PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8989672-B2
Application Number: US-98705511-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Methods for adjusting radio-frequency circuitry to mitigate interference effects

Abstract:
An electronic device may transmit and receive wireless signals using wireless circuitry that is controlled by control circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include adjustable components such as adjustable antenna structures, adjustable front end circuitry, and adjustable transceiver circuitry. During characterization operations, the electronic device may be tested to identify operating settings for the wireless circuitry that lead to potential wireless interference between aggressor transmitters and victim receivers. The control circuitry can adjust the wireless circuitry to mitigate the effects of interference based on settings identified during characterization operations or real time signal quality measurements.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 antenna structures; 
 wireless circuitry having transceiver circuitry that includes at least one aggressor and at least one victim; 
 switching circuitry and a notch filter coupled between the antenna structures and the transceiver circuitry; and 
 control circuitry that is configured to mitigate the effects of interference between the aggressor and the victim by using the switching circuitry to switch the notch filter into use in response to simultaneous activity of both the aggressor and the victim. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the wireless circuitry includes adjustable antenna structures and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the adjustable antenna structures in response to determining that both the aggressor and victim are active. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the switching circuitry to bypass the notch filter in response to determining that the aggressor and victim are not both active. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the aggressor comprises a radio-frequency transmitter with an adjustable data rate and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the data rate in response to determining that both the aggressor and victim are active. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the aggressor comprises a radio-frequency transmitter with an adjustable modulation scheme and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the modulation scheme in response to determining that both the aggressor and victim are active. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the control circuitry is configured to measure a wireless performance value selected from the group consisting of:
 carrier-to-noise power ratio, signal to interference-plus-noise ratio, a ratio of an average power of a pilot channel to total signal power, signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, frame error rate, adjacent channel leakage, and received power and is configured to adjust the wireless circuitry based on the measured wireless performance value. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the antenna structures comprise first and second antennas, the aggressor transmits signals over the first antenna, the victim receives signals over the second antenna, and the switching circuitry and the notch filter are coupled between the aggressor and the first antenna. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the antenna structures comprise first and second antennas, the aggressor transmits signals over the first antenna, the victim receives signals over the second antenna, and the switching circuitry and the notch filter are coupled between the victim and the second antenna.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to communications circuitry, and more particularly, to electronic devices that transmit and receive wireless signals using adjustable wireless circuits. 
     Electronic devices such as computers and handheld electronic devices are often provided with wireless communications capabilities. For example, electronic devices may use long-range wireless communications circuitry such as cellular telephone circuitry to communicate using cellular telephone bands. Electronic devices may use short-range wireless communications links to handle communications with nearby equipment. For example, electronic devices may communicate using the WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) bands at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and the Bluetooth® band at 2.4 GHz. Some devices have satellite navigation receivers such as Global Positioning System receivers operating at 1575 MHz. 
     In electronic devices with capabilities such as these, there is a potential for interference. For example, radio-frequency transmitters may serve as aggressors that produce radio-frequency signals that directly or indirectly interfere with the proper operation of victim radio-frequency receivers. If care is not taken, device operation may be disrupted. For example, interference may cause telephone calls to be dropped or may interrupt a data download. 
     In view of these considerations, it would be desirable to provide improved wireless circuitry for electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry that is controlled by control signals from control circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include antenna structures, radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, and front end circuitry that couples the antenna structures to the transceiver circuitry. 
     The radio-frequency transceiver circuitry includes transmitters and receivers. During simultaneous operation of transmitter and receiver circuitry, a transmitter may serve as an aggressor that has the potential to create undesired wireless interference for a victim receiver. The operation of the electronic device may be characterized under a variety of operating conditions. The results of these characterization operations may be analyzed to determine appropriate settings for adjusting the wireless circuitry in the event that the aggressor transmitter and victim receiver are to be used simultaneously. 
     During operation, the control circuitry may use one set of operating settings for the wireless circuitry when the aggressor transmitter is active and the victim receiver is not active. These settings may be used to configure the wireless circuitry to optimize wireless performance for the aggressor transmitter. Whenever the control circuitry determines that the aggressor transmitter and victim receiver are to be simultaneously active, a different set of settings may be used to mitigate the effects of interference. These settings may be used, for example, to reduce transmit power for the aggressor transmitter, to adjust the communications band that is being handled by the transceiver, to detune an antenna to reduce interference, to adjust a matching circuit or other front end circuitry, to alter which data rate or modulation scheme is being used, or to make other adjustments. Adjustments may also be made based on real time measurements of signal quality. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative antenna with an adjustable feed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is circuit diagram of an illustrative antenna with an adjustable antenna resonating element in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a circuit diagram of an illustrative adjustable transmission line circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a circuit diagram of an illustrative circuit that may be used to selectively block signals using a filter such as a notch filter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of illustrative front end circuitry showing how the front end circuitry may contain tunable components in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a graph illustrating how adjustments to wireless circuitry in an electronic device may be made to mitigate the effects of interference in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing how an aggressor such as a wireless transmitter has the potential to cause interference with a victim such as a wireless receiver due to potential nonlinearities in a component located between an antenna and the receiver in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing how an aggressor such as a wireless transmitter has the potential to cause interference with a victim such as a wireless receiver due to potential nonlinearities in a component located between the transmitter and an antenna in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a chart showing how wireless circuit adjustments may be made to avoid interference between aggressors and victims in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in operating an electronic device so as to mitigate the effects of interference in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a handheld electronic device, a wristwatch or pendant device, a music player, or other electronic equipment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may be provided with control circuitry  38  and wireless communications circuitry. Control circuitry  38  may include microprocessor circuitry, memory, application-specific integrated circuits, and other circuitry. In a typical scenario, control circuitry  38  may include a processor such as host  42  (e.g., a processor based on a microprocessor integrated circuit and associated memory) and a baseband processor such as baseband processor  40 . 
     Baseband processor  40  may receive digital data to be transmitted from host  42  and may supply corresponding signals to wireless circuitry such as transceiver circuitry  30  over path  44  for wireless transmission. During signal reception operations, transceiver circuitry  30  may receive radio-frequency signals from external sources (e.g., wireless base stations). Baseband processor  40  may convert signals received from transceiver circuitry  30  over path  44  into corresponding digital data for host  42 . The functions of baseband processor  40  may be provided by one or more integrated circuits. 
     Transceiver circuitry  30  may include one or more radio-frequency transmitters  34  and one or more radio-frequency receivers  36 . Transceiver circuitry  30  may be used to support wireless communications such as long-range wireless communications (e.g., communications in cellular telephone bands) and short-range communications (i.e., local area network links such as WiFi® links, Bluetooth® links, etc.). Transceiver circuitry  30  may also include satellite navigation receiver circuitry such as a Global Positioning System receiver operating at 1575 MHz and other wireless circuits. 
     The wireless communications circuitry of device  10  may include one or more antennas  12 . Circuitry such as front end circuitry  14  (sometimes referred to as matching network circuitry or front end module circuitry) may be used to couple transceiver circuitry  30  and antennas  12 . 
     Front end circuitry  14  may include amplifiers  18  such as power amplifiers for amplifying transmitted radio-frequency signals and low noise amplifiers for amplifying received radio-frequency signals. 
     Transmission line structures  26  may be used to form radio-frequency signal paths between transceiver circuitry  30  and other front end circuitry  14 . For example, received radio-frequency signals from the output of a low-noise amplifier may be routed to the input of a receiver using a transmission line. As another example, a transmission line may be used to convey radio-frequency signals from the output of a transmitter to the input of a power amplifier. Transmission line structures may also be used in routing signals from the output of a power amplifier to other circuitry in front end circuitry  14 . Transmission line structures  26  may include coaxial cables, microstrip transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstrip and stripline transmission lines, etc. 
     Matching network circuits  24  may be used to help impedance match transmission lines and other radio-frequency components to antennas  12 . For example, a network of resistors, inductors, and/or capacitors may be used to help match the impedance of a given one of antennas  12  to the 50 Ohm impedance of a transmission line in structures  26 . 
     Filters  22  may be used to route signals according to their frequency. Filters  22  may include, for example, low pass filters, high pass filters, band pass filters, notch filters (band-blocking filters), diplexers, duplexers, triplexers, and other filters. Examples of components that may be used in implementing filters  22  include surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) radio-frequency filtering devices. 
     Switches  20  may be used to control the flow of signals through front end circuitry  14 . Switches  20  may include, for example, transistor-based switches, diode-based switches, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, etc. 
     Antennas  12  may be based on antenna structures such as inverted-F antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, loop antennas, dipoles, monopoles, open and closed slot antennas, hybrid designs that include more than one antenna structure of these types, or other suitable antenna structures. There may be one or more antenna  12  in device  10 . In a configuration with only one antenna  12 , the antenna may be used for transmitting and receiving all radio-frequency signals for the device. In a configuration with multiple antennas  12 , one antenna may be active at any time (e.g., when implementing an antenna diversity scheme in which an optimal antenna is selected for use based on real-time performance data) or multiple antennas may be used (e.g., when implementing a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna scheme in which multiple antennas are used in receiving multiple simultaneous streams of data). 
     Cellular telephone signals (e.g., signals in bands such as the 850 MHz band, 900 MHz band, 1800 MHz band, 1800 MHz band, and 2100 MHz band) may be handled using one or more cellular telephone antennas. Satellite navigation signals (e.g., Global Positioning System signals at 1575 MHz) may be handled using a cellular telephone antenna or using a dedicated antenna. One or more local area network antennas may be used to handle WiFi® (802.11) signals at 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz. If desired, a WiFi antenna may be shared between a WiFi® transceiver and a Bluetooth® transceiver operating at 2.4 GHz. Combinations of these arrangements may also be used (e.g., using antennas that are shared between different combinations of transceivers, using one or more different dedicated antennas that are used by only one type of transceiver, etc.). 
     Transmitted radio-frequency signals from transmitters  34  in transceiver circuitry  30  may be transmitted through front end circuitry  14  and through one or more antennas  12 . Radio-frequency signals from external sources that have been received by one or more of antennas  12  may be conveyed to receivers  36  via front end circuitry  14 . 
     During operation of device  10 , it may be necessary to operate device  10  in a configuration that gives rise to the potential for radio-frequency signal interference. The source of the interference (sometimes referred to herein as the aggressor) may be one of transmitters  34 . The component that is adversely affected by the interference (sometimes referred to herein as the victim) may be one or receivers  36 . Interference may arise, for example, because it is necessary to operate in multiple bands simultaneously. A user may desire, for example, to download a web page using a WiFi® band at 2.4 GHz while simultaneously conducting a cellular telephone call over one of the cellular telephone bands. Particularly when multiple transceiver circuits are active in device  10 , it is possible that the actions of an aggressor will disrupt the operation of a victim. 
     The adverse effects of interference may be avoided by designing the wireless circuitry of an electronic device so that the device will function satisfactorily even under worst-case scenarios. If, for example, there is a possibility for a cellular telephone transmitter in a device to cause interference with a wireless local area network receiver, the wireless circuitry of the device can be designed so as to provide sufficient isolation between the cellular telephone transmitter and wireless local area network receiver. As an example, a device can include antennas that are located at relatively remote locations within the housing for the device, can include filter circuitry for rejecting out-of-band signals, and can operate circuits such as amplifiers at relatively high bias voltages to ensure that they operate linearly and therefore do not generate undesirable out-of-band frequency components. 
     This type of solution may be satisfactory in many circumstances, but poses challenges. For example, ensuring that antennas  12  are located at relatively large distances from each other in a compact device housing can be difficult or impossible in practice. The inclusion of excessive filtering circuitry can create undesirable frequency losses. Ensuring linear operation of amplifiers and other components can be costly and can consume undesirably large amounts of power. These design tradeoffs may therefore not always be acceptable, particularly when attempting to construct a compact device with good power consumption, low cost, and high performance. 
     With one suitable arrangement, which is sometimes described herein as an example, the circuitry of device  10  is reconfigured depending on the operating mode of the device. If device  10  is operating in a mode in which an aggressor and victim are simultaneously active, the control circuitry of device  10  can adjust the wireless circuitry of device  10  to mitigate the effects of interference. These adjustments can be made in proactively (i.e., using an open-loop control scheme in which adjustments are made based on predetermined optimized settings). Interference-mitigating circuit adjustments may also be made in real time based on measured signals or other feedback (i.e., using closed-loop control). 
     The adjustments that are made to reduce interference may result in performance tradeoffs. For example, a reduction in interference may result in a temporary increase in power consumption or a temporary decrease in signal quality. If device  10  is operating in a mode in which there is little or no risk of undesirable interference, device  10  can be returned to its original configuration so as to remove these performance tradeoffs and optimize performance. For example, if device  10  is operating in a mode in which the aggressor transmitter is active and the victim receiver circuitry is inactive, the control circuitry of device  10  can configure the wireless circuitry of device  10  to optimize performance of the aggressor transmitter without regard to whether interference is created. 
     Examples of adjustments that may be made to device  10  include antenna adjustments, adjustments to the circuitry of front end circuitry  14 , and adjustments to transceiver circuitry  30 . Antennas  12  may, for example, be adjusted using control signals from control circuitry  38  that are conveyed to antennas  12  via paths such as path  16 . Adjustments to front end circuitry  14  may be made using control signals from control circuitry  38  that are conveyed to front end circuitry  14  over path  32 . Path  44  may be used to convey control signals from control circuitry  38  to transceiver circuitry  30 . 
     Antenna structures  12  may be tuned using adjustable circuitry such as switches and adjustable circuit components. With one suitable arrangement, which is shown in  FIG. 2 , the frequency response of antenna  12  may be tuned by adjusting the position of the antenna feed. Antenna  12  of  FIG. 2  is an inverted-F antenna having a resonating element (antenna resonating element  12 R) and a ground (antenna ground  12 G). Other types of antennas may also be provided with tunable feeds. The use of an inverted-F antenna with a tunable feed in the antenna of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , antenna resonating element  12 R may have a main arm  56  that is coupled to ground via branch SC. Antenna  12  may be fed using an antenna feed having a positive terminal (positive antenna feed terminal  46 ) and a ground terminal (ground antenna feed terminal  48 ). Transceiver circuits  30  may be coupled to the antenna feed made up of antenna feed terminals  46  and  48  (e.g., using a matching circuit, transmission line, and other front end circuitry). Switch  50  may have two positions (as an example). The position of switch  50  may be controlled by control signals from path  16 . When placed in a first mode of operation, switch  50  will couple terminal  46  to path  52 . When placed in a second mode of operation, switch  50  will couple terminal  46  to path  54 . With this arrangement, the location of the antenna feed along the length of arm  56  and therefore the frequency response of antenna  14  may be adjusted by configuration of switch  50 . 
       FIG. 3  shows another illustrative tunable antenna. Antenna  12  of  FIG. 3  has a switch such as switch  58  with open and closed positions. The state of switch  58  may be adjusted in response to control signals on path  16  ( FIG. 1 ). When switch  58  is open, arm segment  56 - 2  of antenna resonating element arm  56  will be electrically isolated from arm segment  56 - 1 . When switch  58  is closed, arm segments  56 - 1  and  56 - 2  will be electrically shorted together. By adjusting switch  58 , control circuitry  38  can adjust the effective length of arm  56  and therefore the frequency response of antenna  12 . 
     In the configuration of  FIG. 14 , antenna  14  is coupled to transceiver circuit  30  by transmission line segment  26 - 1 . Switch  60  may have open and closed positions and may be controlled by control signals from control circuitry  38  that are provided to switch  60  over a path such as path  32  of  FIG. 1 . When open, switch  60  can electrically isolate transmission line segment  26 - 1  from transmission line segment  26 - 2 . When closed, switch  60  can connect transmission line segment  26 - 2  to a desired location along the length of transmission line segment  26 - 1 . In this configuration, transmission line segment  26 - 2  may serve as a tuning stub that adjusts the frequency response of the circuitry shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Another way in which the wireless circuitry of device  10  may be adjusted to mitigate the effects of interference involves the use of switches and filter circuitry. An example of an adjustable circuit that includes a switch and a notch filter is shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , circuit  62  may be coupled between path  64  and path  66 . Paths such as paths  64  and  66  may be connected to transmission line structures  26 , antennas  12 , the inputs and outputs of amplifiers  18 , parts of matching circuits  24 , or other suitable front end circuitry  14 . 
     Switch  20  may have two positions (as an example). The position in which switch  20  operates may be selected by providing switch  20  with control signals on path  32 . In its first position, switch  20  may connect path  70  to path  64 . In this configuration, signals can pass between paths  64  and  66  without interruption and without experiencing attenuation from filter  22 . In its second position, switch  20  may connect path  68  to path  64 . In this configuration, notch filter  22  is switched into use. 
     Notch filter  22  may block signals that fall within a particular frequency band and may allow signals outside of the frequency band to pass. When notch filter  22  is switched into use between path  64  and path  66 , signals with frequencies within the notch filter band will be attenuated, whereas signals outside of this band will not be significantly affected (other than by the relatively small reduction in power due to the insertion loss of filter  22 ). Filter  22  can be used whenever it is desired to reduce signal interference. For example, switch  20  can be used to switch filter  22  into use to block interference signals that fall within the blocking range of filter  22 . When it is not necessary to block interference signals with filter  22 , signals can be routed along path  70 , thereby bypassing filter  22  and avoiding the insertion loss of filter  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , front end circuitry  14  may include tunable components such as tunable capacitor  72 , tunable inductor  74 , and tunable resistor  76 . Components such as tunable capacitor  72 , tunable inductor  74 , and tunable resistor  76  may be interconnected to form a tunable matching network. Adjustable components such as switches  20 , filters  22 , amplifiers  18 , and/or transmission line structures  26  may be connected to components such as tunable capacitor  72 , tunable inductor  74 , and tunable resistor  76  within front end circuitry  14 . During operation, control signals on paths such as paths  32  and  16  may make adjustments to the components of circuitry  14  and/or antenna  12  to help reduce radio-frequency interference (e.g., by adjusting the frequency response of the matching circuitry and thereby adjusting the frequency characteristics of the wireless circuitry). 
     A graph showing how wireless circuit adjustments may reduce signal interference is shown in  FIG. 7 . In the example of  FIG. 7 , antenna performance parameters (S parameters) are plotted as a function of operating frequency f. The example of  FIG. 7  corresponds to antenna structures with a frequency response that may be tuned using a tunable feed, a tunable antenna resonating element arm, or other antenna tuning techniques. In general, interference may be adjusted using any suitable adjustments to circuitry  14  and/or antenna  12 . The tunable antenna arrangement described in connection with  FIG. 7  is merely illustrative. 
     Curve S 11  of  FIG. 7  (which represents return loss of an aggressor that is transmitting signals through an antenna in device  10 ) corresponds to the frequency response of the antenna structures when operated in a first mode (i.e., a mode that maximizes performance for the aggressor). As shown by the valley and relatively low value of curve S 11  at point  84  (i.e., at frequency fa), the antenna structures have a peak efficiency for transmitting (and receiving) signals when operating at frequencies around fa. When adjusted to operate in a second mode, the frequency response of the antenna structures shift to lower frequencies, as shown by curve S 11 ′. The efficiency of the antenna structures in transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals at frequency fa is therefore adversely affected, as illustrated by the elevated value of curve S 11 ′ at point  80 . The magnitude of the loss of efficiency is depicted as change ΔE in the graph of  FIG. 7  (i.e., the distance between points  78  and  80 ). 
     Although antenna performance is reduced by ΔE when the antenna is detuned, the amount by which the antenna structures are exposed to potential signal interference may be reduced significantly. In the example of  FIG. 7 , signal interference is represented by curves S 21  and S 21 ′. These curves illustrate the amount of transmitted signal power from an aggressor that is coupled through the antenna structures to a victim receiver. 
     Curve S 21  corresponds to the amount of signal interference as a function of frequency f when the antenna structures are operated in the first mode. Curve S 21 ′ corresponds to the amount of signal interference that is present when the antenna structures are detuned and are operating in the second mode. In its first mode, the amount of potential signal interference at operating frequency fa (i.e., in the center of the communication band that is being handled by the antenna structures), is represented by point  82 . When the antenna structures are adjusted and are operating in the second mode, the amount of signal interference at the victim is reduced, as represented by the value of curve S 21 ′ at point  84 . The reduction in interference when adjusting the antenna structures from the first operating mode to its second operating mode corresponds to the difference between points  82  and  84  in  FIG. 7  (i.e., ΔC). By proper configuration of antennas  12  and front end circuitry  14 , the advantages from the reduction in interference (ΔC) for the victim that is produced by adjusting (detuning) an antenna can more than offset the disadvantages associated with the temporary reduction in efficiency ΔE for that is experienced by the aggressor. 
     The potential of wireless circuitry in device  10  to cause interference of the type shown in  FIG. 7  can be characterized over a variety of operating parameters. Optimized settings for adjusting antenna structures  12  and front end circuitry  14  may then be identified. In situations in which only one transmitter is active or when it is otherwise not expected that interference will degrade wireless performance in device  10 , the front end circuitry and antennas of device  10  may be placed in their most efficient states (i.e., to maximize transceiver efficiency, as illustrated by curve S 11  of  FIG. 7 ). If, however, device  10  is operated in a mode in which interference is expected to degrade victim performance (i.e., a mode in which both an aggressor transmitter and victim receiver are simultaneously active), the antenna structures and/or front end circuitry may be adjusted (e.g., detuned) to mitigate the effects of the interference. 
     In some configurations, interference may result from the presence of nonlinearities in the components of front end circuitry  14  (e.g., in switches, amplifiers, etc.). To reduce or eliminate interference of this type, front end circuitry  14  may be adjusted so as to interpose a notch filter (e.g., notch filter  22  of  FIG. 5 ) within an appropriate circuit path. 
     Consider, as an example, the situation shown in  FIG. 8 . In the scenario of  FIG. 8 , transceiver circuitry  30  includes an aggressor (transmitter TX) and a victim (receiver RX). Aggressor TX transmits signals at frequency f 1 . These signals are amplified by power amplifier  18 P and are transmitted wirelessly through antenna  12 A. Victim RX operates at a different frequency band (i.e., at frequency f 2 ). Victim RX receives signals using antenna  12 B, front end circuitry  14 , non-linear component  86  (i.e., a switch or other component that is nominally linear, but that exhibits unavoidable nonlinearities in practice), and low noise amplifier  18 LNA. Frequency f 2  (in this example) is equal to twice frequency f 1 . 
     Because of a close proximity between antennas  12 A and  12 B or other factors, some of the transmitted signals from antenna  12 A at frequency f 1  are received by antenna  12 B and pass through circuitry  14  to component  86 . Due to its nonlinear behavior, component  86  may produce second harmonics at a frequency of 2f 1  (in this example). Because of the relationship in frequencies between f 1  and f 2  (i.e., because f 2  is twice f 1 ), the harmonic signals at frequency 2f 1  that are produced in component  86  fall within the receive band of victim RX at frequency f 2  and therefore represent interference. 
     To reduce the impact of the interference at 2f 1  on the operation of victim RX, front end module  14  can be adjusted to insert a notch filter the blocks signals at frequency f 1  whenever aggressor TX and victim RX are simultaneously operating. A notch filter arrangement of the type shown in  FIG. 5  may be used. When victim RX is active and aggressor TX is inactive, switch  20  may be used to route signals past the notch filter to avoid the insertion loss penalty associated with the notch filter. When aggressor TX is operating, switch  20  may be used to switch the notch filter into use to prevent signals at frequency f 1  from reaching component  86 . Because the signals at frequency f 1  do not reach component  86 , victim receiver RX can properly receive signals from external sources at frequency f 2  without interference. 
     Another illustrative scenario in which selective filtering may be used to block undesired interference is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . In the example of  FIG. 9 , transceiver circuitry  30  includes an aggressor (transmitter TX) that is transmitting radio-frequency signals in a communications band centered at frequency f 1  and a victim (receiver RX) that is receiving radio-frequency signals at frequency f 2  (i.e., a frequency f 2  that is equal to 2f 1  in this example). Aggressor TX is transmitting wireless signals through power amplifier  18 PNL, front end circuitry  14 , and antenna  12 A. Victim RX is receiving wireless signals through antenna  12 B. The behavior of amplifier  18 PNL is not ideal and therefore exhibits some nonlinearity. As a result, when signals at frequency f 1  pass through amplifier  18 PNL, some second harmonics of this frequency (i.e., signals at a frequency of 2f 1 ) are generated at the output of amplifier  18 PNL. 
     The signals at frequency 2f 1  that are produced by amplifier  18 PNL have the potential to be transmitted by antenna  12 A and to be received by antenna  12 B. When victim RX is attempting to receive data signals at frequency f 2 , the signals at frequency 2f 1  from the aggressor serve as a source of potential interference. 
     To mitigate the effects of the interference produced by signals at 2f 1  at the output of amplifier  18 PNL, adjustable circuitry such as circuitry  62  of  FIG. 5  may be incorporated into front end circuitry  14  in the path of the transmitted signals. When there is no risk interference (i.e., when device  10  is operated in a mode in which aggressor TX is active and victim RX is inactive), circuitry  62  can be adjusted to connect path  64  to path  66  through path  70 . This bypasses the insertion loss associated with notch filter  22  and ensures that signals from transmitter TX can be transmitted with maximum efficiency. When a risk of performance degradation is present because aggressor TX and victim RX are both active, circuitry  62  can be configured to route signals through path  68 . Notch filter  22  (e.g., a notch filter with a blocking band centered about frequency 2f 1 ) in path  68  can then filter out signals with frequencies near 2f 1 . Because signals at 2f 1  are blocked by notch filter  22 , only signals at frequency f 1  are transmitted through antenna  12 A. This reduces or eliminates interference at frequency 2f 1  at antenna  12 B and victim RX. 
     In the examples of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , interference was produced when a signal passed through a nonlinear component and generated a second harmonic. This is merely illustrative. Interference (e.g., intermodulation distortion, etc.) can be produced due to the non-ideal behavior of any wireless components (e.g., transmitters, amplifiers, switches, filters, etc.) and may result from the interaction of one or more signals in one or more of these components. The examples of  FIGS. 8 and 9  in which signal interference is produced by an undesired second harmonic of a fundamental frequency f 1  is just an example. 
     To avoid undesired interference, the behavior of device  10  can be characterized by testing. During tests, one or more representative versions of device  10  may be placed in a radio-frequency test chamber. Tests may be performed in which various functions of the device are exercised. Examples of operations that may be performed when testing device  10  include making and receiving cellular telephone calls, uploading and downloading data using WiFi® and Bluetooth® bands, receiving satellite navigation signals, and using other wireless circuit functions. The test may be performed over a variety of communications bands so as to identify potentially undesirable combinations of aggressors and victims in device  10 . After identifying potential operating conditions that lead to undesired interference, suitable remedial actions can be identified. 
     Examples of remedial actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects of interference include: adjusting the wireless circuitry of device  10  (e.g., by tuning antenna structures  12  and/or adjusting front end circuitry  14 ), adjusting a transmit data rate, adjusting a transmit power level, adjusting the frequency at which signals are being transmitted, and adjusting the modulation scheme that is used in transmitting signals. 
       FIG. 10  is a table that illustrates the types of actions that may be taken in device  10  to mitigate the effects of interference. In the example of  FIG. 10 , an aggressor transmits radio-frequency signals at a transmit power level PTX, in a communications band centered at frequency f, at a given data rate, using a given modulation scheme, and using a selected tuning mode for antenna structures and front end circuitry. These parameters may be adjusted to mitigate interference when aggressors and victims are simultaneously active. When aggressors and victims are not both active, operating parameters may be used to maximize performance of the active wireless circuitry. 
     There are three victims in the  FIG. 10  example (PA, PB, and PC). The performance of each victim is represented by the performance metric values VA 1  . . . , VB 1  . . . , and VC 1  . . . , in the columns at the right-hand side of the  FIG. 10  table. The performance metric values may each include one or more parameters that are indicative of wireless performance (e.g., bit error rate, frame error rate, signal-to-noise ratio, adjacent channel leakage, etc.). The values of these parameters may be characterized during testing or, if desired, one or more of these values may be measured in real time using control circuitry  38  (e.g., using baseband processor  40 ). In general, there may be more than one aggressor and fewer or more than three victims. The example of  FIG. 10  is merely illustrative. 
     In the table of  FIG. 10 , configurations that have been identified as being associated with undesired interference are labeled with circles. For example, the circle around value VC 5  in row R 1  of the  FIG. 10  table indicates that the aggressor is generating interference that is adversely affecting the performance of victim PC. The other circled performance metric values in  FIG. 10  correspond to other interference scenarios. The lines in  FIG. 10  such as lines  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 , and  96  illustrate the types of adjustments that may be made in device  10  to mitigate the effects of interference when device  10  is operated in a mode where aggressors and victims are simultaneously active. 
     As illustrated by line  88 , for example, one way in which to mitigate the effects of interference involves adjusting the power of transmitter  34  (i.e., reducing the maximum allowable output power when both the aggressor and victim are active). If operated with the settings of row R 1  (which may be appropriate in the absence of simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim circuits), transmitter  34  would transmit radio-frequency signals at a power of up to 20 (e.g., 20 dBm). As shown in row R 1 , this can cause an unacceptably high amount of interference with victim PC if both the aggressor and victim PC are active. Accordingly, if is desired to operate the aggressor and victim PC simultaneously, device  10  can adjust the maximum transmit power setting of the aggressor from 20 (as shown in row R 1 ) to 15 (as shown in row R 2 ), as indicated by line  88 . If only the aggressor is being used, performance may be enhanced for the aggressor by using the settings of row R 1 . 
     The adjustment associated with line  90  relates to changing the data rate of transmitted signals (e.g., from a high data rate to a lower data rate that results in less interference). If operated with the settings of row R 3  (as may be appropriate in the absence of simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim circuits), transmitter  34  would transmit data at a data rate of 5 and would create an unacceptably high amount of interference for victim PB. By using the settings of row R 4  instead of row R 3  when both the aggressor and victim PB are simultaneously active (e.g., to lower the data rate to 2), undesired interference with victim PB may be avoided. 
     The adjustment associated with line  92  relates to selecting an appropriate frequency f for transmitting signals. If operated with the settings of row R 5  (which may be appropriate in the absence of simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim circuits), transmitter  34  would be transmitting signals in a communications band centered at frequency f 1  and would create an unacceptably high amount of interference for victims PA and PB. By using the settings of row R 6  instead of row R 5  when both the aggressor and victim PA are active or when both the aggressor and victim PC are active (e.g., by transmitting signals in a communications band centered on frequency f 2  instead of frequency f 1 ), undesired interference with victims PA and PC may be avoided. 
     The adjustment associated with line  94  relates to selecting an appropriate modulation scheme for the radio-frequency signals handled by transceiver circuitry  30 . Examples of modulation schemes that may be used by transceiver circuitry  30  include Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), 8 Phase Shift Keying (8PSK), Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16-QAM), 64-QAM, etc. If operated with the settings of row R 7  (which may be appropriate in the absence of simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim circuits), transmitter  34  would transmit data using modulation scheme T 1  and would create an unacceptably high amount of interference for victim PA. By using the settings of row R 8  instead of row R 7  when both the aggressor and victim PA are active (e.g., by operating the aggressor with modulation scheme T 2  instead of modulation scheme T 1 ), undesired interference with victim PA may be avoided. 
     The adjustment associated with line  96  relates to selecting an appropriate tuning for antenna structures  12  and/or front end circuitry  14 . If operated with the settings of row R 9  (e.g., settings that can be used in the absence of simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim circuits), signals would be transmitted and received using tuning settings N for antennas  12  and front end circuitry  14 . Settings N may include, for example, settings related to the position of switches such as switch  50  in  FIG. 2 , switch  58  of  FIG. 3 , switch  60  of  FIG. 5 , switch  20  of  FIG. 5 , other settings that tune antennas, and the settings for components such as components  72 ,  74 , and  76  of  FIG. 6  and other settings that adjust matching circuits and other front end circuitry  14  (as an example). If operated with the settings of row R 9 , the aggressor would create an unacceptably high amount of interference for victim PA. By using the settings of row R 10  when the aggressor and victim PA are simultaneously active instead of row R 9  (e.g., to adjust antennas  12  and/or front end circuitry  14 ), undesired interference between the aggressor and victim PA may be avoided. 
     The examples of  FIG. 10  are merely illustrative. Other adjustments may be made as a function of whether or not aggressors and victims are simultaneously active if desired. For example, rather than changing the communications band in which an aggressor is transmitting signals, the band that is used by a victim in receiving signals may be changed when both aggressor and victim are active or both the aggressor and victim can change to different communications bands to accommodate a need for simultaneous operation. Tuning changes to antennas and/or front end circuits in device  10  may involve changes of the type shown in  FIG. 8  in which circuitry associated with a victim is tuned, changes of the type shown in  FIG. 9  in which circuitry associated with an aggressor is tuned, or changes to both of these types of circuits. Changes to antennas  12  of the type described in connection with  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 , and  6  may be made for one or more aggressor antennas, one or more victim antennas, and/or one or more antennas being used by both aggressors and victims. Adjustments to device  10  to mitigate the effects of interference may be made protectively (e.g., by avoiding undesirable settings that test results have revealed will lead to unacceptable interference and using optimal alternative settings in their place whenever aggressors and victims are used simultaneously) and/or may be made based on real time feedback on wireless performance (e.g., data on wireless performance metrics measured using control circuitry  38 ). The settings for device  10  that enhance wireless performance whenever there is an absence of simultaneous aggressor and victim operation may also be used proactively (i.e., whenever simultaneous operation is not present) or may be used in response to real time measurements (i.e., when measurements indicate that interference is not significant). 
     Illustrative steps involved in calibrating and operating devices  10  to mitigate the effects of interference are shown in  FIG. 11 . During the operations of step  98 , device operations may be characterized. In a typical scenario, a test version of device  10  or a comparable evaluation board may be inserted into a test chamber. Test programs operating on the control circuitry of the device or operating on associated test equipment may direct the device to exercise a range of its capabilities. For example, the device may be directed to transmit and receive signals over all available combinations of communications bands, over a range of transmit powers, over a range of modulation schemes, over a range of antenna tuning settings and front end circuit settings, etc. Operations in which victims and aggressors are simultaneously active and in which victims and aggressors are not simultaneously active may be characterized. While adjusting the operating settings of the device, the device and associated test equipment may be used to monitor the impact of interference and other performance criteria. Performance data that may be gathered includes signal-to-noise ratio measurements, bit error rates, frame error rates, adjacent channel leakage, etc. 
     At step  100 , the characterization measurements that were made during step  98  may be analyzed using computing equipment associated with or included in the test equipment used in making the test characterization measurements. Analysis results may reveal combinations of settings that produce unacceptably low levels of performance due to the effects of interference when aggressors and victims are simultaneously active. Analysis results may also reveal optimum settings to use when aggressors and victims are not simultaneously active (i.e., if only an aggressor or only a victim is active). 
     Analysis results may therefore be used to identify combinations of settings that achieve acceptable performance under a variety of settings. If, for example, it is desirable to transmit signals at frequency f 1  while receiving signals at frequency f 2 , a set of acceptable settings (e.g., settings with a reduced maximum transmit power at frequency f 1 ) can be identified that allow the device to function properly when both aggressor and victim are active. Efficiency-maximizing settings may also be identified to cover the situation in which the aggressor and victim are not simultaneously active. These settings may, for example, include a maximum transmit power for frequency f 1  that is greater than the maximum transmit power at frequency f 1  that is to be used when aggressor and victim are simultaneously active. 
     In some situations, adjustments may be made to accommodate simultaneous operation of aggressor and victim that change multiple parameters relative to the non-simultaneous scenario. For example, an alternative set of operating settings that avoids interference may include changes to both a data rate and a modulation scheme or to a tuning mode and a transmit power. Alternate settings for use during simultaneous aggressor and victim operation may include settings changes for one or more aggressors and one or more victims. 
     At step  102 , devices  10  may be manufactured in a production environment and may be loaded with information on the alternative settings to use to mitigate the effects of interference. The settings for device  10  use may be located as part of a manufacturing process, during a software installation process (e.g., during a firmware update process in a factory or under user control in the field), or using a combination of these arrangements. 
     At step  104 , device  10  may be operated in a system. For example, device  10  may interact with remote cellular telephone base stations, may receive satellite navigation signals, may communicate with accessories using Bluetooth® communications, and may communicate with wireless access points using WiFi® communications or other wireless local area network protocols. Other wireless activities may also be performed. The operation of device  10  may be controlled using software running on control circuitry  38 . In some situations, the mode in which device  10  operates (including whether or not an aggressor and victim are in simultaneous use) is influenced by environmental factors (e.g., which cellular towers or local area network equipment is within range of device  10 ). The operating mode of device  10  may also be influenced by user input. For example, a wireless local area network transceiver might be activated in response to a user&#39;s command. The presence of incoming calls and messages may also affect which functions and transceiver circuits are needed by device  10 . In response to these various factors and based on its preconfigured default settings (i.e., settings that include the optimum interference-mitigating settings and efficiency-maximizing settings identified during the operations of step  100 ), device  10  may efficiently transmit and receive wireless signals while mitigating the adverse effects of wireless interference whenever aggressors and victims are simultaneously active. 
     In some situations, only an aggressor may be active. When only the aggressor is active, the performance of the aggressor may be optimized (e.g., efficiency may be maximized) by using a first set of settings (e.g., the settings of rows such as rows R 1 , R 3 , R 5 , R 7 , and R 9  of  FIG. 10 ). When both the aggressor and one or more victims are active, the effects of interference may be mitigated by operating device  10  with interference-mitigating settings such as the settings of rows R 2 , R 4 , R 6 , R 8 , and R 10  of  FIG. 10 ). Control circuitry  38  can determine which transmitters and receivers are active by communicating with transceiver circuitry  30 . 
     If desired, control circuitry  38  (e.g. baseband processor  40 ) may gather information on the wireless performance of device  10  in real time. Examples of performance criteria that may be measured by control circuitry  38  during operation of device  10  include C/No (carrier-to-noise power ratio), SINR (signal to interference-plus-noise ratio), Ec/Io (the ratio of the average power of a pilot channel to total signal power), signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, frame error rate, adjacent channel leakage, received signal power, etc. Information from these real time signal quality measurements may be used in determining which operating mode to use for device  10 . For example, if the frame error rate of a received signal drops below a desired value when an aggressor and victim are simultaneously active, device  10  can conclude that wireless interference is causing a loss of signal and can therefore switch to using a different set of operating settings (e.g., by changing the frequency of transmission of the aggressor, by using a lower maximum transmit power setting to back off transmit power, etc.). Predetermined settings and real time feedback on signal quality may therefore be used together to select optimum settings for mitigating the effects of interference when aggressors and victims are simultaneously active while maximizing efficiency and other performance metrics whenever the aggressors and victims are not simultaneously active. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110107
Publication Date: 20150324
Grant Date: 20150324
Priority Date: 20110107
Inventors: PASCOLINI MATTIA
MOW MATT A.
SCHLUB ROBERT W.
CABALLERO RUBEN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04B1/525", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/44", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/525", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/525", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 45562428