# US 10,320,461 B2 · System, method and computer-readable medium for estimating direction of arrival of a signal incident on at least one antenna array > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,461 B2 - Document ID: US10320461B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/324,980 - Filed: 2014-07-08 - Published: 2017-07-27 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-08 - Assignees: New York University; Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) - Applicants: New York University; Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) - Inventors: Theodore S. Rappaport - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320461B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/0617: {for beam forming} - H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)} - H04B 7/086: {using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Exemplary embodiments include a computer-implemented method for configuring at least one antenna array comprising receiving a plurality of sets of samples corresponding to signals incident on a plurality of antennas; computing a mean of the envelopes of the sums of the respective sets; estimating a direction of arrival of the signals incident on the antennas based on the computed means; and configuring the antenna array based on the estimated direction of arrival. The computing and estimating procedures can be performed for each of a plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates. The estimating procedure can comprise determining a maximum value of the mean and a direction of arrival corresponding to the maximum value. The spatial selectivity of the antenna array can be configured based on the estimated direction of arrival. Other exemplary embodiments can include communication apparatus and computer-readable media embodying one or more of the exemplary computer-implemented methods and/or procedures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for configuring at least one antenna array, comprising: for each of a plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates, receiving a plurality of sets of samples, each set comprising a plurality of samples, each sample in each set corresponding to a signal incident on one of a plurality of antennas at substantially the same time as the other samples comprising the same set; and using a computer arrangement, computing a mean of the envelopes of the sums of the respective sets of the samples; using the computer arrangement, estimating a direction of arrival of the signals incident on the antennas based on the computed means for the plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates; and configuring the at least one antenna array based on the estimated direction of arrival. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the estimating procedure further comprises: determining a maximum value of the mean of the envelopes; and determining a direction of arrival that corresponds to the maximum value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the samples corresponds to a pilot symbol carried by the signals incident on the antennas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna array comprises one or more of the antennas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuring the at least one antenna comprises at least one of (i) configuring the spatial selectivity of the at least one antenna array, or (ii) determining at least one of a gain or a phase shift to apply to the signals received by one or more antenna elements of the at least one antenna array. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the plurality of sets of samples comprises: determining at least one of a gain or a phase shift corresponding to the direction-of-arrival for at least one of the antennas; and applying the at least one of the gain or the phase shift to the signal received by the at least one of the antennas while receiving the samples. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the plurality of sets of samples further comprises subtracting the average value of all samples corresponding to the signals incident on a particular antenna from each of the samples corresponding to the signals incident on the particular antenna. ### Claim 8 A communication apparatus, comprising: a plurality of antennas; at least one antenna array; a computer arrangement; and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to: for each of a plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates, receive a plurality of sets of samples, each set comprising a plurality of samples, each sample in each set corresponding to a signal incident on one of a plurality of antennas at substantially the same time as the other samples comprising the same set; and compute a mean of the envelopes of the sums of the respective sets of the samples; estimate a direction of arrival of the signals incident on the antennas based on the computed means for the plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates; and configure the at least one antenna array based on the estimated direction of arrival. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to estimate the direction of arrival further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to: determine a maximum value of the mean of the envelopes; and determine a direction of arrival that corresponds to the maximum value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of samples corresponds to a pilot symbol carried by the signals incident on the antennas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one antenna array comprises one or more of the plurality of antennas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to perform the configuring of the at least one antenna array further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to at least one of (i) configure the spatial selectivity of the at least one antenna array, or (ii) determine at least one of a gain and a phase shift to apply to the signals received by one or more antenna elements comprising the at least one antenna array. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to perform the receiving of the plurality of sets of samples further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to: determine at least one of a gain and a phase shift corresponding to the direction-of-arrival for at least one of the plurality of antennas; and apply the at least one of a gain and a phase shift to the signal received by the at least one of the plurality of antennas while receiving the plurality of samples. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to perform the receiving of the plurality of sets of samples further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the apparatus to subtract the average value of all samples corresponding to the signals incident on a particular antenna from each of the samples corresponding to the signals incident on the particular antenna. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory, computer-readable medium for configuring at least one antenna array, the medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to: for each of a plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates, receive a plurality of sets of samples, each set comprising a plurality of samples, each sample in each set corresponding to a signal incident on one of a plurality of antennas at substantially the same time as the other samples comprising the same set; and compute a mean of the envelopes of the sums of the respective sets of the samples; estimate a direction of arrival of the signals incident on the antennas based on the computed means for the plurality of direction-of-arrival candidates; and configure the at least one antenna array based on the estimated direction of arrival. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to estimate the direction of arrival further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to: determine a maximum value of the mean of the envelopes; and determine a direction of arrival that corresponds to the maximum value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of samples corresponds to a pilot symbol carried by the signals incident on the antennas. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the antenna array comprises one or more of the plurality of antennas. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to perform the configuring of the at least one antenna array further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to at least one of (i) configure the spatial selectivity of the at least one antenna array, or (ii) determine at least one of a gain and a phase shift to apply to the signals received by one or more antenna elements comprising the at least one antenna array. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to receive the plurality of samples for a direction-of-arrival hypotheses further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to: determine at least one of a gain and a phase shift corresponding to the direction-of-arrival for at least one of the plurality of antennas; and apply the at least one of a gain and a phase shift to the signal received by the at least one of the plurality of antennas while receiving the plurality of samples. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to perform the receiving of the plurality of sets of samples further comprise instructions that, when executed by the computer arrangement, cause the computer arrangement to subtract the average value of all samples corresponding to the signals incident on a particular antenna from each of the samples corresponding to the signals incident on the particular antenna.