Optimized multi-beam antenna array network with an extended radio frequency range

• US 10,587,313 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Movandi Corporation
• Original Assignee: Movandi Corporation
• Inventors: Yoon, Seunghwan, Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierre, Peguy Jean
• Application Number:
  US16/382,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20190238191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 343761, 343700 MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/008 lens fed multibeam arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/20 wherein the primary active element is fixed and the reflecting device is movable
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A system, in a radio frequency (RF) transmitter device, dynamically selects one or more reflector devices along a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) radio path based on a defined criteria. Further, the dynamically selected one or more reflector devices are controlled based on one or more conditions. In an RF receiver device, communicates with the dynamically selected one or more reflector devices comprising an active reflector device. The active reflector device comprises at least a first antenna array and a second antenna array. The first antenna array transmits a first set of beams of RF signals to at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device. The second antenna array receives a second set of beams of RF signals from at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter device in an RF device network, wherein the RF transmitter device is configured to;

select one or more reflector devices from a plurality of reflector devices along a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) radio path based on a defined criteria; and

control the selected one or more reflector devices based on one or more conditions for transmission and reception of a plurality of beams of RF signals by the selected one or more reflector devices in the RF device network;

an RF receiver device configured to communicate with the selected one or more reflector devices in the RF device network;

a passive reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices; and

an active reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices,

wherein the active reflector device comprises at least two antenna arrays,

wherein the two antenna arrays comprise a first antenna array and a second antenna array,

wherein the first antenna array is configured to;

transmit a first set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals to at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device; and

transmit the first set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals to the passive reflector device, and

wherein the second antenna array is configured to;

receive a second set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals from at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device; and

receive the second set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals from the passive reflector device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the passive reflector device is configured to deflect an incoming beam of RF signals at a specified angle based on at least one of an incident angle of the passive reflector device, a scanning angle of the passive reflector device, or a distance between the passive reflector device and at least the RF transmitter device, the RF receiver device, and the active reflector device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the passive reflector device is at a distance from a first physical obstructing object that completely blocks a beam of RF signals.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the active reflector device is positioned at a distance from a second physical obstructing object that partially blocks or impair a beam of RF signals.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the defined criteria for the dynamic selection of the one or more reflector devices corresponds to at least one of a location of the one or more reflector devices, a relative distance of the one or more reflector devices with respect to the RF transmitter device, a type of one or more physical obstructing objects, or one or more parameters measured at the one or more reflector devices, and

wherein the one or more parameters correspond to at least an antenna gain, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), a carrier-to-noise (CNR), or a carrier-to-interference-and-noise ratio (CINR).

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions correspond to transmission of the plurality of beams of RF signals through a plurality of physical obstructing objects and determination of an NLOS radio path with best performance for the transmission of the plurality of beams of RF signals to the RF receiver device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna array and a second antenna array are isolated from each other.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic device configured to execute an application program for the dynamic selection of the one or more reflector devices from the plurality of reflector devices and control the selected one or more reflector devices, wherein the application program is executed for an installation, maintenance, control, and troubleshooting of the system comprising a multi-beam antenna array network.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the multi-beam antenna array network comprises a combination of the active reflector device that includes the first antenna array and the second antenna array and the passive reflector device, and

wherein an RF range of the multi-beam antenna array network is extended based on the dynamic selection of the one or more reflector devices and control of the selected one or more reflector devices.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more circuits of each of the plurality of reflector devices are integrated in a package of a plurality of antenna modules of corresponding reflector device.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more circuits of each of the plurality of reflector devices are on a printed circuit board on which a plurality of antenna modules of corresponding reflector device is mounted.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more circuits of the active reflector device are distributed circuits configured to transmit the first set of beams of the RF signals and receive the second set of beams of RF signals based on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and reception.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, wherein the plurality of distributed transceivers is configured to transmit and receive the plurality of beams of RF signals based on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and reception.

14. A system, comprising:

in an electronic equipment in a radio frequency (RF) device network, wherein the electronic equipment is configured to;

select one or more reflector devices from a plurality of reflector devices along a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) radio path based on a defined criteria; and

control the selected one or more reflector devices based on one or more conditions for transmission of a plurality of beams of RF signals in the RF device network,

wherein an active reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices comprises at least two antenna arrays,

wherein the two antenna arrays comprise a first antenna array and a second antenna array, wherein the first antenna array is configured to;

transmit a first set of beams of RF signals to at least an RF transmitter device and an RF receiver device; and

transmit the first set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals to a passive reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices, and

wherein the second antenna array is configured to;

receive a second set of beams of RF signals from at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device; and

receive the second set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals from the passive reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the electronic equipment corresponds to an RF transmitter device or a mobile electronic device.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the electronic equipment is further configured to control the selected one or more reflector devices based on information received via a feedback channel.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the information is associated with exchange and negotiate system configurations, wherein the information comprises number of transceivers within one or more RF devices, number of antennas per transceiver, antenna beamformers, channel responses, sequence of antenna array coefficients being evaluated, and/or locations of at least the one or more reflector devices.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the electronic equipment comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of distributed transceivers is configured to transmit the plurality of beams of RF signals in accordance with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer executable instruction that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute instructions, comprising:

in an electronic equipment in a radio frequency (RF) device network;

selecting one or more reflector devices from a plurality of reflector devices along a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) radio path based on a defined criteria; and

controlling the selected one or more reflector devices based on one or more conditions for transmission of a plurality of beams of RF signals in the RF device network,

wherein an active reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices comprises at least two antenna arrays,

wherein the two antenna arrays comprise a first antenna array and a second antenna array,

wherein the first antenna array is configured to;

transmit a first set of beams of RF signals to at least a RF transmitter device and an RF receiver device; and

transmit the first set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals to a passive reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices, and

wherein the second antenna array is configured to;

receive a second set of beams of RF signals from at least the RF transmitter device and the RF receiver device; and

receive the second set of beams of RF signals of the plurality of beams of RF signals from the passive reflector device in the selected one or more reflector devices.