Device and method for the power adjustment of a WLAN network

• US 10,455,518 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Fontana, Dino, Jurthe, Sascha
• Primary Examiner(s): George, Ayanah S
• Application Number:
  US15/555,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20180049138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device for the power adjustment of a WLAN network in a bounded space including a first WLAN module in the space, which serves to communicate with at least one second WLAN module located in the space, and at least one reference WLAN module, wherein the reference WLAN module is designed so that WLAN signals from the first WLAN module are received and a signal intensity is determined and transferred to the first WLAN module, wherein the first WLAN module is designed so the transmission power of the first WLAN module is adjusted according to the transferred signal intensity from the reference WLAN module so the received signal intensity at the reference WLAN module is less than a specified threshold value. Also disclosed is a method for the power adjustment of a WLAN network in a bounded space.

Claims

1. A device for adjusting the power of a WLAN network in an interior of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a first WLAN module in the interior, the first WLAN module adapted to communicate with at least one second WLAN module in the interior; and

at least one reference WLAN module,

wherein an antenna of the first WLAN module is positioned at a first location of the motor vehicle, an antenna of the reference WLAN module is positioned at a second location of the motor vehicle spaced apart from the first location and outside of the motor vehicle, the reference WLAN module is configured to determine a signal strength of signals received from the first WLAN module and to transmit the determined signal strength to the first WLAN module, the first WLAN module is configured to adjust a transmission power of the first WLAN module based on the determined signal strength until the received signal strength at the reference WLAN module is less than a first predefined threshold value so that a signal strength of signal transmissions outside of the interior is minimized to minimize interference with other networks outside of the motor vehicle, and the first WLAN module is further configured to adjust the transmission power of the first WLAN module based on the determined signal strength so that the received signal strength at the reference WLAN module is greater than a second predefined threshold value to provide at least a minimum signal strength to the at least one second WLAN module between the first WLAN module and the reference WLAN module.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first WLAN module is assigned to an infotainment system of the motor vehicle or is part of an infotainment system of the vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the reference WLAN module is a car2×

WLAN module.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a bus system that connects the reference WLAN module and the first WLAN module, and the signal strength of the signal from the first WLAN module is transmitted from the reference WLAN module to the first WLAN module across the bus system.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmission power is adjusted continuously, periodically and/or in an event-controlled manner.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first WLAN module and/or the reference WLAN module receive(s) WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module and determines a signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module, a signal is transmitted to the at least one second WLAN module based on the determined signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module, the at least one second WLAN module adjusts transmission power based on the determined signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module so the received signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module at the first WLAN module and/or at the reference WLAN module is less than a predefined threshold value.

7. A method for adjusting the power of a WLAN network in an interior of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal from a first WLAN module in the interior, the first WLAN module adapted to communicate with at least one second WLAN module in the interior;

receiving the signal with a reference WLAN module;

determining a signal strength of the signal with the reference WLAN module;

transmitting the determined signal strength from the reference WLAN module to the first WLAN module; and

adjusting a transmission power of the first WLAN module based on the determined signal strength until the received signal strength at the reference WLAN module is less than a first predefined threshold value and greater than a second predefined threshold value so that a signal strength of signal transmissions outside of the interior is minimized to minimize interference with other networks outside of the motor vehicle and to provide at least a minimum signal strength to the at least one second WLAN module between an antenna of first WLAN module and an antenna of the reference WLAN module, the first predefined threshold value being greater than the second predefined threshold value,

wherein the antenna of the first WLAN module is positioned at a first location of the motor vehicle and the antenna of the reference WLAN module is positioned at a second location of the motor vehicle spaced apart from the first location and outside of the motor vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission power is adjusted continuously, periodically and/or in an event-controlled manner.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first WLAN module and/or the reference WLAN module receive(s) WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module and determines a signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module, a signal is transmitted to the at least one second WLAN module based on the determined signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module, the second WLAN module adjusts transmission power based on the determined signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module so the received signal strength of the WLAN signals from the at least one second WLAN module at the first WLAN module and/or at the reference WLAN module is less than a predefined threshold value.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first WLAN module is assigned to an infotainment system of the motor vehicle or is part of an infotainment system of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference WLAN module is a car2×

WLAN module.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a bus system connects the reference WLAN module and the first WLAN module, and the signal strength of the signal from the first WLAN module is transmitted from the reference WLAN module to the first WLAN module across the bus system.