Smart Antenna System Using Orientation Sensors

• US 20130273870A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shi, Ping
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/269
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/245 provided with means for varying the polarisation polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location

Abstract

A wireless device comprising an antenna subsystem having a selectable polarization, at least one sensor configured to provide at least one orientation measurement of the wireless device, and a processor unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to receive the at least one orientation measurement, select a polarization of the antenna subsystem based on the at least one orientation measurement, and set the polarization to achieve the selected polarization.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

an antenna subsystem having a selectable polarization;

at least one sensor configured to provide at least one orientation measurement of the wireless device; and

a processor unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to;

receive the at least one orientation measurement;

select a polarization of the antenna subsystem based on the at least one orientation measurement; and

set the polarization to achieve the selected polarization.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver subsystem configured to measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), wherein the processor unit is further configured to receive the RSSI, wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the RSSI.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide an indication to the processor whether the wireless device is in an indoor or outdoor environment, and wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the indication.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor further comprises an accelerometer, a magnetometer, or a tilt sensor, or a combination thereof.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises a first radiating element coupled to a first switch, and a second radiating element coupled to a second switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are coupled to the processor, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting the states of the first and second switches.

6. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises a first radiating element coupled to a first switch, and a second radiating element coupled to a second switch, wherein the processor unit is resident in the first switch and the second switch, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting the states of the first and second switches.

7. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises a first antenna with first and second contacts, a second antenna with third and fourth contacts, and a switch coupled to the processor unit, wherein the wireless device further comprises a first transceiver and a second transceiver, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first transceiver to the first antenna at the first contact and to connect the second transceiver to the second transceiver at the third contact in a first state, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first transceiver to the second antenna at the fourth contact and to connect the second transceiver to the first antenna at the second contact in a second state, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting the state of the switch.

8. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises an antenna and a varactor, wherein the varactor is coupled to the processor, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting a capacitance of the varactor.

9. The wireless device of claim 5, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is configured to store polarization information for the first and second radiating elements for different switch states of the first and second switches, and wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the polarization information.

10. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein if the indication indicates that the wireless device is in an outdoor environment, the processor unit is further configured to determine an orientation of the wireless device based on the at least one orientation measurement, wherein selecting the polarization comprises determining a first polarization of the antenna subsystem for the orientation that most closely aligns with a polarization of a base station.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein if the indication indicates that the wireless device is in an indoor environment, the processor unit is configured to:

receive a RSSI for the first polarization; and

set the polarization to a second polarization if the RSSI is below a threshold.

12. A method comprising:

receiving at least one orientation measurement of a wireless device;

selecting a polarization of an antenna subsystem based on the at least one orientation measurement, wherein the antenna subsystem has a selectable polarization; and

setting the polarization of the antenna subsystem to achieve the selected polarization.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the RSSI.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving an indication whether the wireless device is in an indoor or outdoor environment, wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the indication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the at least one orientation measurement comprises receiving an orientation measurement from an accelerometer, a magnetometer, or a tilt sensor, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises a first radiator coupled to a first switch, a second radiator coupled to a second switch, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting the states of the first and second switches.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises a first feed line, a first antenna with two selectable connections to the first feed line, a second feed line, and a second antenna with two selectable connections to the second feed line, and a switch, and wherein the switch is configured to select the connection of the first antenna to the first feed line and to select the connection of the second antenna to the second feed line, and wherein setting the polarization comprises setting the state of the switch.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna subsystem comprises an antenna and a varactor, and wherein adjusting the polarization comprises setting a capacitance of the varactor.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising retrieving polarization information for the first and second radiators from a memory, wherein the polarization information is for different switch states of the first and second switches, wherein setting the polarization is further based on the polarization information.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein if the indication indicates that the wireless device is in an outdoor environment, the method further comprises determining an orientation of the wireless device based on the at least one orientation measurement, wherein selecting the polarization comprises determining a first polarization of the antenna subsystem for the orientation that most closely aligns with a polarization of a base station.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein if the indication indicates that the wireless device is in an indoor environment, the method further comprises:

receiving a RSSI for the first polarization; and

set the polarization to a second polarization if the RSSI is below a threshold.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

couple to an antenna subsystem and at least one sensor, wherein the antenna subsystem has a selectable polarization;

receive at least one orientation measurement of a wireless device from the at least one sensor;

select a polarization of the antenna subsystem based on the at least one orientation measurement; and

set a polarization of the antenna subsystem to achieve the selected polarization.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

couple to a transceiver subsystem; and

receive a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from the transceiver subsystem,

wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the RSSI.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) device, wherein the processor is configured to receive an indication from the GPS device whether the wireless device is in an indoor or outdoor environment, and wherein selecting the polarization is further based on the indication.

25. An antenna system having a selectable polarization comprising:

one or more antennas; and

a controller configured to couple to the one or more antennas, and set the antenna system to a polarization from the selectable polarization based on at least one orientation measurement of a wireless device.

26. The antenna system of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a first switch and a second switch, the first switch is configured to couple to a first antenna, and the second switch is configured to couple to a second antenna;

wherein the controller determines to put the state of the first switch on or and the second switch on based on at least one orientation measurement of the wireless device to perform setting the antenna system to a polarization form the selectable polarization.

27. The antenna system of claim 26, wherein the controller comprises a switch comprising a first state and a second state, the first state indicates that a first antenna is connected to a first transceiver and a second antenna is connected to a second transceiver, and the second state indicates that a first antenna is connected to a second transceiver and a second antenna is connected to a first transceiver;

wherein the controller determines to put the switch in the first state or the second state on based on at least one orientation measurement of the wireless device to perform setting the antenna system to a polarization form the selectable polarization.

28. The antenna system of claim 27, wherein the controller is further configured to put the switch in the first state or the second state on based on at least one orientation measurement of the wireless device and the priority of the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

29. The antenna system of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a varactor, and wherein a capacitance of the varactor is controlled according to the at least one orientation measurement of a wireless device to perform setting the antenna system to a polarization form the selectable polarization.