Sensing device orientation in wireless networks

• US 8,351,546 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Vitek, Clark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Fan
• Application Number:
  US12/337,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Sensing installed orientation of an antenna or access node in a wireless digital network. According to one aspect of the invention, an orientation sensor such as a 2 or 3 axis accelerometer is provided in the access node. The orientation sensor may be attached to the access node housing, directly or through a substrate, attached to the main logic board of the access node, or may be mounted to an antenna. The orientation sensor may be mounted to the same substrate as is used to form an antenna, or may be mounted on a separate substrate. When associated with an antenna, such as the orientation sensor on the same substrate as the antenna, or co-located with the antenna such as inside the same package, the orientation of the antenna may be sensed. Orientation data on the access node and/or antenna may be transmitted to the controller for the access node, and/or to clients of the access node. This orientation information may be used for example to verify or validate installation and positioning, for example comparing the actual orientation to the desired orientation as stored in a database. The orientation information may be used in modeling and/or displaying access node coverage. In access nodes with selectable antennas, the orientation information may be used to switch antennas.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more antennas;

a processor;

an orientation sensor communicatively coupled to the processor, the orientation sensor configured for generating orientation data of at least one component of the device without using signals received or transmitted by the one or more antennas,

wherein the generated orientation data is used to determine a physical orientation of the at least one component in the device;

wherein the generated orientation data of the at least one component of the device is used for one or more of;

modeling signal propagation;

modeling signal coverage;

selecting an antenna pattern for the one or more antennas;

or

verifying installation of the device by comparing the generated orientation data with stored orientation data.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the generated orientation data indicates an orientation of an antenna of the one or more antennas.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a wireless access node configured to receive and transmit the signals via the one or more antennas, wherein the signals are wireless signals.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the orientation sensor is a mechanical switch or an accelerometer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is read from the orientation sensor at device startup.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is used to select at least one antenna of the one or more antennas to activate for providing a particular antenna coverage pattern.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is read from the orientation sensor upon receipt of a command.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the generated orientation data is used to select the antenna pattern for the one or more antennas.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is used to verify the installation of the device by comparing the generated orientation data to the stored orientation data.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing;

at least one logic board contained within the housing, the at least one logic board including;

a first interface that provides connectivity to a controller,

a second interface coupled to the one or more of antennas,

a processor coupled to the first interface;

wherein the device is configured to output the generated orientation data via the first interface or the second interface.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the orientation sensor and the one or more antennas are mounted on a same substrate.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is detected prior to the device associating with another device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is used for modeling signal propagation.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the generated orientation data is used for modeling signal coverage.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors causes performance of operations comprising:

generating, by an orientation sensor within a device, orientation data of at least one component of the device without using signals received or transmitted by one or more antennas of the device;

determining a physical orientation of the at least one component of the device based on the orientation data;

wherein the orientation data of the at least one component of the device is used for one or more of;

modeling signal propagation;

modeling signal coverage;

selecting an antenna pattern for the one or more antennas;

or

verifying installation of the device by comparing the orientation data with stored orientation data.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data indicates an orientation of an antenna of the one or more antennas.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device is a wireless access node configured to receive and transmit the signals via the one or more antennas, wherein the signals are wireless signals.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation sensor is a mechanical switch or an accelerometer.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is read from the orientation sensor at device startup.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is used to select at least one antenna of the one or more antennas to activate for providing a particular antenna coverage pattern.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is read from the orientation sensor upon receipt of a command.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is used to select the antenna pattern for the one or more antennas.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is used to verify the installation of the device by comparing the orientation data to the stored orientation data.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise outputting the orientation data via one or more of:

a first interface of the device that provides connectivity to a controller,

a second interface of the device coupled to the one or more antennas.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation sensor and the one or more antennas are mounted on a same substrate.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is detected prior to the device associating with another device.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is used for modeling signal propagation.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the orientation data is used for modeling signal coverage.

29. A method comprising:

generating, by an orientation sensor within a device that includes one or more antennas, orientation data of at least one component of the device without using signals received or transmitted by the one or more antennas;

determining a physical orientation of the at least one component of the device based on the orientation data;

wherein the orientation data of the at least one component of the device is used for one or more of;

modeling signal propagation;

modeling signal coverage;

selecting an antenna pattern for the one or more antennas;

or

verifying installation of the device by comparing the orientation data with stored orientation data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the orientation data is used to select the antenna pattern for the one or more antennas.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the orientation data is used to verify the installation of the device by comparing the orientation data to the stored orientation data.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the orientation data is used for modeling signal propagation or modeling signal coverage.