BEAM SWITCHING ANTENNA SYSTEM AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20070290922A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), LG Telecom Incorporated (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Telecom Incorporated (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,059,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/374
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/30 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/32 the primary active element being end-fed and elongated
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element

Abstract

A beam switching antenna method and apparatus for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the least one conductive reflector, the method including selectively configuring the beam switching antenna system for a current-directional beam pattern to receive a first signal and for a non-directional beam pattern to receive a second signal; comprising the first and second signals; and controlling, using the ground switch; the beam based on the comparison of the first and second switching.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the least one conductive reflector, the method comprising steps of:

selectively configuring the beam switching antenna system for a current-directional beam pattern to receive a first signal and for a non-directional beam pattern to receive a second signal;

comparing the first and second signals; and

controlling, using the ground switch, the beam based on the comparison of the first and second signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing step is performed by a comparison of a detected reception property of the first and second signals and wherein, if the detected reception property of the first signal is not worse than the detected reception property of the second signal, the beam is oriented in the current direction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising steps of

selectively configuring the beam switching antenna system for a beam orientation of a direction different from the current direction to receive a third signal, if the detected reception property of the second signal is better than the detected reception property of the first signal;

comparing the first and third signals; and

controlling the beam based on the comparison of the first and third signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said comparison of the first and third signals is performed by a comparison of the detected reception property of the first and third signals and wherein, if the detected reception property of the first signal is not worse than the detected reception property of the third signal, the beam is set to have non-directivity.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said comparison of the signals is performed by a comparison of the detected reception property of the first and third signals and wherein, if the detected reception property of the first signal is not worse than the detected reception property of the third signal, the beam is oriented in the current direction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, if the detected reception property of the third signal is better than the detected reception property of the first signal, the beam is oriented in a direction different from the current direction.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the detected reception property is

an error rate of the received signal.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing a predetermined search cycle.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising employing a predetermined search cycle.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising steps of:

comparing a signal level of each received signal to a reference signal level; and

executing the predetermined search cycle, if the signal level of the each received signal is not greater than the reference signal level.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising steps of:

comparing a signal level of each received signal to a reference signal level; and

executing the predetermined search cycle, if the signal level of the each received signal is not greater than the reference signal level.

19. A method for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the at least one conductive reflector, the method comprising steps of:

selectively configuring the beam switching antenna system for a non-directional beam pattern to receive a first signal, for a first-directional beam pattern to receive a second signal, and for a second-directional beam pattern to receive a third signal;

comparing the received signals; and

controlling, using the ground switch, the beam based on the comparison of the received signals.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said comparing step is performed by a comparison of measured intensities of the received signals and wherein the beam is controlled to have a direction corresponding to the received signal having the greatest intensity.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said comparing step is performed by a comparison of measured error rates of the received signals and wherein the beam is controlled to have a direction corresponding to the received signal having the lowest error rate.

22. An apparatus for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the at least one conductive reflector, the apparatus comprising:

a controller for comparing first and second signals and for controlling, using the ground switch, the beam based on the comparison of the first and second signals,

wherein the beam switching antenna system is selectively configured for a current-directional beam pattern to receive the first signal and for a non-directional beam pattern to receive the second signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said controller compares a detected reception property of the first and second signals and, if the detected reception property of the first signal is not worse than the detected reception property of the second signal, sets the oriented direction of the beam to the current direction.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, if the detected reception property of the second signal is better than the detected reception property of the first signal, said controller orients the beam in a direction different from the current direction to receive a third signal, compares the first and third signals, and controls the oriented direction of the beam based on the comparison of the first and third signals.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said controller compares the detected reception property of the first and third signals and, if the detected reception property of the first signal is not worse than the detected reception property of the third signal, controls the beam to be directed in the current direction.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein, in a handoff condition, said controller forms an omni-directional beam.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein, if the detected reception property of the third signal is better than the detected reception property of the first signal, said controller sets the oriented direction of the beam to a direction different from the current direction.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the detected reception property is a signal intensity of the received signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

36. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the detected reception property is an error rate of the received signal.

38. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said controller sets a search time for periodically executing respective processes for beam formation, signal reception, and beam pattern control.

39. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said controller compares a predetermined reference signal level to a signal level of each received signal and, if the signal level of the each received signal is not greater than the reference signal level, repeats an execution of respective processes for beam formation, signal reception, and beam pattern control.

40. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the beam is oriented by controlling, using the ground switch, an application of the reference voltage to the at least one conductive reflector.

41. An apparatus for controlling a beam switching antenna system including an antenna element for forming a beam, at least one conductive reflector for reflecting the beam, and a ground switch for applying a reference voltage to the at least one conductive reflector, the apparatus comprising:

a controller for comparing received signals and for controlling, using the ground switch, the beam based on the comparison of the received signals,

wherein the beam switching antenna system is selectively configured for a non-directional beam pattern to receive a first signal, for a first-directional beam pattern to receive a second signal, and for a second-directional beam pattern to receive a third signal.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said controller compares measured intensities of the received signals and controls the beam to have a direction corresponding to the received signal having the greatest intensity.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said controller compares measured error rates of the received signals and controls the beam to have a direction corresponding to the received signal having the lowest error rate.