Technologies for predictive alignment of antenna array of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10455540-B2
Application number	US-201816018677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Technologies for aligning an antenna array of a vehicle by a compute device are disclosed. A compute device may control an antenna array to connect to a base station. The compute device may determine one or more movement parameters of the vehicle, such as an indication that the vehicle is going to take a U-turn. The compute device may then control the antenna array to track the base station during the U-turn by physically rotating the antenna array.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compute device for alignment of an antenna array of a ground vehicle, the compute device comprising:
an antenna controller to:
acquire a list comprising a plurality of base stations;
determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, an expected duration of a line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station;
select a target base station based on the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the target base station;
control the antenna array of the vehicle to form a beam directed at the target base station; and

device motion determination circuitry to:
determine one or more movement parameters of the vehicle; and
determine, based on the one or more movement parameters of the vehicle, one or more antenna alignment parameters,

wherein the antenna controller is further to control, based on the one or more antenna alignment parameters, a physical orientation of the antenna array of the vehicle so that the beam formed by the antenna array stays directed at the target base station during movement of the vehicle.

2. The compute device of claim 1 , wherein to determine the one or more movement parameters of the vehicle comprises to determine a turn movement parameter indicative of a turn of the vehicle of at least 45°,
wherein to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters comprises to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters based on the turn movement parameter, and
wherein to control the physical orientation of the antenna array of the vehicle comprises to control the physical orientation of the antenna array of the vehicle so that the beam formed by the antenna array stays directed at the target base station during the turn of the vehicle of at least 45°.

3. The compute device of claim 2 , wherein to determine a turn movement parameter indicative of a turn of the vehicle of at least 45° comprises to predict that the vehicle will perform a turn of at least 45° at a particular time or place.

4. The compute device of claim 3 , wherein to predict that the vehicle will perform a turn of at least 45° at a particular time or place comprises to predict, based on navigation information of the vehicle, that the vehicle will perform a turn of at least 45° at a particular time or place.

5. The compute device of claim 2 , wherein to determine a turn movement parameter indicative of a turn of the vehicle of at least 45° comprises to:
determine sensor data from an accelerometer; and
determine, based on the sensor data from the accelerometer, a turn movement parameter indicative of a present turn of the vehicle of at least 45°.

6. The compute device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna controller is further to:
determine a threshold signal strength; and
determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, a signal strength corresponding to the base station,
wherein to select the target base station comprises to select the base station with the longest duration from the group of base stations of the plurality of base stations that have a signal strength that is at least the threshold signal strength.

7. The compute device of claim 1 , wherein the device motion determination circuitry is further to acquire past device movement data of additional vehicles different from the vehicle,
wherein to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters comprises to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters based on the past device movement data of additional vehicles different from the vehicle.

8. The compute device of claim 7 , wherein the past device movement data comprises data indicative of past antenna alignment parameters of additional vehicles different from the vehicle, and wherein to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters comprises to determine the one or more antenna alignment parameters based on the past antenna alignment parameters of additional vehicles different from the vehicle.

9. The compute device of claim 1 , wherein the device motion determination circuitry is further to:
acquire a coverage map indicative of an area of line of sight availability for each of the plurality of base stations; and
predict future movement of the vehicle,
wherein to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station comprises to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station based on the coverage map and the predicted future movement of the vehicle.

10. The compute device of claim 9 , wherein the coverage map indicative of the area of line of sight availability for each of the plurality of base stations comprises an indication of one or more reflection locations that provide an indirect line of sight for at least one of the plurality of base stations,
wherein to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station based on the coverage map and the predicted future movement of the vehicle comprises to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station based on the indication of the one or more reflection locations that provide an indirect line of sight for the at least one of the plurality of base stations.

11. The compute device of claim 9 , wherein to acquire the coverage map comprises to acquire, from each of the plurality of base stations, a base station coverage map indicative of an area of line of sight availability for the corresponding base station, wherein each of the base station coverage maps are maintained by the corresponding base station.

12. The compute device of claim 1 , wherein the device motion determination circuitry is further to:
capture one or more images from a camera, wherein the vehicle comprises the camera;
perform image processing on the one or more images to identify one or more objects in the one or more images; and
determine whether the identified one or more objects will block a line of sight from one or more of the plurality of base stations to the antenna array,
wherein to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station comprises to determine, for each of the plurality of base stations, the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station based on a determination that the identified one or more objects will block a line of sight from the one or more of the plurality of base stations to the antenna array.

13. A method for alignment of an antenna array of a vehicle by a compute device, the method comprising:
acquiring, by the compute device, a list comprising a plurality of base stations;
determining, by the compute device and for each of the plurality of base stations, an expected duration of a line of sight from the antenna array to the corresponding base station;
selecting, by the compute device, a target base station based on the expected duration of the line of sight from the antenna array to the target base station;
controlling, by the compute device, the antenna array of the vehicle to form a beam directed at the target base station;
determining, by the compute device, one or more movement parameters of the vehicle;
determining, by the compute device and based on the one or more movement parameters of the vehicle, one or mor

Assignees

• Intel Ip Corp

Inventors

• Balappanavar Subhas
• Kasturi Sreenivas

Classifications

• H01Q3/22

  varying the orientation in accordance with variation of frequency of radiated wave · CPC title

• H01Q3/005

  using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title

• H01Q3/30

  varying the {relative} phase {between the radiating elements of an array (H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01Q3/24

  varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching · CPC title