Method and apparatus for preventing communication link degradation due to the detrimental orientation of a mobile station

• US 20060094485A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldberg, Steven Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/014,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity

Abstract

A method and apparatus for preventing communication link degradation due to wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) position changes and detrimental orientation. When it is determined that at least one of a plurality of WTRUs in a communication link is moving or is going to move, the radio frequency (RF) beam pattern and/or link characteristics of a WTRU is adjusted to enhance communications. In another embodiment, the RF beam pattern and/or link characteristics are adjusted when it is determined that a gap in the communication link has occurred or will occur because one of the WTRUs has disengaged or is going to disengage from the communication link. In another embodiment, when a WTRU is in an undesired orientation, the WTRU instructs a user to physically move the WTRU. In another embodiment, information about the orientation of a WTRU is conveyed to a network that makes adjustments to enhance communications with the WTRU.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a transceiver in communication with the processor;

(c) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver;

(d) at least one physical tracking device in communication with the processor, the physical tracking device being configured to determine the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation; and

(e) means for conveying the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation to an external entity in communication with the WTRU, wherein the external entity makes adjustments based on the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation to enhance communications with the WTRU.

2. The WTRU of claim 1 wherein the physical tracking device is a three-dimensional orientation sensor.

3. The WTRU of claim 1 wherein the physical tracking device is a gyroscope.

4. The WTRU of claim 1 wherein the physical tracking device comprises a plurality of separate sensors mounted orthogonal to each other within the WTRU.

5. The WTRU of claim 1 wherein the physical tracking device reports the force being exerted in three dimensions.

6. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a transceiver in communication with the processor;

(c) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver;

(d) means for performing reflective probing tests using the transceiver and antenna to transmit test signals at various boresight orientations and determining results of the tests; and

(e) means for adjusting the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna based on the reflective probing test results.

7. The WTRU of claim 6 where the reflective probing tests compare voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) measurement results to an ideal ratio value of one.

8. The WTRU of claim 6 wherein the reflective probing test results are used to determine the best directions for the WTRU to transmit and receive signals.

9. The WTRU of claim 6 wherein the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna are adjusted as is appropriate to determine the orientation of true ground based on the probing test results.

10. The WTRU of claim 9 wherein the characteristics include the width of the at least one beam.

11. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a transceiver in communication with the processor;

(c) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver; and

(d) means for performing boresight signal searching tests using the transceiver and antenna to transmit test signals in all of the WTRU'"'"'s degrees of available freedom to determine the appropriate orientation for receive and transmission boresight directions; and

(e) means for adjusting the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna based on the boresight signal searching test results.

12. The WTRU of claim 11 wherein the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna are adjusted as is appropriate to determine the orientation of true ground based on the boresight signal searching test results.

13. The WTRU of claim 12 wherein the characteristics include the width of the at least one beam.

14. In a wireless communication system including a network in communication with a plurality of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), each WTRU comprising:

(a) a transceiver;

(b) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver; and

(c) means for conveying information to the network, the information indicating the orientation of the WTRU and the WTRU'"'"'s best beam orientation as formed by the antenna, wherein the network adjusts its communication characteristics to enhance communications with the WTRU.

15. In a wireless communication system including a network in communication with a plurality of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), each WTRU comprising:

(a) a transceiver;

(b) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver;

(c) means for conveying information to the network, the information indicating the orientation of the WTRU; and

(d) means for receiving adjustment information derived by the network based on the WTRU orientation information, the adjustment information being used by the WTRU to adjust at least one beam formed by the antenna.

16. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a transceiver in communication with the processor;

(c) a beam forming antenna in communication with the transceiver;

(d) at least one three-dimensional orientation sensor in communication with the processor; and

(e) means for determining a deviation between the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation, as indicated by the sensor, and an established nominal orientation, wherein a pattern of one or more beams formed by the antenna is adjusted to enhance the quality of communications based on the orientation of the WTRU.

17. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) at least one orientation sensor in communication with the processor; and

(c) an alerting device in communication with the processor, wherein the alerting device alerts a user of the WTRU to physically move the WTRU to a different orientation that improves the communication performance of the WTRU when the sensor indicates to the processor that the WTRU is in an undesirable orientation that degrades the communication performance of the WTRU.

18. The WTRU of claim 17 wherein the alerting device is a display.

19. The WTRU of claim 17 wherein the alerting device is an audible device.

20. The WTRU of claim 17 wherein the alerting device is a vibrating device.

21. In a wireless communication including a network in communication with at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU including at least one physical tracking device, a method comprising:

(a) determining the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation based on information provided by the physical tracking device; and

(b) conveying the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation to an external entity in communication with the WTRU, wherein the external entity makes adjustments based on the WTRU'"'"'s current orientation to enhance communications with the WTRU.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the physical tracking device is a three-dimensional orientation sensor.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the physical tracking device is a gyroscope.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the physical tracking device comprises a plurality of separate sensors mounted orthogonal to each other within the WTRU.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the physical tracking device reports the force being exerted in three dimensions.

26. In a wireless communication including a network in communication with at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU including a transceiver in communication with a beamforming antenna, a method comprising:

(a) performing reflective probing tests using the transceiver and antenna to transmit test signals at various boresight orientations and determining results of the tests; and

(b) adjusting the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna based on the reflective probing test results.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the reflective probing tests compare voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) measurement results to an ideal ratio value of one.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the reflective probing test results are used to determine the best directions for the WTRU to transmit and receive signals.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the characteristics of the transceiver and at least one beam formed by the antenna are adjusted as is appropriate to determine the orientation of true ground based on the probing test results.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the characteristics include the width of the at least one beam.

31. In a wireless communication including a network in communication with at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the WTRU including at least one physical tracking device, a method comprising:

(a) sensing that the WTRU is in an undesirable orientation that degrades the communication performance of the WTRU; and

(b) alerting a user of the WTRU to physically move the WTRU to a different orientation that improves the communication performance of the WTRU.