Transceiver with optimal antenna direction indicators

• US 7,133,645 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thermond, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US10/840,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/277.2, 455/67.7, 455/65, 455/67.11, 455/63.4, 343/702, 343/703
• US Class Current: 455/67.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1264 Adjusting different parts or elements of an aerial unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless access point includes, in one embodiment, circuitry with a radio transceiver that determines substantially optimal antenna orientation for one or more radio hosts with which an access point is in communication. Received RF signals are down-converted to baseband frequencies and produced to a baseband processor. At least one received signal strength indicator provides signal strength measurements for received communication channels to the baseband processor in the described embodiment. The baseband processor produces control signals to prompt the user to orient at least one antenna into a specified location. In one embodiment, logic prompts the user to move the antenna into a plurality of positions and then evaluates signal strength indication in each position to determine an overall substantially optimal orientation for all of the radio transceivers in communication with the access point.

Claims

1. A wireless access point comprising:

a receiver section that is configured to receive an incoming RF signal, and wherein the receiver section down-converts the incoming RF signal to produce an incoming baseband signal and wherein the receiver section is configured to determine a received signal strength;

a transmitter section that is configured to receive an outgoing baseband signal, and wherein the transmitter section up-converts the outgoing baseband signal to produce an outgoing RF signal;

at least one adjustable antenna;

a first set of lights for indicating desired antenna rotation for the at least one of the adjustable antenna wherein the first set of lights further comprises first and second groups of lights to indicate a rotational position for the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively, into which a user is to place the first and second adjustable antennas;

a second set of lights for indicating received signal strength for the at least one adjustable antenna wherein a number of illuminated lights increases as signal strength increases;

wherein the first and second groups of lights are circularly orientated;

a logic coupled to activate the first and second sets of lights to direct a user to direct the at least one adjustable antenna in a substantially optimal orientation based upon the received signal strength;

first and second adjustable antennas that are adjustable in a horizontally planar direction and in an upwardly extending planar direction; and

wherein the first set of lights comprises first and second groups of lights for indicating antenna orientation for the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively.

2. The wireless access point of claim 1 wherein the first and second groups of lights indicate a rotational position for which the received signal strength is substantially optimized for the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively.

3. The wireless access point of claim 1 wherein the second set of lights comprises first and second rows of lights for indicating received signal strength on the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively.

4. The wireless access point of claim 3 wherein the received signal strength reflects a substantially maximum signal strength for a plurality of communication devices communicatively coupled with the wireless access point.

5. The wireless access point of claim 4 wherein the first and second groups of lights provide an indication of rotational and planar orientation that substantially maximizes the received signal strength for the plurality of communication devices communicatively coupled with the wireless access point through the first and second adjustable antennas.

8. The wireless access point of claim 4 wherein the second set of lights comprises first and second rows of lights for indicating received signal strength on the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively.

6. In a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver access point, a method for determining and providing an indication of a substantially optimal antenna placement for communicating with a plurality of host devices, comprising:

receiving an incoming RF signal and down-converting the incoming RF signal to produce an incoming baseband signal to a baseband processor;

determining a signal strength of the incoming RF signal and producing the determined signal strength to the baseband processor;

indicating desired antenna rotation for at least one adjustable antenna on a first set of lights;

indicating received signal strength for the at least one adjustable antenna on a second set of lights by increasing a number of illuminated lights based upon the received signal strength; and

illuminating the first and second sets of lights to direct a user to direct the at least one adjustable antenna in a substantially optimal orientation based upon a received signal strength wherein illuminating the first and second set of lights further includes;

illuminating the first and second sets of lights to prompt a user to adjust first and second adjustable antennas in a horizontally planar direction; and

illuminating the first and second sets of lights to prompt the user to adjust first and second adjustable antennas in an upwardly extending planar direction;

providing an indication to the user of a rotational position for the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively, into which a user is to place the first and second adjustable antennas;

indicating a rotational position for which a received signal strength is substantially optimized for at least one of the first and second adjustable antennas, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the received signal strength reflects a substantially maximum signal strength for a plurality of communications devices communicatively coupled with the RF transceiver access point.

9. A method for determining and indicating an optimal antenna orientation on a wireless receiver, comprising:

establishing a communication link with at least one wireless transceiver device;

receiving an RF signal from the at least one wireless transceiver device;

performing a first part of a two-part method for determining and indicating the optimal antenna orientation further including;

determining a signal quality metric for the received RF signal;

prompting a user to rotate an antenna into a specified rotational position;

providing a signal quality indication to the user to indicate a substantially optimal position in an upwardly extending planar direction in relation to the specified rotational position; and

prompting the user to rotate the antenna into subsequent specified rotational positions and, for each specified rotational position, providing the signal quality indication to the user to indicate the substantially optimal position in an upwardly extending planar direction in relation to the specified rotational position; and

performing a second part of the two-part method for determining and indicating the optimal antenna orientation further including, after prompting the user to rotate the antenna into every possible specified position in the first part of the two-part method, the two-part method including;

providing an indication of a final antenna rotational position in which the antenna is to be placed for use; and

providing an indication of a substantially optimal upwardly extending planar orientation for the final rotational position.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal quality metric is a received signal strength.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal quality metric is one of a bit error rate or a frame error rate.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal quality metric is one of signal to noise ratio.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the signal quality metric reflects signal quality for a plurality of communication links.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the final rotational position is one that provides a substantially best signal quality for the plurality of communication links.

15. The method of claim 9 further including providing a specified amount of time for a user to rotate the antenna from one position to another.

16. The method of claim 9 further including providing a specified amount of time for a user to pivot the antenna in an upwardly extending direction to determine a substantially optimal orientation.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein one of a tone or a specified light condition is used to indicate that the antenna is in a substantially optimal orientation.

18. The method of claim 9 further including waiting for a specified user response prior to indicating a new position for the antenna rotation.