Communication of wireless signals through physical barriers

• US 10,425,905 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2019
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pivotal Commware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pivotal Commware, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Eric James, Cavcic, Mersad, Deutsch, Brian Mark, Katko, Alexander Remley, McCandless, Jay Howard, Rea, Adam Deloss, Rutledge, Ryan Dale, Hitchen, Shannon Lee, Abadi, Seyed Ali Malek, Read, Jordan Philip Dole{hacek over (z)}ilek
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US16/358,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/364 using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/14 Separate analysis of uplink or downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

A system for transmitting and receiving wireless signals through a physical barrier, such as walls or windows, to wireless computing devices that are located internal to a structure that is formed in part by the physical barrier. The wireless signals are millimeter waveforms with gigahertz frequencies that are communicated with 5G communication protocols by one or more remote base station nodes located external to the physical barrier. One or more external antennas are configured to communicate RF wireless signals with HMA waveforms to remote wireless base station. In one or more embodiments, the RF wireless signals are amplified and communicated bi-statically through the window barrier between customer premises equipment and an authorized remote wireless base station.

Claims

1. A method for communicating RF wireless signals between a remote wireless base station and customer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

employing an RF communication device to perform actions, including;

configuring one or more external antennas to communicate RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station, wherein the configuration includes one or more of a direction or a shape of a waveform provided by the one or more external antennas for communicating the RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station;

employing one or more amplifiers to provide a separately selectable gain to an upload RF wireless signal and provide another separately selectable gain to a download RF wireless signal, wherein the upload RF wireless signal is communicated to the remote wireless base station and the one or more internal antennas are employed to communicate the download RF wireless signal with the other separate gain to the CPE;

adjusting a scan impedance of the one or more external antennas to improve communication by the one or more external antennas of the upload and download RF wireless signals through a barrier; and

in response to a value of a power of the upload RF wireless signal meeting a threshold, determining that the CPE is in communication with an authorized RF wireless base station, wherein the gain and the other gain are adjusted to improve communication of the upload and download RF wireless signals between the CPE and the authorized remote wireless base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CPE is in communication with the authorized RF wireless base station further comprises, adjusting the one or more of the direction or the shape of the waveform to further improve communication of the upload and download RF signals with the authorized remote RF wireless base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the separate gain and the other separate gain further comprises, employing a bi-static amplifier to simultaneously provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the separate gain and the other separate gain further comprises, employing a bi-directional amplifier to provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions, including enabling one or more of an application or a web page to enable a user to wirelessly communicate with the RF communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing one or more RF couplers to communicate the upload and download RF signals through the barrier, wherein the one or more RF couplers include near field couplers, glass field couplers, or inductive couplers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing one or more arrays of patch antennas to communicate the upload and download RF signals through a glass barrier, and wherein the one or more arrays of patch antennas are slanted 35 to 60 degrees from an orientation of a communication path through the glass barrier to improve impedance matching with the glass barrier during communication of the upload and download RF wireless signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing automatic gain control to provide separately selectable gains for the upload and download RF wireless signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing a radome that incorporates wide angle impedance match material to increase the separate gains of the upload and download RF wireless signals communicated by the one or more external antennas.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing an RF isolation spacer when simultaneously communicating upload and download signals through the barrier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing the one or more CPEs to communicate the wireless signals in a communication format that is compatible with one or more of a wireless communication device or a wired communication device that is disposed on the interior side of the barrier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising positioning all of the components of the RF communication device on an exterior surface of the barrier, positioning all of the components of the RF communication device on an interior surface of the barrier, or positioning a portion of the components of the RF communication device on the exterior surface and positioning another portion of the components of the RF communication device on the interior surface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF communication device further comprises employing one or more low power electrical sources that include one or more of a solar cell, inductive charger, or a battery.

14. An apparatus for communicating RF wireless signals with a remote wireless base station and customer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

one or more external antennas;

one or more internal antennas;

one or more amplifiers; and

processing circuitry that is arranged to perform actions, including;

configuring the one or more external antennas to communicate RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station, wherein the configuration includes one or more of a direction or a shape of a waveform provided by the one or more external antennas for communicating the RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station;

employing the one or more amplifiers to provide a separately selectable gain to an upload RF wireless signal and provide another separately selectable gain to a download RF wireless signal, wherein the upload RF wireless signal is communicated to the remote wireless base station and the one or more internal antennas are employed to communicate the download RF wireless signal with the other separate gain to the CPE;

adjusting a scan impedance of the one or more external antennas to improve communication by the one or more external antennas of the upload and download RF wireless signals through a barrier; and

in response to a value of a power of the upload RF wireless signal meeting a threshold, determining that the CPE is in communication with an authorized RF wireless base station, wherein the gain and the other gain are separately adjusted to improve communication of the upload and download RF wireless signals between the CPE and the authorized remote wireless base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein determining the CPE is in communication with the authorized RF wireless base station further comprises, adjusting the one or more of the direction or the shape of the waveform to further improve communication of the upload and download RF signals with the authorized remote RF wireless base station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more amplifiers further comprise a bi-static amplifier to simultaneously provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more amplifiers further comprise a bi-directional amplifier to provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a wireless interface that enables a user to employ one or more of an application or a web page to wirelessly communicate with the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry performs further actions comprising employing one or more RF couplers to communicate the upload and download RF signals through the barrier, wherein the one or more RF couplers include near field couplers, glass field couplers, or inductive couplers.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry performs further actions comprising employing one or more arrays of patch antennas to communicate the upload and download RF signals through a glass barrier, and wherein the one or more arrays of patch antennas are slanted 35 to 60 degrees from an orientation of a communication path through the glass barrier to improve impedance matching with the glass barrier during communication of the upload and download RF wireless signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry performs further actions comprising employing automatic gain control to provide separately selectable gains for the upload and download RF wireless signals.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a radome that incorporates wide angle impedance match material to increase the separately selectable gains of the upload and download RF wireless signals communicated by the one or more external antennas.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an RF isolation spacer when simultaneously communicating upload and download RF signals through the barrier.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the RF communication device performs further actions comprising employing the one or more CPEs to communicate the wireless signals in a communication format that is compatible with one or more of a wireless communication device or a wired communication device that is disposed on the interior side of the barrier.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising positioning all of the components of the RF communication device on an exterior surface of the barrier, positioning all of the components of the RF communication device on an interior surface of the barrier, or positioning a portion of the components of the RF communication device on the exterior surface and positioning another portion of the components of the RF communication device on the interior surface.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising one or more low power electrical sources that include one or more of a solar cell, inductive charger, or a battery.

27. A processor readable non-transitory storage medium that includes instructions for communicating RF wireless signals between a remote wireless base station and customer premises equipment (CPE), wherein execution of the instructions by processing circuitry of an RF communication device, performs actions comprising:

configuring one or more external antennas to communicate RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station, wherein the configuration includes one or more of a direction or a shape of a waveform provided by the one or more external antennas for communicating the RF wireless signals with the remote wireless base station;

employing one or more amplifiers to provide a separately selectable gain to an upload RF wireless signal and provide another separately selectable gain to a download RF wireless signal, wherein the upload RF wireless signal is communicated to the remote wireless base station and the one or more internal antennas are employed to communicate the download RF wireless signal with the other separate gain to the CPE;

adjusting a scan impedance of the one or more external antennas to improve communication by the one or more external antennas of the upload and download RF wireless signals through a barrier; and

in response to a value of a power of the upload RF wireless signal meeting a threshold, determining that the CPE is in communication with an authorized RF wireless base station, wherein the gain and the other gain are adjusted to improve communication of the upload and download RF wireless signals between the CPE and the authorized remote wireless base station.

28. The processor readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 27, wherein the actions further comprise one of:

employing a bi-static amplifier to simultaneously provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals;

or

employing a bi-directional amplifier to provide separately selectable gains to the upload and download RF wireless signals.