Adjustment of radiation patterns utilizing a position sensor

• US 8,217,843 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shtrom, Victor, Baron, Bernard, Kish, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Application Number:
  US12/404,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 343/702, 343/757, 343/754
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/063 Parameters other than those covered in groups H04B7/0623 - H04B7/0634, e.g. channel matrix rank or transmit mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device for a wireless RF link to a remote receiving device can radiate at different radiation patterns in response to detecting a change in the device position. As the device is moved, displaced, or re-positioned, a position sensor in the device detects the change in position and provides position information to a processor. The processor receives the position information from the position sensor, selects an antenna configuration and physical data rate based on the position information, and provides an RF signal associated with the selected antenna configuration through the antenna elements of the selected antenna configuration.

Claims

1. A wireless device for wirelessly exchanging data in a wireless local area network, the wireless device comprising:

an antenna apparatus associated with a plurality of antenna configurations, each antenna configuration associated with a different radiation pattern;

a position sensor that detects a change in position of the wireless device;

a memory storing link quality metrics for each of the plurality of antenna configurations; and

a processor executes an antenna configuration selection module stored in the memory, the antenna configuration selection module selecting a particular antenna configuration for the antenna apparatus from a set of two or more antenna configurations associated with the position change of the wireless device detected by the position sensor,

wherein the particular antenna configuration is selected based on link quality metrics stored in the memory for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna element selector that selects a group of one or more antenna elements in the antenna apparatus to provide the radiation pattern associated with the particular antenna configuration from the plurality of antenna configurations in response to a control signal generated in response to the execution of the antenna configuration selection module.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a tilt sensor.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is an accelerometer.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a global positioning system device.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the change in position is associated with ninety degree orientation change of the wireless device.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein selecting the particular antenna configuration comprises changing from an initial antenna configuration having a first radiation pattern to the particular antenna configuration having a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein link quality metrics for the particular antenna configuration include stored transmission data indicating successful transmissions for the particular antenna configuration at the changed position.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a signal converter that converts an encoded signal to a radio frequency signal.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a display device that provides information to a user of the wireless device.

11. A wireless device for wirelessly exchanging data in a wireless local area network, comprising:

an antenna apparatus having a plurality of antenna configurations, each antenna configuration corresponding to a different radiation pattern;

a memory storing link quality metrics for each of the plurality of antenna configurations;

an antenna configuration selection module stored in the memory and executable by a processor to select a first antenna configuration for the antenna apparatus at a first device position; and

a tilt sensor configured to detect a position change of the wireless device, wherein the antenna configuration selection module selects a second antenna configuration for the antenna apparatus from a set of two or more antenna configurations associated with a detected second device position, wherein the second device position is selected based on link quality metrics stored in the memory for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, further including a position sensor module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to receive and process a signal from the tilt sensor indicating the position of the device.

13. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the tilt sensor is configured to detect a position change from the first device position to the second device position.

14. The device of claim 11, further including an input device for receiving input from a user.

15. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

16. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is a laptop computer.

17. A wireless device for wirelessly exchanging data in a wireless local area network, the wireless device comprising:

an antenna apparatus having a plurality of antenna configurations, each antenna configuration associated with a different radiation pattern

a memory storing link quality metrics for each of the plurality of antenna configurations;

a position sensor configured to detect a position of the wireless device; and

an antenna configuration selection module stored in the memory and executable by a processor to select a particular antenna configuration for the antenna apparatus from a set of two or more antenna configurations associated with the detected position of the wireless device, wherein the particular antenna configuration is selected based on link quality metrics stored in the antenna memory for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, the position sensor configured to detect the position of the wireless device while the wireless device is stationary.

19. The wireless device of claim 17, the position sensor configured to detect the position of the wireless device after the wireless device position has changed.

20. The wireless device of claim 17, the antenna configuration selection module selecting a first antenna configuration based on a first detected position and selecting a second antenna configuration based on a second detected position, the plurality of antenna configurations including the first antenna configuration and second antenna configuration.

21. A method for adjusting a radiation pattern of a device, comprising:

selecting a first antenna configuration associated with a first radiation pattern while the device is at a first position;

transmitting an RF signal utilizing the first antenna configuration;

detecting by a sensor that the device position has changed from the first position to a second position;

selecting a second antenna configuration associated with a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern based on the change in device position, wherein the second antenna configuration is selected from a set of two or more antenna configurations associated with the second position based on link quality metrics for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations; and

transmitting an RF signal utilizing the second antenna configuration.

22. The method of claim 21, further including receiving a signal from a tilt sensor, the received signal associated with a change in the position of the device.

23. The method of claim 21, further including accessing a table of antenna configuration data associated with device position information.

24. The method of claim 21, further including selecting the antenna configuration based on antenna configuration performance data for the second position of the device.

25. A method for adjusting a radiation pattern of a device, comprising:

selecting a first antenna configuration associated with a first radiation pattern while the device is at a first position;

receiving an RF signal utilizing the first antenna configuration;

detecting by a sensor that the device position has changed from the first position to a second position;

selecting a second antenna configuration associated with a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern based on the change in device position, wherein the second antenna configuration is selected from a set of two or more antenna configurations associated with the second position based on link quality metrics for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations; and

receiving an RF signal utilizing the second antenna configuration.

26. The method of claim 25, further including receiving a signal from a tilt sensor, the received signal associated with a change in the position of the device.

27. The method of claim 25, further including accessing a table of antenna configuration data associated with device position information.

28. The method of claim 25, further including selecting the antenna configuration based on antenna configuration performance data for the current position of the device.