Method and system for determining direction of transmission using multi-facet antenna

• US 7,280,073 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tadaaki Chigusa
• Original Assignee: Skipper Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Sayers, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing; Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US11/250,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 342/432, 342/437
• US Class Current: 342/432
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/18 derived directly from separate directional antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0686 Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and simultaneous transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0868 Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and combining

Abstract

A method for determining direction of transmission using an antenna array having a number of panels is disclosed. Each panel is configured to receive signals. According to one aspect of the method, each of the panels is directed to receive signals from a transmitting node. For each panel, a first table having data representing received signal power difference between the panel and a first neighboring panel and a second table having data representing received signal power difference between the panel and a second neighboring panel are built. The panel with the maximum received power is identified. For the identified panel, a first gain table and a second gain table corresponding to its first and second neighboring panels are searched to identify a first transmission angle and a second transmission angle, if any. A transmission angle relative to the transmitting node is determined using the first and second transmission angles.

Claims

1. A method of determining a direction of transmission from a first wireless node to a second wireless node of a wireless communication network, said second wireless node having an antenna array including a plurality of antenna panels, said method comprising:

generating a plurality of differential gain tables for each panel and its neighboring panels, each of said generated differential gain tables having a plurality of differential gain entries corresponding to a plurality of angles;

receiving a communication signal transmitted by a transmitter of said first wireless node at the antenna of the second wireless node;

determining which panel of said plurality of panels receives the communication signal with the highest received signal strength;

calculating a first signal strength difference from the signal strength at the panel determined to be receiving the highest received signal strength and the signal strength at a first neighboring panel;

calculating a second signal strength difference from the signal strength at the panel determined to be receiving the highest received signal strength and the signal strength at a second neighboring panel;

performing a first search of a differential gain table corresponding to the panel receiving the highest received signal strength and a first neighboring panel, to find a match between said first signal strength difference and a differential gain entry in said differential gain table corresponding to the panel receiving the highest received signal strength and the first neighboring panel;

if no match is found from performing said first search, performing a second search of a differential gain table corresponding to the panel receiving the highest received signal strength and a second neighboring panel, to find a match between said second signal strength difference and a differential gain entry in said differential gain table corresponding to the panel receiving the highest received signal strength and the second neighboring panel; and

using the results of said first and/or second searches to determine a direction of said transmission from said first wireless node to said second wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the received communication signal is not received directly from said first wireless node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether one or more panels of said plurality of panels is obstructed from receiving said communication signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the determined direction of transmission from said first wireless node to said second wireless node and information from a third wireless node to determine a relative location of said second wireless node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a radio frequency model to determine a distance between said first wireless node and said second wireless node.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first wireless node comprises a mobile communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said second wireless node comprises a mobile communications device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said first wireless node includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that is operable to provide location information to said second wireless node.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second wireless nodes are configured within a packet switched wireless network.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second wireless nodes are configured to communicate using time division duplexing (TDD).

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second wireless nodes are configured to communicate using frequency division duplexing (FDD).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second wireless nodes comprise mobile communications devices.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication network has a dynamically changing topology.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said second wireless node comprises a fixed or semi-fixed wireless communication device configured for operation within a building.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first wireless node comprises a mobile communication device configured for operation outside said building.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal received at the antenna of the second wireless node comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signal.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the received communication signal includes a plurality of data packets having a header and a payload.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the received communication signal includes streaming media data.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the received communication signal includes voice information.