Radio apparatuses for long-range communication of radio-frequency information

• US 10,284,268 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Schulz, Gary D., Odlyzko, Paul, Rawlings, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US15/550,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 36167953, 361699, 361702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/036 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing

Abstract

Radio apparatuses and methods for MIMO matrix phasing that may be used to toggle and/or weight the amount of MIMO processing based on the detected level of isolation between different polarizations of the system. Also described herein are apparatuses including auto-range and/or auto-scaling of a signal strength indicator to aid in precise alignment of the apparatus. Any of these apparatuses and methods may also include dynamic power boosting that adjusts the power (e.g., power amplifier) for an RF apparatus based on the data rate. These apparatuses may include a housing enclosing the radio device that includes a plurality of pin elements that may act as heat transfer pins and a ground pin for making a ground connection to the post or pole to which the devices is mounted.

Claims

1. A radio apparatus for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a front and a back, the back adapted for mounting to a post;

radio circuitry for transmitting and receiving RF signals housed within the housing;

a plurality of more than 10 cooling pins extending from the back, wherein the pins are arranged to produce a turbulent airflow between the back of the housing and the post;

a grounding pin extending from the back and configured to form an electrical ground connection between the post and the radio circuitry; and

an indicator on the front of the housing configured to display an auto-scaled signal strength indicator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling pins have a length that is 15 mm or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the back of the housing comprises aluminum.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power amplifier within the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein further comprising power boost circuitry coupled to a power amplifier within the housing, the power boost circuitry adapted to operate the power amplifier within a linear range as the power amplifier is operated at different levels for different data rates.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling pins have a diameter of between about 1 mm and 10 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling pins are arranged in rows.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling pins are configured to have a plurality of different heights between about 2 mm and about 15 mm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged as a bar display.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry within the housing configured to determine an ideal signal strength and to normalize an actual signal strength to the ideal signal strength for display by the indicator.