METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RF TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING BEAMFORMING WITH LOCATION OR GPS GUIDANCE

• US 20100124212A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ralink Technology Corporation (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: LO, Chung-Wen (Dennis)
• Granted Patent: US 9,048,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A method and system for radio frequency transmitting and receiving beamforming using both GPS guidance and wireless access points is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a wireless networking device with a locating system; providing an access point, the access point broadcasting its location; calculating a relative vector from the device to the access point based upon the location; steering a transmitted beam with a sounding packet to the access point; calculating a channel condition by the access point; and sending a packet by the access point to the wireless networking device to establish a connection.

Claims

1. A method for using beamforming to establish a wireless connection, comprising:

providing a wireless networking device with a locating device;

providing an access point, the access point broadcasting its location;

calculating a relative vector from the device to the access point based upon the location;

steering a transmitted beam with a sounding packet to the access point;

determining a channel condition by the access point based upon the received channel condition; and

sending a packet by the access point to the wireless networking device to establish a connection if the channel condition is acceptable.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing the wireless networking device with a global positioning system (GPS) and an electronic compass.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

calculating the relative vector utilizing the compass and the GPS to establish the wireless networking device location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein steering the transmitting beam comprises initiating a searching algorithm based on the calculated relative vector.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the locating device comprises a second GPS.

6. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for using beamforming to establish a wireless connection, the instructions being executable for:

providing a wireless networking device with a locating device;

providing an access point, the access point broadcasting its location;

calculating a relative vector to an access point based upon the location;

steering a transmitted beam with a sounding packet to the access point;

determining a channel condition by the access point based upon the received channel condition; and

sending a packet by the access point to the wireless networking device to establish a connection if the channel condition is acceptable.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further including the instructions for:

providing a wireless networking device with a global positioning system (GPS) and an electronic compass.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further including the instructions for:

calculating a relative vector utilizing a compass and a GPS to establish the wireless networking device location.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further including the instructions for:

initiating a searching algorithm based on the calculated relative vector.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the locating device comprises a second GPS.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein upon receiving the information regarding each new access point, the wireless network device calculates a relative vector to the access point;

wherein based on the relative vector to the access point, the wireless network device steers a transmitting beam and a sounding packet to the access point;

wherein the access point sends a packet to the wireless networking device and a connection is thereby established.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the locating device comprises a second GPS.

11. An access point comprising:

a locating device; and

a device for broadcasting location information via the locating device to a plurality of wireless network devices, wherein the locating device and the device work in cooperation to allow for communication with at least the one wireless network device.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the access point broadcasts its location through wireless networking to the wireless network devices and transmits the information with a beamforming technique;

and wherein the access point scans possible directions to reach a wider coverage for the wireless network devices to provide the access point location and channel information.