Technology for Wifi/Bluetooth and Wimax Coexistence
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Technology for WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX Coexistence Taiji Kondo Hiroshi Fujita Makoto Yoshida Tamio Saito (Manuscript received April 6, 2009) Mobile Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Mobile WiMAX) is useful as next-generation wireless broadband access technology based on OFDMA. For it to proliferate, the radio interference between WiMAX, which is operated on the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands, and WiFi/Bluetooth, which is located on the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band (2.4 GHz), needs to be resolved. Fujitsu has developed some proprietary coexistence technology as an effective way to do this, until a countermeasure of enhancing the IEEE specification is deployed in a few years. Our developed coexistence technology does not require any modifications to be made to the current specifications for backward compatibility. It works by using automatic repeat requests (ARQ). There were concerns about the technology’s adverse effect on system throughput, but no such effect was observed when operating at 75% of system capacity or less. We evaluated this in a simulation. This paper describes the issues regarding WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX coexistence, and Fujitsu’s proprietary coexistence technology. 1. Introduction The commercial operation of Mobile WiMAX Along with the recent proliferation of was started in September 2008 in the U.S., systems such as cell phones (cellular system) ahead of other countries, and began in Japan and wireless LAN, there has been growing in February 2009. The service is operated on demand for broadband connection by wireless the 2.5 GHz band in the two countries and the means. As a next-generation wireless broadband bandwidth is 10 MHz. Licensed bands are used technology to address this need, Mobile WiMAX to operate WiMAX in both cases and planar (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave deployment of base stations is planned as with Access) is attracting attention. Mobile WiMAX cellular networks. However, the 2.5 GHz band is a system based on the Orthogonal Frequency assigned for Mobile WiMAX is adjacent to the Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) method, Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band and it has already been standardized as IEEE (2.4 GHz), and an adverse effect due to mutual 802.16e.1),2) Its specifications have been globally interference between the two systems has been a stipulated as the sixth air interface of the 3G concern from the beginning. mobile telecommunications system (IMT-2000). To resolve this problem, the WiMAX Forum, The system currently covers a wide range of an industry-led organization that formulates frequency bands from the 2 GHz band to the the system’s operation specifications, has been 3.8 GHz band and its high capabilities have discussing whether to add a mechanism to the opened up a way for its potential application to IEEE Standards3) to ensure coexistence between an even wider range of frequency bands. WiMAX and ISM band communication systems. 72 FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 72–78 (January 2010) T. Kondo et al.: Technology for WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX Coexistence However, the standardization and revision Table 1 WiMAX/ISM band communication system operational process has been delayed and the first base station frequency band. Frequency band Bandwidth capable of this function will likely appear in the Band Class Index (GHz) (MHz) second half of 2010 at the earliest. In addition, 8.75, base stations with the system coexistence 1 2.3–2.4 5, function implemented do not have guaranteed 10 3.5, compatibility with the existing base stations 2.305–2.320, 2 5, 2.345–2.360 and the base stations currently in operation 10 will need to be replaced, which is hindering the 3 2.496–2.69 5, 10 proliferation of WiMAX technology. At least for 4 3.3–3.4 5, 7, 10 a few years after the service launch, the difficulty 3.4–3.8, 5, 5 3.4–3.6, 7, of coexistence with the ISM band communication 3.6–3.8 10 systems, especially with WiFi and Bluetooth that WiFi 2.4–2.497 26 have already been widely applied to consumer (IEEE 802.11b/g) Bluetooth 2.402–2.480 1 products, is expected to be a major problem. (IEEE 802.15.1) This paper describes Fujitsu’s proprietary system coexistence technology to achieve coexistence between ISM band communication systems, especially WiFi and Bluetooth, and 3. Examples of system WiMAX without the need for modifying the coexistence existing specifications so as to fill the gap in Inter-system radio interference is likely to service provision due to the difficulty of system cause a problem in applications such as those coexistence. shown in Figure 1. 1) Voice (VoIP) service using Bluetooth 2. WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX headsets [Figure 1 (a)] radio interference issue VoIP is an important application for The operational frequency band for Mobile realizing voice communication in Mobile WiMAX WiMAX is divided into several frequency bands. that provides packet services, and it can be Table 1 shows the Band Class defined by the assumed that existing cell phones have achieved WiMAX Forum. Among these classes, Band VoIP applications using Bluetooth. However, Class 2 (2.3 GHz band) and Band Class 3 Mobile WiMAX and Bluetooth use adjacent (2.5 GHz band) are adjacent to (partially overlap) frequency bands, which means some measures WiFi (IEEE 802.11b/g) and Bluetooth (IEEE are required to suppress interference. The 802.15.1) which operate on the 2.4 GHz band, existing specifications do not assume the need and this causes mutual radio interference. to avoid interference between the Bluetooth and Using band-limiting filters is one way to WiMAX systems and their simultaneous use in suppress the interference between these systems. the present conditions is difficult. However, sufficient frequency intervals required 2) WiFi-WiMAX seamless handover [Figure 1 for filtering cannot be ensured between the WiFi (b)] and WiMAX systems and the Bluetooth and With Mobile WiMAX, video streaming WiMAX systems, and interference is extremely that takes advantage of Mobile WiMAX’s high difficult to suppress. transmission rate is also likely to prove a useful application. Meanwhile, WiFi is widespread as an indoor communication system, and it can FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 46, No. 1 (January 2010) 73 T. Kondo et al.: Technology for WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX Coexistence be used for providing a cost-free broadband the WiMAX Forum prevents radio interference by environment via an access point located at the controlling the coexisting multiple communication user’s home. systems by applying time-division multiplexing Using WiFi to seamlessly maintain a video (TDM) as shown in Figure 2. streaming session that has been started outdoors The system coexistence terminal and Mobile by using Mobile WiMAX indoors essentially WiMAX base station (BS) deliberately stop the requires a seamless handover between the operation of the Mobile WiMAX mobile station systems. As with the previous case, however, (MS) on the terminal, by exchanging TDM control the two systems use neighboring operational frame information called Bit Map. One bit of the frequency bands and simultaneous operation to Bit Map corresponds to a subframe of the Down achieve a handover is extremely difficult because Link (DL) and Up Link (UL) of Mobile WiMAX of the interference factor. frames and the Mobile WiMAX system (BS/MS) functions when Bit = ‘1’. 4. Enhancement of standard The TDM control frames create intermittent The system coexistence method discussed by stop states of the Mobile WiMAX and, during Mobile WiMAX Mobile WiMAX Outdoors Indoors Indoor WiFi access network network point VoIP packet over Mobile WiMAX Bluetooth voice Video streaming over Video streaming over communication Mobile WiMAX WiFi Mobile WiMAX- Bluetooth headset Mobile WiMAX-WiFi Bluetooth coexistence coexistence terminal terminal (a) Voice (VoIP) service using Bluetooth headset (b) WiFi-WiMAX seamless handover Figure 1 Use cases of system coexistence. WiMAX operation only when Bit = ‘1’ UL subframe DL subframe Bit Map: 1 0 1 1 0 0 Mobile WiMAX frame DL UL DL UL DL UL DL UL DL UL DL UL DL UL WiMAX Stopped DL Stopped DL UL Stopped DL Stopped DL UL Stopped operating status Non-interference period WiFi/Bluetooth WiFi/ WiFi/ WiFi/BT Stopped Stopped WiFi/BT Stopped Stopped WiFi/BT operating status BT BT TDM control frame period Figure 2 IEEE 802.16e Rev.2 coexistence specification. 74 FUJITSU Sci. Tech. J., Vol. 46, No. 1 (January 2010) T. Kondo et al.: Technology for WiFi/Bluetooth and WiMAX Coexistence these stop periods without interference, coexistence method that can be realized without WiFi/Bluetooth communication takes place. modifying the current specifications. Conversely, WiFi/Bluetooth transmission is As with the standard enhancement measure, stopped during the Mobile WiMAX operation Fujitsu’s proprietary system coexistence method periods. The TDM control frame period depends prevents radio interference by TDM control, on the required throughput for the respective which is shown in Figure 3. With the proprietary application. system, however, exchange of TDM control frame TDM control by standardization, which information between the BS and MS as in the is an operation coordinated by the system and enhanced standard is not required, and TDM which means that BS can recognize the system control is achieved only with the operation of the coexistence terminal in advance, can be said to be system coexistence terminal (MS). With Mobile the most effective coexistence technology since it WiMAX the BS handles all of the band control, does not influence frequency resources. However, and TDM control requires coordination between to use this method the existing BS needs to be the BS and MS, which is achieved by exchanging replaced or revised and there is a major problem TDM control frame information in the enhanced in terms of compatibility due to the system’s lack standard.