Methods, devices and systems for increasing wireless communication range

• US 10,581,511 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cassia Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cassia Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Kunpeng, Zhao, Fuyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US15/693,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A device for supporting wireless communication is provided. The device includes a transceiver, an antenna, and a radio frequency (RF) front end system communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the antenna. The RF front end system may include: a RF sampling block coupled to the transceiver and configured to sample signals received from the transceiver and output voltage signals; a RF switching logic coupled to the RF sampling block to receive the voltage signals and configured to switch the front end RF system between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode; a RF transmission gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to increase a transmission power of the signals received from the transceiver; and a RF receiving gain block coupled to the RF switching logic and configured to remove noise signals contained in radio frequency signals received from the antenna.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a Bluetooth signal by a wireless communication device;

sampling the Bluetooth signal by converting a portion of the Bluetooth signal to a voltage signal;

comparing the voltage signal to a threshold signal;

if the voltage signal is greater than the threshold signal, switching the wireless communication device to a transmitting mode;

selecting an antenna configuration from a plurality of antenna configurations based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of antenna configurations; and

using the selected antenna configuration to transmit the remaining signal of the Bluetooth signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, increasing signal power of the remaining signal of the Bluetooth signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, transmitting the increased remaining signal of the Bluetooth signal with the selected antenna configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device receives a plurality of Bluetooth signals over time, and sampling the Bluetooth signal comprises sampling the Bluetooth signals at a rate substantially lower than a rate of the Bluetooth signals received by the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, filtering the voltage signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning through the plurality of antenna configurations; and

generating the RSSI for each of the plurality of antenna configurations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting an antenna configuration from a plurality of antenna configurations based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of antenna configurations comprises selecting an antenna configuration corresponding to a highest RSSI.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna configurations are configurations of a plurality of antenna elements, each of the antenna elements being capable of being turned on or off to produce different antenna configurations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the voltage signal is smaller than the threshold signal, switching the wireless communication device to a receiving mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, under the receiving mode, the method further comprises suppressing noise signals contained in Bluetooth signals received by the wireless communication device.

11. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal by a wireless communication device;

sampling the RF signal by converting a portion of the RF signal to a voltage signal;

comparing the voltage signal to a threshold signal;

if the voltage signal is greater than the threshold signal, switching the wireless communication device to a transmitting mode;

selecting an antenna configuration from a plurality of antenna configurations based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of antenna configurations;

using the selected antenna configuration to transmit the remaining signal of the RF signal; and

if the voltage signal is smaller than the threshold signal, switching the wireless communication device to a receiving mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, increasing signal power of the remaining signal of the RF signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, transmitting the increased remaining signal of the RF signal with the selected antenna configuration.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device receives a plurality of RF signals over time, and sampling the RF signal comprises sampling the RF signals at a rate substantially lower than a rate of the RF signals received by the wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

under the transmitting mode, filtering the voltage signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

scanning through the plurality of antenna configurations; and

generating the RSSI for each of the antenna configurations.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting an antenna configuration from a plurality of antenna configurations based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the plurality of antenna configurations comprises selecting an antenna configuration corresponding to a highest RSSI.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of antenna configurations are configurations of a plurality of antenna elements, each of the antenna elements being capable of being turned on or off to produce different antenna configurations.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein, under the receiving mode, the method further comprises suppressing noise signals contained in RF signals received by the wireless communication device.