Method and System for Assigning Antennas in Dense Array

• US 20130109295A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aereo Incorporated
• Inventors: Lipowski, Joseph Thaddeus, Bingham, James Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,148,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/523 between antennas of an array
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/423 Transmitter side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64723 Monitoring of network processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of network load traffic related reporting in data switching networks H04L43/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A method and system optimally selecting antenna elements based on the current availability of antenna elements and the current usage of other antenna elements within a two or three dimensional array. The present system and method pertain to an approach to allow the maximal usage of each antenna element while simultaneously reducing the coupling between antenna elements to improve the signal strength in each antenna element by ensuring that antenna elements in the same incident path are not tuned to the same frequency or physically or electrically near elements tuned to identical or adjacent frequencies.

Claims

1. A method of assigning antenna elements of an antenna array, the method comprising:

receiving user requests for content broadcast by broadcasting entities on channels; and

assigning the user requests to the antenna elements of the antenna array to minimize coupling with other antenna elements based on the channels of the content for the user requests and the channels to which the other antenna elements are tuned.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user requests include requests for live streaming content.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the user requests for content include requests to record content.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising prioritizing the user requests for the live streaming content before the user requests to record content.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising assigning the user requests for the live streaming content before assigning the user requests to record content.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising minimizing coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements to maximize distance from other antennas elements tuned to a same and/or similar channel.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising minimizing coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements based on bandwidths of the antenna elements, channels to which the other antenna elements are tuned, direction of the other antenna elements, polarization of the other antenna elements, and/or distance between the antenna elements.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dropping users requests for channels if coupling between the assigned antenna elements coupling to other antenna elements exceeds a predefined threshold.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising minimizing coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements based on a direction between the antenna elements and other antennas elements tuned to a same and/or similar channel and a direction of a transmitter of the broadcasting entities.

10. A system for capturing content broadcast by broadcasting entities, the system comprising:

an array of antenna elements for receiving user requests for the content broadcast by the broadcasting entities on channels; and

an antenna controller that assigns the user requests to the antenna elements of the antenna array to minimize coupling with other antenna elements based on the channels of the content for the user requests and the channels to which the other antenna elements are tuned.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the user requests include requests for live streaming content.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the user requests for content include requests to record content.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the antenna controller prioritizes user requests for the live streaming content before the user requests to record content.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the antenna controller assigns the user requests for the live streaming content before assigning the user requests to record content.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the antenna controller minimizes coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements to maximize distance from other antennas elements tuned to a same and/or similar channel.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the antenna controller minimizes coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements based on bandwidths of the antenna elements, channels to which the other antenna elements are tuned, direction of the other antenna elements, polarization of the other antenna elements, and/or distance between the antenna elements.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising an application server that drops users requests for channels if coupling between the assigned antenna elements coupling to other antenna elements exceeds a predefined threshold.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the antenna controller minimizes coupling with the other antenna elements by assigning the user requests to the antenna elements based a direction between the antenna elements and other antennas elements tuned to a same and/or similar channel and a direction of a transmitter of the broadcasting entities.