System and Method for Switching an Antenna in a Relay Station

• US 20110014864A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Bedard, Claude Edwin, Gilbertson, Chad Neil, Sukiasyan, Aram
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A relay station for use in a relay network may include an antenna, a radio, and an electronic circuit. The antenna may include a plurality of prongs. The radio may be configured to transmit and receive radio data using the antenna. The electronic circuit may be configured to select between a first mode of operation for the antenna and a second mode of operation for the antenna. The first mode of operation of the antenna may include an omni-directional mode of operation. The second mode of operation may include a directional mode of operation.

Claims

1. A relay station for use in a relay network, the relay station comprising:

an antenna with a plurality of prongs;

a radio configured to transmit and receive radio signals using the antenna; and

an electronic circuit configured to select between a first mode of operation for the antenna and a second mode of operation for the antenna;

wherein the first mode of operation of the antenna includes an omni-directional mode of operation and the second mode of operation includes a directional mode of operation.

2. A relay station according to claim 1, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine an effective spectrum efficiency for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the effective spectrum efficiency values for each link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the highest efficiency during the second mode of operation.

3. A relay station according to claim 1, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine an received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the RSSI values for the link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the highest RSSI during the second mode of operation.

4. A relay station according to claim 1, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine a Carrier to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (CINR) for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the CINR values for the link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the CINR during the second mode of operation.

5. A relay station according to claim 1, wherein the antenna includes four prongs.

6. A relay station according to claim 1, wherein:

the first mode of operation of the antenna is used to transmit and receive radio signals with a mobile station; and

the second mode of operation of the antenna is used to transmit and receive radio signals with a base station.

7. A multi-hop relay network comprising:

a fixed station;

an endpoint configured for wireless communication with the base station; and

a relay station configured to transmit wireless communication between the fixed station and the endpoint, the relay station comprising;

an antenna with a plurality of prongs;

a radio configured to transmit and receive radio signals using the antenna; and

an electronic circuit configured to select between a first mode of operation for the antenna and a second mode of operation for the antenna;

wherein the first mode of operation of the antenna includes an omni-directional mode of operation and the second mode of operation includes a directional mode of operation.

8. A relay station according to claim 7, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine a effective spectrum efficiency for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the effective spectrum efficiency values for the link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the highest efficiency during the second mode of operation.

9. A relay station according to claim 7, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine an received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the RSSI values for the link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the highest RSSI during the second mode of operation.

10. A relay station according to claim 7, further comprising a processor operable to:

determine a Carrier to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (CINR) for a link between a base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs;

compare the CINR values for the link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

control the electronic circuit to use the prong providing the CINR during the second mode of operation.

11. A relay station according to claim 7, wherein the antenna includes four prongs.

12. A relay station according to claim 7, wherein:

the first mode of operation of the antenna is used to transmit and receive radio signals with the mobile station; and

the second mode of operation of the antenna is used to transmit and receive radio signals with the fixed station.

13. A method for operation of a relay station in a multi-hop relay network, the method comprising:

selecting a first mode of operation for an antenna, the first mode of operation including an omni-directional mode of operation;

communicating radio signals between the relay station and an endpoint using the first mode of operation;

selecting a second mode of operation for the antenna, the second mode of operation including a directional mode of operation; and

communicating radio signals between the relay station and a fixed station using the second mode of operation.

14. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining a effective spectrum efficiency for each of a plurality of prongs of the antenna; and

comparing the effective spectrum efficiency values for each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency.

15. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining a effective spectrum efficiency for each link provided by a plurality of prongs of the antenna;

comparing the effective spectrum efficiency values for each link to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

communicating radio signals between the relay station and a fixed station using the one prong of the plurality of prongs of the antenna providing the highest efficiency link.

16. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each link provided by a plurality of prongs of the antenna;

comparing the RSSI values for each of the links to determine which provides the highest signal strength; and

communicating radio signals between the relay station and a fixed station using the one prong of the plurality of prongs of the antenna providing the link with the highest RSSI value.

17. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining a Carrier to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (CINR) for each link provided by a plurality of prongs of the antenna;

comparing the CINR values for each link to determine which provides the highest signal strength; and

communicating radio signals between the relay station and a base station using the one prong of the plurality of prongs of the antenna providing the link with the highest CINR value.

18. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

locating a relay station within the zone of the base station, the relay station including an antenna having a plurality of prongs;

determining an effective spectrum efficiency for a link between the base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs on the antenna;

comparing the effective spectrum efficiency for each link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

choosing the prong providing the highest efficiency link with the base station for the second mode of operation.

19. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

locating a relay station within the zone of the base station, the relay station including an antenna having a plurality of prongs;

determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value for a link between the base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs on the antenna;

comparing the RSSI value for each link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

choosing the prong providing the highest RSSI value link with the base station for the second mode of operation.

20. A method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

locating a relay station within the zone of the base station, the relay station including an antenna having a plurality of prongs;

determining a Carrier to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (CINR) value for a link between the base station and the relay station using each of the plurality of prongs on the antenna;

comparing the CINR value for each link associated with each of the plurality of prongs to determine which provides the highest efficiency; and

choosing the prong providing the highest CINR value link with the base station for the second mode of operation.