Reducing multipath fade of RF signals in a wireless data application
First Claim
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
- a plurality of client devices, each of the client devices comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless communications signal;
a network server;
an access point comprising a transmitter and a connector for coupling the transmitter to an antenna system, the access point coupled to the network server via a wired communications link and coupled to the client devices via a wireless communications link;
an antenna system coupled to the access point; and
an antenna controller coupled to the antenna system, the antenna controller operable to continually vary the radiation pattern of the antenna system, the antenna controller comprising;
a signal splitter having an input coupled to a signal provided by the access point for transmission to the client and having a plurality of outputs;
a plurality of gain/phase modules, each of the gain/phase modules having a signal input coupled to an output of the signal splitter and having an output; and
a gain/phase controller having a plurality of outputs, each respective coupled to a control input of one of the gain/phase modules, the gain/phase controller for adjusting the gain and/or phase imparted to the signals applied to the signal inputs of the gain/phase modules.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless LAN provided for mitigating the effects of signal fading that results from multipath propagation. The wireless LAN includes a number of portable clients that, in one embodiment, may be notebook computers. An access point, or hub, couples the clients to a wired network and/or to each other. Multipath effects are mitigated in one embodiment by continually varying the radiation pattern of a transmitting antenna system associated with the access point. In one alternative embodiment, the radiation pattern of a receiving antenna system is continually varied. Numerous approaches are provided to continually varying the radiation pattern of the respective antenna system, including, but not limited to, switching between two or more antennas in an array, adjusting the physical positioning of a single or multiple antennas, adjusting the effective length of the antenna, and adjusting the respective gain and/or phase of each of one or more of the signals coupled to antennas in an array.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A wireless communication system comprising:
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a plurality of client devices, each of the client devices comprising a receiver for receiving a wireless communications signal;
a network server;
an access point comprising a transmitter and a connector for coupling the transmitter to an antenna system, the access point coupled to the network server via a wired communications link and coupled to the client devices via a wireless communications link;
an antenna system coupled to the access point; and
an antenna controller coupled to the antenna system, the antenna controller operable to continually vary the radiation pattern of the antenna system, the antenna controller comprising;
a signal splitter having an input coupled to a signal provided by the access point for transmission to the client and having a plurality of outputs;
a plurality of gain/phase modules, each of the gain/phase modules having a signal input coupled to an output of the signal splitter and having an output; and
a gain/phase controller having a plurality of outputs, each respective coupled to a control input of one of the gain/phase modules, the gain/phase controller for adjusting the gain and/or phase imparted to the signals applied to the signal inputs of the gain/phase modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a wireless LAN, a method of mitigating the effects of multipath signal propagation between an access point and a receiving client, the method comprising:
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transmitting a wireless signal from the access point to the receiving client; and
continually varying a radiation pattern of an antenna system during transmission of the wireless signal, the antenna system coupled to the access point and to an antenna controller, the antenna controller comprising;
a signal splitter having an input coupled to a signal provided by the access point for transmission to the client and having a plurality of outputs;
a plurality of gain/phase modules, each of the gain/phase modules having a signal input coupled to an output of the signal splitter and having an output; and
a gain/phase controller having a plurality of outputs, each respective coupled to a control input of one of the gain/phase modules, the gain/phase controller for adjusting the gain and/or phase imparted to the signals applied to the signal inputs of the gain/phase modules. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification