Wireless data transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12063054-B2
Application number	US-202017124137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

An example method of wireless data transmission may include determining a configuration of multiple antenna element nodes. The configuration may indicate a frequency band of operation for each of the multiple antenna element nodes and the configuration may be determined based on one or more network factors of multiple frequency bands. The method may also include selecting, based on the configuration, a signal path to couple to each of the multiple antenna element nodes from multiple signal paths. The multiple signal paths may each be configured to amplify signals carried thereon and at least two of the multiple signal paths may be coupled between each antenna element node and a common node. The method may further include directing, based on the configuration, wireless communications over the multiple antenna element nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of wireless data transmission, the method comprising:
determining a configuration of a plurality of antenna element nodes, the configuration indicating a frequency band of operation for each of the plurality of antenna element nodes and the configuration being determined based on one or more network factors of a plurality of frequency bands;
selecting, based on the configuration, a signal path to couple to each of the plurality of antenna element nodes from a plurality of signal paths, the plurality of signal paths each being configured to amplify signals carried thereon and at least two of the plurality of signal paths being coupled between each antenna element node and a common node; and
directing, based on the configuration, wireless communications over the plurality of antenna element nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of frequency bands are distinct frequency bands and at least one of the plurality of frequency bands includes a discontinuous range of frequencies.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of frequency bands are defined under the 802.11 protocol and include a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz band, and a 6 GHz band.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration is determined in response to one or more of: a change to a wireless network operating in one of the plurality of frequency bands, a status change of a device that includes the plurality of antenna element nodes, and a particular time interval.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network factors include one or more of: availability of frequency channels in one or more of the plurality of frequency bands based on information from a database, one or more devices obtaining the wireless communications being located within a structure, a number of mesh points operating on one or more of the plurality of frequency bands, and a type of communication traffic conveyed by the wireless communications.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more network factors further include one or more of: network capabilities of the one or more devices, radio link budgets of the one or more devices, historical network traffic, current network traffic, and a number of devices communicating in each of the plurality of frequency band.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the configuration of the plurality of antenna element nodes includes changing the configuration of the plurality of antenna element nodes based on the one or more network factors to: include an additional frequency band, remove a frequency band, and/or reallocate a number of the plurality of antenna element nodes associated with two or more of the plurality of frequency bands.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the configuration of the plurality of antenna element nodes changes to include additional frequency bands in response to low latency communication traffic being conveyed by the wireless communications for a device obtaining the wireless communications.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications are directed over at least two of the plurality of frequency bands during overlapping time periods.

10. A method of wireless data transmission, the method comprising:
determining a first configuration of a plurality of antenna element nodes, the first configuration indicating a frequency band of operation for each of the plurality of antenna element nodes and the first configuration being determined based on one or more network factors of a plurality of frequency bands;
obtaining an indication of a change in one of the one or more network factors;
determining, based on the change, a second configuration of the plurality of antenna element nodes that reallocates a number of the plurality of antenna element nodes associated with a first frequency band to a second frequency band;
selecting, based on the second configuration, a signal path to couple to each of the plurality of antenna element nodes from a plurality of signal paths, the plurality of signal paths each being configured to amplify signals carried thereon and at least two of the plurality of signal paths being coupled between each antenna element node and a common node; and
directing, based on the second configuration, wireless communications over the plurality of antenna element nodes.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein reallocating the number of the plurality of antenna element nodes associated with the first frequency band to the second frequency band results in the second configuration including an additional frequency band or removing a frequency band as compared to the first configuration.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of frequency bands are distinct frequency bands and at least one of the plurality of frequency bands includes a discontinuous range of frequencies.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determination of the second configuration is based on one or more of: network capabilities of other devices, radio link budgets of the other devices, historical network traffic, current network traffic, and a number of the other devices communicating in each frequency channel.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determination of the second configuration is based on one or more of: availability of frequency channels in one or more of the plurality of frequency bands based on information from a database, one or more devices obtaining the wireless communications being located within a structure, a number of mesh points operating on one or more of the plurality of frequency bands, and low latency communication traffic conveyed by the wireless communications.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communications are directed over at least two of the plurality of frequency bands during overlapping time periods.

16. A device comprising:
a plurality of antenna element nodes configured to pass wireless communications over a plurality of frequency bands;
a processing unit configured to:
determine a configuration of the plurality of antenna element nodes, the configuration indicating a frequency band of operation for each of the plurality of antenna element nodes and the configuration being determined based on one or more network factors of the plurality of frequency bands; and
direct, based on the configuration, the wireless communications over the plurality of antenna element nodes; and

a switch unit configured to couple each of the plurality of antenna element nodes to a different one of a plurality of signal paths between the switch unit and the plurality of antenna element nodes, the plurality of antenna element nodes being configured to amplify signals carried thereon and at least two of the plurality of signal paths are coupled between each antenna element node and the switch unit.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of frequency bands are distinct frequency bands and at least one of the plurality of frequency bands includes a discontinuous range of frequencies.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more network factors include one or more of: availability of frequency channels in one or more of the plurality of frequency bands based on information from a database, one or more devices obtaining the wireless communications being located within a structure, a number of mesh points operating on one or more of the plurality of frequency bands, and low latency communication traffic conveyed by the wireless communications.

19. The device of claim 16 , determining the configuratio

Assignees

• Maxlinear Inc

Inventors

• Amiri Bahador
• Amini Peiman
• Duxbury Simon
• Margairaz Didier
• Chong Wing Kai

Classifications

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W40/06

  based on characteristics of available antennas · CPC title

• H04W40/00

  Communication routing or communication path finding · CPC title

• H04B7/022

  Site diversity; Macro-diversity (using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04) · CPC title