Methods and apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain and a spatial mode of a device

• US 9,526,074 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boos, John P., Bellamkonda, Krishna K., Muratory, Pierre, Patel, Nischal Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/195,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/02 Diversity systems; Multi-antenna system, i.e. transmission or reception using multiple antennas RAKE receivers H04B1/7115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/282 taking into account the speed of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain and a spatial mode of a wireless device (100) are disclosed. The apparatus (100) includes a main receive antenna (112) associated with a first receive signal strength, a diversity receive antenna (114) associated with a second receive signal strength, and a transmit antenna (116). Each of the antennas (112, 114, and 116) is operatively coupled to a controller (102). The controller (102) determines (i) a difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength, (ii) a correction factor based on the difference, and (iii) the transmit antenna gain based on the correction factor. In addition, the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength may be used, along with other sensor data (e.g., accelerometer), to estimate the spatial mode (e.g., orientation and hand grip) of the device (100). This spatial mode estimation may be then be used, among other things, to more accurately determine transmit antenna gain.

Claims

1. A method of determining a transmit antenna gain of a device, the method comprising:

determining, by a controller of the device, a difference between at least a main receive antenna signal strength associated with a main receive antenna and a diversity receive antenna strength associated with a diversity receive antenna;

determining, by the controller, a correction factor based on the difference;

determining, by the controller, a spatial mode of the device at least based on the difference; and

determining, by the controller, the transmit antenna gain based on the correction factor and the spatial mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the diversity receive antenna is physically located between the main receive antenna and a transmit antenna.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference between the at least main receive antenna signal strength and the diversity receive antenna strength is performed in real time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the correction factor includes determining if the difference between the at least main receive antenna signal strength and the diversity receive antenna strength exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined threshold is indicative of an adjusted gain difference between the main receive antenna and the diversity receive antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the correction factor includes determining an indication of path loss.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the correction factor includes determining at least one of an application age rating and a content age rating.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the spatial mode is further based on data received from at least one sensor of the device.

8. An apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a main receive antenna operatively coupled to the controller, the main receive antenna being associated with a first receive signal strength;

a diversity receive antenna operatively coupled to the controller, the diversity receive antenna being associated with a second receive signal strength; and

a transmit antenna operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is structured to;

determine a difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength;

determine a correction factor based on the difference;

determining a spatial mode of the apparatus at least based on the difference; and

determine the transmit antenna gain based on the correction factor and the spatial mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the diversity receive antenna is physically located between the main receive antenna and the transmit antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is structured to determine the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength in real time.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is structured to determine the correction factor, at least in part, by determining if the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold is indicative of an adjusted gain difference between the main receive antenna and the diversity receive antenna.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is structured to determine the correction factor, at least in part, by determining an indication of path loss.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is structured to determine the correction factor, at least in part, by determining at least one of an application age rating and a content age rating.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one sensor coupled to the controller, the at least one sensor configured to send data to the controller, wherein the controller determines the spatial mode of the apparatus based on the data received from the at least one sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, and a direction/orientation sensor.