Control of multidirectional antenna structure in a primary station for use in a radio communication network

• US 6,987,745 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Breakwaters Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bruzzone, Raul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W.
• Application Number:
  US09/551,816
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 370/339, 370/331, 370/329, 370/334
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching

Abstract

A method for controlling a multidirectional antenna structure in a primary station for use in a radio communication networks comprising a plurality of secondary stations. This method involves an acquisition step of acquiring data relating to secondary stations, a selection step of selecting, based on acquired data, an active secondary station and alternative secondary stations suitable for becoming active, a calculation step of calculating the directions of signals received from the selected secondary stations, a storage step of storing the calculated directions, and a control step of controlling said antenna structure depending on stored directions.

Claims

1. A mobile station for use in a communication system including a plurality of base stations, said mobile station comprising:

a multi-directional controllable antenna structure operable to transmit and receive radio signals;

acquisition means for acquiring data relating to at least one of said base stations from at least one radio signal received by said multi-directional controllable antenna structure;

selection means for, based on the acquired data, conditionally selecting at least an active base station and conditionally selecting at least an alternative base station suitable for becoming active;

calculation means for calculating directions of signals received from the selected base stations;

storage means for storing the calculated directions; and

control means for controlling said multi-directional controllable antenna structure in dependence of the stored directions.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking means for tracking a direction of the active base station with said multi-directional controllable antenna structure.

3. The mobile station of claim 1,

wherein said multi-directional controllable antenna structure includes a plurality of directional antennas;

wherein the acquired data are quality data associated with at least one base station/directional antenna pairing; and

wherein the active base station is the base station associated with a base station/directional antenna pairing having a highest quality data.

4. A method for controlling a multi-directional controllable antenna structure in a mobile station intended to communicate with a plurality of base stations of a radio communication network, said method comprising:

acquiring data relating to at least one of said base stations from at least one radio signal received by the multi-directional controllable antenna structure;

based on the acquired data, conditionally selecting at least an active base station and conditionally selecting at least an alternative base station suitable for becoming active;

calculating directions of signals received from the selected base stations;

storing the calculated directions; and

controlling the multi-directional controllable antenna structure in dependence of the stored directions.

6. The method of claim 4,

wherein the multi-directional controllable antenna structure includes a plurality of directional antennas;

wherein the acquired data are quality data associated with at least one base station/directional antenna pairing; and

wherein the active base station is the base station associated with a base station/directional antenna pairing having a highest quality data.

5. A method for controlling a multi-directional controllable antenna structure in a mobile station intended to communicate with a plurality of base stations of a radio communication network, said method comprising:

acquiring data relating to at least one of said base stations from at least one radio signal received by the multi-directional controllable antenna structure;

based on the acquired data, conditionally selecting at least an active base station and conditionally selecting at least an alternative base station suitable for becoming active;

calculating directions of signals received from the selected base stations;

storing the calculated directions; and

controlling the multi-directional controllable antenna structure in dependence of the stored directions.

7. A radio communication system, comprising:

a plurality of base stations; and

a mobile station including

a multi-directional controllable antenna structure operable to transmit and receive radio signals,

acquisition means for acquiring data relating to at least one of said base stations from at least one received radio signal,

selection means for, based on the acquired data, conditionally selecting at least an active base station and conditionally selecting at least an alternative base station suitable for becoming active,

calculation means for calculating directions of signals received from the selected base stations,

storage means for storing the calculated directions, and

control means for controlling said antenna structure in dependence of the stored directions.

8. The radio communication network of claim 7, wherein said mobile station further includes tracking means for tracking a direction of an active base station with said multi-directional controllable antenna structure.

9. The radio communication network of claim 7,

wherein the multi-directional controllable antenna structure includes a plurality of directional antennas;

wherein the acquired data are quality data associated with at least one base station/directional antenna pairing; and

wherein the active base station is the base station associated with a base station/directional antenna pairing having a highest quality data.

10. A computer program for use in a mobile station having a multi-directional controllable antenna structure and intended to be used in a radio communication network having a plurality of base stations, said computer program comprising computer program code means to make the mobile station:

acquire data relating to at least one of said base stations from at least one radio signal received by the multi-directional controllable antenna structure;

based on the acquired data, conditionally select at least an active base station and conditionally select at least an alternative base station suitable for becoming active;

calculate directions of signals received from the selected base stations;

store the calculated directions; and

control the multi-directional controllable antenna structure in dependence of the stored directions.

11. The computer program of claim 10, wherein said computer program further comprises computer program means to make the mobile station track a direction of the active base station with the multi-directional controllable antenna structure.

12. The computer program of claim 10,

wherein the multi-directional controllable antenna structure includes a plurality of directional antennas;

wherein the acquired data are quality data associated with at least one base station/directional antenna pairing; and

wherein the active base station is the base station associated with a base station/directional antenna pairing having a highest quality data.