Communication of wireless signals through physical barriers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425987-B2
Application number	US-202318141201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2023
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A system for transmitting and receiving wireless signals through a physical barrier, such as walls or windows, to wireless computing devices that are located internal to a structure that is formed in part by the physical barrier. The wireless signals are millimeter waveforms with gigahertz frequencies that are communicated with 5G communication protocols by one or more remote base station nodes located external to the physical barrier. One or more external antennas are configured to communicate RF wireless signals with HMA waveforms to remote wireless base station. In one or more embodiments, the RF wireless signals are amplified and communicated bi-statically through the window barrier between customer premises equipment and an authorized remote wireless base station.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A method, comprising:
employing a plurality of beamforming antennas that are arranged as a network fabric in a physical area and configured to communicate wireless waveform signals between one or more wireless base stations and one or more beamforming antennas over the physical area to enable communication of the wireless waveform signals by the network fabric;
receiving, with a first beamforming antenna, a downlink wireless waveform signal from a wireless base station that is communicated by the network fabric to the first beamforming antenna; and
transmitting, with another antenna, an amplified version of the downlink wireless waveform signal to a remote wireless device employed by a user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying the communication between the wireless base station and the first beamforming antenna as authorized communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing a mode for each of the plurality of beamforming antennas that is dynamically reconfigurable in one of a relay mode, a reflector mode or a proxy base station mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: employing a selected mode of operation for a beamforming antenna to determine one or more of a direction or a shape of the wireless waveform signals that are communicated with one or more other beamforming antennas.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adjusting one or more of: a download gain for the downlink wireless waveform signal, a beam shape for the downlink wireless waveform signal, or a direction for the downlink wireless waveform signal to improve communication between the base station wireless device and the remote wireless device that includes one or more of a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, a mobile wireless device, or a stationary wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adjusting one or more of: an uplink gain for an uplink wireless waveform signal, a beam shape for the uplink wireless waveform signal, or a direction for the uplink wireless waveform signal to Improve communication between the base station wireless device and the remote wireless device that includes one or more of a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, a mobile wireless device, or a stationary wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining an upload power value that is greater than a threshold value for an uplink amplifier employed in transmission of an uplink wireless waveform signal to the wireless base station, wherein the uplink wireless waveform signal is initiated by the remote wireless device; and authorizing further communication between the base station wireless device and the first beamforming antenna based on the affirmative determination of the upload power value.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a scan impedance of one or more of the plurality of beamforming antennas to improve communication of wireless waveform signals through a barrier.

9. An apparatus, comprising;
a plurality of beamforming antennas that are arranged as a network fabric in a physical area and configured to communicate wireless waveform signals between one or more wireless base stations and one or more beamforming antennas over the physical area to enable communication of the wireless waveform signals by the network fabric;
a first beamforming antenna that is configured to receive a downlink wireless waveform signal from a wireless base station that is communicated by the network fabric to the first beamforming antenna; and
another antenna that is configured to transmit an amplified version of the downlink wireless waveform signal to a remote wireless device employed by a user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying the communication between the wireless base station and the first beamforming antenna as authorized communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing a mode for each of the plurality of beamforming antennas that is dynamically reconfigurable in one of a relay mode, a reflector mode or a proxy base station mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
employing a selected mode of operation for a beamforming antenna to determine one or more of a direction or a shape of the wireless waveform signals that are communicated with one or more other beamforming antennas.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting one or more of: a download gain for the downlink wireless waveform signal, a beam shape for the downlink wireless waveform signal, or a direction for the downlink wireless waveform signal to improve communication between the base station wireless device and the remote wireless device that includes one or more of a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, a mobile wireless device, or a stationary wireless device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting one or more of: an uplink gain for an uplink wireless waveform signal, a beam shape for the uplink wireless waveform signal, or a direction for the uplink wireless waveform signal to improve communication between the base station wireless device and the remote wireless device that includes one or more of a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device, a mobile wireless device, or a stationary wireless device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining an upload power value that is greater than a threshold value for an uplink amplifier employed in transmission of an uplink wireless waveform signal to the wireless base station, wherein the uplink wireless waveform signal is initiated by the remote wireless device; and
authorizing further communication between the base station wireless device and the first beamforming antenna based on the affirmative determination of the upload power value.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising
adjusting a scan impedance of one or more of the plurality of beamforming antennas to improve communication of wireless waveform signals through a barrier.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that includes instructions, wherein execution of those instructions by one or more processors causes actions, comprising: employing a plurality of beamforming antennas that are arranged as a network fabric in a physical area and configured to communicate wireless waveform signals between one or more wireless base stations and one or more beamforming antennas over the physical area to enable communication of the wireless waveform signals by the network fabric; receiving, with a first beamforming antenna, a downlink wireless waveform signal from a wireless base station that is communicated by the network fabric to the first beamforming antenna; and transmitting, with another antenna, an amplified version of the downlink wireless waveform signal to a remote wireless device employed by a user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising: identifying the communication between the wireless base station and the first beamforming antenna as authorized communication.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising providing a mode for each of the plurality of beamforming antennas that is dynamically reconfigurable in one of a relay mode, a reflector mode or a proxy base station mode.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim

Assignees

• Pivotal Commware Inc

Inventors

• Black Eric James
• Cavcic Mersad
• Deutsch Brian Mark
• Katko Alexander Remley
• Mccandless Jay Howard
• Rea Adam Deloss
• Rutledge Ryan Dale
• Hitchen Shannon Lee
• Abadi Seyed Ali Malek
• Read Jordan Philip Doležílek

Classifications

• H04W52/52 Primary

  using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q1/364

  using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor · CPC title

• H01Q1/52

  Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure (absorbing means H01Q17/00) · CPC title

• H01Q21/065

  Patch antenna array · CPC title