Wireless communication device and method for controlling antenna array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10651986-B2
Application number	US-201615131046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2015
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A method for controlling an antenna array is provided, which includes following steps. Associations with a plurality of mobile devices are established, and at least one characteristic parameter table corresponding to the mobile devices is generated. When a plurality of transmission request signals are received simultaneously and the mobile devices are divided into a user group, a multi-user antenna index of the antenna array is generated based on the at least one characteristic parameter table, and a plurality of data streams corresponding to the mobile devices are transmitted simultaneously through the antenna array. When the transmission request signals are received simultaneously and the mobile devices are not divided into the user group, a single-user antenna index of the antenna array is generated based on the at least one characteristic parameter table, and the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices are transmitted one-by-one through the antenna array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an antenna array, adapted to a wireless communication device, and the method for controlling the antenna array comprising:
establishing associations with a plurality of mobile devices, and generating a plurality of characteristic parameter tables corresponding to the plurality of mobile devices, respectively, according to a plurality of association state information transmitted by the plurality of mobile devices;
determining whether the mobile devices are divided into a user group when a plurality of transmission request signals from the mobile devices are received;
when the plurality of transmission request signals from the mobile devices are received and the mobile devices are divided into the user group, generating a multi-user antenna index of the antenna array based on the plurality of characteristic parameter tables and transmitting a plurality of data streams corresponding to the mobile devices simultaneously through the antenna array;
when the transmission request signals are received and the mobile devices are not divided into the user group, generating a single-user antenna index of the antenna array based on the at least one characteristic parameter table and transmitting the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices one-by-one through the antenna array;
operating the wireless communication device in a multi-user multi-input multi-output mode when the mobile devices are divided into the user group, so as to simultaneously transmit the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices through the antenna array; and
operating the wireless communication device in a single-user multi-input multi-output mode when the mobile devices are not divided into the user group, so as to transmit the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices one-by-one through the antenna array,
wherein the multi-user antenna index and the single-user antenna index are digital control signals having a plurality of bits,
wherein the antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna elements and an antenna control unit, the antenna array is an antenna array with reconfigurable radiation pattern, a control circuit of the wireless communication device transmits the multi-user antenna index or the single-user antenna index to the antenna control unit, and the antenna control unit switches radiation patterns of the antenna elements in response to the multi-user antenna index or the single-user antenna index.

2. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of establishing associations with the mobile devices, and generating the at least one characteristic parameter table corresponding to the mobile devices according to the association state information transmitted by the mobile devices comprises:
sequentially establishing associations with the mobile devices;
performing an authentication operation and an association operation to each of the mobile devices;
performing a training operation to each of the mobile devices to obtain the plurality of association state information transmitted by the mobile devices during the process of performing the authentication operation and the association operation to each of the mobile devices; and
analyzing the plurality of association state information transmitted by the mobile devices, and generating the at least one characteristic parameter table corresponding to the mobile devices according to an analysis result.

3. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic parameter table records a corresponding antenna index, a plurality of received signal-strength indicator values and a spatial stream number of each of the mobile devices, and the step of generating the multi-user antenna index of the antenna array based on the at least one characteristic parameter table comprises:
generating the multi-user antenna index corresponding to the user group according to the corresponding antenna index, the received signal-strength indicator values and the spatial stream number of each of the mobile devices; and
recording the multi-user antenna index in the at least one characteristic parameter table or a multi-user parameter table.

4. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:
setting the antenna array by using the multi-user antenna index;
estimating a plurality of channel state information corresponding to the mobile devices by using the antenna array set based on the multi-user antenna index; and
generating a plurality of beamforming parameters according to the plurality of channel state information.

5. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the step of transmitting the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices simultaneously through the antenna array comprises:
reconfiguring the antenna array by using the beamforming parameters; and
transmitting the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices simultaneously through the reconfigured antenna array.

6. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step of generating the single-user antenna index of the antenna array based on the at least one characteristic parameter table and transmitting the data streams corresponding to the mobile devices one-by-one through the antenna array comprises:
looking up the corresponding antenna index of a predetermined mobile device in the mobile devices to obtain the single-user antenna index corresponding to the predetermined mobile device;
setting the antenna array by using the single-user antenna index;
estimating channel state information of the predetermined mobile device by using the antenna array set based on the single-user antenna index;
generating a plurality of beamforming parameters according to the channel state information; and
reconfiguring the antenna array by using the beamforming parameters, and transmitting the data stream corresponding to the predetermined mobile device by using the reconfigured antenna array.

7. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the antenna elements comprises a plurality of reflective elements, and the antenna array drives one of the reflective elements in each of the antenna elements in response to the multi-user antenna index or the single-user antenna index, so as to switch the pattern of each of the antenna elements.

8. The method for controlling the antenna array as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the antenna array is an antenna array with polarization diversity, and the antenna array sets a part of the antenna elements to be horizontal polarization and sets the other antenna elements to be vertical polarization in response to the multi-user antenna index or the single-user antenna index.

9. A wireless communication device, comprising:
an antenna array, including an antenna control unit; and
a control circuit, wherein the wireless communication device sequentially establishes associations with a plurality of mobile devices, and the control circuit generates a plurality of characteristic parameter tables corresponding to the plurality of mobile devices, respectively, according to a plurality of association state information transmitted by the plurality of mobile devices,
wherein when the wireless communication device receives a plurality of transmission request signals from the mobile devices, the control circuit determines whether to divide the mobile devices into a user group,
when the wireless communication device receives the plurality of transmission request signals from the mobile devices, and the control circuit divides the mobile devices into the user g

Assignees

• Wistron Neweb Corp

Inventors

• Tseng Nai-Yu
• Kang Fu-Ming
• Cheng Chieh-Wen
• Chuang Chun-Hsiung
• Chen Ho-Ren

Classifications

• H04W28/0236

  radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay · CPC title

• H04W72/121

  for groups of terminals or users · CPC title

• H04L5/0048 Primary

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04B7/10

  Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity · CPC title

• H04B7/0452

  Multi-user MIMO systems · CPC title