Method and apparatus for using position location to direct narrow beam antennas

• US 7,181,244 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Riddle, Christopher C., Judson, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/998,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/562, 455/561, 455/13.1, 455/440, 455/427, 455/457, 455/562.1, 455/101, 455/524, 342/367, 342/357.1, 342/360, 370/490, 343/895
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A novel mobile unit which communicates with a new and advantageous base station. The mobile unit includes a system for generation of position information and a transceiver for transmitting the position information. In the preferred embodiment, the transceiver is a CDMA system and the system for generating position information includes an arrangement for receiving a GPS signal. In the preferred embodiment, a GPS assisted arrangement is employed which is adapted to receive a signal from an airborne platform as well as from a satellite based platform. The inventive base station is adapted to receive position information from a remote unit and provide a received position signal in response thereto. The novel base station is further equipped with a mechanism for directing a beam in response to the received position signal. In the illustrative embodiment, the mechanism for directing the beam is a smart antenna system including an antenna array and a beamforming network for driving the array to output the directed beam.

Claims

1. A method for beamforming by a base station, the method comprising:

providing a mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position to a spatial processing unit;

providing a base station'"'"'s coordinate position to the spatial processing unit;

calculating a direction of the mobile station with respect to the base station according to the mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and the base station'"'"'s coordinate position;

calculating a number and a direction of beams according to information supplied by a multipath database that includes records of mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and corresponding angle of arrival of energy; and

determining a gain and a phase of each element of an antenna according to the number and the direction of beams.

2. A base station comprising:

means for providing a mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position to a spatial processing unit;

means for providing a base station'"'"'s coordinate position to the spatial processing unit;

means for calculating a direction of the mobile station with respect to the base station according to the mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and the base station'"'"'s coordinate position;

means for calculating a number and a direction of beams according to information supplied by a multipath database that includes records of mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and corresponding angle of arrival of energy; and

means for determining a gain and a phase of each element of an antenna according to the number and the direction of beams.

3. A base station comprising:

a processor for providing a mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and the base station'"'"'s coordinate position a spatial processing unit;

a spatial processing unit for calculating a direction of the mobile station with respect to the base station according to the mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and the base station'"'"'s coordinate position, for calculating a number and a direction of beams according to information supplied by a multipath database that includes records of mobile station'"'"'s coordinate position and corresponding angle of arrival of energy, and determining a gain and a phase of each element of an antenna according to the number and the direction of beams.