Apparatus and method for antenna alignment

• US 9,414,353 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hakala, Likka Hermanni, Karttaavi, Timo Petteri, Honkanen, Mauri, Parssinen, Aarno Tapio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/528,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20150223195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 455/457, 455/41.2, 455/517, 343/718, 343/757
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/046 Displays or indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Apparatus comprising a first antenna configured to receive alignment signalling from a first transmitter over a first communication channel, the first communication channel having a first set of characteristics, and a second antenna configured to exchange data w.th a second transmitter over a second communication channel, the second communication channel having a second different set of characteristics. The apparatus also comprising a processor configured to process the alignment signalling received from the first antenna and determine the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and generate control signalling representative of the determined location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus. The apparatus further comprising a user interface configured to provide a user with an indication of the relative location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus in accordance with the control signalling to allow for the second antenna to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first antenna configured to receive alignment signalling from a first transmitter over a first communication channel, the first communication channel having a first set of characteristics;

a second antenna configured to exchange data with a second transmitter over a second communication channel, the second communication channel having a second different set of characteristics, wherein the first antenna comprises multiple antennas, the multiple antennas configured to measure the phase of the alignment signaling;

a processor configured to;

process the alignment signalling received from the first antenna and determine the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus by calculating an angle of incidence of the alignment signaling using one or more phase measurement differences between the alignment signaling received at the multiple antennas of the first antenna; and

generate control signalling representative of the determined location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

a user interface configured to provide a user with an indication of the relative location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus in accordance with the control signalling to allow for the second antenna to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter; and

wherein the processor is configured to process signaling received from the second transmitter over the second communication channel to enable a more accurate determination of the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

the first antenna is configured to exchange data with the first transmitter over the first communication channel as a fall-back in the event that data exchange between the second antenna and second transmitter over the second communication channel is inhibited.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display configured to provide a user with a graphical indication of the relative direction to the second transmitter from the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of characteristics of the first communication channel are defined by one or more from the group comprising:

a lower data rate than the data rate associated with the second communication channel;

a wider field of view than the field of view associated with the second communication channel;

a lower frequency RF signal than the frequency associated with the second communication channel;

a lower power consumption than the power consumption associated with exchanging data over the second communication channel;

functionality to provide digital signal processing at carrier frequency; and

higher tolerance for losing line of sight between the first antenna and the first transmitter than the tolerance for losing line of sight over the second communication channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second set of characteristics of the second communication channel are defined by one or more from the group comprising:

a higher data rate than the data rate associated with the first communication channel;

a narrower field of view than the field of view associated with the first communication channel;

a higher frequency RF signal than the frequency associated with the first communication channel; and

a higher power consumption than the power consumption associated with exchanging data over the first communication channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second transmitters are co-located, and the processor is configured to control the direction of the second antenna such that it is aligned with the determined relative direction to the first transmitter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is a directional antenna, and the processor is configured to control the directionality of the second antenna in accordance with the determined relative direction to the second transmitter from the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is selected from the group comprising:

a 2.4GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) channel; and

a Bluetooth channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel is selected from the group comprising:

a wireless local area network channel with a frequency in the range of about 30GHz to about 90GHz; and

a 60GHz wireless local area network channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alignment signalling comprises one or more of:

transmitter identification data;

synchronisation data;

connection initialisation data;

an un-modulated waveform.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are configured to exchange data with the first transmitter and the second transmitter simultaneously.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to allow the second antenna to be user-manipulated to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication channel has a first set of alignment characteristics suitable for coarse alignment.

10. A method of allowing for exchanging of data between an apparatus and one or more of a first transmitter and a second transmitter, the method comprising:

receiving alignment signalling at the apparatus via a first antenna of the apparatus from the first transmitter over a first communication channel, the first communication channel having a first set of characteristics, wherein the first antenna comprises multiple antennas, the multiple antennas configured to measure the phase of the alignment signaling;

processing the alignment signalling and calculating the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus by calculating an angle of incidence of the alignment signaling using one or more phase measurement differences between the alignment signaling received at the multiple antennas of the first antenna;

generating control signalling representative of the determined location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

providing a user with an indication of the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus in accordance with the control signalling to allow for the second antenna of the apparatus to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter over a second communication channel, the second communication channel having a second different set of characteristics to the first communication channel; and

wherein the method further comprises processing signaling received from the second transmitter over the second communication channel to enable a more accurate determination of the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

exchanging data between the first antenna and the first transmitter over the first communication channel as a fall-back in the event that data exchange between the second antenna and second transmitter over the second communication channel is inhibited.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising computer code configured to, when executed on a processor, provide the method of claim 10.

15. A system comprising:

a first apparatus, the first apparatus comprising;

a first antenna configured to receive alignment signalling from a first transmitter over a first communication channel, the first communication channel having a first set of characteristics, wherein the first antenna comprises multiple antennas, the multiple antennas configured to measure the phase of the alignment signaling;

a second antenna configured to exchange data with a second transmitter over a second communication channel, the second communication channel having a second different set of characteristics;

a processor configured to;

process the alignment signalling received from the first antenna and determine the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus by calculating an angle of incidence of the alignment signaling using one or more phase measurement differences between the alignment signaling received at the multiple antennas of the first antenna; and

generate control signalling representative of the determined location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

a user interface configured to provide a user with an indication of the relative location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus in accordance with the control signalling to allow for the second antenna to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter; and

a second apparatus, the second apparatus comprising the first and second transmitters;

wherein;

the first apparatus is one or more of an electronic device, a portable electronic device, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a module for one or more of the same, and

the second apparatus is one or more of a beacon, a base station, a portable electronic device, and a module for one or more of the same.

16. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

process alignment signaling received from a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is configured to receive the alignment signaling from a first transmitter over a first communication channel having a first set of characteristics, the first antenna comprising multiple antennas configured to measure a phase of the alignment signaling;

determine a location of a second transmitter, associated with the first transmitter, by calculating an angle of incidence of the alignment signaling using one or more phase measurement differences between the alignment signaling received at the multiple antennas of the first antenna, wherein the second transmitter is configured to exchange data with a second antenna over a second communication channel, the second communication channel having a second different set of characteristics;

generate control signaling representative of the determined location of the second transmitter; and

provide a user with an indication, using a user interface, of the relative location of the second transmitter relative to an apparatus comprising the user interface in accordance with the control signaling to allow for the second antenna to be aligned for data exchange with the second transmitter; and

wherein the apparatus is further caused to process signaling received from the second transmitter over the second communication channel to enable a more accurate determination of the location of the second transmitter relative to the apparatus; and

the first antenna is configured to exchange data with the first transmitter over the first communication channel as a fall-back in the event that data exchange between the second antenna and second transmitter over the second communication channel is inhibited.