US 8,570,938 B2Granted

Method and system for adaptive antenna array pairing

AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC

InventorCharles A. Eldering

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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.

Claims11

Dependent claims

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.

5 more elements

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.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.