METHOD FOR TOPOLOGY CONTROL USING SECTORIZED ANTENNAS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20120202432A1
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Salonidis, Theodoros, Subramanian, Anand Prabhu, Lundgren, Henrik, Towsley, Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,281,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for optimizing antenna pattern assignment for a first wireless communication device forming a wireless network with at least one second wireless communication device, each of said communication device being equipped with a multi-sector antenna, an antenna pattern being a combination of said antenna sectors, said communication devices being adapted for sending a request and for receiving a response using a current antenna pattern assignment, said method comprising a step of:

• • evaluating by said first communication device a first value;
  • sending by said first communication device to said second communication device a broadcast request comprising said value
  • receiving by said first communication device, a response to said broadcast request, said response being sent by said second communication device, said response depending on a second value _w evaluated by said second device;
  • Switching or not, by said first communication device, to a new antenna sector assignment depending on said response;

According to the invention the first value is evaluated by minimizing a first local function according to the received signal strength received by said first communication device having said current antenna pattern assignment and the second value _w is evaluated by minimizing a second local function according to the received signal strength received by said second communication device for its own current antenna pattern assignment.

Claims

1. Method for antenna pattern assignment for a first wireless communication device forming a wireless network with at least one second wireless communication device, each of said communication devices being equipped with a multi-sector antenna, an antenna pattern being a combination of said antenna sectors, said communication devices being adapted for sending a request and for receiving a response using a current antenna pattern assignment, said method comprising a step of:

evaluating by said first communication device a first value

sending by said first communication device to said second communication device a broadcast request comprising said value

receiving by said first communication device, a response to said broadcast request, said response being sent by said second communication device, said response depending on a second value evaluated by said second device;

switching or not, by said first communication device, to a new antenna pattern assignment depending on said response;

wherein the first value is evaluated by using a first local function according to a received signal strength received by said first communication device having said current antenna pattern assignment and in that the second value is evaluated by using a second local function according to a received signal strength received by said second communication device for its own current antenna pattern assignment.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the response received by said first communication device is negative when said second communication device determines that the first value, is equal or greater than the second value.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the response received by said first communication device is positive when said second communication device determines that the first value is lower than the second value.

4. Method according to claim 2, comprising a said step of setting by said first communication device a first timeout depending on the date of sending the broadcast request,

said step of switching from the current antenna pattern assignment to the new antenna pattern assignment by said first communication device being carried when the responses received by said first communication device from said second communication devices within said first timeout are positive.

5. Method according to claim 1, involving a further step of setting by said second communication device a second timeout, said second communication device being blocked from modifying its current antenna pattern assignment until either said second timeout expires or when said second communication device receives a broadcast confirmation from said first communication device for acknowledging reception of the response sent by said second communication device.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first communication device computes an antenna pattern assignment and corresponding first value S*_u=S_u(x*_u) that minimizes the function S_u(x_u) given by:

7. Method according to claim 2, wherein said first communication device performs an evaluation for the first value which is identical to the evaluation performed by said second communication device for evaluating the second value.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first communication device sends the broadcast request using omni-directional antenna pattern.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first communication device sends a confirmation broadcast using omni-directional antenna pattern to second communication devices and selects an antenna pattern assignment x*_u as new antenna pattern assignment.

10. Method according to claim 3, wherein when said first communication device receives a positive response from said second communication device, said second communication device sets a second timeout and in that when either said second timeout expires or when said second communication device receives said broadcast confirmation packet from said first communication device, said second communication device is allowed to adjust its current antenna pattern assignment.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of communication devices, and each communication device of said plurality communication devices acts successively as the first communication device and in that the broadcast request is sent to all other communication devices of said plurality of communication devices.

12. Wireless communication device equipped with a multi-sector antenna and adapted for sending a request and for receiving a response using a current antenna pattern assignment, said communication device comprising means for:

evaluating a first value;

sending to a second wireless communication device, connected to said first communication device through a wireless network, a broadcast request comprising said first value;

receiving by said first communication device a response to said broadcast request;

switching or not, by said first communication device, to a new antenna pattern

assignment depending on said response;

wherein the first value is evaluated by using a first local function according to a received signal strength received by said first communication device having said current antenna pattern assignment.