Method and system for RF transmitting and receiving beamforming with location or GPS guidance

• US 9,048,905 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Lo, Chung-Wen (Dennis)
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US12/372,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 370/332, 370/338, 455/456, 455/67, 455/432
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A method and system for radio frequency transmitting and receiving beamforming using both GPS guidance and wireless access points is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a wireless networking device with a locating system; providing an access point, the access point broadcasting its location; calculating a relative vector from the device to the access point based upon the location; steering a transmitted beam with a sounding packet to the access point; calculating a channel condition by the access point; and sending a packet by the access point to the wireless networking device to establish a connection.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a wireless connection between a wireless networking device and an access point, comprising:

scanning, by the access point, possible directions to transmit an access point location to the wireless networking device using beamforming;

calculating, by the wireless networking device, a relative vector from the wireless networking device to the access point based upon a beam from the beamforming received by the wireless networking device or based upon at least one of a plurality of preloaded access point locations, wherein the calculated relative vector is a triangular area from the wireless networking device to an area that encompasses the access point;

steering, by the wireless networking device, a transmitted beam to the access point based upon the calculated relative vector;

determining, by the access point, a channel condition based upon the received transmitted beam; and

wherein if the channel condition is acceptable, sending, by the access point, a packet to the wireless networking device to establish the wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

providing the wireless networking device with a locating device that comprises a global positioning system (GPS) and an electronic compass.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

calculating the relative vector utilizing the compass and the GPS to establish the wireless networking device location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein steering the transmitting beam comprises initiating a searching algorithm based on the calculated relative vector.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing programming instructions for establishing a wireless connection between a wireless networking device and an access point, the instructions being executable for:

scanning, by the access point, possible directions to transmit an access point location to the wireless networking device using beamforming;

calculating, by the wireless networking device, a relative vector from the wireless networking device to the access point based upon a beam from the beamforming received by the wireless networking device or based upon at least one of a plurality of preloaded access point locations, wherein the calculated relative vector is a triangular area from the wireless networking device to an area that encompasses the access point;

steering, by the wireless networking device, a transmitted beam to the access point based upon the calculated relative vector;

determining, by the access point, a channel condition based upon the received transmitted beam; and

wherein if the channel condition is acceptable, sending, by the access point, a packet to the wireless networking device to establish the wireless connection.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the wireless networking device includes a locating device that comprises a global positioning system (GPS) and an electronic compass.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 further including the instructions for:

initiating a searching algorithm based on the calculated relative vector.

8. An access point comprising:

a locating device;

a communication device coupled to the locating device, wherein location information via the locating device is broadcast to a plurality of wireless networking devices; and

a networking access device coupled to the communication device, wherein the networking access device scans possible directions to transmit an access point location to at least one of the plurality of wireless networking devices using beamforming and establishes a wireless connection between the access point and the at least one of the plurality of wireless networking devices using a transmitted beam steered to the access point based upon a calculated relative vector and an acceptable channel condition determined using the transmitted beam, wherein the calculated relative vector is calculated by the at least one of the plurality of wireless networking devices based upon a beam from the beamforming or at least one of a plurality of preloaded access point locations, wherein the calculated relative vector is a triangular area from the wireless networking device to an area that encompasses the access point.

9. The access point of claim 8 wherein upon receiving the information regarding each new access point, the wireless networking device calculates a relative vector to the access point;

wherein based on the relative vector to the access point, the wireless networking device steers a transmitting beam and a sounding packet to the access point;

wherein the access point sends a packet to the wireless networking device and a connection is thereby established.

10. The access point of claim 8 wherein the locating device comprises a global positioning system (GPS) and an electronic compass.

11. The access point of claim 8 wherein the access point scans possible directions to reach a wider coverage for the plurality of wireless networking devices to provide the access point location and channel information.