Multi sector antenna and mesh network system

• US 9,232,558 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tinoco, Eduardo, McManus, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US13/171,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/13.1, 455/13.3, 455/16, 455/73, 455/84, 455/562.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.7, 455/90.3, 455/130, 455/269, 455/272, 455/275, 455/11.3, 455/131, 455/212, 455/211, 455 17- 25, 375/211, 375/212
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A multi-sector antenna system is disclosed that includes two or more flat panel antennas facing different directions and configured to communicate with two separate sites using millimeter wave RF signals. A processing module is communicatively coupled to each of the flat panel antennas. In some embodiments, the processing module may be configured to receive incoming RF signals from a first site via a first flat panel antenna, convert the incoming RF signals to outgoing RF signals, and transmit the outgoing RF signals to a second site via the second flat panel antenna. The flat panel antennas may be configured to transmit and receive RF signals at frequencies in the range of about 57 GHz to 86 GHz. The multi-sector antenna system may be utilized in a mesh network system.

Claims

1. A multi-sector antenna system, wherein two local antennas are disposed at a single local site, the multi-sector antenna system comprising:

a first of the two local antennas configured to face a first remote antenna in a first direction and to receive a first set of incoming radio frequency (RF) signals from the first remote antenna;

a processing module communicatively coupled to the first local antenna, the processing module configured to convert the first set of incoming RF signals to a first set of outgoing RF signals;

a second of the two local antennas coupled to the processing module and configured to face a second remote antenna in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction, and wherein the second local antenna is configured to transmit the first set of outgoing RF signals to the second remote antenna; and

an antenna direction control assembly comprising a mounting structure and first and second actuation assemblies rotatably secured to the mounting structure, each of the first and second actuation assemblies are configured to rotate a respective first or second local antenna about an axis of the mounting structure, each of the first and second actuation assemblies comprising a rotatable mounting member and a stationary antenna mounting member, the rotatable mounting member comprising at least one electrical connection band electrically coupled to the processing module via one or more cables, the one or more cables coupled to the electrical connection band via an electrical contact component configured to remain in contact with the electrical connection band while the electrical connection band rotates relative to the electrical contact component, such that the one or more cables do not rotate,

wherein the mounting structure is configured so that the direction in which the one of the first or second local antennas faces may be selectively changed relative to the direction in which the other of the first or second local antennas faces.

2. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

receive the first set of incoming RF signals from the first local antenna;

convert the first set of incoming RF signals to a first set of electrical signals;

modulate the first set of electrical signals on a baseband signal; and

convert the modulated baseband signal to the first set of outgoing RF signals.

3. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 2, wherein modulating the electrical signals on the baseband signal comprises:

modulating the corresponding electrical signals on a baseband signal to a higher frequency RF signal and a lower frequency RF signal; and

selecting one of the higher frequency baseband signal and the lower frequency baseband signal to be the modulated baseband signal.

4. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first set of incoming RF signals and the first set of outgoing RF signals are millimeter wave frequencies.

5. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 4, wherein each of the first local antenna and the second local antenna is a millimeter wave flat panel antenna and is configured to transmit and receive RF signals at frequencies in the range of about 57 GHz to 86 GHz.

6. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 5, further comprising a third local antenna configured to transmit the first set of outgoing RF signals at a data transmittal rate of only less than about 155 million bits per second.

7. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 5 further comprising a third local antenna configured to transmit the first set of outgoing RF signals, wherein the processing module is further configured to discern a signal to noise ratio of the first set of incoming RF signals and to direct the first set of outgoing RF signals to either the second local antenna or the third local antenna based upon whether the discerned signal to noise ratio is less than a desired signal to noise ratio.

8. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 7 wherein the third local antenna is a configured to transmit the first set of outgoing RF signals at frequencies in the range of about 2.4 GHz to 23 GHz.

9. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 7 wherein the third local antenna is configured to transmit RF signals at a data transmittal rate of only less than about 155 million bits per second.

10. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 1, wherein the second local antenna is further configured to receive a second set of incoming RF signals;

and

wherein the processing module is further configured to receive the second set of incoming RF signals from the second local antenna, and convert the second set of incoming RF signals to a second set of outgoing RF signals; and

wherein the first local antenna is further configured to transmit the second set of outgoing RF signals.

11. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 10, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

convert the second set of incoming RF signals to a second set of electrical signals;

modulate the second set of electrical signals on a second baseband signal;

convert the second modulated baseband signal to the second set of outgoing RF signals.

12. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure is cylindrical and the rotatable mounting member is configured to mount concentrically about the outer surface of the mounting structure.

13. An antenna direction control assembly for a multi-sector antenna system having two local antennas disposed at a single local site, the antenna direction control assembly comprising:

a) a mounting structure; and

b) a first actuation assembly rotatably secured to the mounting structure, the first actuation assembly configured to rotate a first local antenna about an axis of the mounting structure, the first actuation assembly comprising a first rotatable mounting member and a first stationary antenna mounting member, the first rotatable mounting member comprising at least one electrical connection band electrically coupled to a processing module which is coupled to the first local antenna, the electrical connection band being coupled to the processing module via one or more cables, the one or more cables coupled to the electrical connection band via an electrical contact component configured to remain in contact with the electrical connection band while the electrical connection band rotates relative to the electrical component, such that the one or more cables do not.

14. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 13, wherein the mounting structure is further configured to mount a second local antenna, and wherein the mounting structure comprises a second actuation assembly rotatably secured to the mounting structure, the second actuation assembly configured to rotate the second local antenna about the axis of the mounting structure, the second actuation assembly comprising a second rotatable mounting member and a second stationary antenna mounting member, the second rotatable mounting member comprising at least one second electrical connection band electrically coupled to the processing module which is coupled to the second local antenna.

15. The antenna direction control assembly of claim 13 wherein the first actuation assembly is configured to rotate the first local antenna+/−

45 degrees about a y axis.

16. The antenna direction control assembly of claim 13, wherein the mounting structure includes one or more cable pathways extending its longitudinal length, the cable pathways adapted to pass the one or more electrical cables therethrough.

17. The antenna direction control assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical contact component is a carbon brush.

18. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 13, wherein the mounting structure is cylindrical and the first rotatable mounting member is configured to mount concentrically about the outer surface of the mounting structure.

19. A method of wirelessly receiving and transmitting data within a wireless network communications system, the method comprising:

providing a multi sector antenna having a first local receiving antenna and a first local transmitting antenna, wherein the first local receiving antenna is configured to receive a first incoming radio frequency (RF) signal, and the first local transmitting antenna is configured to transmit a selected outgoing RF signal to a second remote receiving antenna at a first remote site located remotely from the multi sector antenna, the multi sector antenna including an antenna direction control assembly comprising a mounting structure and first and second actuation assemblies rotatably secured to the mounting structure, each of the first and second actuation assemblies configured to rotate a respective first or second local antenna about an axis of the mounting structure, each of the first and second actuation assemblies comprising a rotatable mounting member and a stationary antenna mounting member, the rotatable mounting member comprising at least one electrical connection band electrically coupled to a processing module via one or more cables, the one or more cables coupled to the electrical connection band via an electrical contact component configured to remain in contact with the electrical connection band while the electrical connection band rotates relative to the electrical contact component, such that the one or more cables do not rotate;

modulating the received first incoming RF signal on a first baseband signal and a second baseband signal;

converting the first baseband signal to a first outgoing RF signal;

converting the second baseband signal to a second outgoing RF signal, the first outgoing RF signal having a higher frequency than the second outgoing RF signal;

determining if the first outgoing RF signal is capable of being received by the second remote receiving antenna, wherein the determination is made by comparing a measured signal to noise ratio of the first incoming RF signal to a predetermined signal to noise ratio threshold;

selecting the first outgoing RF signal for transmission if the measured signal to noise ratio of the first incoming RF signal is greater than the predetermined signal to noise ratio threshold;

selecting the second outgoing RF signal for transmission if the measured signal to noise ratio of the first incoming RF signal is less than the predetermined signal to noise ratio threshold; and

transmitting, via the first local transmitting antenna, the selected outgoing RF signal to the second remote receiving antenna at the first remote site.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the higher frequency outgoing RF signal has a frequency in the range of about 57 GHz to 86 GHz and the lower frequency outgoing RF signal has a frequency in the range of about 2.4 GHz to 23 GHz.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

facing a second local receiving antenna in a direction of a second remote transmitting antenna at a second remote site;

receiving, via the second local receiving antenna, a second incoming RF signal from the second remote transmitting antenna; and

converting the second incoming RF signal to a corresponding incoming baseband signal comprising data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein facing the second local receiving antenna in the direction of the second remote transmitting antenna comprises:

sending a control signal to the respective actuating assembly coupled to the second local receiving antenna;

causing the second local receiving antenna to rotate along at least one of an x or y axis of the mounting structure; and

stopping the rotation of the second local receiving antenna at a desired location where the second local receiving antenna is capable of receiving the second incoming RF signal.

23. The multi-sector antenna system of claim 19 wherein each actuation assembly is configured to rotate its respective local antenna+/−

45 degrees about a y axis.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the measured signal to noise ratio is determined by measuring the bit error rate of links.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the higher frequency of the first outgoing RF signal has a data transmission rate of at least 1 billion bits per second and the second outgoing RF signal has a capability of transmitting data at a rate of no more than 155 million bits per second.