Switching to a Single Radio Chain for Voice Communications

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, devices, and program products for selecting a wireless transmission mechanism. A computing device receives a request to begin a full-duplex voice communication session with a remote computing system. The computing device identifies that it has wirelessly connected to both a WWAN access point and a WLAN access point. The computing device determines whether a level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device falls beneath a threshold level of data, and as a result, switches to using a single one of multiple WLAN radio chains. The computing device communicates data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, including voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for selecting a wireless transmission mechanism, comprising:
 performing, by a computing device, a full-duplex voice communication session with a remote computing system, wherein the computing device includes a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio chain arranged to communicate using WWAN technology and multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) radio chains arranged to communicate using WLAN technology;   identifying, by the computing device, that the computing device has wirelessly connected to both a WWAN access point that is communicating using the WWAN technology and a WLAN access point that is communicating using the WLAN technology;   determining, by the computing device and while the computing device is communicating data over a single one of multiple WLAN radio chains in support of the full-duplex voice communication session, that a level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is greater than a threshold level of data; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is greater than the threshold level of data, from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, and communicating data over the WWAN radio chain in support of the full-duplex voice communication session, wherein communicating data over the WWAN radio chain includes transmitting and receiving the voice session data, and transmitting or receiving the non-voice session data.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the computing device had been communicating data over more than one of the multiple WLAN radio chains prior to the computing device using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the computing device is configured to communicate data over the WWAN radio chain, including the voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session, as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device does not fall beneath the threshold level of data. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device and while the computing device is communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, that a quality of WLAN communications drops below a threshold quality level; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the quality of WLAN communications dropped below the threshold quality level, from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, and communicating data over the WWAN radio chain, including voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device and after switching from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is less than a second threshold level of data that is less than the threshold level of data; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is less than the second threshold level of data, from using the WWAN radio chain to using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, and communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, including voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the computing device communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, including the voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session, is further in distinction to the computing device communicating data over the WWAN radio chain, such that data is being transmitted over only the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains includes a first amplifier and a first antenna;   a second one of the multiple WLAN radio chains includes a second amplifier and a second antenna;   the WWAN radio chain includes a third amplifier and a third antenna; and   the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna are physically separated from each another.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the WLAN technology comprises Wi-Fi technology; and   the WWAN technology comprises cellular technology that uses one or more of Global System for Mobiles (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), or Long-Term Evolution (LTE).   
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 communications using one or more of the WLAN radio chains communicate using center channel frequencies between 2 GHz and 30 GHz; and   communications using the WWAN radio chain communicate using center channel frequencies between 300 MHz and 2000 MHz.   
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt comprises a trend level at which non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt is increasing or decreasing. 
     
     
         31 . A computing device, comprising:
 a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio chain arranged to communicate using wireless WWAN technology;   multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) radio chains arranged to communicate using WLAN technology;   one or more processors; and   one or more computer-readable devices including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of operations that include:   performing, by a computing device, a full-duplex voice communication session with a remote computing system, wherein the computing device includes a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio chain arranged to communicate using WWAN technology and multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) radio chains arranged to communicate using WLAN technology;   identifying, by the computing device, that the computing device has wirelessly connected to both a WWAN access point that is communicating using the WWAN technology and a WLAN access point that is communicating using the WLAN technology;   determining, by the computing device and while the computing device is communicating data over a single one of multiple WLAN radio chains in support of the full-duplex communication session, that a level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is greater than a threshold level of data; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is greater than the threshold level of data, from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, and communicating data over the WWAN radio chain in support of the full-duplex communication session, wherein communicating data over the WWAN radio chain includes transmitting and receiving the voice session data, and transmitting or receiving the non-voice session data.   
     
     
         32 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the computing device had been communicating data over more than one of the multiple WLAN radio chains prior to the computing device using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains. 
     
     
         33 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the computing device is configured to communicate data over the WWAN radio chain, including the voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session, as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device does not fall beneath the threshold level of data. 
     
     
         34 . The computing device of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device and while the computing device is communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, that a quality of WLAN communications drops below a threshold quality level; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the quality of WLAN communications dropped below the threshold quality level, from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, and communicating data over the WWAN radio chain, including voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session.   
     
     
         35 . The computing device of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device and after switching from using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains to using the WWAN radio chain, that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is less than a second threshold level of data that is less than the threshold level of data; and   switching, by the computing device as a result of the computing device having determined that the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt by the computing device is less than the second threshold level of data, from using the WWAN radio chain to using the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, and communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, including voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session.   
     
     
         36 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the computing device communicating data over the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains, including the voice session data from the full-duplex voice communication session, is further in distinction to the computing device communicating data over the WWAN radio chain, such that data is being transmitted over only the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains. 
     
     
         37 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the single one of the multiple WLAN radio chains includes a first amplifier and a first antenna;   a second one of the multiple WLAN radio chains includes a second amplifier and a second antenna;   the WWAN radio chain includes a third amplifier and a third antenna; and   the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna are physically separated from each another.   
     
     
         38 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the WLAN technology comprises Wi-Fi technology; and   the WWAN technology comprises cellular technology that uses one or more of Global System for Mobiles (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), or Long-Term Evolution (LTE).   
     
     
         39 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein:
 communications using one or more of the WLAN radio chains communicate using center channel frequencies between 2 GHz and 30 GHz; and   communications using the WWAN radio chain communicate using center channel frequencies between 300 MHz and 2000 MHz.   
     
     
         40 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the level of non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt comprises a trend level at which non-voice session data that is queued for transmission or receipt is increasing or decreasing.