Multi-Antenna Distribution of Wireless Broadband in a Building

• US 20140113671A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwengler, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for distributing a broadband wireless signal in a building. The disclosed methods and systems feature a wireless broadband transmitter associated with multiple base antennas, where the base antennas are inserted into one or more ducts of the ventilation system of the building. Communication between the transmitter and receivers within the building may be optimized by selecting, modifying or controlling a configuration parameter of at least one of the multiple base antennas to enhance distribution of the wireless broadband signal within the ducts of the ventilation system and between the transmitter and device receivers.

Claims

1. A method of distributing a broadband wireless signal in a building comprising:

providing a transmitter operatively associated with multiple base antennas, the base antennas being inserted into one or more ducts of a ventilation system of a building;

providing a receiver operatively associated with one or more device antennas; and

selecting a configuration parameter of at least one base antenna to enhance communication of the wireless broadband signal from the transmitter to the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a wireless broadband signal from the transmitter through the multiple base antennas; and

receiving the wireless broadband signal with the receiver, through the one or more device antennas.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected configuration parameter of the base antenna is at least one of:

a location of the antenna,

an angular orientation of the antenna,

a transmission signal phase,

a transmission signal amplitude, or

a transmission signal preconditioning.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication of the wireless broadband signal from the transmitter to the receiver is enhanced by at least one of:

optimizing the propagation of the wireless broadband signal within the ventilation system;

optimizing de-correlation between at least two signal paths between at least two base antennas and one or more device antennas;

or

optimizing a correlation matrix between at least two base antennas and at least two device antennas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration parameter of the adjusted base antenna is selected to favor a first selected hollow waveguide propagation mode.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the configuration parameter of a second adjusted base antenna is selected to favor a second selected hollow waveguide propagation mode which is different than the first selected hollow waveguide propagation mode to emphasize de-correlation between the first selected hollow waveguide propagation mode and the second selected hollow waveguide propagation mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple base antennas are inserted into one or more ducts having a rectangular cross section and wherein at least one antenna is associated with a vertical duct wall and at least one antenna is associated with a horizontal duct wall.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple base antennas are inserted into one or more ducts having a rectangular cross section and wherein two or more of the multiple base antennas are associated with the largest horizontal duct wall.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the two or more base antennas associated with the largest horizontal duct wall are positioned to have different angular orientations.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a first base antenna is inserted into a first duct section and a second base antenna is inserted into a second duct section which is physically separated from the first duct section.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining a signal parameter of the wireless broadband signal received by the receiver; and

modifying a configuration parameter of at least one base antenna in accordance with the determined signal parameter.

12. A communications system comprising:

a ventilation system disposed within a building, the ventilation system comprising one or more ducts and one or more ventilation openings;

a receiver operatively associated with one or more device antennas;

a transmitter operatively associated with multiple base antennas, the base antennas being inserted into one or more ducts of the ventilation system, the transmitter being further configured to transmit a wireless broadband signal from the transmitter through the multiple base antennas to be received by the receiver, wherein a configuration parameter of at least one base antenna is selected to enhance communication of the wireless broadband signal from the transmitter to the receiver.

13. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the selected configuration parameter of the base antenna is at least one of:

a location of the antenna,

an angular orientation of the antenna,

a transmission signal phase, or

a transmission signal amplitude, or

a transmission signal preconditioning.

14. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the communication of the wireless broadband signal from the transmitter to the receiver is enhanced by at least one of:

optimizing the propagation of the wireless broadband signal within the ventilation system;

optimizing de-correlation between at least two signal paths between at least two base antennas and one or more device antennas;

or

optimizing a correlation matrix between at least two base antennas and at least two device antennas.

15. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the configuration parameter of the adjusted base antenna is selected to favor a first selected waveguide propagation mode.

16. The communications system of claim 15 wherein the configuration parameter of a second adjusted base antenna is selected to favor a second selected hollow waveguide propagation mode which is different than the first selected hollow waveguide propagation mode to emphasize de-correlation between the first selected hollow waveguide propagation mode and the second selected hollow waveguide propagation mode.

17. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the multiple base antennas are inserted into one or more ducts having a rectangular cross section and wherein at least one antenna is associated with a vertical duct wall and at least one antenna is associated with a horizontal duct wall.

18. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the multiple base antennas are inserted into one or more ducts having a rectangular cross section and wherein two or more of the multiple base antennas are associated with the largest horizontal duct wall.

19. The communications system of claim 12 wherein a first base antenna is inserted into a first duct section and a second base antenna is inserted into a second duct section which is physically separated from the first duct section.

20. The communications system of claim 12 further comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the processor to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to determine a signal parameter of the wireless broadband signal received by the receiver; and

instructions to modify a configuration parameter of at least one base antenna in accordance with the determined signal parameter.

21. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the transmitter is located within a duct.

22. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the transmitter is located outside of a duct and communicates the wireless broadband signal to the antennas through conductors.