Employing correlation measurements to remotely evaluate beam forming antennas

• US 10,524,154 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2019
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pivotal Commware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pivotal Commware, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Eric James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US16/292,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 375219, 375267, 375299
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

A system for evaluating the performance of beam forming antennas based on correlations of signal to noise measurements of individual scattering elements in the antennas. A signal source provides a signal having a first frequency to an input of the antenna. Each of the antenna'"'"'s scattering elements are individually selectable to radiate the signal. A control signal sequentially turns off and on each scattering element while radiating the signal. Also, a characteristic of the signal radiated by each scattering element is separately measured and each difference between the characteristics are identified and compared to one or more threshold values. A report regarding the differences that exceed the threshold value is provided to a user.

Claims

1. A method to manage performance of an antenna with a network computer over a network, wherein one or more processors of the network computer execute instructions to perform actions of the method, comprising:

employing a signal source to provide a signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of scattering elements that are individually selectable to radiate the signal; and

employing a control signal to individually turn off and turn on radiation of the signal by each of the plurality of scattering elements;

determining one or more characteristics of each scattering element that is radiating the signal;

determining one or more differences between the one or more determined characteristics of each scattering element radiating the signal; and

providing a report regarding the one or more determined differences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more differences further comprises:

comparing the one or more differences to one or more threshold values, wherein each scattering element having determined difference that is less than a minimum threshold value is identified as performing correctly, and wherein each scattering element having the one or more differences that are greater than a maximum threshold value is identified as performing incorrectly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more determined characteristics includes a return loss value for each scattering element that correspondingly employs a varactor to turn on and turn off radiation of the signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a confidence level for the one or more determined differences of the plurality of scattering elements; and

reiterating each previous step for the plurality of scattering elements until a number of iterations is equivalent to a value of the confidence level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying one or more characteristics of the signal that include one or more of a phase, or a frequency; and

employing the modified signal to reiterate each previous step for each of the plurality of scattering elements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report further comprises:

providing additional information associated with the antenna over time including one or more of ambient temperature, weather, accelerometer information, maintenance record, or age of the antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna further comprises one or more of an array of antennas or holographic metasurface antennas.

8. A system for managing performance of an antenna with a network computer, comprising:

the network computer includes;

a memory for storing instructions; and

one or more processors that execute the instructions to perform actions, comprising;

employing a signal source to provide a signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of scattering elements that are individually selectable to radiate the signal; and

employing a control signal to individually turn off and turn on radiation of the signal by each of the plurality of scattering elements;

determining one or more characteristics of each scattering element that is radiating the signal;

determining one or more differences between the one or more determined characteristics of each scattering element radiating the signal; and

providing a report regarding the one or more determined differences.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the one or more differences further comprises:

comparing the one or more differences to one or more threshold values, wherein each scattering element having determined difference that is less than a minimum threshold value is identified as performing correctly, and wherein each scattering element having the one or more differences that are greater than a maximum threshold value is identified as performing incorrectly.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more determined characteristics includes a return loss value for each scattering element that correspondingly employs a varactor to turn on and turn off radiation of the signal.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a confidence level for the one or more determined differences of the plurality of scattering elements; and

reiterating each previous step for the plurality of scattering elements until a number of iterations is equivalent to a value of the confidence level.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

modifying one or more characteristics of the signal that include one or more of a phase, or a frequency; and

employing the modified signal to reiterate each previous step for each of the plurality of scattering elements.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the report further comprises:

providing additional information associated with the antenna over time including one or more of ambient temperature, weather, accelerometer information, maintenance record, or age of the antenna.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the antenna further comprises one or more of an array of antennas or holographic metasurface antennas.

15. An antenna that is managed by a network computer, comprising:

an antenna that includes a plurality of scattering elements;

a signal source; and

a communication interface with the network computer, wherein the network computer performs actions, including;

employing a signal source to provide a signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of scattering elements that are individually selectable to radiate the signal; and

employing a control signal to individually turn off and turn on radiation of the signal by each of the plurality of scattering elements;

determining one or more characteristics of each scattering element that is radiating the signal;

determining one or more differences between the one or more determined characteristics of each scattering element radiating the signal; and

providing a report regarding the one or more determined differences.

16. The antenna of claim 15, wherein determining the one or more differences further comprises:

comparing the one or more differences to one or more threshold values, wherein each scattering element having determined difference that is less than a minimum threshold value is identified as performing correctly, and wherein each scattering element having the one or more differences that are greater than a maximum threshold value is identified as performing incorrectly.

17. The antenna of claim 15, wherein the one or more determined characteristics includes a return loss value for each scattering element that correspondingly employs a varactor to turn on and turn off radiation of the signal.

18. The antenna of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a confidence level for the one or more determined differences of the plurality of scattering elements; and

reiterating each previous step for the plurality of scattering elements until a number of iterations is equivalent to a value of the confidence level.

19. The antenna of claim 15, further comprising:

modifying one or more characteristics of the signal that include one or more of a phase, or a frequency; and

employing the modified signal to reiterate each previous step for each of the plurality of scattering elements.

20. The antenna of claim 15, wherein the report further comprises:

providing additional information associated with the antenna over time including one or more of ambient temperature, weather, accelerometer information, maintenance record, or age of the antenna.