Methods for maintaining line-of-sight communications

• US 10,165,426 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jiang, Yi, Yong, Siwen, Wu, Jiangfeng, Zhang, Lijun, Pascolini, Mattia
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/630,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20180376275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with wireless communications circuitry and control circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include millimeter wave transceiver circuitry and a phased antenna array. The phased antenna array may transmit and receive millimeter wave signals. Beam steering circuitry may be coupled to the phased antenna array and may be adjusted to steer the millimeter wave signals in a particular direction. The control circuitry may track the location of an external device using sensor data. The control circuitry may control a mechanical positioner to mechanically adjust an orientation of the phased antenna array and/or may control the beam steering circuitry to steer the millimeter wave signals towards the location of the external device. In this way, a line of sight millimeter wave communications link may be maintained between the phased antenna array and the external device even if the external device moves over time.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to communicate with an external device, the electronic device comprising:

antennas arranged in a phased array and configured to transmit and receive millimeter wave signals;

beam steering circuitry coupled to the phased array;

a mechanical positioner coupled to the antennas; and

control circuitry configured to;

mechanically adjust a position of at least one antenna in the phased array to direct the millimeter wave signals towards a location of the external device by controlling the mechanical positioner; and

steer the millimeter wave signals towards the location of the external device by controlling the beam steering circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the beam steering circuitry to steer the millimeter wave signals towards the location of the external device after the mechanical positioner mechanically adjusts the position of the at least one antenna in the phased array.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

sensor circuitry configured to generate sensor data, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify the location of the external device based on the generated sensor data.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the beam steering circuitry comprises a plurality of phase controller circuits each of which is coupled to a corresponding antenna in the phased array, and the control circuitry is configured to control the beam steering circuitry to steer the millimeter wave signals by adjusting phases provided by the plurality of phase controller circuits.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive information identifying the location of the external device from the external device.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the mechanical positioner to mechanically adjust the position of the at least one antenna in the phased array concurrently with steering the millimeter wave signals using the beam steering circuitry.

6. A method of operating an electronic device to communicate with first, second, and third external devices, wherein the electronic device includes control circuitry and a phased antenna array coupled to the control circuitry, the method comprising:

with the phased antenna array, performing millimeter wave communications with the first external device over a first millimeter wave link;

with the control circuitry, determining whether the first millimeter wave link satisfies a wireless performance criterion; and

in response to determining that the first millimeter wave link fails to satisfy the wireless performance criterion, instructing the second external device to perform millimeter wave communications with the first external device and performing millimeter wave communications with the third external device over a second millimeter wave link.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein the electronic device further comprises beam steering circuitry coupled to the phased antenna array and performing millimeter wave communications with the third external device further comprises, with the control circuitry, controlling the beam steering circuitry to steer millimeter wave signals towards the third external device.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein performing millimeter wave communications with the third external device further comprises, with the control circuitry, mechanically adjusting an orientation of the phased antenna array.

9. The method defined in claim 6, wherein instructing the second external device to perform millimeter wave communications with the first external device comprises:

instructing the second external device to locate the first external device; and

receiving a response signal from the second external device when the first external device has been located by the second external device.