Orientation of directional antennas

• US 9,590,298 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Eun, Um, Koohyun, Buchmueller, Daniel, Degges, Ronald Joseph Jr., Kim, Jin Dong, Kimchi, Gur, Narasimhan, Subram
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Lihong
• Application Number:
  US14/711,737
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 375/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for enabling orientation of directional antennas even when one or more of the directional antennas are moving. Position information for each directional antenna is transmitted using an omnidirectional antenna transmitting at a low bandwidth and a low power. The position information of the directional antennas is used to orient the directional antennas so that a high bandwidth, low power wireless connection can be enabled and/or maintained between the directional antennas. The position information is periodically transmitted and the orientation of the directional antennas is updated as one or more of the directional antennas move so that the wireless connection between the directional antennas is maintained.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,

determining first position information of a first directional antenna coupled to a first vehicle;

transmitting, using a first omnidirectional antenna coupled to the first vehicle, the first position information so that the first position information is received at a second location that is remote from a first location of the first vehicle;

receiving, using the first omnidirectional antenna, second position information corresponding to a second directional antenna coupled to a second vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the first position information and the second position information, a desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

sending a first instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

establishing a wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna;

receiving third position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determining based at least in part on the second position information and the third position information at least one of an approximate speed of the second vehicle, a heading of the second vehicle, or a direction of travel of the second vehicle;

determining based on one or more of the approximate speed of the second vehicle, the heading of the second vehicle, or the direction of travel of the second vehicle, an anticipated position of the second directional antenna; and

sending a second instruction to orient the first directional antenna toward the anticipated position of the second directional antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is moving with respect to the second vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is an aerial vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, after the first vehicle has moved, fourth position information of the first directional antenna coupled to the first vehicle; and

transmitting, using the first directional antenna coupled to the first vehicle, the fourth position information so that the fourth position information is received at the second location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, using the first directional antenna, fifth position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determining a second desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna; and

sending a third instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the second desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position information includes at least one of an approximate horizontal position of the first directional antenna, an approximate altitude of the first directional antenna, an approximate angle of the first directional antenna, or an approximate orientation of the first directional antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the first omnidirectional antenna, fourth position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determining, based at least in part on the fourth position information, a second desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna;

sending a third instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the second desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna remains oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna; and

maintaining the wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a latency time for orienting the first directional antenna; and

wherein determining the anticipated position is further based on the latency time.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data at the first directional antenna transmitted from the second directional antenna using the wireless connection;

establishing a second wireless connection between the first vehicle and a third vehicle that is moving with respect to the first vehicle; and

wirelessly transmitting the data from the first vehicle to the third vehicle.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second wireless connection is a Wi-Fi connection between the first vehicle and the third vehicle.

11. An unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), comprising;

a first directional antenna;

a first omnidirectional antenna;

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

determine first position information of the first directional antenna;

cause transmission, using the first omnidirectional antenna, the first position information so that the first position information is received at a second location that is remote from the UAV;

receive, using the first omnidirectional antenna, second position information corresponding to a second directional antenna that is coupled to a second vehicle;

determine, based at least in part on the first position information and the second position information, a desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

send a first instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

establish a wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna;

receive third position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determine based at least in part on the second position information and the third position information, at least one of an approximate speed of the second vehicle, a heading of the second vehicle, or a direction of travel of the second vehicle;

determine based on one or more of the approximate speed of the second vehicle, the heading of the second vehicle, or the direction of travel of the second vehicle, an anticipated position of the second directional antenna; and

send a second instruction to orient the first directional antenna toward the anticipated position of the second directional antenna.

12. The UAV of claim 11, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to at least:

determine, after the UAV has moved, fourth position information of the first directional antenna coupled to the UAV; and

transmit, using the first directional antenna, the fourth position information so that the fourth position information is received at the second location.

13. The UAV of claim 12, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to at least:

receive, using the first directional antenna, fifth position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determine a second desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna; and

send a third instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the second desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna.

14. The UAV of claim 11, further comprising:

receive, using the first omnidirectional antenna, fourth position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determine, based at least in part on the fourth position information, a second desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna;

send a third instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the second desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna remains oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to maintain the wireless connection with the second directional antenna; and

maintain the wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

a first directional antenna;

a first omnidirectional antenna;

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

determine first position information of the first directional antenna;

cause transmission, using the first omnidirectional antenna, the first position information so that the first position information is received at a second location that is remote from the vehicle;

determine, based at least in part on the first position information and a second position information corresponding to a second directional antenna that is coupled to a second vehicle, a desired directional antenna orientation of the first directional antenna so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

send a first instruction to orient the first directional antenna according to the desired directional antenna orientation so that the first directional antenna is oriented toward the second directional antenna and able to wirelessly connect with the second directional antenna;

establish a wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna;

receive third position information corresponding to the second directional antenna;

determine based at least in part on the second position information and the third position information at least one of an approximate speed of the second vehicle, a heading of the second vehicle, or a direction of travel of the second vehicle;

determine based on one or more of the approximate speed of the second vehicle, the heading of the second vehicle, or the direction of travel of the second vehicle, an anticipated position of the second directional antenna; and

send a second instruction to orient the first directional antenna toward the anticipated position of the second directional antenna.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to at least:

determine a latency time for orienting the first directional antenna; and

wherein the anticipated position is further determined based on the latency time.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein:

the second directional antenna comprises an electronically steerable antenna.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground based vehicle, a ground based vehicle, an unmanned water based vehicle, or a water based vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to at least:

measure a first signal strength of the wireless connection when the first directional antenna is oriented according to the desired directional antenna orientation;

measure a second signal strength of the wireless connection when the first directional antenna is oriented according to the anticipated position;

determine that the first signal strength is greater than second signal strength; and

send a third instruction to alter the orientation of the first directional antenna based at least in part on the determination that first signal strength is greater than the second signal strength.