SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING ASSISTED AIMING FOR WIRELESS LINKS THROUGH A PLURALITY OF EXTERNAL ANTENNAS

• US 20170222317A1
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Inventors: CHONG, Ming Pui, DURICK, Travis, YEUNG, Yu, CHAN, Alex Wing Hong
• Granted Patent: US 10,199,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

Systems and methods which provide local sensor and/or external information derived proactive aiming assistance with respect to wireless nodes for facilitating desired wireless links are shown. Embodiments provide an aiming assistance user interface providing guidance with respect to properly altering the orientation of the plurality of external antennas to provide a desired wireless link. To facilitate providing aiming assistance, embodiments of a plurality of sensors, placed at the plurality of external antennas respectively, operable to provide information useful in environmental analysis for determining proactive orientation guidance information.

Claims

1. A method for providing proactive aiming assistance guidance information at a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is connected to a plurality of external antennas, comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning the plurality of external antennas in respective initial orientations;

(b) determining proactive aiming assistance guidance information to provide proactive guidance for reorienting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to a desired deployment configuration;

(c) reorienting the plurality of external antennas in accordance with the proactive aiming assistance guidance information as provided by a user interface of the wireless node to achieve the desired deployment configuration calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired attributes;

wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information includes rotation directions and tilt directions;

wherein the rotation directions correspond to directions to rotate the plurality of external antennas into the desired deployment configuration respectively; and

wherein the tilt directions correspond to directions to tilt the plurality of external antennas into the desired deployment configuration respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) obtaining sensor information;

(e) determining the initial orientation using at least a portion of the sensor information, wherein at least a portion of the proactive aiming assistance guidance information is determined using the sensor information;

wherein the sensor information comprises information obtained from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors are placed at corresponding external antennas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclinometer, a tilt switch, an accelerometer, gyroscopic sensor, and a digital compass.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(f) obtaining additional sensor information after one or more of the plurality of external antennas are reoriented in the corresponding desired deployment configuration; and

(g) providing at least a portion of the additional sensor information to an external source for use in determining proactive aiming assistance guidance information.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(h) obtaining sensor information during the reorienting one or more of the plurality of external antennas; and

updating the proactive aiming assistance guidance information based upon at least a portion of the sensor information obtained during the reorienting the one or more of the plurality of external antennas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information comprises azimuth guidance information and tilt guidance information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

(j) providing the proactive guidance consistent with the proactive aiming assistance guidance information, wherein the proactive guidance comprises activating one or more azimuth guidance output and one or more elevation guidance output.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the proactive guidance comprises activating a hold guidance output.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tilt directions and the rotation directions of the plurality of external antenna are adjustable remotely.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor information is sent to the wireless node wirelessly.

11. A system comprising:

a wireless node;

wherein the wireless node comprises a processing unit and comprises or connects to a plurality of wireless communication modules;

a plurality of external antennas;

wherein the plurality of external antennas are connected to corresponding wireless communication modules;

a plurality of sensors;

wherein the plurality of sensors are placed at corresponding external antennas;

an aiming assistance user interface to provide proactive aiming assistance guidance for reorienting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to a desired deployment configuration;

wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information includes rotation directions and tilt directions;

wherein the rotation directions correspond to directions to rotate the plurality of external antennas into the desired deployment configuration respectively; and

wherein the tilt directions correspond to directions to tilt the plurality of external antennas into the desired deployment configuration respectively.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicated rotation direction and the indicated tilt direction guide orientation of the plurality of external antennas from corresponding initial orientations into the desired deployment configurations;

and wherein the desired deployment configurations.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information to provides proactive guidance for reorienting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to the desired deployment configuration.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of external antennas are reoriented in accordance with the proactive aiming assistance guidance information to achieve the desired deployment configuration calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired attributes.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclinometer, a tilt switch, an accelerometer, gyroscopic sensor, and a digital compass.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors provide sensor information during the reorienting one or more of the plurality of external antennas;

and wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information is updated based upon at least a portion of the sensor information obtained during the reorienting the one or more of the plurality of external antennas.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor information is sent to the wireless node wirelessly.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the proactive aiming assistance guidance information comprises azimuth guidance information and tilt guidance information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the proactive guidance comprises activating a hold guidance output.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the tilt directions and the rotation directions of the plurality of external antenna are adjustable remotely.