Systems and methods for determining operational status of functional components of a wireless signal transmission environment

• US 10,257,731 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Inventors: Zeine, Hatem Ibrahim, Moghaddam, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US15/948,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20180338252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 4554221, 455423, 455 6711, 4551151, 4552261
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/06 based on characteristics of available antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

For determining operational status of components of a wireless signal transmission environment, a signal is received from a client power receiver (CPR), and at least one waveform characteristic value of the signal is calculated. Based on the determined waveform characteristic value(s), a current transceiver system operational status is computed for the CPR at a current location. The determined current transceiver system operational status is compared with a prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location, and it is determined if, as a result of the comparing, the current transceiver system operational status matches the prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location. Determining a presence or an absence of the match facilitates identifying one of a presence and an absence of: functional problem(s) in: at least one of the transceiver system and the CPR.

Claims

1. A method of determining operational status of components of a wireless signal transmission environment, the method comprising:

determining, by a transceiver system, a value of at least one waveform characteristic of a signal received at multiple antennas of the transceiver system,

wherein the signal is initiated by a client power receiver at a first location in the wireless signal transmission environment;

computing based at least in part on the value of the at least one waveform characteristic, a transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

comparing the transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location with a prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at a the first location; and

identifying, based on the comparison, at least one functional problem in at least one of the transceiver system and the client power receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first location of the client power receiver in the environment based, at least in part, on the value of the at least one waveform characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location as a last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying a user of the least one functional problem.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting instructions to a user of at least one of the transceiver system and the client power receiver,

wherein the instructions indicate at least one troubleshooting-related action for the user to perform in the environment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a model of the environment based at least in part on data representative of a physical layout of the environment; and

comparing the model of the environment with a prior-stored last known model of the environment associated with the prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

wherein identifying the at least one functional problem is further based on the model comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining based at least in part on the model comparison, a change in a position of at least one line-of site (LOS) obstructive object in the model relative to the prior-stored last known model; and

ascertaining, based at least in part on one or more of;

the value of the at least one waveform characteristic, the first location, and the determined change in the position, if the at least one LOS obstructive object is at least partially obscuring a LOS between the client power receiver and at least one antenna of the multiple antennas of the transceiver system,

wherein identifying the at least one functional problem is further based on whether at least one LOS obstructive object is at least partially obscuring a LOS between the client power receiver and at least one antenna of the multiple antennas of the transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a message to a user of at least one of;

the transceiver system and the client power receiver,

wherein the message is operable to instruct the user to at least one of;

verify the determined change in the position,

verify whether or not the ascertained at least partial obscuration of the LOS is an actual obscuration of the LOS in the environment, and

place the client power receiver in a new position that is fully in LOS with the at least one element; and

receiving a response to the message from the user;

wherein identifying the at least one function problem is further based on the response.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, for at least one repetition after a first instance and at predetermined intervals of time over a period of time beginning at the first instance;

the determining, the computing, the comparing, and the identifying,

wherein the performing facilitates tracking a plurality of historical operational statuses for the transceiver system, and

wherein the tracking further facilitating the identifying the at least one functional problem.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, at least one iteration of;

the determining, the computing, the comparing, and the identifying, for each element of at least a subset of the plurality of antennas,

wherein the performing further facilitates the identifying the at least one functional problem.

11. A transceiver system comprising:

an adaptively-phased antenna array having multiple radio-frequency (RF) transceivers;

control circuitry operably coupled with the adaptively-phased antenna, the control circuitry configured to;

determine a value of at least one waveform characteristic of a signal received at the multiple RF antennas of the transceiver system, wherein the signal is initiated by a client power receiver at a first location in the wireless signal transmission environment;

compute, based at least in part on the value of the at least one waveform characteristic, a transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

compare the transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location with a prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location; and

identify, based on the comparison, at least one functional problem in at least one of the transceiver system and the client power receiver.

12. The transceiver system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify the first location of the client power receiver in the environment based, at least in part, on the value of the at least one waveform characteristic.

13. The transceiver system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

store the transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location as a last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location.

14. The transceiver system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

notify a user of the least one functional problem.

15. The transceiver system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to further comprising:

direct one or more of the multiple antennas to transmit instructions to a user of at least one of the transceiver system and the client power receiver,

wherein the instructions indicate at least one troubleshooting-related action for the user to perform in the environment.

16. The transceiver system of claim 11, further comprising:

a three-dimensional (3D) array scanner.

17. The transceiver system of claim 16, wherein the 3D array scanner is configured to:

identify a model of the environment based at least in part on data representative of a physical layout of the environment; and

comparing the model of the environment with a prior-stored last known model of the environment associated with the prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to use the model comparison to identify the at least one functional problem.

18. The transceiver system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to further comprising:

determine, based at least in part on the model comparison, a change in a position of at least one line-of site (LOS) obstructive object in the model relative to the prior-stored last known model; and

ascertain, based at least in part on one or more of;

the value of the at least one waveform characteristic, the first location, and the determined change in the position, if the at least one LOS obstructive object is at least partially obscuring a LOS between the client power receiver and at least one antenna of the multiple RF antennas of the transceiver system.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the program instructions, when executed by one or more processing systems of a transceiver system, direct the transceiver system to;

determine a value of at least one waveform characteristic of a signal received at the multiple RF antennas of the transceiver system, wherein the signal is initiated by a client power receiver at a first location in the wireless signal transmission environment;

compute, based at least in part on the value of the at least one waveform characteristic, a transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

compare the transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location with a prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location; and

identify, based on the comparison, at least one functional problem in at least one of the transceiver system and the client power receiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the program instructions, when executed by one or more processing systems of a transceiver system, further direct the transceiver system to:

identify a model of the environment based at least in part on data representative of a physical layout of the environment; and

comparing the model of the environment with a prior-stored last known model of the environment associated with the prior-stored last known transceiver system operational status for the client power receiver at the first location;

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to use the model comparison to identify the at least one functional problem.