Method for finding signal direction using modal antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12085656-B2
Application number	US-202318332369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2023
Priority date	Mar 17, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A method for obtaining the direction of a signal incoming to a communication device is provided using a modal antenna that has multiple modes corresponding to multiple radiation patterns with a single feed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining an angle of arrival of a signal incoming to a communication device having a modal antenna, the method comprising:
obtaining, by one or more processors, a data with each of a plurality of modes in which the modal antenna is configurable, each mode of the plurality of modes associated with a different angle of a plurality of angles;
determining, by the one or more processors, an angle of arrival of the signal based at least in part on the data associated with each of a plurality of modes, wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprise a phase shift of a signal strength during a transition between modes of the antenna.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modal antenna comprises an antenna element on a ground plane and one or more parasitic elements.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the modal antenna comprises one or more active elements configured to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more parasitic elements to the ground plane.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprises a gain variation between adjacent modes of the plurality of modes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprises a signal strength variation between adjacent modes of the plurality of modes.

6. A communication device comprising:
a modal antenna configurable in a plurality of modes, each of the plurality of modes having a distinct radiation pattern;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices, the one or more memory device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining, by one or more processors, a data associated with each of a plurality of modes in which the modal antenna is configurable, each mode of the plurality of modes associated with a different angle of a plurality of angles;
determining, by the one or more processors, an angle of arrival of the signal based at least in part on the data associated with each of a plurality of modes, wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprise a phase shift of a signal strength during a transition between modes of the antenna,
determining an angle of arrival of a signal received by the modal antenna based, at least in part, on the difference value associated with the adjacent modes at each of the plurality of angles.

7. The communication device of claim 6 , wherein the modal antenna comprises a driven element and one or more parasitic elements.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modal antenna comprises an antenna element on a ground plane and one or more parasitic elements.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modal antenna comprises one or more active elements configured to electrically connect or disconnect the one or more parasitic elements to the ground plane.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprises a gain variation between adjacent modes of the plurality of modes.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data associated with the plurality of modes comprises a signal strength variation between adjacent modes of the plurality of modes.

Assignees

• Kyocera Avx Components San Diego Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• 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

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H01Q25/04 Primary

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