 protocol and one or more wireless communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  can be capable of cellular voice and data communications via a protocol such as Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA and/or variations thereof) 3GPP (third generation partnership project), LTE (long term evolution), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). 
     In an embodiment, a wireless communication device, such as wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  or  132 , includes a first transceiver that is configured to communicate packetized data to base station of access point  112 ,  114  or  116  in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol. In addition, this wireless communication device includes a second wireless transceiver that is configured to communicate packetized data a different one of the base station of access point  112 ,  114  or  116  in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol. Further, the first wireless transceiver communicates in a first operating band via transmissions that generate interference with reception by the second wireless transceiver in a second operating band and optionally vice versa. Consider further that the second wireless communication protocol supports frame aggregation in accordance with an aggregation parameter. One example of operation is presented in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIG. 2  is a frequency diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments. A frequency diagram  200  is shown. In this example, one wireless transceiver of the wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  or  132 , is an 802.11n compliant WLAN transceiver and another wireless transceiver of the wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  or  132  is a LTE compliant transceiver. The lower portion of ISM band is very near to LTE TDD Band  40 . In LTE-WLAN coexistence, the LTE transmitter causes interference to WLAN receiver and WLAN transmitter causes interference to LTE receiver. 
       FIG. 3  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments. In particular a timing diagram contemplates possible contemporaneous operation between LTE and WLAN transceivers discussed in the example presented in  FIG. 2 . A basic LTE frame structure is presented, with 5 ms or 10 ms frame periodicity, and with 10 sub-frames in each frame for communications between a BS (such as BS  112 ,  114  or  116 ) and the wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  or  132 . Depending on the selected frame configuration, each sub-frame can be a DL sub-frame (D), UL sub-frame (U), or a special sub-frame (S). The special sub-frame consists of (DwPTS, Guard Period, and UpPTS). One possible LTE subframe structure  325  is shown. 
     In addition, example WLAN communications are also presented between an AP (such as AP  112 ,  114  or  116 ) and the wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  or  132  and are separated into communication  330  from the AP and communications  340  to the AP. With LTE TDD frames as illustrated, WLAN gets ˜2.3 ms of the LTE Tx and 2.7 ms of the LTE Rx duration. With the full frame aggregation level of 16, typically from MCS7-MCS4 rate transmit duration is ˜3.3 ms to ˜3.8 ms. So it is very likely that part of the WLAN Rx will fall under LTE_TX and part of WLAN Tx will fall under LTE_RX as shown. 
     In particular, a first communication exchange begins with a normal contention for data transfer (NC)  302  and request to send (RTS)  304  by the access point and a clear to send (CTS)  306  by the wireless communication device. In the example shown, frame aggregation has been established and an aggregated MAC protocol data unit (A-MPDU) containing 9 MAC protocol data units MPDUs  308  are sent by the AP to the wireless communication device. However, the last two MPDUs of the A-MPDU  308  are not correctly received and decoded due to concurrent LTE transmit, and the block acknowledgement (BA)  310  only acknowledges the first 7 MPDUs. In the next group of communications, the wireless communications device sends NC  312  and RTS  314  and receives a CTS  316  from the AP. The wireless communication device attempts to send an A-MPDU having 4 MPDUs  318 , however, transmission of the last two are cancelled due to protection of the LTE receive period. In this case, the BA  320  from the AP contains only the first two MPDUs  318 . These failures will cause rate drop and hence more duration for the next packets causing further rate drop and ultimately could result in throughput halt. 
     While particular coexistence scenarios are presented in the examples presented in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , other coexistence issues can exist in other scenarios and with other transceivers that operate in accordance with other wireless communication protocols in shared or adjacent frequency bands or other interference conditions. The discussion above is meant to be illustrative of the type of issues that can be faced by such devices and not an exhaustive list of all coexistence issues that can be addressed within the broad scope of the various embodiments 
     In an embodiment, the wireless communication device  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  and AP ( 12 ,  14  or  116 ) operates to dynamically control the aggregation to enable more efficient coexistence and greater throughput in the presence of potential interference. The wireless communication devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132  include one or more features of various embodiments addressing coexistence issues that will be described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 4-9  that follow. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication device in accordance with various embodiments. A wireless communication device is presented, such as any of the wireless communications devices  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132 . The wireless communications device includes the host module  400  and at least two wireless transceivers,  457  and  459 . The wireless transceivers  457  and  459  can be wireless interface circuits that are implemented separately or in a single integrated circuit that is externally coupled to the host module  400 , or part of a common integrated circuit that includes host module  400 . As illustrated, the host module  400  includes a processing module  450 , memory  452 , radio interfaces  454  and  455 , input interface  458  and output interface  456 . The processing module  450  and memory  452  execute the corresponding instructions that are typically performed by the host device. For example, for a cellular telephone host device, the processing module  450  performs the corresponding communication functions in accordance with a particular cellular telephone standard. 
     The radio interfaces  454  and  455  each communicate with a processing module  450  or  451  of the corresponding wireless transceiver  457  or  459 . These processing modules include a media-specific access control protocol (MAC) layer module and other processing functionality to support the features and functions of the particular wireless protocol employed by the wireless access device and further to perform additional functions and features described herein. The processing modules  450  and  451  may be implemented using a shared processing device, individual processing devices, or a plurality of processing devices. 
     The wireless transceivers  457  and  459  further include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC)  472 , an analog to digital converter (ADC)  470 , and a physical layer module (PHY)  474 . The radio interfaces  454  and  455  allow data to be received from and sent to external devices  463  and  465  via the wireless transceivers  457  and  459 . Each of the external devices includes its own wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless interface device of the host device. For example, the external devices  463  and  465  can include a base station or access point  112 ,  114  or  116 . 
     For data received from one of the wireless transceivers  457  or  459  (e.g., inbound data), the radio interface  454  or  455  provides the data to the processing module  450  for further processing and/or routing to the output interface  456 . The output interface  456  provides connectivity to an output display device such as a display, monitor, speakers, et cetera such that the received data may be displayed. The radio interfaces  454  and  455  also provide data (outbound data) from the processing module  450  to the wireless transceivers  457  and  459 . The processing module  450  may receive the outbound data from an input device such as a keyboard, keypad, microphone, etcetera via the input interface  458  or generate the data itself. For data received via the input interface  458 , the processing module  450  may perform a corresponding host function on the data and/or route it to one of the wireless transceivers  457  or  459  via the corresponding radio interface  454  or  455 . 
     In operation, to mitigate interference between the two or more wireless transceivers  457  and  459  of the wireless communication device, the processing modules  450  and  451  of each wireless transceiver  457  and  459  communicate with each other via a bus  453 , to coordinate their activities. In an embodiment, the bus  453  is a high speed data bus or other interface that bidirectionally communicates cooperation data between the wireless transceivers  457  and  459 , wherein the cooperation data relates to cooperative transceiving in a similar, and/or otherwise interfering or common frequency spectrum. For example, the cooperation data can includes cooperative scheduling, and timing information of transmit and receive periods, transceiver status, such as active, inactive, and sleep mode conditions as well as other status messages that can be used by the other transceiver to enhance coexistence and/or to avoid interference. 
     Consider an example where the wireless transceiver  457  is configurable to communicate packetized data to an external device  463  in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol. Further, the wireless transceiver  459  is configurable to communicate packetized data to the external device  465  in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol wherein the first wireless transceiver communicates in a first operating band via transmissions that generate interference with reception by the second wireless transceiver in a second operating band. Consider further that the second wireless communication protocol supports aggregation in accordance with an aggregation parameter. 
     Following the example presented in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , wireless transceiver  459  is an 802.11n compliant WLAN transceiver and wireless transceiver  457  is a LTE transceiver. Cooperation data share via bus  453  can indicate to the wireless transceiver  459  that the wireless transceiver  457  is inactive, asleep or otherwise is not actively engaged in ongoing communications with external device  463  or is only engaged in minimal communications to preserve the link between the wireless transceiver  457  and the external device  463 . In this case, the wireless transceiver  459  is configurable to cooperatively establish a first block acknowledgment session with the external device  465  in accordance with a high value of the aggregation parameter. The wireless transceiver  459  is further operable to determine, based for example on further cooperation data, when the wireless transceiver  457  begins engaging in active communications with the external device  463  and responds by cooperatively terminating the first block acknowledgment session and further by cooperatively establishing a second block acknowledgment session with the external device  465  in accordance with a lower value of the aggregation parameter—in particular a value that promotes shorter transmissions for enhanced coexistence and that reduce the possibility of interference. 
     In accordance with the example above, the aggregation parameter can be an aggregation window size, an indicator of the maximum number of MPDUs that can be aggregated in a single A-MPDU, or the maximum number of MAC service data units (MSDUs) that can be aggregated in an aggregated MSDU (A-MSDU). Further other aggregation parameters in accordance with other protocols that indicate other frame aggregation levels, aggregated frame sizes or durations, receive window sizes, or that otherwise indicate an amount of aggregation, can likewise be employed. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of a wireless transceiver in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, a wireless transceiver  457  or  459  is shown that includes digital receiver processing module  564 , an analog-to-digital converter (ADC)  566 , a filtering/attenuation module  568 , an IF mixing down conversion stage  570 , a receiver filter  571 , a low noise amplifier  572 , a local oscillation module  574 , memory  575 , a digital transmitter processing module  576 , a digital-to-analog converter (DAC)  578 , a filtering/gain module  580 , an IF mixing up conversion stage  582 , a power amplifier  584 , and a transmitter filter module  585 . The wireless transceiver  457  or  459  is coupled to the antenna section  461  that is coupled to the transmit and receive paths. The antenna section  461  can include separate antennas, a phased array, a shared antenna, a duplexer and/or an antenna switch. As one of average skill in the art will appreciate, the antenna(s) may be polarized, directional, and be physically separated to provide a minimal amount of interference. 
     Returning to the discussion of  FIG. 4 , the digital receiver processing module  564  the digital transmitter processing module  576 , and the memory  575  may be included in the processing module  450  or  452  and execute digital receiver functions and digital transmitter functions in accordance with a particular wireless communication standard. The digital receiver functions include, but are not limited to, digital intermediate frequency to baseband conversion, demodulation, constellation demapping, decoding, and/or descrambling. The digital transmitter functions include, but are not limited to, scrambling, encoding, constellation mapping, modulation, and/or digital baseband to IF conversion. The digital receiver and transmitter processing modules  564  and  576  may be implemented using a shared processing device, individual processing devices, or a plurality of processing devices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on operational instructions. The memory  575  may be a single memory device or a plurality of memory devices. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that when the processing module  564  and/or  576  implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory storing the corresponding operational instructions is embedded with the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. 
     In operation, the wireless interface device  457  or  459  receives outbound data  594  from the radio interface  454  or  455 . The digital transmitter processing module  576  processes the outbound data  594  in accordance with a particular wireless communication standard (e.g., IEEE 802.11 including all current and future subsections, LTE or other wireless communication protocol) to produce digital transmission formatted data  596 . The digital transmission formatted data  596  can be a digital base-band signal or a digital low IF signal, where the low IF typically will be in the frequency range of one hundred kilohertz to a few megahertz. 
     The digital-to-analog converter  578  converts the digital transmission formatted data  596  from the digital domain to the analog domain. The filtering/gain module  580  filters and/or adjusts the gain of the analog signal prior to providing it to the IF mixing stage  582 . The IF mixing stage  582  directly converts the analog baseband or low IF signal into an RF signal based on a transmitter local oscillation  583  provided by local oscillation module  574 . The power amplifier  584  amplifies the RF signal to produce outbound RF signal  598 , which is filtered by the transmitter filter module  585 . The antenna section  461  transmits the outbound RF signal  598  to a targeted device such as a base station, an access point, peripheral and/or another wireless communication device. 
     The wireless interface device  457  or  459  also receives an inbound RF signal  588  via the antenna section  461 , which was transmitted by a base station, an access point, or another wireless communication device. The antenna section  461  provides the inbound RF signal  588  to the receiver filter module  571 . The Rx filter  571  bandpass filters the inbound RF signal  588 . The Rx filter  571  provides the filtered RF signal to low noise amplifier  572 , which amplifies the signal  588  to produce an amplified inbound RF signal. The low noise amplifier  572  provides the amplified inbound RF signal to the IF mixing module  570 , which directly converts the amplified inbound RF signal into an inbound low IF signal or baseband signal based on a receiver local oscillation  581  provided by local oscillation module  574 . The down conversion module  570  provides the inbound low IF signal or baseband signal to the filtering/gain module  568 . The filtering/gain module  568  filters and/or gains the inbound low IF signal or the inbound baseband signal to produce a filtered inbound signal. 
     The analog-to-digital converter  566  converts the filtered inbound signal from the analog domain to the digital domain to produce digital reception formatted data  590 . The digital receiver processing module  564  decodes, descrambles, demaps, and/or demodulates the digital reception formatted data  590  to recapture inbound data  592  in accordance with the particular wireless communication standard being implemented by wireless interface device. The recaptured inbound data  592  is provided to the radio interface  454  or  455 . 
     While  FIG. 5  might otherwise imply that the wireless interface devices  457  and  459  are implemented with separate components, one or more modules or components of these devices can be implemented with shared components that perform for both wireless interface devices. For instance, a single LNA  572  and RX filter module  571  can be used by wireless interface devices  457  and  459  to filter and amplify inbound RF signals, a signal reference oscillator can be used in local oscillation modules  574  of both wireless interface devices as the basis for generating separate local oscillation signals  581  and  583 , etcetera. 
       FIG. 6  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments. In particular a timing diagram is presented that provides further illustration of the example where wireless transceiver  459  is an 802.11n compliant WLAN transceiver and wireless transceiver  457  is an LTE compliant transceiver. In particular, communications are shown between external device  465 , such as an AP  112 ,  114  or  116 , and the wireless transceiver  459 . 
     The timing diagram begins in a state where the wireless transceiver  459  has either determined that the wireless transceiver  457  is not actively engaged in communicating with the external device  463  or otherwise that the communication status of wireless communication device  457  is unknown. This determination can be made based on cooperation data shared from the wireless transceiver  457  that there is no scheduled communication, that the device is dormant, asleep or otherwise in a period where no communications are occurring or where no communications are expected. 
     In the example shown, the wireless transceiver  459  and external device  465  engage in communications during a BA setup period  610  to cooperatively establish a block acknowledgment session in accordance with a first value of the aggregation parameter. Because the wireless transceiver  457  is not engaged in communication, this first value can be a high value relative to normal, the maximum value permitted (e.g.  16  or some other value). The BA setup period  610  includes receiving an add block acknowledgment (ADDBA) request from the external device  465  and sending an acknowledgement (ACK) and an ADDBA response that includes the first value of the aggregation parameter. This block acknowledgment session includes the traffic period  620  characterized by a quality of service QoS data MPDU and a series of aggregated MPDUs, the block acknowledgement request (BAR) and block acknowledgment (BA). 
     When the wireless transceiver  459  determines, based for example on cooperation data, that the wireless transceiver  457  is not active, i.e. is engaged in communication with the external device  463 , the wireless transceiver  459  acts to cooperatively terminate the block acknowledgment session, in response. BA change period  630  begins when the wireless transceiver  459  sends a delete block acknowledgment (DELBA) request to the external device  465  and receives an acknowledgement from the external device  465 . The BA change period  630  continues with the wireless transceiver  459  and external device  465  engaging in communications to cooperatively establish a new block acknowledgment session in accordance with a second value of the aggregation parameter. Because the wireless transceiver  457  is now engaged in communication, this second value is set as lower than the first value (e.g. 4, 8 or some other value) that corresponds to smaller frame aggregation sizes. The BA change period  630  includes receiving an add block acknowledgment (ADDBA) request from the external device  465  and sending an acknowledgement (ACK) and an ADDBA response that includes the new value of the aggregation parameter. 
     In this fashion the wireless transceiver  459  operates to react to the presence and absence of LTE activity and further the frame configuration of the LTE activity, to dynamically decide optimum aggregation level such that both WLAN Transmit and Receive goes through within LTE_TX and LTE_RX window. At the time of WLAN association the wireless transceiver  459  can negotiate the full supported aggregation window size. Once LTE the TDD frame configuration is determined, the wireless transceiver  459  can pick the best aggregation size, based on the particular LTE frame configuration and re-negotiate for the aggregation as shown. 
     It should be noted, that the above description treats the external device  465  as the block acknowledgement originator and the wireless transceiver  459  as the block acknowledgement recipient. However, in other configurations the roles can be reversed. 
     In general, a TD-LTE Frame configuration may be completely random and can come into existence during an ongoing WLAN Frame aggregation/block acknowledgement session. When TD-LTE is detected, based on either cooperation data indicating new transmissions, communications from other devices or other detection mechanisms, and the TD-LTE frame configuration is known, an existing WLAN block acknowledgement session can be deleted using the DELBA Frame being sent from the (Block Ack Recipient). Also the aggregation level of the recipient will be modified depending on TD-LTE frame configuration. A new Block Acknowledgement session will be re-initiated by the Initiator using ADDBA Request/ADDBA Response exchanges. Responder will now advertise the changed aggregation window size (aggregation level) in the ADDBA Response. 
       FIG. 7  is a timing diagram that illustrates an exemplary communication in accordance with various embodiments. In this example, wireless transceiver  457  is active (e.g. is on and is actively engaged in communication or is scheduled to be actively engaged in communications) during times t, where t 1 &lt;t&lt;t 3  and t 5 &lt;t. At each transition time, t 1 , t 3 , t 5 , the wireless transceiver  459  cooperatively terminates its block acknowledgment session and establishes a new block acknowledgment session to adapt to the change in activity status in the wireless transceiver  457 . Between the times t 1 &lt;t&lt;t 2 , t 3 &lt;t&lt;t 4  and t 5 &lt;t&lt;t 6 , the old block acknowledgment session is terminated and a new block acknowledgment session is established with a new block acknowledgment value. 
     Consider again the example where wireless transceiver  459  is an 802.11n compliant WLAN transceiver and wireless transceiver  457  is an LTE compliant transceiver. In this case, the timing diagram can represent LTE DRX cycling. In periods t&lt;t 1 , and t 3 &lt;t&lt;t 5  where the wireless transceiver  457  is inactive, a maximum block acknowledgment value can be employed. Further, in periods t&gt;t 5 , and t 1 &lt;t&lt;t 3  where the wireless transceiver  457  is active, a lower frame aggregation value can be employed. In this fashion, for example, when a dynamic aggregation friendly LTE DRX duty cycle is in use by LTE, the wireless transceiver  459  can switch between an optimum aggregation size for periods of LTE activity and a maximum aggregation size for periods of LTE inactivity. 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart representation of a method in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, a method is presented for use in conjunction with one or more functions and features described in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-7 . Step  800  includes establishing a first block acknowledgment session between a first wireless transceiver of a wireless communication device and an external device in accordance with a first value of an aggregation parameter when a second wireless transceiver of the wireless communication device is not engaged in communication. Step  802  includes determining if the second wireless transceiver is engaged in communication. If not, the method continues back to step  802 . If so, the method proceeds to step  804  which includes terminating the first block acknowledgment session. Step  806  includes establishing a second block acknowledgment session in accordance with a second value of the aggregation parameter. 
     In an embodiment, the second wireless transceiver communicates in a first operating band via transmissions that generate interference with reception by the first wireless transceiver in a second operating band and further the second value of the aggregation parameter is less than the first value of the aggregation parameter. Step  800  can include: receiving a first add block acknowledgment request from the external device; and sending to the external device a first add block acknowledgment response that includes the first value of the aggregation parameter. Step  806  can include: receiving a second add block acknowledgment request from the external device; and sending to the external device a second add block acknowledgment response that includes the second value of the aggregation parameter. Step  804  can include: sending to the external device a delete block acknowledgment request; and receiving an acknowledgement from the external device. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart representation of a method in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, a method is presented for use in conjunction with one or more functions and features described in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-7 . Step  900  includes determining if the second wireless transceiver is engaged in communication. If not, the method proceeds to step  902  that includes establishing a block acknowledgment session between a first wireless transceiver of a wireless communication device and an external device in accordance with a first value of an aggregation parameter. If so, the method proceeds to step  908  that includes establishing a block acknowledgment session between a first wireless transceiver of a wireless communication device and an external device in accordance with a second value of an aggregation parameter. 
     Step  904  includes determining if the second wireless transceiver is engaged in communication. If not, the method continues back to step  904 . If so, the method proceeds to step  906  which includes terminating the first block acknowledgment and further to step  908  to set up a new session with the second value of the aggregation parameter. 
     Step  910  includes determining if the second wireless transceiver is engaged in communication. If so, the method continues back to step  910 . If not, the method proceeds to step  912  which includes terminating the first block acknowledgment and further to step  902  to set up a new session with the first value of the aggregation parameter. 
     As may also be used herein, the term(s) “operably coupled to”, “coupled to”, and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/or indirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an item includes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit, and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items in the same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, the term “operable to” or “operably coupled to” indicates that an item includes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform, when activated, one or more its corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items. As may still further be used herein, the term “associated with”, includes direct and/or indirect coupling of separate items and/or one item being embedded within another item. 
     As may also be used herein, the terms “processing module”, “module”, “processing circuit”, and/or “processing unit” (e.g., including various modules and/or circuitries such as may be operative, implemented, and/or for encoding, for decoding, for baseband processing, etc.) may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit may have an associated memory and/or an integrated memory element, which may be a single memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit includes more than one processing device, the processing devices may be centrally located (e.g., directly coupled together via a wired and/or wireless bus structure) or may be distributedly located (e.g., cloud computing via indirect coupling via a local area network and/or a wide area network). Further note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Still further note that, the memory element may store, and the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit executes, hard coded and/or operational instructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/or functions illustrated in one or more of the Figures. Such a memory device or memory element can be included in an article of manufacture. 
     Various embodiments have been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claims. Further, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claims. One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof. 
     A physical embodiment of an apparatus, an article of manufacture, a machine, and/or of a process that includes one or more embodiments may include one or more of the aspects, features, concepts, examples, etc. described with herein. Further, from figure to figure, the embodiments may incorporate the same or similarly named functions, steps, modules, etc. that may use the same or different reference numbers and, as such, the functions, steps, modules, etc. may be the same or similar functions, steps, modules, etc. or different ones. 
     The term “module” is used in the description of the various. A module includes a functional block that is implemented via hardware to perform one or module functions such as the processing of one or more input signals to produce one or more output signals. The hardware that implements the module may itself operate in conjunction software, and/or firmware. As used herein, a module may contain one or more sub-modules that themselves are modules. 
     While particular combinations of various options, methods, functions and features have been expressly described herein, other combinations of these options, methods, functions and features are likewise possible. The various embodiments are not limited by the particular examples disclosed herein and expressly incorporates these other combinations.