Radio frequency communication systems with coexistence management based on digital observation data

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) communication systems with coexistence management are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a mobile device including a cellular front end system that includes a cellular signal path for a cellular transmit signal. The cellular signal path includes an antenna switch, a first directional coupler before the antenna switch, and a second directional coupler after the antenna switch. The cellular front end system includes a first observation switch receiving a first sensed radio frequency signal from the first directional coupler and a second sensed radio frequency signal from the second directional coupler, and outputting a radio frequency cellular observation signal. The mobile device further includes a cellular transceiver that processes the radio frequency cellular observation signal to generate digital cellular observation data, and a wireless local area network transceiver that receives an RF wireless local area network receive signal and the digital cellular observation data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a cellular front end system including a cellular signal path for a cellular transmit signal, an antenna switch along the cellular signal path, a first directional coupler along the cellular signal path before the antenna switch, a second directional coupler along the cellular signal path after the antenna switch, and a first observation switch having a first input configured to receive a first sensed radio frequency signal from the first directional coupler, a second input configured to receive a second sensed radio frequency signal from the second directional coupler, and an output configured to output a radio frequency cellular observation signal;   a cellular transceiver configured to process the radio frequency cellular observation signal to generate digital cellular observation data; and   a wireless local area network transceiver configured to receive a radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal and the digital cellular observation data.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the wireless local area network transceiver is configured to generate a digital wireless local area network receive signal based on processing the radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal, and to compensate the digital wireless local area network receive signal for radio frequency signal leakage based on the digital cellular observation data. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the digital cellular observation data reflects an amount of direct transmit leakage present in the cellular transmit signal. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the cellular front end system further includes a power amplifier configured to amplify the cellular transmit signal, the first directional coupler coupled to an output of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 4  further comprising an antenna, the second directional coupler coupled between the antenna switch and the antenna. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 4  further comprising a duplexer coupled between the first directional coupler and the antenna switch. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 1  further comprising a second observation switch coupled between the second input of the first observation switch and the second directional coupler. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 7  wherein the cellular transceiver is configured control a transmit power of the cellular transmit signal based on a power control observation signal from the second observation switch. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 1  further comprising a wireless local area network front end system configured to provide the radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal to the wireless local area network transceiver. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 9  further comprising a first antenna coupled to the wireless local area network front end system, and a second antenna coupled to the cellular front end system. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the wireless local area network transceiver is a WiFi transceiver. 
     
     
         12 . A method of coexistence management in a mobile device, the method comprising:
 providing a cellular transmit signal along a cellular signal path through a cellular front end system, the cellular signal path including an antenna switch, a first directional coupler along the cellular signal path before the antenna switch, and a second directional coupler along the cellular signal path after the antenna switch;   outputting a radio frequency cellular observation signal from an output of a first observation switch, the first observation switch having a first input receiving a first sensed radio frequency signal from the first directional coupler and a second input receiving a second sensed radio frequency signal from the second directional coupler;   processing the radio frequency cellular observation signal to generate digital cellular observation data using a cellular transceiver; and   receiving a radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal and the digital cellular observation data as inputs to a wireless local area network transceiver.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising amplifying the cellular transmit signal using a power amplifier, the first directional coupler coupled to an output of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising transmitting the cellular transmit signal on an antenna, the second directional coupler coupled between the antenna switch and the antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising outputting a power control observation signal from a second observation switch that is coupled between the second input of the first observation switch and the second directional coupler. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising controlling a transmit power of the cellular transmit signal based on the power control observation signal using the cellular transceiver. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising processing the radio frequency cellular observation signal to generate a digital observation signal, and sampling the digital observation signal to generate the digital cellular observation data. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the digital cellular observation data reflects an amount of direct transmit leakage present in the cellular transmit signal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising generating a digital wireless local area network receive signal based on processing the radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal using the wireless local area network transceiver, and compensating the digital wireless local area network receive signal for radio frequency signal leakage based on the digital cellular observation data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising receiving the radio frequency wireless local area network receive signal on a first antenna, and transmitting the cellular transmit signal on a second antenna.