Antenna segment system
First Claim
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1. A communication system comprising:
- a plurality of antenna segments configured for generating a respective plurality of antenna patterns, each antenna segment being configured for communicating with a mobile device when the mobile device is within its respective antenna pattern;
an antenna controller coupled to the plurality of antenna segments, and being configured for determining a sensing antenna segment sensing the mobile device; and
a computer coupled to the antenna controller, and being configured for determining the location of the mobile device within the system based on the determined antenna segment;
wherein each of the antenna segments is embedded in a light fixture at a fixed location.
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Abstract
Disclosed is an antenna segment system for communicating between fixed antenna segments and wireless mobile devices. The antenna segments may be embedded in lighting fixtures distributed in a building. Each lighting fixture may emanate a visible light pattern related to an antenna pattern of an antenna segment embedded in the respective lighting fixture. The system includes a computer that can automatically assign addresses to the distributed antenna segments based on time domain reflection signals returned over a wire path between a controller and the segments.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a plurality of antenna segments configured for generating a respective plurality of antenna patterns, each antenna segment being configured for communicating with a mobile device when the mobile device is within its respective antenna pattern;
an antenna controller coupled to the plurality of antenna segments, and being configured for determining a sensing antenna segment sensing the mobile device; and
a computer coupled to the antenna controller, and being configured for determining the location of the mobile device within the system based on the determined antenna segment;
wherein each of the antenna segments is embedded in a light fixture at a fixed location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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6. An automatically configurable communication system comprising:
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a plurality of antenna segments configured for generating a respective plurality of antenna patterns, each antenna segment being configured for communicating with a mobile device when the mobile device is within its respective antenna pattern;
an antenna controller coupled to the plurality of antenna segments, and being configured for determining the sensing antenna segment; and
a computer coupled to the antenna controller and being configured to implement an automatic address assignment protocol upon initial installation of the communication system, the protocol effective remotely to identify a physical location of each antenna segment using time domain reflection and assign a logical address without physical access to the antenna segments and without pre-assignment of addresses. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method of automatically assigning addresses in a communication system having a plurality of antenna segments in fixed locations, the method comprising:
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generating in an antenna controller a carrier signal and a time domain reflection signal;
propagating the carrier signal and the time domain reflection signal from the antenna controller down a fixed transmission line toward antenna segments attached to the line in fixed locations;
setting a phase lock of the carrier signal in each antenna segment;
returning different time-domain reflection return signals from each antenna segment to the antenna controller receiving time-domain reflection return signals at different times from respective ones of the antenna segments; and
assigning different logical addresses to each of the antenna segments based on the time-domain reflection return signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification