Portable wireless node auxiliary relay

• US 9,491,637 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US13/956,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455 7- 25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for portable wireless node auxiliary relay. For certain example embodiments, at least one device, such as an auxiliary relay item: (i) may serve as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; or (ii) may communicate with at least one of a portable wireless node or a fixed wireless node using one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

Claims

1. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node including at least circuitry configured for detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue based at least partly on at least one sensor; and

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node and the at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for serving as at least a unidirectional relay between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for serving as a bidirectional relay between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for establishing at least one relay protocol with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuitry configured for establishing at least one relay protocol with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for indicating at least one relay status to the portable wireless node.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between a portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for providing to the portable wireless node at least one indication of a location of an auxiliary relay item.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of at least one impediment to communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of at least one impediment to communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for serving as a relay to facilitate at least partial avoidance of human tissue exposure to electromagnetic radiation resulting from wireless communication between the portable wireless node and the fixed wireless node.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for selecting at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from at least one obstacle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position via experimentation.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for retrieving the one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with the at least one orientation position from at least one antenna configuration data structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node as at least part of the relay.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining, by at least one auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node, the at least one direction.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining, by at least one auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node, the at least one direction comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining, by at least one wearable auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node, the at least one direction.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one angle for establishing the at least one beam.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one coverage zone for establishing the at least one beam.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters for establishing the at least one beam.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining the at least one direction via at least one message received from the at least one portable wireless node.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining the at least one direction via experimentation with the at least one portable wireless node.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction that is associated with at least one spatial location.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for determining the at least one direction to aim the at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node based at least partly on transmissions of multiple beams having multiple respective indicators.

35. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining at least one direction for establishing at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for determining the at least one direction to aim the at least one beam toward the at least one portable wireless node based at least partly on sweeping beam transmissions along a first path and slicing beam transmissions along a second path.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for communicating with the at least one portable wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with the at least one portable wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction comprises:

circuitry configured for selecting one or more indications of multiple respective values to control multiple respective amplitudes of electromagnetic radiation emanating from multiple respective locations of at least one antenna assembly with the one or more indications corresponding to the at least one direction.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with the at least one portable wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting the at least one beam in accordance with the at least one direction comprises:

circuitry configured for selecting one or more indications of how to configure at least one antenna assembly so as to produce the at least one beam in the at least one direction.

41. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for identifying a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node in a data structure associated with the portable wireless node, the data structure including a conditions field identifying and specifying functionality of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an article of clothing worn by a user of the portable wireless node.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the article of clothing worn by a user of the portable wireless node includes:

at least one of;

a hat, glasses, pants, shirt, jacket, belt, dress, a bracelet, an anklet, a watch, a smart phone holster, a smart case for a tablet computer, a shoe, an electronic bag, a satchel, a belt, a fanny pack, an electronic clothing insert, a jacket insert.

44. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for associating the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an article of furniture for use by a user of the portable wireless node.

45. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node comprises:

circuitry configured for associating the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an article of clothing worn by a user of the portable wireless node and positioned to avoid transmission through at least one portion of human tissue.

46. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position comprises:

circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters including one or more meta-material antenna control signal values.

7. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for providing to the portable wireless node at least one indication of a location of an auxiliary relay item with respect to a human body on which the auxiliary relay item is being worn; and

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node and the at least one indication of a location of the auxiliary relay item.

11. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue that may be pertinent to communication with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node; and

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node and the at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue.

12. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node including at least circuitry configured for detecting at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue based at least partly on at least one test beam emanation; and

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuityr configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node and the at least one indication of at least one location of human tissue.

14. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

circuitry configured for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position including at least;

circuitry configured for selecting at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from a detected at least one location of human tissue.

16. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

circuitry configured for communicating including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item including at least;

circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one rotational position of the auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node.

17. An apparatus for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

circuitry configured for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

circuitry configured for communicating including circuitry configured for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position of an auxiliary relay item including at least;

circuitry configured for selecting one or more indications of one or more antenna element subsets that are associated with the at least one orientation position of the auxiliary relay item associated with the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node.

39. A method for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the method being at least partially implemented by at least one device, the method comprising:

associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node including at least;

selecting at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from a detected at least one location of human tissue.

40. A system for portable wireless node auxiliary relay, the system comprising:

means for associating a portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of a portable wireless node;

means for serving as a relay between the portable wireless node and a fixed wireless node; and

means for communicating with at least one of the portable wireless node or the fixed wireless node including means for selecting one or more antenna assembly configuration parameters that are associated with at least one orientation position based at least in part on association of the portable wireless node auxiliary relay as an auxiliary of the portable wireless node including means for selecting at least one beam that is directed at least partially away from a detected at least one location of human tissue.