Wireless network access using an adaptive antenna array

• US 8,310,947 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Hwang, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US12/490,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

Techniques described herein generally relate to systems, devices and methods for determining a wireless access point for a communications device in a wireless network. In some examples, the communications device may be assigned to a default wireless access unit in response to a request from the communications device for wireless access, where the default wireless access unit may provide the communications device with wireless access. A default wireless access unit may be arranged to monitor the network activity of the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies a pre-determined condition, where the communications device may be re-assigned to an adaptive wireless access unit when the pre-determined condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. A system for adaptively assigning a communications device to a wireless access point in a wireless network, comprising:

a default wireless access unit having a default wireless access unit processor, the default wireless access unit being configured to provide the communications device with access to the wireless network and to evaluate network activity of the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies a pre-determined condition; and

an adaptive wireless access unit having an adaptive wireless access unit processor configured to control one or more adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors, the adaptive wireless access unit being configured to provide the communications device with access to the wireless network in response to the pre-determined condition being satisfied, wherein

the adaptive wireless access unit is further configured to evaluate a signal strength associated with communications between the adaptive wireless access unit and the communications device, and modify one or more of the adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors corresponding to antenna elements included in an adaptive antenna array associated with the adaptive wireless access unit until the communications device receives a signal exceeding a threshold signal strength from the adaptive wireless access unit, and

the adaptive wireless access unit processor is further configured to determine if the network activity of the communications device satisfies an end condition, and modify one or more of the adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors to disable wireless access between the communications device and the adaptive wireless access unit when the end condition is satisfied.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the end condition is a determination by the adaptive wireless access unit processor that a download of a file is complete.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the end condition is a determination by the adaptive wireless access unit processor that the communication device has requested content from a non-approved website.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the end condition is a determination by the adaptive wireless access unit processor that an access code received from a communication device is invalid.

2. A method for a default wireless access unit to adaptively assign a communications device to communicate with a wireless network using either a default wireless access unit or an adaptive wireless access unit, the method for the default wireless access unit comprising:

receiving a request for access to the wireless network from the communication device;

providing access to the wireless network for the communication device using the default wireless access unit in response to the received request;

monitoring network communications for network activity associated with the communications device;

evaluating the network activity associated with the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies a pre-determined condition;

assigning the communications device to the adaptive wireless access unit when the pre-determined condition is determined to be satisfied, such that the adaptive wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network;

evaluating the network activity associated with the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies an end condition; and

re-assigning the communications device to the default wireless access unit when the end condition is determined to be satisfied, such that the default wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the default wireless access unit transmits an instruction to the adaptive wireless access unit in response to the communication device being assigned to the adaptive wireless access unit causing the adaptive wireless access unit to modify one or more adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors to provide the communications device with a cognizable signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the communications device, of a request to download a file having a file size greater than a minimum value.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the communications device, of a request for content from a pre-approved website.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the wireless communications device, of an access code.

7. A method for adaptively assigning a communications device using either a default wireless access unit or an adaptive wireless access unit, the method for the adaptive wireless access unit comprising:

receiving from the default wireless access unit an indication of an assignment of the communications device to the adaptive wireless access unit for access of the communications device to the wireless network using the adaptive access unit in response to a determination by the default wireless access unit that a pre-determined condition is satisfied;

evaluating a signal strength associated with communications between the adaptive wireless access unit and the communications device;

modifying one or more weighting factors corresponding to antenna elements included in an adaptive antenna array associated with the adaptive wireless access unit until the signal strength exceeds a threshold signal strength;

providing the communications device with access to the wireless network using the adaptive wireless access unit;

receiving an indication of a re-assignment of the communications device to the default wireless access unit when the network activity is determined to satisfy an end condition; and

disabling access to the wireless network using the adaptive wireless access unit for the communications device, such that the default wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined condition is determined to be satisfied based on monitoring and evaluating of network activity of the communications device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined condition is determined to be satisfied based on monitoring and evaluating of the network activity of the communications device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the communications device, of a request for content from a pre-approved website.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the wireless communications device, of an access code.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined condition includes transmission, by the communications device, of a request to download a file having a file size greater than a minimum value.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein prior to modifying one or more of the weighting factors the signal strength of the adaptive wireless access unit received at the communications device is insufficient to establish the communication between the communications device and the adaptive wireless access unit.

14. An article of manufacture for adaptively assigning a communications device to communicate with a wireless network using either a default wireless access unit or an adaptive wireless access unit, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

receiving a request for access to the wireless network from the communication device;

providing access to the wireless network for the communication device using the default wireless access unit in response to the received request;

monitoring network communications for network activity associated with the communications device;

evaluating the network activity associated with the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies a pre-determined condition; and

assigning the communications device to the adaptive wireless access unit when the pre-determined condition is determined to be satisfied, such that the adaptive wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network;

evaluating the network activity associated with the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies an end condition; and

re-assigning the communications device to the default wireless access unit when the end condition is determined to be satisfied, such that the default wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network.

15. An adaptive wireless access unit configured to provide a communications device with access to a wireless network in response to a pre-determined condition being satisfied, the adaptive wireless access unit comprising:

an adaptive wireless access unit processor configured to control one or more adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors, determine if network activity of the communications device satisfies an end condition, and modify one or more of the adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors to disable wireless access between the communications device and the adaptive wireless access unit when the end condition is satisfied; and

an adaptive antenna array including one or more antenna elements, wherein the adaptive wireless access unit weighting factors correspond to control of an output signal from each of the one or more antenna elements.

16. A default wireless access unit configured to provide a communications device with access to a wireless network, the default wireless access unit comprising:

a default wireless access unit processor configured to;

monitor network activity of the communications device,

evaluate the network activity of the communications device to determine if the network activity satisfies a pre-determined condition, wherein the pre-determined condition includes one or more of a request by the communications device to download a file having a file size greater than a minimum value, a request by the communications device for content from a pre-approved website, and/or an access code received from the communications device, and

assign the communications device to an adaptive wireless access unit when the pre-determined condition is determined to be satisfied, such that the adaptive wireless access unit provides the communications device with access to the wireless network.