Method and apparatus for antenna control in a communications network
First Claim
1. A method for optimizing the directional angle of an antenna of a first transceiver for communicating with a second transceiver, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a directional angle for the antenna at the first transceiver;
(b) transmitting a known signal from the first transceiver to the second transceiver;
(c) receiving the known signal at the second transceiver;
(d) at the second transceiver, determining a signal quality metric of the known signal;
(e) repeating the steps (a) through (d) wherein a different antenna directional angle is established for each execution of the step (a) and therefore a different signal quality metric is determined for each execution of the step (d);
(f) providing to the first transceiver information representative of the signal quality metrics determined at each execution of the step (d); and
(g) determining an optimum directional angle for the antenna at the first transceiver based on the signal quality metric values determined at each execution of the step (d).
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An antenna apparatus for increasing the capacity in a cellular communication system. The antenna operates in conjunction with a mobile subscriber unit and provides a plurality of antenna elements, each coupled to a respective signal control component to provide a weight to the signal transmitted from each element. The weight for each antenna element is adjusted to achieve optimum reception during, for example, an idle mode when a pilot signal is received. The weight values cause the antenna array to create a beam former for signals to be transmitted from the mobile subscriber unit, and a directional receiving array to more optimally detect and receive signals transmitted from the base station. By directionally receiving and transmitting signals, multipath fading and intercell interference are greatly reduced. The weights are adjusted at the transmitting site in accord with signal quality metric information determined at the receiving site. The signal quality metric information is returned to the transmitting site where the optimum signal quality metric is determined. The weights at the transmitting site are then set to provide the antenna directional angle represented by the optimum signal quality metric.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method for optimizing the directional angle of an antenna of a first transceiver for communicating with a second transceiver, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) establishing a directional angle for the antenna at the first transceiver;
(b) transmitting a known signal from the first transceiver to the second transceiver;
(c) receiving the known signal at the second transceiver;
(d) at the second transceiver, determining a signal quality metric of the known signal;
(e) repeating the steps (a) through (d) wherein a different antenna directional angle is established for each execution of the step (a) and therefore a different signal quality metric is determined for each execution of the step (d);
(f) providing to the first transceiver information representative of the signal quality metrics determined at each execution of the step (d); and
(g) determining an optimum directional angle for the antenna at the first transceiver based on the signal quality metric values determined at each execution of the step (d). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for optimizing the directional angle of a subscriber unit in a wireless communications system for communicating with a base station, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) during an idle state, establishing a directional angle for an antenna of the subscriber unit;
(b) transmitting a known signal from the subscriber unit to the base station;
(c) receiving the known signal at an antenna of the base station;
(d) at the base station, determining a signal quality metric of the known signal;
(e) repeating the steps (a) through (d) wherein a different antenna directional angle is established for each execution of the step (a), and therefore a different signal quality metric is determined for each execution of the step (d);
(f) providing information from the base station to the subscriber unit, wherein the information is representative of the signal quality metric of the known signal to the subscriber unit for each execution of the step (d); and
(g) determining an optimum directional angle for the antenna at the subscriber unit based on the signal quality metrics for each execution of the step (d).
-
-
16. A wireless communications system for communicating between a first transceiver and a second transceiver, said wireless communications system comprising:
-
at the first transceiver, a plurality of antenna elements for transmitting and receiving a composite beam;
a like plurality of weight control components at the first transceiver, each respectively coupled to one of said plurality of antenna elements;
said plurality of weight control components operable to establish a directional antenna angle at the first transceiver for communicating with the second transceiver;
a transmitter at the first transceiver for transmitting a signal to the second transceiver;
a receiver at the second transceiver for determining a signal quality metric of the received signal;
a module at the second transceiver for providing the signal quality metric information to the first transceiver;
wherein said plurality of weight control components are responsive to the signal quality metric information for establishing an optimal antenna directional angle at the first transceiver for communicating with the second transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An antenna apparatus for use with a first transceiver operative in a wireless communications system, for communicating with a second transceiver operative in the wireless communication system, said antenna apparatus comprising:
-
a plurality of antenna elements for transmitting and receiving a composite beam;
a like plurality of weight control components, each respectively coupled to one of said plurality of antenna elements; and
each one of said plurality of weight control components controllable for imparting a weight to the signal at the associated antenna element and thereby establishing a directional antenna angle at the first transceiver for communicating with the second transceiver;
wherein the first transceiver transmits a signal to the second transceiver at the directional antenna angle;
wherein the second transceiver receives the signal and determines a signal quality metric associated therewith;
wherein the signal quality metric is returned to the first transceiver; and
wherein said plurality of weight control components are responsive to the signal quality metric for establishing the directional antenna angle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification