Systems and methods of antenna orientation in a point-to-point wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9485004-B2
Application number	US-201314055794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 11, 2011
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

An exemplary method comprises positioning a first antenna to receive a first signal from a second antenna, the second antenna comprising energy absorbing material that functions to expand beamwidth, receiving the first signal from the second antenna, detecting a plurality of gains based on the first signal, repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna to a position associated with an acceptable gain based on the first signal, removing at least some of the energy absorbing material from the second antenna to narrow the beamwidth of the second antenna, receiving, by the first antenna, a second signal from the second antenna, detecting a plurality of gains based on the second signal, and repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna to a position associated with an increased gain of the plurality of gains based on the second signal, the increased gain being greater than the acceptable gain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first antenna configured to be:
positioned to a first selected position to receive a first signal from a second antenna, the first antenna comprising a rim and a first diaphragm coupled to the rim, the first diaphragm comprising a first amount of energy absorbing material, the energy absorbing material enabling broadening a beamwidth of the first antenna, and the first antenna and the second antenna providing peer-to-peer communications in a microwave antenna communication system;
repositioned relative to the second antenna at a second position based on an acceptable gain of the first signal;
positioned to receive a second signal from the second antenna, the first diaphragm being removed to remove at least some of the first amount of the energy absorbing material from the first antenna prior to the first antenna receiving the second signal; and
repositioned relative to the second antenna to a third selected position based on an increased gain of the second signal, the increased gain being greater than the acceptable gain of the first signal; and

a meter coupled to the first antenna and configured to determine if a first detected gain of the first signal is greater than or equal to the acceptable gain and to determine if a second detected gain of the second signal is greater than or equal to the increased gain.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first antenna configured to be repositioned relative to the second antenna based on the acceptable gain of the first signal comprises the first antenna configured to be repositioned relative to the second antenna based on a maximum gain of the first signal detected by the meter.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter is configured to detect a plurality of gains, each gain of the plurality of gains being associated with a different position of the first antenna relative to the second antenna.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the meter configured to detect the plurality of gains associated with the different positions of the first antenna relative to the second antenna comprises the meter configured to detect the plurality of gains until detection of the acceptable gain of the first signal, the acceptable gain being above a first predetermined threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy absorbing material narrows an aperture of the first antenna to broaden the beamwidth of the first antenna.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the energy absorbing material is adhered to the second antenna.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first antenna configured to be repositioned relative to the second antenna based on the increased gain of the second signal comprises the first antenna configured to be repositioned relative to the second antenna based on a maximum gain of the second signal detected by the meter.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the meter comprises a voltmeter that is configured to determine if a detected gain of the second signal is greater than or equal to the increased gain.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the second antenna is configured to receive a third signal from the first antenna and to be repositioned relative to the first antenna to adjust a detected gain of the third signal.

10. A method comprising:
positioning a first antenna to a first selected position to receive a first signal from a second antenna, the first antenna comprising a rim and a first diaphragm coupled to the rim, the first diaphragm comprising a first energy absorbing material that functions to broaden a beamwidth of the first antenna, and the first antenna and the second antenna providing peer-to-peer communications in a microwave antenna communication system;
detecting a first plurality of gains based on the first signal, each gain of the first plurality of gains being associated with a first different position of the first antenna relative to the second antenna;
repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna to a second selected position associated with a first acceptable gain of the first plurality of gains based on the first signal;
removing the first diaphragm to remove at least some of the first energy absorbing material from the first antenna to narrow the beamwidth of the first antenna;
detecting a second plurality of gains based on a second signal from the second antenna, each gain of the second plurality of gains being associated with a second different position of the first antenna relative to the second antenna; and
repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna to a third selected position associated with a first increased gain of the second plurality of gains based on the second signal, the first increased gain being greater than the first acceptable gain of the first plurality of gains based on the first signal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna comprises repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna based on a maximum detected gain of the first signal.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting a third plurality of gains, each gain of the third plurality of gains being associated with a different position of the first antenna relative to the second antenna.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein detecting the first plurality of gains comprises detecting the first plurality of gains until detection of the first acceptable gain, the first acceptable gain being above a first predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy absorbing material narrows an aperture of the first antenna to broaden the beamwidth of the first antenna.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy absorbing material is adhered to the second antenna.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna to the third selected position comprises repositioning the first antenna relative to the second antenna based on a maximum detected gain of the second signal.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining if a detected gain of the second signal is greater than or equal to the first increased gain.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the second antenna is configured to receive a third signal from the first antenna and to be repositioned relative to the first antenna to adjust a detected gain of the third signal.

19. A system comprising:
receiving means configured to be:
positioned to a first selected position to receive a first signal from a transmitting means, the receiving means comprising a rim and a first diaphragm coupled to the rim, the first diaphragm comprising a first amount of energy absorbing material, the energy absorbing material enabling broadening a beamwidth of the receiving means, and the receiving means and the transmitting means providing peer-to-peer communications in a microwave antenna communication system;
repositioned relative to the transmitting means at a second position based on an acceptable gain of the first signal;
positioned to receive a second signal from the transmitting means, the first diaphragm being removed to remove at least some of the first amount of the energy absorbing material from the receiving means prior to the receiving means receiving the second signal; and
repositioned relative to the transmitting means based on an increased gain of the second signal, the increased gain being greater than the acceptable gain of the first signal; and

gain measuring means coupled to the receiving means and configured to

Assignees

• Aviat Us Inc

Inventors

• Vilhar Robert

Classifications

• H04B17/309

  Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters · CPC title

• G01R29/10

  Radiation diagrams of antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/1257

  using the received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W16/28 Primary

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H01Q25/002

  providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas · CPC title