Automatic antenna selection for mesh backhaul network nodes
First Claim
1. A method for selecting an antenna in a first wireless device for communicating with a second wireless device, said first wireless device having at least two available antennas, the method comprising:
- a) selecting a selected antenna from said at least two available antennas;
b) transmitting a specific transmit message to said second wireless device using said selected antenna;
c) waiting for a predetermined amount of time for a response message from said second wireless device;
d) in the event said response message is received, processing said response message to determine which of said at least two available antennas is to be designated for communicating with said second wireless device; and
e) in the event said response message is not received, selecting another antenna from said at least two available antennas as the selected antenna and repeating steps b)-e).
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices related to wireless networking. A wireless device has multiple directional antennas and multiple backhaul radio modules which provide point to point wireless links with other wireless devices. Each radio module can use any one of the available directional antennas to link to one other routing device. Antennas are automatically selected for each wireless device by merely setting one device in a “hunt” mode and setting another device in a “listen” mode. Devices in a hunt mode cycle through the available antennas by sequentially transmitting transmit messages to devices in the listen mode using each of the available antennas in turn. Devices in the listen mode also cycle through their available antennas by sequentially “listening” for transmit messages. A listen mode device, receives transmit messages on each of its available antennas, and, after gathering the relevant data, determines which of its antennas is best suited for communicating with the hunt mode device. The listen mode device antenna which is best suited is then used to transmit a response message to the hunt mode device. This listen mode device antenna is thus configured for communicating with the hunt mode device. Similarly, when the hunt mode device receives the response message, it designates its antenna which transmitted the transmit message as being configured for communications with the listen mode device.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for selecting an antenna in a first wireless device for communicating with a second wireless device, said first wireless device having at least two available antennas, the method comprising:
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a) selecting a selected antenna from said at least two available antennas;
b) transmitting a specific transmit message to said second wireless device using said selected antenna;
c) waiting for a predetermined amount of time for a response message from said second wireless device;
d) in the event said response message is received, processing said response message to determine which of said at least two available antennas is to be designated for communicating with said second wireless device; and
e) in the event said response message is not received, selecting another antenna from said at least two available antennas as the selected antenna and repeating steps b)-e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for selecting an antenna for use in communicating with a first wireless device, said antenna to be selected from at least two available antennas at a second wireless device, the method comprising:
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a) selecting an antenna from said at least two available antennas as a selected antenna;
b) receiving at least one transmit message from said first wireless device using said selected antenna;
c) determining a quality of the or each transmit message;
d) in the event said quality conforms to a predefined criteria, transmitting a response message to said first device; and
e) in the event said quality does not conform to said predefined criteria, selecting another antenna from said at least two available antennas as the selected antenna and repeating steps b)-e). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 35)
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22. A wireless device for communicating with other wireless devices, said device comprising:
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at least two antennas;
at least two radio modules, each radio module being for communicating with at least one other wireless device using one of said at least two antennas in a point to point wireless link; and
a switch module for switching between said radio modules and said antennas such that each radio module can transmit or receive through any of said antennas, wherein each of said radio modules automatically select one of said at least two antennas for communicating with said at least one other wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 48)
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28. A method for configuring wireless devices, the method comprising:
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selecting a first wireless device;
selecting a second wireless device to communicate with said first wireless device using a wireless link;
configuring said first wireless device to operate in a listen mode, said listen mode causing said first wireless device to await a transmission from said second wireless device;
configuring said second wireless device to operating in a hunt mode, said hunt mode causing said second wireless device to transmit messages to said first wireless device and wherein each of said first wireless device and said second wireless device automatically selects an antenna for optimal communications with each other. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 36, 47)
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31. An antenna subsystem for use by a wireless device, the subsystem comprising:
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a) at least two antennas;
b) at least two radio modules; and
c) a switch module for switching between said radio modules and said antennas such that each radio module can transmit or receive through any of said antennas. - View Dependent Claims (32, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for selecting an antenna for use in communicating with a first wireless device, said antenna to be selected from at least two available antennas at a second wireless device, the method comprising:
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a) selecting an antenna from said at least two available antennas as a selected antenna;
b) receiving transmit messages from said first wireless device using said selected antenna;
c) determining a quality of said transmit messages;
d) repeating steps a)-c) for each one of said at least two available antennas; and
e) selecting one of said at least two available antennas for communicating with said first wireless devices based on said quality of received transmit messages. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification