Systems and methods for antenna selection in an ad-hoc wireless network

• US 6,816,115 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: USTA Technology, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Redi, Jason Keith, Tasman, Mitchell Paul, Manning, Keith William
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, F H
• Application Number:
  US10/355,503
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 342/367-368, 709/232, 709/217-218, 455/25, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 342/367
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0814 based on current reception conditions, e.g. switching to different antenna when signal level is below threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system selects an antenna for transmitting data from a node (105-1) in an ad-hoc, multi-hop, wireless network (100). The system receives a message from another node (105-2) of the wireless network (100), the message including location data associated with the other node (105-2). The system determines an angle from the node (105-1) to the other node (105-2), based on the location data, to produce a determined angle. The system selects an antenna from a plurality of antennas for transmitting data to the other node (105-2) based on the determined angle.

Claims

1. A method of selecting an antenna for transmitting data in an ad-hoc wireless network, comprising:

receiving a first message from a node in the ad-hoc wireless network, the message comprising location data associated with the node;

selecting an antenna from a plurality of antennas based on the location data; and

transmitting a second message to the node via the selected antenna, wherein the second message comprises a type of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the second message is transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas comprise a plurality of directional antennas and the selected antenna comprises a directional antenna of the plurality of directional antennas.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a heading to the node using the location data,

wherein selecting the antenna from the plurality of antennas is further based on the determined heading.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determined heading is referenced to true north.

5. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of selecting an antenna for transmitting a message to a node in an ad-hoc wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a location of the node;

selecting a directional antenna from a plurality of directional antennas based on the data; and

transmitting a message to the node via the selected directional antenna, wherein the message comprises a type of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the second message is transmitted.

6. A first node in an ad-hoc wireless network, comprising:

a transceiver coupled to a plurality of directional antennas and to an omni-directional antenna;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive, via the omni-directional antenna, data associated with a location of a second node in the ad-hoc wireless network,

select a directional antenna from the plurality of directional antennas based on the received data, and

transmit data to the second node via the selected directional antenna, wherein the data comprises a type of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the data is transmitted.

7. A method for selecting a transmit antenna in a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a first node of the plurality of nodes, the message comprising location data associated with the first node;

determining an angle from a second node of the plurality of nodes to the first node, based on the location data, to produce a determined angle;

selecting an antenna from a plurality of antennas for transmitting data to the first node based on the determined angle; and

transmitting the data via the selected antenna, wherein the data comprises a of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the data is transmitted.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of antennas comprises a plurality of directional antennas and wherein the selected antenna comprises a directional antenna of the plurality of directional antennas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of directional antennas point in a different direction relative to a platform associated with the second node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the antenna further comprises:

matching the determined angle with an antenna of the plurality of antennas that points in a direction corresponding to the determined angle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining a data table specifying antenna gain patterns associated with each of the plurality of directional antennas.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting an antenna from the plurality of directional antennas comprises:

performing a look-up of the data table using the determined angle.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method for selecting a transmit antenna in a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a location of a first node of the plurality of nodes;

determining an angle from a second node of the plurality of nodes to the first node, based on the location data, to produce a determined angle;

selecting an antenna from a plurality of antennas for transmitting data to the first node based on the determined angle; and

initiating transmission of the data via the selected antenna, wherein the data comprises a type of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the data is transmitted.

14. A first node in a wireless ad-hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a plurality of directional antennas;

an omni-directional antenna;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive, via the omni-directional antenna, data associated with a location of a second node of the plurality of nodes;

determine an angle from the first node to the second node, based on the location data, to produce a determined angle;

select a directional antenna from the plurality of directional antennas for transmitting data to the second node based on the determined angle; and

initiate the transmission of the data via the selected directional antenna, wherein the data comprises a type of the selected directional antenna and a center angle of the selected directional antenna relative to a platform from which the data is transmitted.

15. A method of notifying other nodes in an ad-hoc multi-hop wireless network of a first node'"'"'s location, comprising:

determining a current heading and current location of the first node;

determining whether the current heading of the first node differs from a previous heading of the first node; and

sending at least one message to the other nodes, based on whether the first node'"'"'s current heading differs from the previous heading, the at least one message comprising information identifying the current location of the first node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the current location is derived from Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the current location comprises latitude and longitude data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one message further includes an identifier identifying the first node.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one message comprises at least one of a Request-to-Send (RTS) message and a Clear-To-Send (CTS) message.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the at least one message further comprises sending the at least one message via an omni-directional antenna associated with the first node.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of notifying neighboring nodes in an ad-hoc multi-hop wireless network of a first node'"'"'s location, the method comprising:

determining a current heading and current location of the first node;

determining whether the current heading of the first node differs from a previous heading of the first node; and

sending at least one message to the neighboring nodes, based on whether the first node'"'"'s current heading differs from the previous heading of the first node, to notify the neighboring nodes of the first node'"'"'s current location.

22. A first node in an ad-hoc multi-hop wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

determine a current heading and current location of the first node;

determine whether the current heading of the first node differs from a previous heading of the first node; and

send, via the transceiver, at least one message to at least one other node of the plurality of nodes, based on whether the first node'"'"'s current heading differs from the previous heading, to notify the other mobile nodes of the first node'"'"'s current location.

23. A method of determining a heading to a first node in an ad-hoc wireless network, comprising:

receiving a message from the first node, the message comprising an identifier associated with the first node and data indicating a location of the first node, wherein the location comprises latitude(lat1) and longitude (lon1) data;

determining a current location of a second node, wherein the current location of the second node comprises latitude (lat2) and longitude (lon2) data;

determining a heading of the first node relative to the second node, based on the location of the first node, to produce a determined heading, wherein the heading comprises an angle α

, and wherein;

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

aging the entry after a configurable time period.

25. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of determining a heading to a first mobile node in an ad-hoc wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the first mobile node, the message comprising an identifier associated with the first mobile node and data indicating a location of the first mobile node, wherein the location comprises latitude(lat1) and longitude (lon1) data;

determining a current location of a second mobile node, wherein the current location of the second mobile node comprises latitude (lat2) and longitude (lon2) data;

determining a heading of the first mobile node relative to the second mobile node, based on the location of the first mobile node, to produce a determined heading, wherein the heading comprises an angle α

, and wherein

26. A first node in a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory configured to store instructions and a data table; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive, via the transceiver, data indicating an identifier associated with a second node of the plurality of nodes and a location of the second node, wherein the location comprises latitude(lat1) and longitude (lon1) data,

determine a current location of the first node, wherein the current location of the first node comprises latitude (lat2) and longitude (lon2) data;

determine a heading of the second node relative to the first node, based on the location of the second node, to produce a determined heading, wherein the heading comprises an angle α

, and wherein

27. A system for selecting a transmit antenna in a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

mean for receiving a message from a first node of the plurality of nodes, the message comprising located with the first node;

mean for determining an angle from a second node of the plurality of nodes to the first node to produce a determined angle;

mean for selecting an antenna from a plurality of antennas for transmitting data based on the determined angle; and

means for transmitting the data via the selected antenna, wherein the data comprises a type of the selected antenna and a center angle of the selected antenna relative to a platform from which the data is transmitted.