Method and system for centralized or distributed resource management in a distributed transceiver network

• US 8,817,678 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peltbeam Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVITAN, DMITRY
• Application Number:
  US13/473,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/328, 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0897 using beamforming per multi-path, e.g. to cope with different directions of arrival [DOA] at different multi-paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices are concurrently configured by the network management engine based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. The network management engine allocates resources to the selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices during the data communication. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers. Beam patterns are selected for the selected distributed transceivers so as to minimize power consumption and/or based on the location and orientation information of the end-user application devices.

Claims

1. A method of communication, the method comprising:

in a first device that comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the first device comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas;

receiving information from a second device, the second device comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the second device comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, the information received from the second device comprising a number of transceivers of the second device;

based on the information received from the second device;

identifying a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers, each pair of identified distributed transceivers comprising a corresponding transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the first device and a corresponding transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the second device;

for each identified pair of transceivers, identifying (i) a beam pattern for the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and (ii) a beam pattern for the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair; and

concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers in the plurality of identified pairs of distributed transceivers to communicate an independent data stream between the first and second devices, each said data stream communicated between a corresponding pair of distributed transceivers utilizing the identified beam pattern for the antenna arrays of the corresponding pair of distributed transceivers.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising allocating resources to the first and second devices to maintain the communication of said independent data streams communicated between the first and second devices.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said resource allocating comprises allocating frequency channels, time slots, and storage to the first and second devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a central baseband processor, the method further comprising performing digital signal processing by said central baseband processor for transmit and receive operations for each of said plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device during said communication.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising monitoring a set of conditions comprising a link quality and conditions of a propagation environment between the first and second devices during said communication,

wherein concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of each identified pair of distributed transceivers further comprises utilizing the monitored set of conditions.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising dynamically configuring said beam patterns of the antenna arrays for one or more of said pairs of distributed transceivers of the first and second devices based on said monitoring.

7. The method according to claim 5 further comprising controlling transmit power levels of each transceiver in said identified pairs of transceivers based on the monitored conditions.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying beam patterns of the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device is further based on a number of transceivers of the first devices and a number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the first device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises a number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the second device, wherein identifying beam patterns of the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device is further based on the number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the second device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises a location of the second device, wherein identifying beam patterns of the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device is further based on the location of the second device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises at least one of battery life, antenna polarization, radiation pattern, measured cross-interference levels, a sequence of antenna array coefficients being evaluated, target throughput, device capabilities, and application quality of service (QoS) requirements, wherein identifying beam patterns of the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device is further based on said at least one of battery life, antenna polarization, radiation pattern, measured cross-interference levels, the sequence of antenna array coefficients being evaluated, target throughput, device capabilities, and application QoS requirements.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising establishing (i) an uplink control link with the second device to receive said information from the second device and (ii) a downlink control link to the second device to notify the second device of required configurations to communicate said plurality of independent data streams between the first and second devices.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising identifying polarization, spacing or array geometry of (i) the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and (ii) the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device based on the information received from the second device,

wherein concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the second device further comprises utilizing the identified polarization, spacing or array geometry of the antenna arrays of the first and second devices.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers comprise first and second pairs of distributed transceivers, the method further comprising:

identifying a plurality of reflectors in a propagation environment between the first and second devices;

wherein identifying the beam pattern for antenna arrays of the transceivers in the first pair comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna arrays of each distributed transceiver in the first pair for a direct line of sight (LOS) to communicate a data stream between the two transceivers, and

wherein identifying the beam pattern for antenna arrays of the transceivers in the second pair comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna arrays of each distributed transceiver in the second pair to point to a reflector in the plurality of the identified reflectors to communicate a data stream utilizing said reflector.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of each identified pair of distributed transceivers such that a maximum pattern gain of the antenna array of each transceiver points to a particular direction to communicate a data stream between the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair.

16. A first device comprising:

a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the first device comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, the first device configured to;

receive information from a second device, the second device comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the second device comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, the information received from the second device comprising a number of transceivers of the second device;

based on the information received from the second device;

identify a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers, each pair of identified distributed transceivers comprising a corresponding transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the first device and a corresponding transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the second device;

for each identified pair of transceivers, identify (i) a beam pattern for the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and (ii) a beam pattern for the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair; and

concurrently configure the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers in the plurality of identified pairs of distributed transceivers to communicate an independent data stream between the first and second devices, each said data stream communicated between a corresponding pair of distributed transceivers utilizing the identified beam pattern for the antenna arrays of the corresponding pair of distributed transceivers.

17. The device according to claim 16 further comprising a network management engine configured to allocate resources to the first and second devices to maintain the communication of said independent data streams between the first and second devices.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said resource allocating comprises allocating frequency channels, time slots, and storage to the first and second devices.

19. The device according to claim 16, further comprising a central baseband processor configured to perform digital signal processing for transmit and receive operations for each of said plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device during said communication.

20. The device according to claim 16 further comprising a network management engine configured to monitor a set of conditions comprising a link quality and conditions of a propagation environment between the first and second devices during said communication,

wherein concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of each identified pair of distributed transceivers further comprises utilizing the monitored set of conditions.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein said network management engine is further configured to dynamically configure said beam patterns of the antenna arrays for one or more of said pairs of distributed transceivers of the first and second devices based on said monitoring.

22. The system device according to claim 20, wherein the network management engine further configured to control transmit power levels of each transceiver in said identified pairs of transceivers based on the monitored conditions.

23. The device according to claim 16, wherein identifying the beam pattern of the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers is further based on a number of transceivers of the first device and a number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the first device.

24. The device according to claim 16, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises a number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the second device, wherein identifying the beam pattern of the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers is further based on the number of antennas of the antenna array of each transceiver of the second device.

25. The device according to claim 16, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises a location of the second device, wherein identifying the beam pattern of the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers is further based on the location of the second device.

26. The device according to claim 16, wherein the information received from the second device further comprises at least one of battery life, antenna polarization, radiation pattern, measured cross-interference levels, a sequence of antenna array coefficients being evaluated, target throughput, device capabilities, and application quality of service (QoS) requirements, wherein identifying the beam pattern of the antenna arrays of each pair of distributed transceivers is further based on said at least one of battery life, antenna polarization, radiation pattern, measured cross-interference levels, the sequence of antenna array coefficients being evaluated, target throughput, device capabilities, and application QoS requirements.

27. The device according to claim 16, wherein the first device is further configured to establish (i) an uplink control link with the second device to receive said information from the second device and (ii) a downlink control link to the second device to notify the second device of required configurations to communicate said plurality of independent data streams between the first and second devices.

28. The device according to claim 16 further configured to identify one or more of polarization, spacing, and array geometry of (i) the antenna arrays of the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device and (ii) the antenna arrays of the plurality of the distributed transceivers of the second device based on the information received from the second device,

wherein concurrently configuring the antenna arrays of each identified pair of distributed transceivers further comprises utilizing the determined polarization, spacing or array geometry of the antenna arrays of the first and second devices.

29. The device according to claim 16, wherein the identified plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers comprise first and second pairs of distributed transceivers, the device further configured to:

identify a plurality of reflectors in a propagation environment between the first and second devices;

wherein identifying the beam pattern for antenna arrays of the transceivers in the first pair comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna arrays of each distributed transceiver in the first pair for a direct line of sight (LOS) to communicate a data stream between the two transceivers, and

wherein identifying the beam pattern for antenna arrays of the transceivers in the second pair comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna arrays of each distributed transceiver in the second pair to point to a reflector in the plurality of the identified reflectors to communicate a data stream utilizing said reflector.

30. The device according to claim 16, wherein the first device is further configured to concurrently configure the antenna arrays of each identified pair of distributed transceivers such that a maximum pattern gain of the antenna array of each transceiver points to a particular direction to communicate a data stream between the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and the antenna array of the corresponding distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair.