PORTABLE WIRELESS NODE AUXILIARY RELAY

• US 20140349569A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Reudink, Douglas O., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for portable wireless node auxiliary relay. For certain example embodiments, at least one device, such as an auxiliary relay item: (i) may serve as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; or (ii) may communicate with at least one of a portable wireless node or a fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

Claims

1. A method for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the method being at least partially implemented by at least one device, the method comprising:

serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

serving as at least a unidirectional relay between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

serving as a bidirectional relay between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

establishing at least one relay protocol with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the establishing at least one relay protocol with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node comprises:

indicating at least one relay status to the portable wireless node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

providing to the portable wireless node at least one indication of a location of an auxiliary relay item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing to the portable wireless node at least one indication of a location of an auxiliary relay item comprises:

providing to the portable wireless node at least one indication of a location with respect to a body on which the auxiliary relay item is being worn.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of at least one impediment to communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of at least one impediment to communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node comprises:

serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of human tissue exposure to electromagnetic radiation resulting from wireless communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue comprises:

detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue that may be pertinent to communication with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue comprises:

detecting the at least one indication of the at least one location of human tissue based at least partly on at least one sensor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue comprises:

detecting the at least one indication of the at least one location of human tissue based at least partly on at least one test beam emanation.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

communicating using at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from at least one obstacle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

communicating using at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from human tissue.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

communicating using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the communicating using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item comprises:

communicating using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one rotational position of the auxiliary relay item.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the communicating using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item comprises:

communicating using one or more indications of one or more antenna element subsets that are associated with the at least one orientation position of the auxiliary relay item.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

receiving the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position via experimentation.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

retrieving the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position from at least one antenna configuration data structure.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node as at least part of the relay.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining, by at least one auxiliary relay item, the at least one direction.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the obtaining, by at least one auxiliary relay item, the at least one direction comprises:

obtaining, by at least one wearable auxiliary relay item, the at least one direction.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining at least one angle for establishing the at least one beam.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining at least one coverage zone for establishing the at least one beam.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters for establishing the at least one beam.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining the at least one direction via at least one message received from the at least one portable wireless node.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining the at least one direction via experimentation with the at least one portable wireless node.

44. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item.

47. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one spatial location.

50. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

determining the at least one direction to aim the at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node based at least partly on transmissions of multiple beams having multiple respective indicators.

51. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

determining the at least one direction to aim the at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node based at least partly on sweeping beam transmissions along a first path and slicing beam transmissions along a second path.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

communicating with the at least one portable wireless node using the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the communicating with the at least one portable wireless node using the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction comprises:

communicating using one or more indications of multiple respective values to control multiple respective amplitudes of electromagnetic radiation emanating from multiple respective locations of at least one antenna assembly with the one or more indications corresponding to the at least one direction.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the communicating with the at least one portable wireless node using the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction comprises:

communicating using one or more indications of how to configure at least one antenna assembly so as to produce the at least one beam in the at least one direction.

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57. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

circuitry for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position.

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113. A system for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the system comprising:

means for serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

means for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position.

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