Method for finding signal direction using modal antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10942243-B2
Application number	US-201815979971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 17, 2014
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

Methods directed to finding algorithms designed to estimate the angle of arrival of signals incoming to a communication device by using a modal antenna having multiple radiation patterns are provided. In particular, a method can include obtaining a gain of the modal antenna at each of a plurality of angles. The method can include obtaining a gain variation at each angle. The method can include obtaining a signal strength variation at each angle. The method can include determining a difference between the gain variation and the signal strength variation at each angle. The method can include determining a difference value based at least in part on the difference between the gain variation and signal strength variation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining a direction of a signal incoming to a communication device, the communication device having a modal antenna configured to operate in a plurality of modes corresponding to a plurality of radiation patterns, the method comprising:
obtaining a gain of the modal antenna at each of a plurality of angles; each of the plurality of angles corresponding to one of the plurality of radiation patterns for the modal antenna;
obtaining a gain variation at each of the plurality of angles;
obtaining a signal strength variation at each of the plurality of angles;
determining a difference value at each of the plurality of angles, wherein the difference value is determined based on the gain variation for a corresponding angle of the plurality of angles and the signal strength variation for the corresponding angle;
comparing the difference value at each of the plurality of angles to a threshold value; and
determining an angle of arrival of the signal based, at least in part, on the comparing the difference value at each of the plurality of angles to the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modal antenna comprises an antenna element and at least one parasitic element, the modal antenna configured to operate in the plurality of modes by control of an active element coupled to the at least one parasitic element.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the antenna comprises a dipole element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gain variation at each angle is obtained based at least in part on a difference in gain associated with the angle and a gain associated with a different angle in the plurality of angles.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gain variation is obtained based at least in part on premeasured gain at each of the plurality of angles.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the premeasured gain is associated with a sensed condition or environment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal strength variation for each angle is obtained based at least in part on a difference in signal strength associated with the angle and a signal strength associated with a different angle in the plurality of angles.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal strength associated with the angle is an average signal strength of a plurality of signal strengths measured over a predetermined time period.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal strength associated with the angle is determined based at least in part on one or more multipath component signal strengths for the angle.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal strength is determined based at least in part using a rake receiver coupled to the modal antenna.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angle of arrival is determined based at least in part on a minimum difference value for the plurality of angles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the angle of arrival is the angle in the plurality of angles associated with the minimum difference value.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angle of arrival is determined based at least in part on the threshold for the difference value by performing operations, the operations comprising determining the angle of arrival based at least in part on a minimum difference value among one or more difference values that are less than the threshold.

14. A method for obtaining a direction of a signal incoming to a communication device, the communication device having a modal antenna configured to operate in a plurality of modes corresponding to a plurality of radiation patterns, the method comprising:
obtaining a gain of the modal antenna at each of a plurality of angles, each angle corresponding to one of the plurality of radiation patterns for the modal antenna;
obtaining a gain variation at each of the plurality of angles;
obtaining a signal strength variation at each of the plurality of angles;
determining a difference between gain variation and signal strength variation at each angle; and
determining an angle of arrival of the signal based at least in part on the difference between gain variation and signal strength variation to determine a difference value at each angle;
wherein the signal strength variation for each angle is obtained based at least in part on a difference in signal strength associated with the angle and a signal strength associated with a different angle in the plurality of angles; and
wherein the signal strength associated with the angle is determined based at least in part on one or more multipath component signal strengths for the angle.

Assignees

• Ethertronics Inc

Inventors

• Pajona Olivier
• Roe Michael
• Mohd Zaini Mohd Faizal
• Rowson Sebastian
• Desclos Laurent

Classifications

• H01Q25/04 Primary

  Multimode antennas {(corrugated horns H01Q13/0208)} · CPC title

• G01S3/06

  Means for increasing effective directivity, e.g. by combining signals having differently oriented directivity characteristics or by sharpening the envelope waveform of the signal derived from a rotating or oscillating beam antenna (comparing amplitude of signals having differently oriented directivity characteristics to determine direction G01S3/16, G01S3/28) · CPC title

• G01S3/16

  using amplitude comparison of signals derived sequentially from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics or from an antenna system having periodically-varied orientation of directivity characteristic · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• G01S3/28 Primary

  using amplitude comparison of signals derived simultaneously from receiving antennas or antenna systems having differently-oriented directivity characteristics · CPC title