PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9743223-B2
Application Number: US-201514871903-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Techniques for communicating using conducted RF links

Abstract:
Electronic devices may communicate with each other using a “conducted RF link.” Such a conducted RF link is essentially a link that utilizes a conductor or cable that facilitates communication between electronic devices. Instead of the conductor carrying a traditional signal, it carries a modulated RF signal, such as those produced by a typical wireless RF radio like presently available WiFi/Bluetooth® cores.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communications apparatus comprising:
 a wireless communications device configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal onto a conductor; and 
 a conducted RF port operably coupled to the conductor, the conducted RF port being configured to conductively couple the RF signal on the conductor to another device. 
 
     
     
       2. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a cellular device. 
     
     
       3. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a WiFi device. 
     
     
       4. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a Bluetooth device. 
     
     
       5. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a wireless module having a WiFi core and a Bluetooth core. 
     
     
       6. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the wireless module comprises a first WiFi output and a first Bluetooth output, and wherein the communications apparatus comprises a first switch coupled to the first WiFi output and the first Bluetooth output to direct either a first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or a first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the conducted RF port. 
     
     
       7. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the wireless module comprises a second WiFi output and a third WiFi output, and wherein the communications apparatus comprises a second switch coupled to the second WiFi output and the third WiFi output to direct either a second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or a third WiFi signal on the third WiFi output to an antenna. 
     
     
       8. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 6 , comprising a first antenna, and wherein the first switch is coupled to the first WiFi output and the first Bluetooth output to direct either the first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or the first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the conducted RF port when the first switch is in a first position and to direct either the first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or the first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the first antenna when the first switch is in a second position. 
     
     
       9. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the wireless module comprises a second WiFi output and a third WiFi output, and wherein the communications apparatus comprises a second antenna, a third antenna, and a second switch, wherein the second switch is coupled to the second WiFi output and the third WiFi output to direct either a second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or a third WiFi signal on the WiFi output to the second antenna when the second switch is in a first position and to direct either the second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or the third WiFi signal on the third WiFi output to the third antenna when the second switch is in a second position. 
     
     
       10. The communications apparatus, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications device is configured to generate a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals onto a plurality of conductors, and
 wherein the communications apparatus comprises a plurality of conducted RF ports operably coupled to respective conductors, the plurality of conducted RF ports being configured to conductively couple the plurality of RF signals on the conductors to other devices. 
 
     
     
       11. A communications method comprising:
 using a wireless communications device to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal onto a conductor; and 
 using a conducted RF port operably coupled to the conductor to conductively couple the RF signal on the conductor to another device. 
 
     
     
       12. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a cellular device. 
     
     
       13. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a WiFi device. 
     
     
       14. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a Bluetooth device. 
     
     
       15. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications device comprises a wireless module having a WiFi core and a Bluetooth core. 
     
     
       16. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the wireless module comprises a first WiFi output and a first Bluetooth output, and wherein the communications method comprises using a first switch coupled to the first WiFi output and the first Bluetooth output to direct either a first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or a first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the conducted RF port. 
     
     
       17. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the wireless module comprises a second WiFi output and a third WiFi output, and wherein the communications method comprises using a second switch coupled to the second WiFi output and the third WiFi output to direct either a second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or a third WiFi signal on the third WiFi output to an antenna. 
     
     
       18. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 16 , comprising a first antenna, and wherein the communications method comprises using the first switch to direct either the first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or the first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the conducted RF port when the first switch is in a first position and to direct either the first WiFi signal on the first WiFi output or the first Bluetooth signal on the first Bluetooth output to the first antenna when the first switch is in a second position. 
     
     
       19. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the wireless module comprises a second WiFi output and a third WiFi output, and wherein the communications method comprises a second switch coupled to the second WiFi output and the third WiFi output to direct either a second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or a third WiFi signal on the WiFi output to a second antenna when the second switch is in a first position and to direct either the second WiFi signal on the second WiFi output or the third WiFi signal on the third WiFi output to a third antenna when the second switch is in a second position. 
     
     
       20. The communications method, as set forth in  claim 11 , comprising:
 using the wireless communications device to generate a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals onto a plurality of conductors; and 
 using a plurality of conducted RF ports operably coupled to respective conductors to conductively couple the plurality of RF signals on the conductors to other devices.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Non-Provisional application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/168,272, entitled “Techniques for Communicating Using Conducted RF Links”, filed May 29, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for facilitating communication between two electronic devices and, more particularly to, techniques that utilize a conducted radio frequency (RF) link to facilitate communication between electronic devices. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     In the marketplace today, there are a wide variety of electronic devices available for a wide variety of purposes. Such devices include cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, personal computers, televisions, headphones, Bluetooth® enabled watches, printers, and cameras, just to name a few. It is often desirable for one electronic device to communicate with one or more other electronic devices. Traditionally, such connections have been “hard-wired”, such that the devices had to be connected directly to one another by some sort of cabling or by cabling via a network interface. Such cabling is typically terminated by standardized connectors (e.g., USB, RS232, etc.) or by proprietary connectors, e.g. Apple&#39;s Lightning® connector, etc. Hence, not only does the cabling solution require a plethora of unsightly wires, it often requires specific types of cables and/or adaptors because of the wide variety of connectors and signaling schemes. 
     In addition to some of these disadvantages, cables are subject to wear and tear. Their conductors and insulation can be damaged, and their connectors can break, corrode, or become too dirty to conduct signals properly. These problems tend to reduce the ability of the cables to send and receive signals accurately, thus limiting their speed and efficiency. 
     To address many of these concerns, various wireless technologies have become popular for facilitating communication between electronic devices. For example radio frequency (RF) technologies, such as WiFi (IEEE 802.11) and Bluetooth® (IEEE 802.15), are now commonly used by many electronic devices to facilitate communication without the need for cabling. Although such wireless interfaces address some of the problems with cabling, they are subject to their own disadvantages. For example, because wireless signals are transmitted through the air, they can be received by devices other than those intended by the user, thus creating potential security problems. Furthermore, because wireless signals typically need to be amplified more than signals that travel on an actual conductor, electronic devices typically utilize more power when communicating wirelessly, thus reducing battery life. Further, such devices are also subject to various regulatory requirements due to the fact that they radiate energy. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device including display control circuitry, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a notebook computer representing an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a hand-held device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of another hand-held device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of a desktop computer representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of a wearable electronic device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a first electronic device, such as a tablet computer, communicating with a second electronic device, such as a television, via a conducted RF link; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of one example of an I/O interface that includes one or more traditional ports along with one or more wireless links and conducted RF links; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of an example an RF circuit that facilitates both wireless communication and conducted RF communication; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of a Bluetooth® time domain slot for wireless and conducted RF communication; 
         FIG. 11  is diagram illustrating an example of a WiFi time domain slot for wireless and conducted RF communication; 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating an example of a multiple in multiple out (MIMO) time division duplex scheme for the circuit illustrated in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram illustrating an example of a single in single out (SISO) communication scheme for the circuitry illustrated in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  is another example of an RF circuit for facilitating both wireless communication and conducted RF communication; 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic diagram of an RF circuit for facilitating multiple conducted RF links; and 
         FIGS. 16 and 17  are charts depicting various configuration scenarios for the RF circuit of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     To address some of the concerns mentioned above, it is proposed to allow electronic devices to communicate with each other using a “conducted RF link.” Such a conducted RF link is essentially a link that utilizes a conductor or cable that facilitates communication between electronic devices, but instead of the cable carrying a traditional signal it carries a modulated RF signal, such as those produced by a typical wireless RF radio like presently available WiFi/Bluetooth® cores. Because the signal is transmitted via a conductor as opposed to an air interface, it does not require the amount of amplification of a wireless signal, thus saving power compared to wireless communication. Furthermore, since the signal is not transmitted over the air, wireless security problems are not an issue. In addition, because a conducted RF link uses only a very simple connector scheme (only one conductor for the signal and another conductor for ground), many problems related to standardized and proprietary connectors are overcome. Indeed, because of the simplicity of the connection scheme, electronic devices can have surface contacts so that one merely places one electronic device on the surface of the other to facilitate the conducted RF connection. 
     With these features in mind, a general description of suitable electronic devices that may use conducted RF links is provided. Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18  input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24  and a power source  26 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG. 1  may include hardware elements (e.g., including circuitry), software elements (e.g., including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG. 1  is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in electronic device  10 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG. 2 , the handheld device depicted in either of  FIG. 3  or  FIG. 4 , the desktop computer depicted in  FIG. 5 , the wearable electronic device depicted in  FIG. 6 , or similar devices. It should be noted that the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be generally referred to herein as “data processing circuitry.” Such data processing circuitry may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within the electronic device  10 . 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 , the processor(s)  12  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile memory  16  to perform various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or routines, such as the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16 . The memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  may include any suitable articles of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drives, and optical discs. Also, programs (e.g., e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12  to enable the electronic device  10  to provide various functionalities. 
     In certain embodiments, the display  18  may be a liquid crystal display (e.g., LCD), which may allow users to view images generated on the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the display  18  may include a touch screen, which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . Furthermore, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the display  18  may include one or more light emitting diode (e.g., LED) displays, or some combination of LCD panels and LED panels. 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices. The I/O interface  24  may include various types of ports that may be connected to cabling. These ports may include standardized and/or proprietary ports, such as USB, RS232, Apple&#39;s Lightning® connector, as well as one or more ports for a conducted RF link. The I/O interface  24  may also include, for example, interfaces for a personal area network (e.g., PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (e.g., LAN) or wireless local area network (e.g., WLAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (e.g., WAN), such as a 3 rd  generation (e.g., 3G) cellular network, 4 th  generation (e.g., 4G) cellular network, or long term evolution (e.g., LTE) cellular network. The I/O interface  24  may also include interfaces for, for example, broadband fixed wireless access networks (e.g., WiMAX), mobile broadband Wireless networks (e.g., mobile WiMAX), and so forth. 
     As further illustrated, the electronic device  10  may include a power source  26 . The power source  26  may include any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (e.g., Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (e.g., AC) power converter. The power source  26  may be removable, such as replaceable battery cell. 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other type of electronic device. Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (e.g., such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) as well as computers that are generally used in one place (e.g., such as conventional desktop computers, workstations and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  30 A, is illustrated in  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The depicted computer  30 A may include a housing or enclosure  32 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , and ports of the I/O interface  24 . In one embodiment, the input structures  22  (e.g., such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer  30 A, such as to start, control, or operate a GUI or applications running on computer  30 A. For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on display  18 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a front view of a handheld device  30 B, which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  34  may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  34  may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     The handheld device  30 B may include an enclosure  36  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the display  18 , which may display indicator icons  39 . The indicator icons  39  may indicate, among other things, a cellular signal strength, Bluetooth connection, and/or battery life. The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, an I/O port for a hard wired connection for charging and/or content manipulation using a connector and protocol, such as the Lightning connector provided by Apple Inc., a universal serial bus (e.g., USB), one or more conducted RF connectors, or other connectors and protocols. 
     User input structures  40  and  42 , in combination with the display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  30 B. For example, the input structure  40  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  30 B, one of the input structures  42  may navigate user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  30 B, while other of the input structures  42  may provide volume control, or may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. Additional input structures  42  may also include a microphone may obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker to allow for audio playback and/or certain phone capabilities. The input structures  42  may also include a headphone input to provide a connection to external speakers and/or headphones. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a front view of another handheld device  30 C, which represents another embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  30 C may represent, for example, a tablet computer, or one of various portable computing devices. By way of example, the handheld device  30 C may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device  10 , which may be, for example, a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , a computer  30 D may represent another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1 . The computer  30 D may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a standalone media player or video gaming machine. By way of example, the computer  30 D may be an iMac®, a MacBook®, or other similar device by Apple Inc. It should be noted that the computer  30 D may also represent a personal computer (e.g., PC) by another manufacturer. A similar enclosure  36  may be provided to protect and enclose internal components of the computer  30 D such as the dual-layer display  18 . In certain embodiments, a user of the computer  30 D may interact with the computer  30 D using various peripheral input devices, such as the keyboard  22  or mouse  38 , which may connect to the computer  30 D via a wired and/or wireless I/O interface  24 . 
     Similarly,  FIG. 6  depicts a wearable electronic device  30 E representing another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  that may be configured to operate using the techniques described herein. By way of example, the wearable electronic device  30 E, which may include a wristband  43 , may be an Apple Watch® by Apple, Inc. However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device  30 E may include any wearable electronic device such as, for example, a wearable exercise monitoring device (e.g., e.g., pedometer, accelerometer, heart rate monitor), or other device by another manufacturer. The display  18  of the wearable electronic device  30 E may include a touch screen (e.g., e.g., LCD, OLED display, active-matrix organic light emitting diode (e.g., AMOLED) display, and so forth), which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the wearable electronic device  30 E. 
     As mentioned previously, it is often desirable for various electronic devices to communicate with one another. In view of the various disadvantages associated with traditional cabling and wireless solutions, many situations may arise where a conducted RF link represents a desirable alternative to facilitate such communication. Indeed, in a communication scenario that would benefit from relatively high bandwidth and relatively low power consumption, a conducted RF link represents a good option. One such example is illustrated in  FIG. 7 , where a video that is stored on or is streaming from a tablet computing device  30 C is coupled to a television  50  via a conducted RF link  52 . In this example, a relatively simple cable may be run between the I/O interface  24  of the tablet computer  30 C to an appropriate input of the television  50 , as illustrated. Alternatively, a pad  54  may be coupled to an appropriate input of the television  50  by a conducted RF link  52 A. The pad  54  may include surface contacts  56  that may interface with surface contacts (not shown) on the back of the tablet computer  30 C, or other electronic device, so that the tablet computer  30 C may simply be laid upon the pad  54  such that its surface contacts align with the contacts  56  to facilitate the conducted RF communication. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , to provide various communication options, the I/O interface  24  of the electronic device  10  may include a variety of traditional conductive ports  58  as well as a wireless communications device such as a wireless module  60 . The wireless module  60  may include one or more wireless cores  61  that may be coupled to one or more antennae  62  and one or more conductive RF ports  64 .  FIG. 9  illustrates one example of a wireless module  60 A, which includes a WiFi/Bluetooth® 2×2 core  61  that feeds three antennas  62 A,  62 B and  62 C and one conducted RF port  64 . As can be seen, the WiFi/Bluetooth® core  61  can output a 2.4 GHz signal or Bluetooth® signal from core  0  on line  66 , a 2.4 GHz signal from core  1  on line  68 , a 5 GHz signal from core  1  on line  70 , and a 5 GHz signal from core  0  on line  72 . A first switch  74  can deliver the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal or Bluetooth® signal from core  0  through an amplifier  76 A to the antenna  62 A or through a combiner  78  to the conducted RF port  64 . The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signals from core  1  on lines  68  and  70  may be delivered through a multiplexor  80  to a second switch  82 . The switch  82  may deliver one of these WiFi signals through the combiner  78  to the conducted RF port  64 , or through an amplifier  76 B to the second antenna  62 B. The 5 GHz signal from core  0  on line  72  may be delivered through an amplifier  76 C to the third antenna  62 C. 
     As mentioned previously, one of the advantages of communicating using the conducted RF link is that it may use less power than communicating wirelessly because the RF signal produced by the core  61  may not need to be amplified prior to transmission. Indeed, in some circumstances the RF signal produced by the core  61  may be attenuated using an attenuator  84  prior to transmission via the conducted RF port  64 . For example, a −10 dB attenuator may be used. To provide further power savings, the amplifiers  76 A,  76 B, and/or  76 C may be turned off during periods when signals are being provided via the conducted RF port  64  rather than the respective antennas  62 A,  62 B, and  62 C. 
     The wireless module  60 A can operate in different modes, depending upon the positions of the switches  74  and  82 . For example, the wireless module  60 A can operate in single in, single out (SISO) mode where one link outputs WiFi and the other link outputs Bluetooth®. Alternatively, the wireless module  60  can operate in multiple in, multiple out (MIMO), where both links can output WiFi simultaneously.  FIG. 10  illustrates one example in which the first switch  74  is operating the Bluetooth® link in a time division duplex fashion. As illustrated, the switch  74  may be in position  1  while communicating with a wireless mouse and a wireless headset via the antenna  62 A, and then switch to position  2  to communicate with a conducted RF accessory via the conducted RF port  64 . Similarly,  FIG. 11  illustrates a conducted RF accessory running on a WiFi link, such as an Apple wireless direct link (AWDL). In this situation, the second switch  82  is in position  2  while communicating with the home WiFi, and then switches to position  1  to communicate with the conducted RF accessory. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 12 , at any given time either the conducted RF Bluetooth® accessory is active or WiFi MIMO is active. Similarly, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the WiFi may operate in SISO and the conducted Bluetooth® accessory will operate at the same time. 
     It should be understood that the wireless module  60 A and the manner in which it operates as described with respect to  FIGS. 9-13  above represents merely a single set of examples of how the wireless module  60  may be structured and may operate. Indeed, it should be understood that using a 2×2 core  61 , the wireless module  60  may include up to four antennas  62  and up to four conducted RF ports  64 . Accordingly, as another example,  FIG. 14  illustrates a wireless module  60 B, which is identical to the wireless module  60 A except with the addition of a third switch  88 , a second attenuator  84 B, and a second conducted RF link  62 B. Furthermore, it should be understood that the above examples utilize a single wireless core  61  to perform both wireless and conducted RF functions. However, an electronic device could include a wireless module  60 C as illustrated in  FIG. 15  that has a wireless core  61  that provides outputs solely to conducted RF links  64 A,  64 B,  64 C and  64 D, either with or without an additional wireless core  61  to handle traditional wireless communication. 
     It should be understood that various configuration scenarios may be envisioned, with respect to the wireless module  60 A illustrated in  FIG. 9 , for example, depending upon which radio is active, the coexistence scenario, and the switch positions, and that these different configuration scenarios can affect the bandwidth or throughput of the wireless links and the conducted RF link. Various configuration scenarios are illustrated in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . For various active radio scenarios listed in Column I, the charts illustrated in  FIGS. 16 and 17  demonstrate the type of signals that may be used by an accessory listed in Column II, along with the various coexistence scenarios, throughputs, and switch positions listed in columns III-VIII, respectively. 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row A, it should be noted that the radio is not active. In other words, no wireless signals are being sent to any of the antennas  62 A,  62 B, or  62 C. Rather, an accessory coupled to the conducted RF port  64  either receives a Bluetooth® signal or a WiFi signal. In the first scenario, switch  74  is in position  2 , and switch  82  is in position  3 . Hence, the Bluetooth® signal is delivered from the wireless core  61  on line  66  and sent through the combiner  78  and attenuator  84  to the conducted RF port  64 . In the second scenario, switch  74  is in position  3  and switch  82  is in position  1 . Hence, either the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  68  or the 5 GHz Wifi on line  70  is delivered through the switch  82 , the combiner  78 , and the attenuator  84  to the conducted RF port  64 . 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row B, the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal is available for transmission on one or more of the antennas  62 , while either the Bluetooth® signal, a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal, or a 5 GHz WiFi signal is available to be sent to the conducted RF port  64 . In the first scenario, switch  74  is position  2  and the switch  82  is in position  2 . Hence, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , and the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  68  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. In the second scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1  and  2 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2  and  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2  respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A and a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  68  is delivered to antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are delivered any of the antennas  62 A-C. It should be noted that the throughput (e.g., bandwidth) speeds in Columns IV-VI is dependent on the duty cycle created by the switches  74  and  82 . In the third scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1  and  2 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2  and  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, and the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  68  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are received by the antennas  62 A-C. Finally, in the fourth scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1  and  3 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2  and  1 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the 2.4 GHz WiFi signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  3  and  1 , respectively, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are sent to any of the antennas  62 A-C. 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row C, one or more of the antenna  62  will receive a 5 GHz WiFi signal, while the conducted RF port  64  will receive either the Bluetooth® signal, a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal, or a 5 GHz WiFi signal. In the first scenario, the switch  74  is in position  2  and the switch  82  is in position  2 . Hence, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. In the second scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  3  and  2 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2  and  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  3  and  2 , respectively, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on the line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64  while the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. In the third scenario, the switch  74  remains in position  3 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2  and  1 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  3  and  2 , respectively, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B, while the 5 GHz signal on the line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  3  and  1 , respectively, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row D, the Bluetooth® signal is available on the antenna  62 A, while either the Bluetooth® signal, a 2.4 GHz signal, or a 5 GHz signal is available on the conducted RF port  64 . In the first scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1  and  2 , while the switch  82  remains in position  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  in positions  1  and  3 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while no signals are available on the conducted RF port  64  or the antennas  62 B and  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are sent to any of the antennas  62 A- 62 C. In the second scenario, the switches  74  and  82  remain in positions  1  and  1 , respectively. Hence, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while either the 2.4 GHz signal on line  68  or the 5 GHz on line  70  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 . 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row E, the Bluetooth® signal and a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal are available on the antennas  62 , while either the Bluetooth® signal, a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal, or a 5 GHz signal WiFi is available on the conducted RF port  64 . In the first scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1 ,  1 , and  2 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  3 ,  2 , and  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  3 , respectively, either the Bluetooth® signal or the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while no signals are sent to the conducted RF port  64  or the antennas  62 B and  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in the positions  1  and  2 , respectively, either the Bluetooth® signal or the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 2.4 GHz signal line  68  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are sent to any of the antennas  62 A-C. In the second scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1 ,  1 , and  2 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  3 ,  2 , and  3 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  3 , respectively, either the Bluetooth® signal or the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while no signals are sent to the conducted RF port  64  or the antenna  62 B or  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, either the Bluetooth® signal or the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 2.4 GHz signal on line  68  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  3 , respectively, the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are sent to any of the antennas  62 A-C. In the third scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1 ,  1 , and  3 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  3 ,  2 , and  1 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  3 , respectively, either the Bluetooth® signal or the 2.4 GHz signal on line  66  is delivered to antenna  62 A, while no signals are delivered to the conducted RF port  64  or antennas  62 B and  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  3  and  1 , respectively, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , while no signals are delivered to the antennas  62 A- 62 C. 
     For the scenario illustrated in Row F, the Bluetooth® signal and a 5 GHz WiFi signal are available on the antennas  62 , while either the Bluetooth® signal, a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal, or a 5 GHz signal WiFi is available on the conducted RF port  64 . In the first scenario, the switch  74  toggles between positions  1 ,  1 , and  2 , while the switch  82  remains in position  2 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is sent to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in the positions  1  and  2 , respectively, in the next phase, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  2  and  2 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 , and the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. In the second scenario, the switch  74  remains in position  1 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2 ,  2 , and  1 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, in the next phase, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  1 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 2.4 GHz signal on line  68  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 . In the third scenario, the switch  74  remains in position  1 , while the switch  82  toggles between positions  2 ,  2 , and  1 . When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  2 , respectively, in the next phase, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to the antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the antenna  62 B and the 5 GHz signal on line  72  is delivered to the antenna  62 C. When the switches  74  and  82  are in positions  1  and  1 , respectively, the Bluetooth® signal on line  66  is delivered to antenna  62 A, while the 5 GHz signal on line  70  is delivered to the conducted RF port  64 . 
     Finally, it should be understood that the accessories that may be used to communicate with the electronic device via the conducted RF link  64  may include a suitable demodulator that receives the modulated analog RF signal and demodulates it to recover the digital signal that is being transmitted between the devices, as well as a suitable modulator for converting digital data to a modulated analog RF signal so that it can be transmitted back to the device  10  via a conducted RF link. Similarly, although it is not shown, the wireless module  60  may include a demodulator for receiving the RF signal transmitted back to the electronic device  10  from the accessory. 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150930
Publication Date: 20170822
Grant Date: 20170822
Priority Date: 20150529
Inventors: LIU HSIN-YUO
SEN INDRANIL S.
NARANG MOHIT
AGBOH PETER M.
CABALLERO RUBEN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "Y02B60/50", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0274", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/008", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W88/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0274", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/80", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/80", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W88/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0274", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D30/70", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D30/70", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 57399380