ANTENNA STRUCTURES AND METHODS THEREOF FOR DETERMINING LOCATIONS TO IMPROVE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20150120189A1
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Achilles Technology Management Co Ii, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SkyCross, Inc.
• Inventors: Giometti, Robert, Montgomery, Mark T., Caimi, Frank M., Chen, Li, Rabe, Duane
• Application Number:
  US14/491,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120189A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/522
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0807 characterised by the application
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/103 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna tuning resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/12 Parallel arrangements of substantially straight elongated conductive units travelling-wave antennas comprising transmission line loaded with transverse elements H01Q11/02; Yagi antennas H01Q19/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 : Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/22 : RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 : Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 : Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/48 : Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 : Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 : with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 : by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 : with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 : with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 : Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 : with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/15 : Tuning of resonator by means of digitally controlled inductor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0245 : Discontinuous tuning using an electrical variable impedance element, e.g. a voltage variable reactive diode, in which no corresponding analogue value either exists or is preset, i.e. the tuning information is only available in a digital form microprocessor tuning H03J1/0008
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/242 : used exclusively for band selection
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/244 : using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 : with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 : for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 : Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 : the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 : MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 : Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 : Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 : Diversity capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 : Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 : for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 : by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 : using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure of a base station including an antenna element for communicating with a communication device via radio frequency signals and a circuit coupled to the antenna element. The circuit detects a location of the communication device. The circuit determines from the location of the communication device a first set of coordinates corresponding to an alternate location where an improved quality of communications can be provided to the communication device, and transmits the first set of coordinates to the communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a base station comprising a processor, a location of a communication device;

determining, by the base station, from the location of the communication device a first set of coordinates corresponding to an alternate location, wherein an improved quality of communications is provided to the communication device at the alternate location; and

transmitting, by the base station, the first set of coordinates to the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device presents navigation information comprising instructions for navigating from the location of the communication device to the alternate location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation information comprises a geographical feature at the alternate location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed based on communications quality data associated with a plurality of locations in a service area of the base station, the communications quality data being stored in a storage device coupled to the base station, and wherein improved communications between the communication device and the base station are provided at the alternate location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the detecting further comprises detecting a communications quality indication relating to the location of the communication device, and further comprising adding the location of the communication device and the communications quality indication to the communications quality data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communications quality data further includes communications quality data associated with a second plurality of locations in a second service area of a second base station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first set of coordinates corresponds to a location in the second service area.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the communication device a second set of coordinates corresponding to a location of the base station,

wherein the communication device, responsive to receiving the second set of coordinates, adjusts an antenna mode of the communication device from omnidirectional mode to beamforming mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication device presents direction information comprising an instruction for directing the communication device relative to the base station.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication device presents orientation information comprising an instruction for orienting the communication device.

11. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations comprising:

detecting a location of a communication device communicating with a base station;

obtaining an indication of communications quality associated with the location of the communication device;

determining from the location of the communication device and from the indication of communications quality associated with the location of the communication device a first set of coordinates corresponding to an alternate location to improve a communications service quality provided to the communication device; and

transmitting the first set of coordinates to the communication device.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining is performed based on communications quality data associated with a plurality of locations in a service area of the base station, and wherein the alternate location is in the service area of the base station.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the base station is a first base station having a first service area, wherein the determining is performed based on communications quality data associated with a plurality of locations in the first service area and in a second service area of a second base station remote from the first base station, and wherein the alternate location is in the second service area.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the communication device presents navigation information comprising instructions for navigating from the location of the communication device to the alternate location.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the navigation information comprises a landmark corresponding to the alternate location.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting to the communication device a second set of coordinates corresponding to a location of the base station,

wherein the communication device, responsive to receiving the first set of coordinates, adjusts an antenna mode of the communication device from omnidirectional mode to beamforming mode.

17. An antenna structure of a first base station, comprising:

an antenna element for communicating with a communication device via radio frequency signals; and

a circuit coupled to the antenna element, wherein the circuit performs operations comprising;

detecting a location of the communication device;

determining from the location of the communication device a set of coordinates corresponding to an alternate location, wherein an improved quality of communication services is provided to the communication device at the alternate location; and

transmitting the set of coordinates to the communication device.

18. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the determining is performed based on communication services quality data associated with a plurality of locations in a first service area of the first base station, and wherein the communication services quality data includes a communication services quality indication obtained from the communication device.

19. The antenna structure of claim 18, wherein the communication services quality data further includes communication services quality data associated with a second plurality of locations in a second service area of a second base station remote from the first base station.

20. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the communication device presents navigation information comprising instructions for navigating from the location of the communication device to the alternate location.