Dual-band communication device and method for use therewith

• US 10,601,494 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vannucci, Giovanni
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US15/372,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 342372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/10 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/22 RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• 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: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for use with a communication device that includes: communicating in a first frequency band with a remote device via at least one transceiver, wherein the remote device is oriented at a direction relative to the communication device, wherein the communicating is in accordance with first antenna beam steering parameters and a first antenna beam corresponding to the direction; and, communicating in a second frequency band with the remote device via the at least one transceiver, wherein the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band, wherein the at least one transceiver is pre-initialized with second antenna beam steering parameters to generate a second antenna beam corresponding to the direction, and wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters are generated based on the first antenna beam steering parameters.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate in a first frequency band with a remote device, wherein the remote device is oriented at a direction relative to the communication device, wherein the first transceiver communicates with the remote device in accordance with first antenna beam steering parameters, and wherein the first transceiver generates a first antenna beam corresponding to the direction; and

a second transceiver configured to communicate in a second frequency band with the remote device, wherein the second frequency band is outside the first frequency band, wherein the second transceiver is pre-initialized with second antenna beam steering parameters to generate a second antenna beam corresponding to the direction and initiates the communication in the second frequency band with the remote device via the second antenna beam, prior to exchanging probe signal transmissions in the second frequency band with the remote device, and wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters of the second transceiver are generated based on the first antenna beam steering parameters of the first transceiver.

2. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising,

a controller configured to generate the second antenna beam steering parameters by determining the direction from the first antenna beam steering parameters of the first transceiver and determining the second antenna beam steering parameters based on the direction.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver includes a first phased-array antenna that generates the first antenna beam in accordance with the first antenna beam steering parameters and wherein the second transceiver includes a second phased-array antenna that generates the second antenna beam in accordance with the second antenna beam steering parameters.

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters include co-phasing parameters of the second phased-array antenna and wherein the first antenna beam steering parameters include co-phasing parameters of the first phased-array antenna.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver includes a dual-band antenna array that generates the first antenna beam in accordance with the first antenna beam steering parameters and wherein the second transceiver operates via the dual-band antenna array to generate the second antenna beam in accordance with the second antenna beam steering parameters.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters include first co-phasing parameters of the dual-band antenna array and wherein the first antenna beam steering parameters include second co-phasing parameters of the dual-band antenna array.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver operates in accordance with a fourth generation wireless protocol and the second transceiver operates in accordance with a fifth generation wireless protocol.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the second frequency band is a millimeter wave frequency band and the first frequency band is a fourth generation wireless frequency band.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a mobile communication device.

10. A method for use with a communication device, the method comprising:

communicating in a first frequency band with a remote device via at least one transceiver, wherein the remote device is oriented at a direction relative to the communication device, wherein the communicating is in accordance with first antenna beam steering parameters and a first antenna beam corresponding to the direction; and

communicating in a second frequency band with the remote device via the at least one transceiver, wherein the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band, wherein the at least one transceiver is pre-initialized with second antenna beam steering parameters to generate a second antenna beam corresponding to the direction and initiates the communication in the second frequency band with the remote device via the second antenna beam, prior to exchanging probe signal transmissions in the second frequency band with the remote device, and wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters are generated based on the first antenna beam steering parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising,

generating the second antenna beam steering parameters by:

determining the direction from the first antenna beam steering parameters; and

determining the second antenna beam steering parameters based on the direction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a first phased-array antenna generates the first antenna beam in accordance with the first antenna beam steering parameters and a second phased-array antenna generates the second antenna beam in accordance with the second antenna beam steering parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters include co-phasing parameters of the second phased-array antenna and wherein the first antenna beam steering parameters include co-phasing parameters of the first phased-array antenna.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a dual-band antenna array generates the first antenna beam in accordance with the first antenna beam steering parameters and wherein the dual-band antenna array generates the second antenna beam in accordance with the second antenna beam steering parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second antenna beam steering parameters include first co-phasing parameters of the dual-band antenna array and wherein the first antenna beam steering parameters include second co-phasing parameters of the dual-band antenna array.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the dual-band antenna array operates in accordance with a fourth generation wireless protocol and in accordance with a fifth generation wireless protocol.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the second frequency band is a millimeter wave frequency band and the first frequency band is a fourth generation wireless frequency band.

18. A communication device, comprising:

first means for communicating in a first frequency band with a remote device, wherein the remote device is oriented at a direction relative to the communication device, wherein the communicating with the remote device is in accordance with first antenna beam steering parameters, and a first antenna beam corresponding to the direction; and

second means for generating second antenna beam steering parameters based on the first antenna beam steering parameters;

wherein the second means communicates in a second frequency band with the remote device, wherein the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band, wherein the second means is pre-initialized with second antenna beam steering parameters to generate a second antenna beam corresponding to the direction and wherein the second means initiates the communication in the second frequency band with the remote device via the second antenna beam, prior to exchanging probe signal transmissions in the second frequency band with the remote device.

19. The communication device of claim 18, further comprising:

third means for generating the second antenna beam steering parameters by;

determining the direction from the first antenna beam steering parameters; and

determining the second antenna beam steering parameters based on the direction.

20. The communication device of claim 18, wherein the second frequency band is a millimeter wave frequency band and the first frequency band is a fourth generation wireless frequency band.