User-controlled method and system for modifying the radiation of a wireless device in one or more user-selected volumes

• US 8,929,818 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Jarosch, Andreas, Latze, Carolin, Zasowski, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/328,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 455/25, 455/41.2, 455/68, 455/69, 455/522, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/101, 455/41.3, 342/367, 342/368, 342/359, 342/360, 342/361, 342/372, 342/374, 342/378, 342/371
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A user-controlled method for modifying the radiation of a wireless device (1) in one or more volumes used for in-house communications, comprising

• • user-selecting this one or more volumes (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″, 10^IV) while holding the orientation of this wireless device (1)
  • modifying the intensity of this radiation in one or more directions so as to control the radiation in this user-selected one or more volumes (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″, 10^IV).

The invention allows the user to define volumes or regions where radiation should be modified, e.g. reduced, and one or more temporal intervals in which this radiation should be reduced.

Claims

1. A method for modifying the intensity of radiation of a wireless device in the direction of one or more volumes used for in-house communications, comprising the steps of

selecting said one or more directions while maintaining the orientation of said wireless device;

and

modifying the intensity of said radiation in one or more of said directions and thereby controlling said radiation in said corresponding volumes;

wherein, for directions in which said intensity of radiation should be modified, said selecting comprising;

placing a support wireless device in a volume corresponding to a direction;

activating a setup mode of said wireless device;

communicating information from said support wireless device to said wireless device;

switching off said support wireless device; and

activating a transmit mode of said wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, said modifying comprising the step of applying a beamforming method or a combination of beamforming methods.

3. The method of claim 2, said modifying comprising the step of selecting and/or modifying of said beamforming method or said combination of beamforming methods.

4. The method of claim 1, said modifying comprising the step of defining one or more temporal intervals during which said intensity of said radiation is modified in said one or more directions.

5. The method of claim 1, said selecting comprising the step of selecting one or more haptic means on said wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, said selecting comprising the step of connecting a calculator to said wireless device and performing said selection by using instructions executed in said calculator causing the user to select said one or more directions.

7. A system for modifying the intensity of radiation of a wireless device in the direction of one or more volumes used for in-house communications, comprising

means for selecting said directions while maintaining the orientation of said wireless device;

wherein said wireless device comprises a circuit for modifying the intensity of said radiation in one or more directions and thereby controlling the radiation in corresponding one or more volumes, and means for executing a setup mode and a transmit mode; and

wherein said means for selecting comprises a support wireless device communicating with said wireless device during said setup mode.

8. The system of claim 7, said means for selecting comprising haptic means on said wireless device and/or a visual indicator.

9. The system of claim 7, said means for selecting comprising a calculator connected to said wireless device executing instructions causing the user to select said one or more directions.

10. The system of claim 7, said wireless device comprising one or more directional and/or selectable antennas and/or an antenna array.

11. The system of claim 7, said circuit for modifying said intensity is a circuit for digitally executing beamforming method or beamforming methods.

12. The system of claim 7, said wireless device comprising means for defining one or more temporal intervals during which said intensity of said radiation is modified in said one or more volumes.

13. The system of claim 7, said wireless device being a WLAN access point or a DSL modem or a fibre modem or a wireless bridge for wireless TV transmission.

14. A support wireless device used for in-house communications, comprising

means for communicating with a wireless device;

means for detecting the intensity of the radiation of said wireless device;

means for communicating said detected intensity radiation to a user;

means for receiving a request from said user to modify said detected intensity radiation;

means for sending to said wireless device said request.