Smart antenna apparatus

• US 7,418,271 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hovers, Omri, Kagan, Shahar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US11/513,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A smart antenna apparatus including a receiving system, one or more beam analysis modules, a control channel monitoring module, a processing system, and a receiving beam switch is provided. The receiving system is operable to receive a plurality of uplink beams, each including traffic signals transmitted by a mobile station. The beam analysis modules are operable to analyze the uplink beams to determine one or more characteristics of each uplink beam. The control channel monitoring module is operable to monitor control channel signals being communicated from a base station transceiver. The control channel signals include synchronization signals. The processing system is operable to synchronize the smart antenna apparatus with the base station transceiver using the synchronization signals received by the control channel monitoring module. The processing system is further operable to determine a selected beam from the plurality of uplink beams based at least in part on the one or more characteristics determined by the beam analysis modules. The receiving beam switch is operable to switch to the selected beam to allow the selected beam to be communicated to the base station transceiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna array; and

a smart antenna circuit comprising a processing system coupled to the antenna array configured for executing one or more algorithms, based on a number of parameters, to select an uplink beam for uplink signals and a downlink beam for downlink signals, wherein the smart antenna circuit is configured for coupling to an already existing base station in a wireless communications system between a base station transceiver and at least one mobile station and is configured to receive and transmit signals along a selected beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uplink beam is used to communicate uplink signals received from the at least one mobile station to the base station transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downlink beam is used to communicate downlink signals from the base station transceiver to the at least one mobile station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system further comprises:

a fast decision beam selection circuit configured for determining a fastest or nearly fastest beam selection substantially in real time or near real time, and

a smart decision beam selection circuit configured for determining a beam selection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured for determining to use the results from the fast decision beam selection during the initiation of a call from the mobile station.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured for determining to use the results from the smart decision beam selection circuit after a call from the mobile station is established.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system configured for collecting signaling information for making beam selections.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a base station controller configured for communicating signaling and traffic information with the base station transceiver via an interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the monitoring system is configured for collecting signaling information communicated between the base station controller and the base station transceiver without substantially disrupting the communication of the signaling and/or traffic information between the base station transceiver and the base station controller.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a smart antenna circuit configured for communicating with at least one mobile station;

a sector antenna coupled to the smart antenna circuit, the sector antenna comprising one or more antenna elements, the sector antenna configured for dividing a wide beam into two or more narrow beams and further configured for communicating signals throughout a sector;

a processing system coupled to the smart antenna circuit and a base station transceiver; and

a monitoring system coupled to the smart antenna circuit configured for;

receiving signaling information communicated between a base station transceiver and a base station controller; and

processing the signaling information to determine relevant signaling information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the relevant signaling information is used by the processing system to select uplink or downlink beams, or combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base station transceiver or the at least one mobile station, or combinations thereof, are configured for communicating control channel information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a control channel monitoring circuit configured for passively monitoring control channel information being communicated from the base station transceiver to the at least one mobile station without making any modifications to the base station transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signals may be communicated between the smart antenna circuit and a particular mobile station via a narrow beam or via a wide beam.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the smart antenna circuit is configured for communicating with at least one mobile station via a first narrow beam, a second narrow beam, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the smart antenna circuit is configured for switching from the first narrow beam to the second narrow beam.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein switching from the first narrow beam to the second narrow beam enables a smart antenna circuit to locate at least one mobile station within a wide beam.