System and method for re-aligning antennas

• US 20090033576A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Shane M., Smoyer, Clinton J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/761
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/005 using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole

Abstract

A system for re-aligning an antenna communicating signals point-to-point. The system may include a first antenna, a second antenna configured to communicate a communications signal with the first antenna using point-to-point communications, and a position controller coupled to the first antenna and configured to re-align the first antenna with respect to the second antenna in response to determining a misalignment of the antenna.

Claims

1. A system for re-aligning an antenna communicating signals point-to-point, said system comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna configured to communicate a communications signal with said first antenna using point-to-point communications;

a position controller coupled to said first antenna and configured to re-align said first antenna with respect to said second antenna in response to determining a misalignment of the antenna.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second antennas are dish antennas.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications signal is a WiFi signal.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna includes at least four antenna elements positioned in different respective quadrants to receive a communications signal in each of the respective quadrants.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said position controller includes a processing unit configured to receive digital data associated with the communications signals received by each of the at least four antenna elements and determine signal strength of each respective communications signal, said processing unit further configured to re-align said first antenna with respect to said second antenna based on the signal strength of each respective communications signal.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second antennas are mounted to antenna towers and located at least 50 feet above ground.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein re-alignment of said first antenna includes re-aligning said first antenna in both azimuth and elevation directions.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a remote controller located remotely from said position controller via a network wherein said position controller includes an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate over the network with said remote controller.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said position controller communicates the communications signals via the I/O unit to said remote controller for determining and communicating re-alignment signals to said position controller to re-align said first antenna.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said remote controller includes a graphical user interface to enable a user to control alignment of said first antenna.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface enables the user to manually control alignment of said first antenna.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said position controller further including:

a radio receiver circuit in communication with said first antenna and configured to receive the communications signals from said first antenna;

a processing unit in communication with said radio receiver circuit and configured to receive digital signals associated with the communications signals;

a motion controller in communication with said processing unit and configured to generate control signals to re-align said first antenna; and

a rotating assembly in communication with said motion controller and configured to receive the control signals and re-align said first antenna in response to receiving the control signals.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications signal is a calibration communications signal.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein determining misalignment of the antenna includes determining at least one power level of the communications signal being communicated between said first and second antennas.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one power level of the communications signal drops below a threshold level; and

notifying an operator of said first antenna that the at least one power level of the communications signal dropped below the threshold level.

16. A method for re-aligning an antenna communicating signals point-to-point, said method comprising:

receiving, at a first antenna, a communications signal communicated to the first antenna in a point-to-point manner from a second antenna;

determining that the first antenna is misaligned;

determining at least one offset angle for re-aligning the first antenna; and

re-aligning the first antenna based on the at least one offset angle independent of a person having to perform the re-alignment at the first antenna.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving the communications signal includes receiving the communications signal at a dish antenna.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving the communications signal includes receiving a WiFi signal.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving the communications signal includes receiving the communications signal by at least four antenna elements positioned in different respective quadrants to receive the communications signal in each of the respective quadrants.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

determining signal strength received by each antenna element; and

re-aligning the first antenna based on the signal strength of the communications signal in each of the respective quadrants.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving the communications signal includes receiving the communications signal at least 50 feet above ground.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein re-aligning the first antenna includes re-aligning the first antenna in both azimuth and elevation directions.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising communicating the communications signals to a remote controller for determining the at least one offset angle to re-align the first antenna.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising displaying information representative of the received communications signal on a graphical user interface to enable a user to control alignment of the first antenna.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising controlling alignment of the first antenna in response to the user providing re-alignment control commands via the graphical user interface.

26. A system for re-aligning an antenna configured to communicate signals point-to-point, said system comprising:

means for receiving, at a first antenna, a communications signal communicated to the first antenna in a point-to-point manner from a second antenna;

means for determining that the first antenna is misaligned;

means for determining at least one offset angle for re-aligning the first antenna; and

means for re-aligning the first antenna based on the at least one offset angle independent of a person having to perform the re-alignment at the first antenna.