Method of controlling directional antenna and apparatus of the same

• US 6,836,674 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., KDDI Corporation
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi, Okamoto, Tatsuto, Inoue, Takashi, Masuda, Satoshi, Suzuki, Toshiro, Niida, Sumaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/795,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20020034967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/25, 455/447, 455/450, 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/63.4, 455/575.7, 342/374, 342/372, 342/154, 342/367, 342/457, 342/373
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Disclosed is a control apparatus capable of more effectively utilizing radio resources. Mobile stations positioned close to each other are treated as one group, and a direction and width (radiation angle) of a beam radiated from an adaptive array antenna 11 is controlled for each group so that one beam capture one group. To be concrete, a plurality of mobile stations are classified into groups by a classification section 19, and an area to which each group moves is estimated by a directivity determination section 20. The adaptive array antenna 11 is controlled by the directivity control section 15 so that one beam can cover an area in which one group is positioned and the area to which this one group moves.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of changing a direction and width (radiation angle) of each of a plurality of beams to radiate the beams, comprising the steps of:

a first step for obtaining information on a position of each of said plurality of mobile stations;

a second step for classifying said plurality of mobile stations into groups each of which is a group of closely positioned mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained in said first step, concerning;

a third step for managing a position record of each group classified by said second step and for estimating an area to which said each group moves, based on said position record of each group; and

a fourth step for controlling the direction and width of each of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover an area in which one group classified by said second step is positioned and an area to which said one group concerned moves, which is estimated by said third step.

2. A control apparatus of a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of radiating a plurality of beams, the beams having a direction and width (radiation angle) respectively different from each other, comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining information on a position of each of said plurality of mobile stations;

classifying means for classifying said plurality of mobile stations into groups each of which is a group of closely positioned mobile stations, based on the information on the position of each of said plurality of mobile stations, which is obtained by said obtaining means;

estimating means for managing a position record of each group classified by said classifying means and for estimating an area to which said each group moves, based on said position record of each group; and

controlling means for controlling the direction and width of the beams radiated by said directional antenna on a group-by-group basis so that one beam radiated by said directional antenna can cover an area in which one group classified by said classifying means is positioned and an area to which said one group concerned moves, which is estimated by said estimating means.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, as a group is closer to a setup position of said directional antenna, said controlling means controls the width of the beam radiated to the group by said directional antenna so that the beam can cover a broader area so as to include the area where the group is positioned.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said directional antenna is an adaptive array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements.

5. The control apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising

a directional antenna for use in a radio communication with a plurality of mobile stations, which is capable of changing a direction and width (radiation angle) of a plurality of beams respectively and capable of radiating the plurality of beams.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said directional antenna is an adaptive array antenna composed of a plurality of antenna elements.