US 10,389,037 B2Granted

Apparatus and methods for selecting sections of an antenna array and use therewith

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsShikik Johnson, David M. Britz, Paul Shala Henry, Robert Bennett, Farhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg, Donald J. Barnickel, Thomas M. Willis, III

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Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, selecting a first segment from a plurality of selectable segments of an array of dielectric antennas, where the first segment corresponds to a first set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a first set of launchers, directing the first set of launchers to launch first electromagnetic waves directed to the first set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate a first beam pattern, selecting a second segment from the plurality of selectable segments, where the second segment corresponds to a second set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a second set of launchers, and directing the second set of launchers to launch second electromagnetic waves directed to the second set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate a second beam pattern. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device, comprising:

an array of dielectric antennas;
a plurality of dielectric cores coupled to the array of dielectric antennas;
a processing system including a processor;
and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
organizing the array of dielectric antennas into a plurality of sections, each section comprising one or more dielectric antennas that differs from other dielectric antennas in other sections of the array of dielectric antennas;
detecting a first trajectory of a first communication device;
selecting a first section from the plurality of sections to direct a first beam pattern to the first communication device based on the first trajectory, wherein the first section corresponds to a first set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a first set of one or more dielectric cores from the plurality of dielectric cores;
launching first electromagnetic waves along the first set of one or more dielectric cores that causes the first set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate the first beam pattern;
detecting a second trajectory of a second communication device;
selecting a second section from the plurality of sections to direct a second beam pattern to the second communication device based on the second trajectory, wherein the second section corresponds to a second set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a second set of one or more dielectric cores from the plurality of dielectric cores, wherein the first set of one or more dielectric antennas differs from the second set of one or more dielectric antennas, and wherein the first set of one or more dielectric cores differs from the second set of one or more dielectric cores;
and
launching second electromagnetic waves along the second set of one or more dielectric cores that cause the second set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate the second beam pattern.

10 more elements

A method, comprising:

detecting, by a processing system including a processor, a first trajectory of a first communication device;
selecting, by the processing system, a first section from a plurality of selectable sections of an array of dielectric antennas, wherein the first section corresponds to a first set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a first set of launchers to direct a first beam pattern to the first communication device based on the first trajectory;
directing, by the processing system, the first set of launchers to launch first electromagnetic waves directed to the first set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate the first beam pattern;
detecting, by the processing system, a second trajectory of a second communication device;
selecting, by the processing system, a second section from the plurality of selectable sections, wherein the second section corresponds to a second set of one or more dielectric antennas from the array of dielectric antennas coupled to a second set of launchers to direct a second beam pattern to the second communication device based on the second trajectory;
and
directing, by the processing system, the second set of launchers to launch second electromagnetic waves directed to the second set of one or more dielectric antennas to generate the second beam pattern, wherein the first beam pattern conveys first data, wherein the second beam pattern conveys second data.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/372,460Filed 8 Dec 2016
Published: US 2018/0166787 A114 Jun 2018
Granted: 20 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H01Q 13/24
Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave:…
H01Q 1/2291
By structural association with other equipment or articles: used in Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN]
H01Q 1/38
Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith: formed by a conductive layer on an…
H01Q 3/30
Varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of…