US 10,771,939 B1Granted

Orientation of directional antennas using horizontal position information

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsDaniel Buchmueller, Ronald Joseph Degges, Jr., Jin Dong Kim, Gur Kimchi, Sang Eun Lee, Subram Narasimhan, Koohyun Um

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Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for enabling orientation of directional antennas even when one or more of the directional antennas are moving. Position information for each directional antenna is transmitted using an omnidirectional antenna transmitting at a low bandwidth and a low power. The position information of the directional antennas is used to orient the directional antennas so that a high bandwidth, low power wireless connection can be enabled and/or maintained between the directional antennas. The position information is periodically transmitted and the orientation of the directional antennas is updated as one or more of the directional antennas move so that the wireless connection between the directional antennas is maintained.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A system to wirelessly transmit digital content, the system comprising:

a fixed location, including:
a first directional antenna configured to wirelessly transmit digital content in a first direction;
a first omnidirectional antenna configured to wirelessly receive first position information from a first vehicle that is aerially navigating at a location remote from the fixed location;
and
a first directional antenna orientation controller configured to orient the first directional antenna based at least in part on the first position information received by the first omnidirectional antenna;
the first vehicle including:
a second omnidirectional antenna configured to wirelessly receive second position information from a second vehicle, the second position information including a horizontal position and an altitude corresponding to the second vehicle;
a second directional antenna configured to wirelessly receive the digital content transmitted from the first directional antenna;
a second directional antenna orientation controller configured to orient the second directional antenna so that it is oriented toward the first directional antenna and able to receive the digital content while the first vehicle is in motion;
and
a third antenna configured to wirelessly transmit the digital content to the second vehicle so that the digital content is received by a fourth antenna at the second vehicle.

8 more elements

A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
determining first position information of a fixed location, the fixed location including a first directional antenna and a first omnidirectional antenna;
determining second position information of a first vehicle at a second location that is remote from the fixed location, the first vehicle including a second directional antenna and a second omnidirectional antenna;
transmitting, using the second omnidirectional antenna associated with the first vehicle, the second position information so that the second position information is received by the first omnidirectional antenna at the fixed location, the first directional antenna being oriented based at least in part on the first position information and the second position information;
determining, based at least in part on the first position information and the second position information, a desired directional antenna orientation of the second directional antenna so that the second directional antenna is oriented toward and able to wirelessly connect with the first directional antenna;
causing orientation of the second directional antenna according to the desired directional antenna orientation so that the second directional antenna is oriented toward the first directional antenna and able to wirelessly connect with the first directional antenna;
establishing a wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna;
receiving third position information from a second vehicle at a third location that is remote from the fixed location and the second location, the third position information including a horizontal position and an altitude corresponding to the second vehicle;
and
establishing a wireless connection between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

7 more elements

A computer implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
receiving, by a second omnidirectional antenna associated with a fixed location, first position information of a first vehicle, the first position information being transmitted by a first omnidirectional antenna associated with the first vehicle;
determining, based at least in part on the first position information and known position information of the fixed location, a desired directional antenna orientation of a second directional antenna associated with the fixed location so that the second directional antenna is oriented toward and able to wirelessly connect with a first directional antenna associated with the first vehicle;
causing orientation of the second directional antenna according to the desired directional antenna orientation so that the second directional antenna is oriented toward the first directional antenna and able to wirelessly connect with the first directional antenna;
establishing a wireless connection between the first directional antenna and the second directional antenna;
receiving third position information from a second vehicle, the third position information including a horizontal position and an altitude corresponding to the second vehicle;
and
establishing a wireless connection between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/175,377Filed 30 Oct 2018 · division
Priority: 13 May 2015
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04W 4/40
Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
H01Q 1/1257
Means for positioning: using the received signal strength
H01Q 1/28
Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies: adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
H01Q 3/08
Using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole: for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation

Family

Application14/711,737Parent of this division · filed 13 May 2015
Application15/416,713Parent of this division · filed 26 Jan 2017
US 9,590,298 B1Parent of this division · filed 7 Mar 2017
US 10,149,115 B1Parent of this division
US 10,771,939 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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