Antenna structures and methods thereof for configuring an antenna structure of a communication device in transit

• US 9,444,139 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SkyCross Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Achilles Technology Management Co Ii, Inc.
• Inventors: Montgomery, Mark T., Caimi, Frank M., Chen, Li, Giometti, Robert, Rabe, Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, TED M
• Application Number:
  US14/472,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20150119045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0807 characterised by the application
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/103 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna tuning resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/12 Parallel arrangements of substantially straight elongated conductive units travelling-wave antennas comprising transmission line loaded with transverse elements H01Q11/02; Yagi antennas H01Q19/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 : Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/22 : RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 : Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 : Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/48 : Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 : Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 : with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 : by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 : with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 : with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 : Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 : with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/15 : Tuning of resonator by means of digitally controlled inductor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0245 : Discontinuous tuning using an electrical variable impedance element, e.g. a voltage variable reactive diode, in which no corresponding analogue value either exists or is preset, i.e. the tuning information is only available in a digital form microprocessor tuning H03J1/0008
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/242 : used exclusively for band selection
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/244 : using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 : with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• 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 7/0404 : the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 : MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 : Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 : Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 : Diversity capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 : Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 : using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/085 : involving beams of access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 : by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 : using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• 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: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A method that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, by a first base station comprising a processor, information regarding a trajectory of a communication device. The method can also include determining a location of the communication device relative to a second base station. The method can also include transmitting a recommendation to the communication device regarding adjusting an antenna configuration of the communication device to facilitate data communication services with the second base while maintaining voice communications services with the first base station. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a communication device comprising a processor in communication with a first base station, location information associated with a second base station having a service area, wherein the communication device is a mobile device having a direction of travel;

determining, by the communication device, a first vector based on the location information of the second base station, wherein the first vector is directed from a location of the communication device to an edge of the service area of the second base station;

determining, by the communication device, a second vector corresponding to the direction of travel of the communication device; and

adjusting, by the communication device, an antenna configuration of the communication device based on the first vector, the second vector or both, to facilitate a transition of communications services provided to the communication device by the first base station to the second base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining simultaneous communication with the first base station and the second base station subsequent to the transition of communication services,

wherein communication with the first base station is at a first operating frequency corresponding to a first antenna mode of the communication device and communication with the second base station is at a second operating frequency corresponding to a second antenna mode of the communication device,

wherein the antenna configuration comprises a first antenna and a second antenna,

wherein the first antenna is operating at the first operating frequency, and wherein the second antenna is operating at the second operating frequency, and wherein the first antenna is decorrelated from the second antenna.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna configuration comprises an antenna, and wherein the adjusting comprises tuning an operating frequency of the antenna, configuring a polarization of the antenna, reconfiguring an electrical length of the antenna, tuning a bandwidth of the antenna, tuning a directivity of the antenna, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting a directivity of the antenna based on an orientation of the communication device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication device enables voice communication in a first operating mode including the first antenna mode and enables data communication in a second operating mode including the second antenna mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the antenna configuration improves a first antenna performance metric above a first threshold for the first operating mode and improves a second antenna performance metric above a second threshold for the second operating mode, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are less than an optimal performance of the first antenna performance metric and the second antenna performance metric.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting to the communication device location information associated with a third base station having a third operating frequency,

wherein the third operating frequency corresponds to a third operating mode of the communication device,

wherein the communication device enables shared data communication between the second operating mode and the third operating mode, and

wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the antenna configuration to improve a third antenna performance metric above a third threshold for the third operating mode, and wherein the first threshold, the second threshold and the third threshold are less than the optimal performance of the first antenna performance metric, the second antenna performance metric, and the third antenna performance metric.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining static properties of the second base station, wherein the static properties comprise an operating frequency of the second base station and a control channel frequency associated with the second base station, and wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the antenna configuration in accordance with the static properties.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising querying the first base station to provide the static properties of the second base station.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication device includes a storage device for storing a lookup table including the static properties of the second base station, and wherein the obtaining the static properties further comprises accessing the lookup table.

11. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a first base station comprising a processor, information regarding a direction of travel of a communication device;

determining, by the first base station, a location of the communication device relative to a second base station, wherein the first base station and the second base station have different locations;

transmitting, by the first base station, a recommendation to the communication device regarding adjusting an antenna configuration of the communication device to facilitate data communication services with the second base station while maintaining voice or data communications services with the first base station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the antenna configuration comprises one of tuning an operating frequency of an antenna, configuring a polarization of the antenna, reconfiguring an electrical length of the antenna, tuning a bandwidth of the antenna, tuning a directivity of the antenna, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the antenna configuration further comprises adjusting a directivity of the antenna based on an orientation of the communication device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna configuration enables communication services with the first base station at a first operating frequency and the second base station at a second operating frequency, and wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the antenna configuration to increase isolation between a first feed of a first antenna operating at the frequency of the first base station and a second feed of a second antenna operating at the frequency of the second base station.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first base station comprises a macrocell and the second base station comprises a microcell.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting static properties of the second base station to the communication device in response to a query from the communication device.

17. An antenna structure of a first base station, comprising:

an antenna element for communicating with a communication device via radio frequency signals, wherein the communication device is a mobile device having a direction of travel; and

a circuit coupled to the antenna element, wherein the circuit performs operations comprising;

obtaining information regarding the direction of travel of the communication device;

obtaining information regarding an orientation of the communication device;

determining a location of the communication device relative to a second base station, wherein the first base station and the second base station have different locations;

transmitting antenna configuration instructions to the communication device enabling the communication device to adjust an antenna configuration to facilitate communication services with the second base station.

18. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the adjusting of the antenna configuration comprises one of tuning an operating frequency of an antenna of the communication device, configuring a polarization of the antenna, reconfiguring an electrical length of the antenna, tuning a bandwidth of the antenna, tuning a directivity of the antenna, or any combination thereof.

19. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting to the communication device second location information associated with the second base station enabling the communication device to further adjust the antenna configuration for initiating communication services with the second base station.

20. The antenna structure of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining communications with the communication device subsequent to the communication device establishing communications with the second base station, wherein the antenna configuration of the communication device enables communication services with the first base station at a first operating frequency and the second base station at a second operating frequency, and wherein the antenna configuration instructions enable the communication device to adjust the antenna configuration to increase isolation between a first feed of a first antenna operating at the frequency of the first base station and a second feed of a second antenna operating at the frequency of the second base station.