Adaptive antenna weighting system for wireless local area and personal area networks

• US 8,126,486 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A., Hwang, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Paul P
• Application Number:
  US12/201,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.4, 455/187.1, 455/41.2, 455/436, 455/437, 455/453, 455/500, 455/517, 455/562.1, 455/442, 455/560, 342/359, 342/373, 342/377, 342/378, 342/380, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/349, 370/441, 370/331, 375/267
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of providing signal coverage in a wireless network includes establishing communications between a first wireless access unit and a second wireless access unit. In response to a communications device, the first wireless access unit weighting factor is modified to provide the communications device with optimal signal coverage. The first radiation weighting factor is transmitted to the second wireless access unit, which modifies its own weighting factor to provide the communications device with sufficient signal coverage.

Claims

1. A method of providing signal coverage in a first wireless network, the method comprising:

(a) establishing cooperative communications between a first wireless access unit and a second wireless access unit in the first wireless network to initialize a first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and a second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor;

(b) modifying the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide an optimal signal coverage in response to an interaction with a communications device, wherein modifying the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor occurs if the first wireless access unit provides the communications device with a signal stronger than the second wireless access unit;

(c) transmitting the modified first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the second wireless access unit; and

(d) modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor based on the modified first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide the communications device with a cognizable signal and to reduce signal overlap with the first wireless access unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) monitoring a location of the communications device;

(f) modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor, wherein modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor occurs if the second wireless access unit provides the communications device with a stronger signal than the first wireless access unit;

(g) transmitting the modified second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the first wireless access unit; and

(h) modifying the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide the communications device with a cognizable signal and to reduce signal overlap with the second wireless access unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor is modified until the communications device receives a threshold signal strength from the first wireless access unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) establishing a failover hierarchy between the first wireless access unit and the second wireless access unit for a wireless access unit failure based upon the signal received by the communications device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(f) detecting a communication error from the first wireless access unit; and

(g) modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide the communications device with optimal signal coverage, wherein modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor is based on the failover hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) transmitting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to a second wireless network; and

(f) receiving feedback from the second wireless network to adjust the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor, wherein feedback is provided from the second wireless network until an acceptable threshold signal strength is transmitted by the first wireless access unit to the second wireless network.

7. A system for providing signal coverage in a wireless network, comprising:

(a) a first wireless access unit having a first wireless access unit processor controlling a first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor associated therewith;

(b) a second wireless access unit having a second wireless access unit processor controlling a second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor; and

(c) a first communications channel to facilitate transmission of the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor between the first and second wireless access units, wherein

the first wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide an optimal signal coverage in response to a communication device if the first wireless access unit provides the communication device with a signal stronger than the second wireless access unit;

the second wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor in response to receiving the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor; and

the second wireless access unit is configured to provide the communication device with a cognizable signal and reduce signal overlap with the first wireless access unit.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

(d) a second communications channel to facilitate transmission of the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to a second wireless network, wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the first radiation antenna array weighting factor until an acceptable threshold signal strength is transmitted to the second wireless network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit processor and the second wireless access unit processor are configured to monitor a location of the communication device, wherein the second wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor if the second wireless access unit provides the communication device with a signal stronger than the first wireless access unit, wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor in response to receiving the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor, and wherein the first wireless access unit is configured to provide the communication device with a cognizable signal and reducing signal overlap with the second wireless access unit.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the communications device receives a threshold signal strength from the first wireless access unit.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit processor and the second wireless access unit processor are configured to establish a failover hierarchy based upon the signal strength received by the communications device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the second wireless access unit processor is configured to detect a communication error with the first wireless access unit, wherein the second wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide the communications device with optimal signal coverage, wherein modifying the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor is based on the failover hierarchy.

13. A method of reducing spurious radiation, the method comprising:

(a) establishing communications between a first wireless access unit within a first wireless network and a second wireless access unit within a second wireless network;

(b) registering at least one communications device to provide the communications device with access to the first wireless access unit within the first wireless network;

(c) informing the second wireless access unit within the second wireless network of the registering the at least one communication device;

(d) configuring a first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor; and

(e) transmitting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the second wireless access unit to adjust a second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(f) optimizing the first wireless network antenna array weighting factor based upon a location of the communications device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein registering the at least one communications device is initiated by the first wireless network.

16. A method of sustaining coverage between wireless access units in a wireless network, the method comprising:

(a) communicating by at least one wireless access unit with at least one other wireless access unit in the wireless network about at least one communication device;

(b) establishing a hierarchy among the wireless access units for the at least one communication device;

(c) determining a communication failure from at least one of the other wireless access units; and

(d) adjusting a first antenna array weighting factor of the at least one wireless access unit based upon the hierarchy in response to the communication failure and based on a second antenna array weighting factor received from at least one of the other wireless access units.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(e) re-establishing communications with the at least one other wireless access unit;

(f) determining a location of the at least one communication device on the wireless network;

(g) establishing a new hierarchy among the at least one other wireless access unit based upon the location of the at least one communication device; and

(h) adjusting antenna array weighting factors of the wireless access units based upon the new hierarchy.

18. A method of providing signal coverage in a first wireless network, the method comprising:

(a) establishing cooperative communications between a first wireless access unit and a second wireless access unit in the first wireless network to initialize a first wireless access unit weighting factor and a second wireless access unit weighting factor, wherein a first radiation pattern produced by first antenna elements of the first wireless access unit is based on the first wireless access unit weighting factor, and a second radiation pattern produced by second antenna elements of the second wireless access unit is based on the second wireless access unit weighting factor;

(b) modifying the first wireless access unit weighting factor to provide an optimal signal coverage in response to an interaction with a communications device, wherein modifying the first wireless access unit weighting factor occurs if the first wireless access unit provides the communications device with a signal stronger than the second wireless access unit;

(c) transmitting the modified first wireless access unit weighting factor to the second wireless access unit; and

(d) modifying the second wireless access unit weighting factor based on the modified first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to provide the communications device with a cognizable signal and to reduce signal overlap with the first wireless access unit.