Patent ID: 8085734

Claim:
A communications device comprising: a first physical layer (PHY) unit, the first PHY unit configured to transmit and/or receive data based on a first wireless communications specification; a second PHY unit, the second PHY unit configured to transmit and/or receive data based on a second wireless communications specification; a first signal path coupled to a first antenna and to the first PHY unit, the first signal path configured to perform processing on a signal in the first signal path; and a switchable signal path coupled to a second antenna and switchably coupled to the first PHY unit and to the second PHY unit, the switchable signal path configured to perform processing on a signal in the switchable signal path and to switchably couple the second antenna to either the first PHY unit or the second PHY unit based on a control signal, the switchable signal path comprises a radio frequency (RF) switch coupled to the second antenna, the RF switch to switchably couple the switchable signal path to the second antenna based on the control signal; a second analog hardware unit coupled to the RF switch, the second analog hardware unit to perform analog signal processing on the signal in the switchable signal path based on the first wireless communications specification; a third analog hardware unit coupled to the RF switch, the third analog hardware unit to perform analog signal processing on the signal in the switchable signal path based on the second wireless communications specification; a second digital hardware unit to perform digital signal processing on the signal in the switchable signal path according to either the first wireless communications specification or the second wireless communications specification; a first switch coupled to the second digital hardware unit, to the second analog hardware unit, and to the third analog hardware unit, the first switch to switchably couple the second digital hardware unit to either the second analog hardware unit or the third analog hardware unit based on the control signal; and a second switch coupled to the second digital hardware unit, the second switch to switchably couple the second digital hardware unit to either the first PHY unit or the second PHY unit based on the control signal; and a switch control unit coupled to the second antenna, the switch control unit configured to generate the control signal to specify the coupling of the second antenna to either the first PHY unit or the second PHY unit.