Method of controlling directional antenna and apparatus of the same

• US 20020034967A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., KDDI Corporation
• Inventors: Inoue, Takashi, Masuda, Satoshi, Suzuki, Toshiro, Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi, Niida, Sumaru, Okamoto, Tatsuto
• Granted Patent: US 6,836,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Disclosed is a control apparatus capable of more effectively utilizing radio resources. Mobile stations positioned close to each other are treated as one group and a direction and width (radiation angle) of a beam radiated from an adaptive array antenna 11 is controlled for each group so that one beam capture one group. To be concrete, a plurality of mobile stations are classified into groups by a classification section 19, and an area to which each group moves is estimated by a directivity determination section 20. The adaptive array antenna 11 is controlled by the directivity control section 15 so that one beam can cover an area in which one group is positioned and the area to which this one group moves.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of changing a direction and width (radiation angle) of each of a plurality of beams to radiate the beams, comprising the steps of:

a first step for obtaining information on a position of each of said plurality of mobile stations;

a second step for classifying said plurality of mobile stations into groups each of which is a group of closely positioned mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained in said first step, concerning; and

a third step for controlling the direction and width of each of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover an area in which one group formed in said second step is positioned.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the second step includes:

a grouping step for grouping said closely positioned mobile stations out of said plurality of mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained in said first step;

an identifying step for setting an identification number for each group formed by said grouping step on the basis of a current identification number associated with each mobile station belonging to the group, and for updating the current identification number associated each with said plurality of mobile stations to the identification number set for the group containing said plurality of mobile stations; and

an estimating step for estimating an area to which each group moves, based on a movement record of each group specified by the identification number set in said identifying step,

said third step is for controlling the direction and width of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover both of an area in which one group formed in said grouping step is positioned and an area to which said one group moves, which is estimated in said estimating step, and

said identifying step is, with respect to an identification number associated with each of a plurality of mobile stations, for allocating said identification number to a group which contains more mobile stations associated with said identification number than any other group and with respect to a group to which no identification number is allocated in the above process, for allocating a new identification number to the group, thereby setting said identification number with each group of mobile stations by said grouping step.

3. A control apparatus of a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of radiating a plurality of beams, the beams having a direction and width (radiation angle) respectively different from each other, comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining information on a position of each of said plurality of mobile stations;

classifying means for classifying said plurality of mobile stations into groups each of which is a group of closely positioned mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained by said obtaining means; and

controlling means for controlling the direction and width of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover an area in which one group formed by said classifying means is position.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said classifying means includes:

grouping means for grouping said closely positioned mobile stations out of said plurality of mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained by said obtaining means;

identifying means for setting an identification number for each group formed by said grouping means on the basis of a current identification number associated with each mobile station belonging to the group, and for updating the current identification number associated each with said plurality of mobile stations to the identification number set for the group containing said plurality of mobile stations; and

estimating means for estimating an area to which each group moves, based on a movement record of each group specified by the identification number set by said identifying means,

said controlling means controls the direction and width of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover both an area in which one group formed by said grouping means is positioned and an area to which said one group moves estimated by said estimating means, and

said identifying means, with respect to an identification number associated with each of a plurality of mobile stations allocates said identification number to a group which contains more mobile stations associated with said identification number than any other group and, with respect to a group to which no identification number is allocated in the above process, allocates a new identification number to the group, thereby setting the identification number with each group of mobile stations grouped by said grouping means,

5. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, as a group is closer to a setup position of said directional antenna, said controlling means controls the width of the beam radiated to the group by said directional antenna so that the beam can cover a broader area so as to include the area where the group is positioned.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said directional antenna is an adaptive array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements.

7. A base transceiver station, comprising:

the control apparatus as claimed in claim 3; and

a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of changing a direction and width (radiation angle) of a plurality of beams respectively and capable of radiating the plurality of beams.

8. The base transceiver station according to claim 7, wherein said directional antenna is an adaptive array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements.