Method and system for adaptive antenna array pairing

• US 8,570,938 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US12/201,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of pairing a first wireless access unit with a second wireless access unit in a mobile ad-hoc wireless pairing system includes determining that the second wireless access unit is available for pairing with the first wireless access unit and pairing the pairing the first wireless access unit with the second wireless access unit upon receiving an input from a user of the first wireless access unit. A location of the second wireless access unit is determined by adjusting a first wireless access unit weighting factor. The first wireless access unit weighting factor is adjusted until a threshold signal strength is received by the second wireless access unit. The first wireless access unit weighting factor is transmitted to the second wireless access unit, and feedback is received from the second wireless access unit. The feedback provides recommendations about the first wireless access unit weighting factor to the first wireless access unit.

Claims

1. A method of paring a first wireless access unit with a second wireless access unit in a mobile ad-hoc wireless pairing system, the method comprising:

pairing the first wireless access unit with the second wireless access unit in response to receiving an input from a user of the first wireless access unit;

determining a location of the second wireless access unit at least in part by adjusting a first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor, wherein a radiation pattern, of a first wireless access unit antenna array is based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and wherein voltages applied to excite individual antenna elements in the first wireless access unit antenna array are based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor;

determining a threshold signal strength based on the location of the second wireless access unit, wherein the threshold signal strength corresponds to a signal strength required to transmit data between the first wireless access unit and the second wireless access unit with a minimum number of error bits;

adjusting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the threshold signal strength is received by the second wireless access unit;

transmitting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the second wireless access unit;

receiving feedback from the second wireless access unit, wherein the feedback provides recommendations about the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the first wireless access unit; and

adjusting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor based on the feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically re-establishing the pairing between the first and the second wireless access unit after a previous pairing connection between the first wireless access unit and second wireless access unit has been terminated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing feedback to the second wireless access unit to adjust a second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the first wireless access unit receives the threshold signal strength.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the user to pair the first wireless access unit with only the second wireless access unit; and

adjusting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the second wireless access unit receives the threshold signal strength and a non-cognizable signal is transmitted in a direction where the second wireless access unit is not located.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection from a user to pair the first wireless access unit with the second wireless access unit and the option of pairing with at least one other wireless access unit; and

adjusting the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the second wireless access unit receives the threshold signal strength and a cognizable signal is transmitted in a direction where the second wireless access unit is not located.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein amplitude and phase of individual antenna elements in the first wireless access unit antenna array are based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor.

7. A system for pairing a first wireless access unit with a second wireless access unit in a mobile ad-hoc wireless pairing system, the system comprising:

(a) the first wireless access unit having a first wireless access unit processor configured to control a first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and to facilitate transmission of the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the second wireless access unit, wherein a radiation pattern of a first wireless access unit antenna array is based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and wherein voltages applied to excite individual antenna elements in the first wireless access unit antenna array are based on the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor; and

(b) the second wireless access unit having a second wireless access unit processor configured to control a second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor and to facilitate transmission of the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the first wireless access unit, wherein;

(i) the first wireless access unit processor is configured to modify the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to determine a location of the second wireless access unit and further configured to determine a threshold signal strength based on the location, wherein the threshold signal strength corresponds to a signal strength required to transmit data between the first wireless access unit and the second wireless access unit with a minimum number of error bits;

(ii) the first wireless access unit is configured to receive an input from a user to pair the first wireless access unit with the second wireless access unit;

(iii) the second wireless access unit is configured to receive a signal from the first wireless access unit;

(iv) the second wireless access unit processor is configured to provide recommendations about the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor to the first wireless access unit; and

(v) the first wireless access unit is further configured to adjust the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor based on the recommendations.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to automatically re-establish pairing between the first and the second wireless access unit after a previous pairing connection between the first wireless access unit and second wireless access unit has been terminated.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to provide feedback to the second wireless access unit to adjust the second wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the first wireless access unit receives the threshold signal strength.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit is configured to receive a selection from a user to pair the first wireless access unit with only the second wireless access unit, and wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to adjust the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the second wireless access unit receives a threshold signal strength and a non-cognizable signal is transmitted in a direction where the second wireless access unit is not located.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless access unit is configured to receive a selection from a user to pair the first wireless access unit with the second wireless access unit and the option of pairing with at least one other wireless access unit, and wherein the first wireless access unit processor is configured to adjust the first wireless access unit antenna array weighting factor until the second wireless access unit receives a threshold signal strength and a cognizable signal is transmitted in a direction where the second wireless access unit is not located.