SMART ANTENNA

• US 20140329458A1
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ventus Wireless LLC (Digi International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ventus Networks LLC (Digi International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Yongchun, Miller, Chris, CHARETTE, KEITH
• Granted Patent: US 9,306,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00

Abstract

A smart antenna apparatus includes a casing, which supports an omnidirectional antenna array; a plurality of transceivers electrically connected with the antenna array; and a format converter and booster device electrically connected between the plurality of transceivers and a network port, said format converter and booster device comprising a multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuit for encoding plural USB signals from the plurality of transceivers to the network port and for decoding plural USB signals from the network port to the plurality of transceivers

Claims

1. A secure USB signal extension apparatus comprising:

a first format converter and booster device disposed within a secure facility; and

a second format converter and booster device disposed outside the secure facility;

each of the format converter and booster devices comprising;

a plurality of USB ports;

a network port;

a multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuit for encoding signals from the plurality of USB ports to the network port, and for decoding signals from the network port to the plurality of USB ports, and

a network cable connecting through a boundary of the secure facility the respective network ports of the first and second format converter and booster devices.

2. A smart antenna apparatus comprising:

a casing, which supports;

an omnidirectional antenna array;

a plurality of transceivers electrically connected with the antenna array; and

a format converter and booster device electrically connected between the plurality of transceivers and a network port, said format converter and booster device comprising a multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuit for encoding plural USB signals from the plurality of transceivers to the network port and for decoding plural USB signals from the network port to the plurality of transceivers.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the casing includes a tray and a lid.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the tray or the lid includes magnetic feet.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the network jack is mounted into the tray.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising within the casing:

a power storage device; and

a microprocessor configured at least to detect a change in operating condition of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein detecting a change in operating condition includes at least one of communicating with the GPS transceiver, monitoring power input at the format converter and booster device, or monitoring data input at the format converter and booster device.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the microprocessor is connected in communication with at least one of the plurality of transceivers that are connected with the omnidirectional antenna array, and is further configured to, in response to a change of operating condition of the apparatus, broadcast via the at least one of the plurality of transceivers an alert.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising within the casing:

an IEEE 802.11 compliant module for establishing a wireless hotspot, said IEEE 802.11 compliant module connected in communication with at least one of the plurality of transceivers that are connected with the omnidirectional antenna array.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the IEEE 802.11 compliant module is connected in communication with at least one of the transceivers via a microprocessor also within the casing.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the network port includes an IEEE 802.11 compliant module and a circuit configured for proprietary encryption of data transmitted via the network port.

3. A secure wireless networking system comprising:

a local router configured to establish a virtual private network with a remote router, said local router disposed within a secure facility and comprising a first format converter and booster device, said first format converter and booster device comprising;

a plurality of USB ports connected in communication with the router processor;

a network port; and

a multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuit for encoding plural USB signals from the USB ports to the network port, and for decoding plural USB signals from the network port to the plurality of USB ports;

a smart antenna disposed without the secure facility and comprising a second format converter and booster device, a plurality of transceivers, and at least one antenna per transceiver, said second format converter and booster device comprising;

a second network port; and

a second multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuit for encoding plural USB signals from the plurality of transceivers to the second network port, and for decoding plural USB signals from the second network port to the plurality of transceivers; and

a network cable connected through a boundary of the secure facility between the network port of the first format converter and booster device within the local router and the second network port of the second format converter and booster device within the smart antenna.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the router processor splits an outgoing data stream among more than one of the plurality of USB ports, and compiles an incoming data stream from more than one of the plurality of USB ports.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer/de-multiplexer at the local router and the second multiplexer/de-multiplexer at the smart antenna encode and decode in such a manner as to maintain one-to-one signal correspondence among the plurality of USB ports at the local router and the plurality of transceivers at the smart antenna.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer/de-multiplexer at the local router and the second multiplexer/de-multiplexer at the smart antenna encode and decode in such a manner as to shuffle signal packets among the plurality of USB ports and the plurality of transceivers.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shuffling of signal packets includes buffering.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of transceivers is configured to operate in a different signal frequency from at least one other of the plurality of transceivers.

9. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuits encode the USB signals onto a carrier power signal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multiplexer/de-multiplexer circuits encode the USB signals in parallel with mode-of-control signals to and from the transceivers.

11. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network cable is an AC power cable connected to the network ports via powerline network adapters.