Systems and methods for directional antenna power control in a wireless network

• US 7,085,541 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: USTA Technology, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Manning, Keith William, Redi, Jason Keith, Tasman, Mitchell Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/355,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/63.1, 455/63.4, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/522, 455/562.1, 455/13.4, 455/500, 455/25, 455/62, 455/68, 342/367, 342/368
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• 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 node (105-1) determines a power level for transmitting to a neighboring node (105-2) in a wireless network (100). The node (105-1) receives one or more messages indicating a location of the neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node (105-2) that transmitted the one or more messages. The node (105-1) determines the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node (105-2) based on the location of the neighboring node (105-2) and the type of the directional antenna.

Claims

1. A method of determining transmit power at a first node in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving one or more messages from a second node, the one or more messages indicating a location of the second node and identifying a directional antenna associated with the second node that transmitted at least one of the one or more messages;

determining an angle between the identified directional antenna of the second node and the first node based on the location of the second node;

determining a gain of the identified directional antenna at the determined angle to produce a transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain); and

determining the transmit power for transmitting to the second node based on the transmit antenna gain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a gain of the identified directional antenna comprises:

maintaining a data table specifying antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of the identified directional antenna; and

indexing the data table with the determined angle to retrieve the transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain) of the identified directional antenna.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a pathloss between the second node and the first node based on the determined transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain),

wherein determining the transmit power for transmitting to the second node is further based on the determined pathloss.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a receive antenna gain (RcvAntGain) associated with a second directional antenna of the first node that received the one or more messages.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

measuring, at the first node, a receive power level (RcvPower) associated with at least one of the one or more messages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more messages further indicate a transmit power level (XmitPower) at which at least one of the one or more messages was transmitted from the second node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pathloss is determined based on the XmitPower, the XmitAntGain, the RcvAnt Gain and the RcvPower.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a packet-switched network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless network comprises an ad-hoc, multi-hop, wireless network.

10. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of determining transmit power at a first node in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a second node, the message indicating a direction a directional antenna that transmitted the message is pointing and a location of the second node;

determining an angle between the direction the directional antenna is pointing and the first node based on the location of the second node;

determining a gain of the directional antenna at the determined angle to produce a transmit antenna gain; and

determining the transmit power for transmitting to the second node based on the transmit antenna gain.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining a gain of the directional antenna comprises:

maintaining a data table specifying antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of the directional antenna; and

indexing the data table with the determined angle to retrieve the transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain) of the directional antenna.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a pathloss between the second node and the first node based on the determined transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain),

wherein determining the transmit power for transmitting to the second node is further based on the determined pathloss.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a receive antenna gain (RcvAntGain) associated with a second directional antenna of the first node that received the message.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

causing the measurement, at the first node, of a receive power level (RcvPower) associated with the message.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the message further indicates a transmit power level (XmitPower) at which the message was transmitted from the second node.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the pathloss is based on the XmitPower, the XmitAntGain, the RcvAnt Gain and the RcvPower.

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

an omni-directional antenna configured to receive a first message from a second node, the first message comprising a location of the second node;

a plurality of directional antennas;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

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

receive, via a first directional antenna of the plurality of directional antennas, a second message from the second node, the second message identifying a second directional antenna associated with the second node that transmitted the second message,

determine an angle between the second directional antenna of the second node and the first node based on the location of the second node,

determine a gain of the second directional antenna at the determined angle to produce a transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain), and

determine the transmit power for transmitting to the second node based on the transmit antenna gain.

18. The node of claim 17, the processor further configured to:

store a data table specifying antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of the directional antenna in the memory; and

index the data table with the determined angle to retrieve the transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain) of the directional antenna.

19. The node of claim 18, the processor further configured to:

determine a pathloss between the second node and the first node based on the determined transmit antenna gain (XmitAntGain),

wherein determining the transmit power for transmitting to the second node is further based on the determined pathloss.

20. The node of claim 19, the processor further configured to:

determine a receive antenna gain (RcvAntGain) associated with a second directional antenna of the first node that received the second message.

21. The node of claim 20, the processor further configured to:

initiate a measurement, at the first node, of a receive power level (RcvPower) associated with the second message.

22. The node of claim 21, wherein the second message further indicates a transmit power level (XmitPower) at which the second message was transmitted from the second node.

23. The node of claim 22, wherein the pathloss is determined based on the XmitPower, the XmitAntGain, the RcvAnt Gain and the RcvPower.

24. A method of determining a power level for transmitting to a neighboring node in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, at a first node, one or more messages indicating a location of the neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node that transmitted the one or more messages; and

determining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node based on the location of the neighboring node and the type of the directional antenna.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing a data table specifying a plurality of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern corresponding to the type of directional antenna; and

performing a look-up of the data table, based on data derived from the location of the neighboring node, to retrieve a transmit antenna gain from the plurality of antenna gains.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a pathloss between the neighboring node and the first node using the transmit antenna gain.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node is further based on the determined pathloss.

28. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of determining a power level for transmitting to a neighboring node in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first node, one or more messages indicating a location of the neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node that transmitted the one or more messages; and

ascertaining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node based on the location of the neighboring node and the type of the directional antenna.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, the method further comprising:

storing a data table specifying a plurality of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern corresponding to the type of directional antenna; and

performing a look-up of the data table, based on data derived from the location of the neighboring node, to retrieve a transmit antenna gain from the plurality of antenna gains.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, the method further comprising:

determining a pathloss between the neighboring node and the first node using the transmit antenna gain.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein determining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node is further based on the determined pathloss.

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

a transceiver;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

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

receive, via the transceiver, one or more messages indicating a location of a neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node that transmitted the one or more messages, and

determine the power level for transmitting from the first node to the neighboring node based on the location of the neighboring node and the type of the directional antenna.

33. The node of claim 32, the memory further configured to:

store a data table specifying a plurality of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern corresponding to the type of directional antenna; and

the processor further configured to;

perform a look-up of the data table, based on data derived from the location of the neighboring node, to retrieve a transmit antenna gain from the plurality of antenna gains.

34. The node of claim 33, the processor further configured to:

determine a pathloss between the neighboring node and the first node using the transmit antenna gain.

35. The node of claim 34, wherein determining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node is further based on the determined pathloss.

36. A method of determining a transmit power level, comprising:

maintaining, at a first node, a data structure that describes an array of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of a directional antenna;

receiving a message, transmitted from the directional antenna at a second node, that indicates a direction the directional antenna was pointing when the message was transmitted and a second power level at which the message was transmitted from the second node;

retrieving an antenna gain from the data structure corresponding to the directional antenna and related to the direction the directional antenna was pointing;

controlling a first power level for transmitting from the first node to the second node based on the retrieved antenna gain

measuring a receive power associated with the received message; and

determining a pathloss between the first and second nodes based on the measured receive power, retrieved antenna gain, and the second power level.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein controlling the first power level for transmitting from the first node to the second node is further based on the determined pathloss.

38. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method of determining a transmit power level for transmitting to a neighboring node, the method comprising:

storing a data structure that describes an array of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of a directional antenna;

receiving a message, transmitted from the directional antenna at the neighboring node, that indicates a direction the directional antenna was pointing when the message was transmitted and a power level at which the message was transmitted from the second node;

retrieving an antenna gain from the data structure based on the direction the directional antenna was pointing;

controlling transmit power for transmitting to the neighboring node based on the retrieved antenna gain;

measuring a receive power associated with the received message; and

determining a pathloss based on the measured receive power, retrieved antenna gain, and the power level.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein controlling the transmit power for transmitting to the neighboring node is further based on the determined pathloss.

40. A first node, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory configured to store instructions and a data structure that describes an array of antenna gains associated with an antenna gain pattern of a directional antenna; and

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

receive, via the transceiver, a message transmitted from the directional antenna at a second node that indicates a direction the directional antenna was pointing when the message was transmitted and a second power level at which the message was transmitted from the second node,

determine a receive power associated with the received message,

retrieve an antenna gain from the data structure based on the direction the directional antenna was pointing,

set a first power level for transmitting from the first node to the second node based on the retrieved antenna gain, and

determine a pathloss between the first and second nodes based on the determined receive power, retrieved antenna gain, and the second power level.

41. The node of claim 40, wherein controlling the first power level for transmitting from the first node to the second node is further based on the determined pathloss.

42. A system for determining a power level for transmitting to a neighboring node in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving a message indicating a location of the neighboring node and a type of directional antenna of the neighboring node that transmitted the message; and

means for determining the power level for transmitting to the neighboring node based on the location of the neighboring node and the type of the directional antenna.