Network repeater system

• US 10,574,336 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components San Diego Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ethertronics, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Desclos, Laurent, Shamblin, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US16/454,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20190319695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations

Abstract

A system is described where antenna beam steering techniques are implemented to optimize time and frequency channel resources in wireless communication systems where repeaters are used. Beam steering modes of the antenna systems in the repeaters as well as the nodes are optimized to improve system capacity and load balancing. Client devices in a wireless LAN system can be configured to work as repeaters, with the repeaters containing a beam steering capability. The beam steering capability can be implemented in one or multiple nodes and repeaters in the communication system.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a communication network, comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a first communication link quality metric associated with a communication link between a first node and a repeater;

accessing, by the processor, a second communication link quality metric associated with a communication link between the repeater and each of one or more client devices;

configuring, by the processor, a modal antenna of a repeater in the communication system in one of a plurality of antenna modes based at least in part on the first communication link quality metric and the second communication link quality metric, wherein each antenna mode is associated with a distinct radiation pattern characteristic;

wherein the first node comprises a second modal antenna;

wherein the method comprises configuring the second modal antenna in one of a plurality of radiation modes based at least in part on the first communication link quality metric and the second communication link quality metric, wherein each antenna mode is associated with a distinct radiation pattern characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the modal antenna of the repeater is based at least in part on load balancing of the communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeater is a client device in the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node is a wireless network access point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modal antenna of the repeater is coupled to a transmit circuit of the repeater.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the first node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprising:

detecting a failure of the repeater; and

configuring a client device in the communication network to act as a repeater.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises selecting one of the first node or the repeater to communicate with a client device based at least in part on the first communication link quality metric and the second communication link quality metric.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication link quality metric comprises Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR), Receive Signal Sensitivity Indicator (RSSI), or Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication link quality metric comprises Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR), Receive Signal Sensitivity Indicator (RSSI), or Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS).