Method and system for centralized distributed transceiver management

• US 9,602,257 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Golba LLC
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVITAN, DMITRY
• Application Number:
  US14/813,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/339, 370/464, 370/465, 455/500, 455/515, 455/517, 455/59, 455/68, 455/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0897 using beamforming per multi-path, e.g. to cope with different directions of arrival [DOA] at different multi-paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers are dynamically configured to switch between spatial diversity mode, frequency diversity mode, multiplexing mode and MIMO mode based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. Digital signal processing needed for the selected distributed transceivers is performed by the central baseband processor. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers. Connection types, communication protocols, and/or transceiver operation modes are determined for the selected distributed transceivers. Resources are allocated to the selected distributed transceivers to continue subsequent data communication.

Claims

1. A method of communication, the method comprising:

identifying a set of conditions comprising a link quality between a first device and a second device, each of the first and second devices comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the first and second devices comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, each distributed transceiver of the first device further comprising a set of one or more phase shifters;

based on the identified set of conditions, selecting a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers for a first mode of operation in a plurality of modes of operation, each pair of selected distributed transceivers comprising a transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the first device and a transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the second device;

for each selected pair of transceivers, utilizing the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation;

determining a change in said identified set of conditions; and

based on the change in the identified set of conditions, switching from the first mode of operation to a second mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operations, the switching comprising utilizing the set of phase shifters in a transceiver of the first device of at least one pair of the transceivers to change the steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the second mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of modes of operation comprises a spatial diversity mode, a frequency diversity mode, a multiplexing mode, and a multiple-input-multiple-output mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the steerable beam pattern of a transceiver comprises phase shifting a signal provided to the transceiver by different values before feeding the signal to the antenna arrays of the transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of (i) propagation environment, (ii) device capabilities, (iii) antenna polarization, (iv) radiation pattern, (v) antenna spacing, (vi) array geometry, and (vii) device locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of (i) throughput performance, (ii) quality of service (QoS) requirements, (iii) communication environment information corresponding to a type of data being transmitted, the type of data transmitted comprising images, video, and voice, and (iv) power consumption.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device is a first plurality of distributed transceivers, the first device further comprising a second plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver in the second plurality of transceivers of the first device comprising a directional antenna, the method further comprising utilizing a set of said directional antennas to create an effective beam pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers selected for the first mode of operation is different than a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers used for the second mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of conditions comprises continuously scanning a propagation environment between the first and second devices to identify beam patterns that result in strong reflected signals at the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of conditions comprises receiving a feedback from the second device regarding the link quality.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair to result in a strong signal received at the second device based on the identified set of conditions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair to result in a maximal link quality at the second device based on the identified set of conditions.

12. A first device comprising:

a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the first device comprising (i) an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas and (ii) a set of one or more phase shifters, the first device configured to;

identify a set of conditions comprising a link quality between the first device and a second device, the second device comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver of the second device comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas;

select, based on the identified set of conditions, a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers for a first mode of operation in a plurality of modes of operation, each pair of selected distributed transceivers comprising a transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the first device and a transceiver from the plurality of transceivers of the second device;

utilize, for each selected pair of transceivers, the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation;

determine a change in said identified set of conditions; and

switch, based on the change in the identified set of conditions, from the first mode of operation to a second mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operations, the switching comprising utilizing the set of phase shifters in a transceiver of the first device of at least one pair of the transceivers to change the steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the second mode of operation.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said plurality of modes of operation comprises a spatial diversity mode, a frequency diversity mode, a multiplexing mode, and a multiple-input-multiple-output mode.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein changing the steerable beam pattern of a transceiver comprises phase shifting a signal provided to the transceiver by different values before feeding the signal to the antenna arrays of the transceiver.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of (i) propagation environment, (ii) device capabilities, (iii) antenna polarization, (iv) radiation pattern, (v) antenna spacing, (vi) array geometry, and (vii) device locations.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the set of conditions further comprises at least one of (i) throughput performance, (ii) quality of service (QoS) requirements, (iii) communication environment information corresponding to a type of data being transmitted, the type of data transmitted comprising images, video, and voice, and (iv) power consumption.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device is a first plurality of distributed transceivers, the first device further comprising a second plurality of distributed transceivers, each distributed transceiver in the second plurality of transceivers of the first device comprising a directional antenna, the first device further configured to utilize a set of said directional antennas to create an effective beam pattern.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers selected for the first mode of operation is different than a plurality of pairs of distributed transceivers used for the second mode of operation.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein identifying the set of conditions comprises continuously scanning a propagation environment between the first and second devices to identify beam patterns that result in strong reflected signals at the second device.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein identifying the set of conditions comprises receiving a feedback from the second device regarding the link quality.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein utilizing the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair to result in a strong signal received at the second device based on the identified set of conditions.

22. The device of claim 12, wherein utilizing the set of phase shifters in the transceiver of the first device in the pair to generate a steerable beam pattern to maximize the link quality between the antenna arrays of the pair of transceivers in the first mode of operation comprises identifying a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the first device in the pair and a beam pattern for the antenna array of the distributed transceiver of the second device in the pair to result in a maximal link quality at the second device based on the identified set of conditions.