Antenna steering for an access point based upon spatial diversity

• US 20050063340A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, John E., Johnson, Kevin P., Nelson, George Rodney Jr., Regnier, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network is provided, wherein the access point includes a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station. The method includes communicating with a selected remote station using a current angle of the directional antenna, and scanning an alternate angle from a plurality of alternate angles of the directional antenna for communicating with the selected remote station. Respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle from the selected remote station are measured. The current angle or the alternate angle is selected as a preferred angle based upon the measured signals for continuing communications with the selected remote station.

Claims

1. A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station, the method comprising:

communicating with the at least one remote station using a current angle of the directional antenna;

scanning an alternate angle from a plurality of alternate angles of the directional antenna for communicating with the at least one remote station;

measuring respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle from the at least one remote station; and

selecting the current angle or the alternate angle as a preferred angle based upon the measured signals for continuing communications with the at least one remote station.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the directional antenna comprises at least one active element and a plurality of passive elements.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of alternate angles comprises an omni angle.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein selection of the current angle and scanning of the alternate angle are performed at the media access control (MAC) layer of the access point.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the alternate angle is selected as the preferred angle if the measured signal associated therewith exceeds the measured signal associated with the current angle by a predetermined threshold.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein measuring the respective signals comprises determining at least one of a received signal strength indication, a carrier-to-interference ratio, an energy-per-bit ratio and a signal-to-noise ratio.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein communicating with the at least one remote station is based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a preamble and a data frame;

and wherein the respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle are measured during a same preamble.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein scanning the alternate angle comprises scanning a plurality of alternate angles during the same preamble;

and wherein the measuring comprises measuring respective signals received via each alternate angle during the same preamble from the at least one remote station so that the current angle or one of the plurality of alternate angles is selected as the preferred angle.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of alternate angles are scanned based upon a predetermined sequence.

10. A method according to claim 7 further comprising storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and during a next preamble, the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.

11. A method according to claim 7 further comprising storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and if after a predetermined amount of time no new packet data is received by the access point, then the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the access point is operating based upon at least one of an IEEE 802.11 standard and an IEEE 802.16 standard.

13. A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a preamble and a data frame, the method comprising:

communicating with the at least one remote station using a current angle of the directional antenna during a preamble;

scanning through a plurality of alternate angles of the directional antenna for communicating with the at least one remote station during the preamble;

measuring respective signals received via the current angle and the plurality of alternate angles from the at least one remote station; and

selecting during the preamble the current angle or one of the plurality of alternate angles as a preferred angle based upon the measured signals for continuing communications with the at least one remote station.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the directional antenna comprises at least one active element and a plurality of passive elements.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein one of the plurality of alternate angles comprises an omni angle.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein one of the plurality of alternate angles is selected as the preferred angle if the measured signal associated therewith exceeds the measured signal associated with the current angle by a predetermined threshold.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein measuring the respective signals comprises determining at least one of a received signal strength indication, a carrier-to-interference ratio, an energy-per-bit ratio and a signal-to-noise ratio.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the plurality of alternate angles are scanned based upon a predetermined sequence.

19. A method according to claim 13 further comprising storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and during a next preamble, the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated during the next preamble for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.

20. A method according to claim 13 further comprising storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and if after a predetermined amount of time no new packet data is received by the access point, then the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated during a next preamble for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.

21. An access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:

a directional antenna; and

a controller connected to said directional antenna for control thereof, said controller

selecting a current angle of the directional antenna for communicating with the at least one remote station,

scanning an alternate angle from a plurality of alternate angles of said directional antenna for communicating with the at least one remote station,

measuring respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle from the at least one remote station, and

selecting the current angle or the alternate angle as a preferred angle for continuing communications with the at least one remote station based upon the measured signals.

22. An access Point according to claim 21 wherein said directional antenna comprises at least one active element and a plurality of passive elements.

23. An access point according to claim 21 wherein one of the plurality of alternate angles comprises an omni angle.

24. An access point according to claim 21 wherein said controller comprises a physical layer and a media access control (MAC) layer, and selection of the current angle and scanning of the alternate angle are performed at the MAC layer.

25. An access point according to claim 21 wherein the alternate angle is selected as the preferred angle by said controller if the measured signal associated therewith exceeds the measured signal associated with the current angle by a predetermined threshold.

26. An access point according to claim 21 wherein the measured signals comprise at least one of a received signal strength indication, a carrier-to-interference ratio, an energy-per-bit ratio and a signal-to-noise ratio.

27. An access point according to claim 21 wherein communicating with the at least one remote station is based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a preamble and a data frame;

and wherein the respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle are measured by said controller during a same preamble.

28. An access point according to claim 27 wherein scanning the alternate angle comprises scanning a plurality of alternate angles during the same preamble;

and wherein said controller measures respective signals received via each alternate angle during the same preamble from the at least one remote station so that the current angle or one of the plurality of alternate angles is selected as the preferred angle.

29. An access point according to claim 28 wherein the plurality of alternate angles are scanned based upon a predetermined sequence.

30. An access point according to claim 27 wherein said controller comprises a memory for storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and during a next preamble, the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated by said controller for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.

31. An access point according to claim 27 wherein said controller comprises a memory for storing the preferred angle of the at least one remote station, and if after a predetermined amount of time no new packet data is received by said controller, then the stored preferred angle becomes a new current angle and the steps are repeated by said controller for selecting the new current angle or the alternate angle.