Antenna Apparatus and Method of Configuring a Transmission Beam for the Antenna Apparatus

• US 20160381570A1
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airspan IP Holdco LLC (Airspan Networks Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airspan Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Dudzinski, Krzysztof, Bozier, Michele Frances, Lysejko, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/06 allowing pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/043 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1228 on a boom
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• 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 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 : providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 : providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 : using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 : for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/10 : to produce a conical or spiral scan
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/12 : using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems
• 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 3/26 : varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 : Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 : with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 : Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 : for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0621 : Feedback content
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 : using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0817 : with multiple receivers and antenna path selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 : using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 : using subgroups of receive antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 : using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 : the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 : using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• 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 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 : detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 : using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 : Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 : Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating

Abstract

An antenna apparatus operates as a base station in a wireless network, with a method configuring a transmission beam within such antenna apparatus. The antenna apparatus has a rotatable antenna assembly employing selected transmission beam patterns, and a controller to rotate the antenna assembly altering its azimuth direction. During configuration mode, a sweep operation rotates the antenna assembly to selected azimuth directions. Quality metric determination circuitry determines, for each selected azimuth direction, a link quality metric for wireless terminals based on communication between the wireless terminals and the base station whilst the rotatable antenna assembly is at that selected azimuth direction. Transmission beam determination circuitry determines, from the link quality metrics determined for the wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction, both a transmission beam pattern and an azimuth direction for subsequent communication with the wireless terminals. The antenna apparatus efficiently self-configures its transmission beam pattern and azimuth direction.

Claims

1. Antenna apparatus for operating as a base station in a wireless network, comprising:

a rotatable antenna assembly configured to employ a transmission beam pattern selected from a plurality of transmission beam patterns;

a controller to rotate the rotatable antenna assembly in order to alter an azimuth direction of the rotatable antenna assembly;

the controller being configured, during a configuration mode, to perform a sweep operation in order to rotate the rotatable antenna assembly to each of multiple selected azimuth directions;

quality metric determination circuitry to determine, for each selected azimuth direction, a link quality metric for each of a plurality of wireless terminals based on communication between the plurality of wireless terminals and the base station whilst the rotatable antenna assembly is at that selected azimuth direction; and

transmission beam determination circuitry to determine, from the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction, both an output transmission beam pattern from said plurality of transmission beam patterns, and an output azimuth direction;

for a subsequent communication with the plurality of wireless terminals, the controller being arranged to rotate the rotatable antenna apparatus to said output azimuth direction and the rotatable antenna assembly being arranged to employ said output transmission beam pattern.

2. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission beam determination circuitry is arranged to receive weighting information associated with at least one wireless terminal, and is arranged to utilise the weighting information in combination with the link quality metrics when determining said output azimuth direction and said output transmission beam pattern.

3. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the weighting information is indicative of a level of service to be provided to at least one of the wireless terminals.

4. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission beam determination circuitry is configured to perform a harmonic mean operation using as inputs the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction and the plurality of transmission beam patterns, in order to determine the output azimuth direction and the output transmission beam pattern.

5. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the transmission beam determination circuitry is arranged to receive weighting information associated with at least one wireless terminal, and is arranged to utilise the weighting information in combination with the link quality metrics when determining said output azimuth direction and said output transmission beam pattern, wherein the harmonic mean operation is a weighted harmonic mean operation and the transmission beam determination circuitry utilises the weighting information as a further input to the weighted harmonic mean operation.

6. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link quality metric is a throughput indication for the associated wireless terminal.

7. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the configuration mode the rotatable antenna assembly is configured to employ a predetermined transmission beam pattern.

8. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the transmission beam determination circuitry is configured to perform a harmonic mean operation using as inputs the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction and the plurality of transmission beam patterns, in order to determine the output azimuth direction and the output transmission beam pattern, wherein:

the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction form a link quality metric/azimuth spectrum for the predetermined transmission beam pattern; and

the transmission beam determination circuitry is arranged, based on the link quality metric/azimuth spectrum for the predetermined transmission beam pattern, to perform an extrapolation operation to determine, for each of the plurality of transmission beam patterns, a corresponding link quality metric/azimuth spectrum.

9. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein prior to performing the extrapolation process the transmission beam determination circuitry uses peak quality metric information within the link quality metric/azimuth spectrum for the predetermined transmission beam pattern to determine, for each of the plurality of wireless terminals, a direction of arrival of the transmission beam from the antenna apparatus.

10. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the transmission beam determination circuitry is arranged during performance of the harmonic mean operation to compute a harmonic mean function for each of the plurality of transmission beam patterns using the corresponding link quality metric/azimuth spectrum in order to obtain for each of the plurality of transmission beam patterns an indication of how link quality varies with azimuth;

the transmission beam determination circuitry then being arranged to select as the output azimuth direction and the output transmission beam pattern the combination of transmission beam pattern and azimuth direction that provides a highest link quality indication.

11. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link quality metric relates to a downlink communication from the base station to the associated wireless terminal, the quality metric determination circuitry being configured to determine the link quality metric from information received from the associated wireless terminal whilst the rotatable antenna assembly is at the selected azimuth direction.

12. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a wireless backhaul network for coupling a core network to a wireless access network, and the base station is a feeder base station for connection to the core network.

13. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the wireless terminals is a feeder terminal for connection to an access point of the wireless access network.

14. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple selected azimuth directions employed during the sweep operation are regularly spaced within a 360 degrees range of rotation.

15. A system comprising:

an antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, for operating as a base station in a wireless network;

a plurality of wireless terminals for communication via the wireless network with the base station;

at least one of the wireless terminals having a wireless terminal rotatable antenna assembly which, during the configuration mode, is swept through multiple wireless terminal azimuth directions whilst the rotatable antenna assembly of the base station is at each selected azimuth direction, in order to detect a preferred wireless terminal azimuth direction for each selected azimuth direction, and

the quality metric determination circuitry of the base station is configured to determine, for each selected azimuth direction, the link quality metric for each of said at least one of the wireless terminals based on communication between said at least one of the wireless terminals and the base station whilst the rotatable antenna assembly is at that selected azimuth direction and said at least one of the wireless terminals is at its preferred wireless terminal azimuth direction.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said at least one of the wireless terminals is arranged to measure a downlink quality metric at each of the multiple wireless terminal azimuth directions, and to select the preferred wireless terminal azimuth direction based on the measured downlink quality metrics.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the quality metric determination circuitry of the base station is configured to receive from said at least one of the wireless terminals information indicative of the measured downlink quality metric at the preferred wireless terminal azimuth direction.

18. A method of configuring a transmission beam for an antenna apparatus to operate as a base station in a wireless network, the antenna apparatus having a rotatable antenna assembly to employ a transmission beam pattern selected from a plurality of transmission beam patterns, and a controller to rotate the rotatable antenna assembly in order to alter an azimuth direction of the rotatable antenna assembly, the method comprising:

performing a sweep operation in order to rotate the rotatable antenna assembly to each of multiple selected azimuth directions;

determining, for each selected azimuth direction, a link quality metric for each of a plurality of wireless terminals based on communication between the plurality of wireless terminals and the base station whilst the rotatable antenna assembly is at that selected azimuth direction; and

determining, from the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminals at each selected azimuth direction, both an output transmission beam pattern from said plurality of transmission beam patterns, and an output azimuth direction;

for a subsequent communication with the plurality of wireless terminals, rotating the rotatable antenna apparatus to said output azimuth direction and causing the rotatable antenna assembly to employ said output transmission beam pattern.

19. Antenna apparatus for operating as a base station in a wireless network, comprising:

rotatable antenna means for employing a transmission beam pattern selected from a plurality of transmission beam patterns;

control means for rotating the rotatable antenna means in order to alter an azimuth direction of the rotatable antenna means;

the control means for performing a sweep operation during a configuration mode in order to rotate the rotatable antenna means to each of multiple selected azimuth directions;

quality metric determination means for determining, for each selected azimuth direction, a link quality metric for each of a plurality of wireless terminal means based on communication between the plurality of wireless terminal means and the base station whilst the rotatable antenna means is at that selected azimuth direction; and

transmission beam determination means for determining, from the link quality metrics determined for the plurality of wireless terminal means at each selected azimuth direction, both an output transmission beam pattern from said plurality of transmission beam patterns, and an output azimuth direction;

for a subsequent communication with the plurality of wireless terminal means, the control means rotating the rotatable antenna means to said output azimuth direction and the rotatable antenna means employing said output transmission beam pattern.