Adaptive beam pointing method and apparatus for a communication system
First Claim
1. A method for a communication system to provide service to a requesting communication unit, wherein an active service beam projected by a communication antenna services one or more currently serviced communication units, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving, by the communication antenna, a service request from the requesting communication unit;
b) ascertaining a location of the requesting communication unit in response to the service request;
c) determining, based on the location, a ground position aim point for a center of the active service beam that would allow the active service beam to service the requesting communication unit without excluding any of the one or more currently serviced communication units;
d) steering the center of the active service beam to substantially coincide with the ground position aim point; and
e) when the ground position aim point will not allow the active service beam to service the requesting communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units simultaneously, projecting a new service beam toward the requesting communication unit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for allocating service beams (72, 76) to communication units (80-84) (CUs) ascertains (124) the location of a CU (81) attempting to access the communication system (30), and determines (126) whether a currently active service beam (72) is capable of providing service to the CU (81). If so, a ground position aim point (90) is determined (134), and the active service beam (72) is steered (142) to the ground position aim point (90). If not, a new service beam (76) is provided (132) to the CU (83). When a call is terminated (162), a new ground position aim point (92) is determined (168) and the service beam (72) is steered (170) to the new ground position aim point (92). If no remaining CUs are being serviced by the service beam, the service beam is deactivated is (166).
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for a communication system to provide service to a requesting communication unit, wherein an active service beam projected by a communication antenna services one or more currently serviced communication units, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving, by the communication antenna, a service request from the requesting communication unit; b) ascertaining a location of the requesting communication unit in response to the service request; c) determining, based on the location, a ground position aim point for a center of the active service beam that would allow the active service beam to service the requesting communication unit without excluding any of the one or more currently serviced communication units; d) steering the center of the active service beam to substantially coincide with the ground position aim point; and e) when the ground position aim point will not allow the active service beam to service the requesting communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units simultaneously, projecting a new service beam toward the requesting communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for a communication system to provide service beams to communication units, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a service request from a communication unit; b) ascertaining a location of the communication unit in response to the service request; c) determining, in response to the service request, whether an active service beam of the service beams is capable of servicing the communication unit based on the location; and d) when the active service beam is capable of servicing the communication unit, determining a beam location for the active service beam which would enable the active service beam to provide service to the communication unit and steering the active service beam, in response to the service request, to the beam location that allows the active service beam to provide the service to the communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for a communication system to provide service beams to communication units, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) projecting a new service beam toward a communication unit that has requested service, wherein the projecting step is performed when an active service beam is not capable of providing service to the communication unit because of a location of the communication unit relative to one or more currently serviced communication units, and wherein the active service beam provides the service to the one or more currently serviced communication units; and b) using the active service beam to provide the service to the communication unit when the active service beam is capable of providing the service to the communication unit, wherein a center of the active service beam is steered to a ground position aim point that allows the active service beam to service the communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for a communication system to provide service beams to communication units, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) ascertaining a location of a communication unit that has requested service from the communication system, wherein the communication unit requested the service by sending a service request to the communication system; b) determining, in response to the service request, whether an active service beam of the service beams is capable of servicing the communication unit based on the location, wherein the service beams are not fixed with respect to a surface of an earth, but are dynamically steerable based on traffic demand of the communication units; c) when the active service beam is not capable of servicing the communication unit, instructing a communication antenna to project a new service beam of the service beams toward the communication unit; and d) when the active service beam is capable of servicing the communication unit, instructing the communication antenna to use the active service beam to provide service to the communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method for a communication unit to communicate with a communication antenna, wherein the communication antenna is controlled by a communication antenna controller coupled to the communication antenna, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) sending a service request to the communication antenna controller, the service request including a location of the communication unit; b) using a new service beam projected by the communication antenna when the location is such that an active service beam is not capable of servicing the communication unit, wherein the active service beam provides service to one or more currently serviced communication units; and c) using the active service beam projected by the communication antenna when the active service beam is capable of servicing the communication unit without losing service to the one or more currently serviced communication units, wherein a center of the active service beam is steered to a ground position aim point that allows the active service beam to service the communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units.
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29. A communication antenna apparatus comprising:
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a communication antenna controller for controlling a first steerable antenna dement and at least one second steerable antenna element; the first steerable antenna element coupled to the communication antenna controller, the first steerable antenna dement for projecting an active service beam toward one or more currently serviced communication units which the active service beam is servicing and, when the active service beam can be moved to service a new communication unit which has requested service without losing service to any of the one or more currently serviced communication units, the first steerable antenna element for steering a center of the active service beam to a ground position aim point that allows service to the new communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units; and the at least one second steerable antenna element coupled to the communication antenna controller, the at least one second steerable antenna element for projecting a new service beam toward the new communication unit when the active service beam is not capable of servicing the new communication unit without losing service to the one or more currently serviced communication units.
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30. A network control facility comprising:
a processor for ascertaining a location of a communication unit in response to a service request, from the communication unit, for service from a communication antenna, determining whether an active service beam provided by the communication antenna is capable of servicing the communication unit based on the location, wherein the active service beam is not fixed with respect to a surface of an earth, but is dynamically steerable based on traffic demand of communication units, when the active service beam is not capable of servicing the communication unit, instructing the communication antenna to project a new service beam toward the communication unit, and when the active service beam is capable of servicing the communication unit, instructing the communication antenna to use the active service beam to provide the service to the communication unit. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A communication unit comprising:
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a processor for creating a service request; and a transceiver coupled to the processor for sending the service request and for communicating over a new service beam provided by a communication antenna when an active service beam is not capable of servicing the communication unit based on a location of the communication unit, wherein the active service beam is providing service to one or more currently serviced communication units, the transceiver also for using the active service beam when the active service beam is capable of servicing the communication unit, wherein a center of the active service beam is steered by the communication antenna to a ground position aim point that allows the active service beam to service the communication unit and the one or more currently serviced communication units. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification