HK1262161B - Systems and methods providing assisted aiming for wireless links through a plurality of external antennas - Google Patents

Description

System and method for providing assisted aiming for wireless links via multiple external antennas

Related applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/489,761, which is a non-provisional continuation-in-part of Non-Provisional Application Ser. No. 14/681,078, filed on April 7, 2015, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING ASSISTED AIMING FOR WIRELESS LINKS,” which is a non-provisional continuation-in-part of Non-Provisional Application Ser. No. 13/172,228, filed on June 29, 2011, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING ASSISTED AIMING FOR WIRELESS LINKS,” now U.S. Patent No. 9,055,455.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to wireless links and, more particularly, to providing assisted aiming for wireless links.

Background Art

In today's world, the use of wireless links to facilitate various forms of communication, such as voice, multimedia, and data, has become nearly ubiquitous. For example, wireless nodes in the form of base stations and corresponding cellular phones are quite popular and are often used to provide all forms of mobile communication between individuals and groups. Similarly, wireless nodes in the form of access points and wireless terminals (e.g., computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), gaming systems, Internet appliances, etc.) are widely used to facilitate widespread and robust data access and communication.

It's common for directional antenna beams to be used to provide wireless links at one or both ends of a wireless link. For example, as the wireless spectrum becomes increasingly congested, the directionality of directional antenna beams can be utilized to avoid or mitigate interference with other wireless links or interference caused by signals from other wireless links. Furthermore, the increased gain associated with directional antenna beams can be used to help increase wireless link distance, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), increasing link budget, and so on.

The use of such directional antenna beams significantly complicates the deployment and maintenance of wireless links. For example, when using non-directional (omnidirectional) antenna beams, wireless nodes can be placed essentially anywhere within the coverage radius of the associated wireless node and a communication link can be established. However, when using directional antenna beams, at least the relative orientation of the corresponding wireless nodes must be determined, and preferably also information such as the effective size and shape of the directional antenna beam, the topology of the link space, the channel environment, and so on must be determined to establish the wireless link.

Experienced installers of wireless nodes that implement directional antenna beams often perform extensive pre-deployment analysis to determine the location and orientation of the wireless nodes (or their antenna systems) to provide the desired wireless link. For example, the installer may perform calculations, use map overlays, conduct on-site simulations, etc. to analyze the expected channel conditions and wireless link characteristics for a specific location and/or wireless node orientation. Through this analysis, the installer can determine a specific wireless node deployment configuration (wireless node location and orientation) and, therefore, deploy the wireless nodes in the field to provide the wireless link. However, despite this complex pre-deployment analysis, the results that occur in the field often differ from the predictions, and the resulting wireless link may not have the desired characteristics. For example, the information obtained by the installer for pre-deployment analysis is often imperfect, the deployment of the wireless nodes may not be entirely in line with the plan, etc. Therefore, these experienced installers may still have to adopt a trial-and-error approach in the process of deploying wireless nodes to improve the wireless link.

With the proliferation of different wireless node infrastructures, such as WiFi and WiMAX access points and terminals targeting the consumer market, the pool of experienced installers involved in wireless node deployment has dwindled. For example, recently, individuals with experience deploying cameras and other surveillance-related equipment have begun installing camera equipment that utilizes wireless links, making it easier to span longer distances. However, these individuals typically lack specialized training in wireless node deployment. Consequently, such installers lack the resources and skills to perform complex pre-deployment analysis for wireless node deployments.

Some efforts have been made to provide installers of wireless nodes with information useful for establishing a wireless link. For example, various forms of signal meters have been used to indicate signal levels associated with the current deployment configuration of the wireless node. For example, a simple received signal strength indicator (RSSI) meter has been included in or coupled to a wireless node to display the experienced signal strength associated with the current deployment configuration of the wireless node. As another example, a tone that varies with a pulse period or pitch corresponding to the experienced signal strength associated with the current deployment configuration of the wireless node has been used. Similarly, indicator lights that vary with a pulse period corresponding to the experienced signal strength associated with the current deployment configuration of the wireless node have also been used. In practice, the installer positions and/or orients the wireless node somewhat randomly and continually modifies its orientation (e.g., changing azimuth, elevation, position, and/or altitude) until the particular signal strength indicator used indicates the highest achievable level. The wireless node is then fixed in position in this deployment configuration to provide a wireless link.

Although relatively inexpensive and easy to understand even for inexperienced installers, such existing systems provide very little information. That is, these existing systems do not provide any guidance regarding the proper orientation of the wireless nodes, but rather provide information regarding the current deployment configuration. For example, these existing systems do not provide information regarding the relative positions of corresponding wireless nodes, so the installer must initially select a wireless node deployment configuration without the assistance of information from the signal level system. Furthermore, it is up to the installer to determine what actions to take in connection with the wireless node deployment activity (e.g., ending the orientation phase of the deployment or changing the orientation, and having done so, how to change the orientation).

Summary of the Invention

To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention proposes a method for providing active aiming assistance guidance information at a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is connected to multiple external antennas, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) positioning the plurality of external antennas in corresponding initial orientations;

(b) determining active aiming assistance guidance information to provide active guidance for redirecting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to a desired deployment configuration;

(c) reorienting the plurality of external antennas based on the active aiming assistance guidance information provided by a user interface of the wireless node to achieve the desired deployment configuration, the desired deployment configuration calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired attributes;

The active aiming auxiliary guidance information includes a rotation direction and a tilt direction;

wherein the rotation direction corresponds to a direction for rotating the plurality of external antennas to the desired deployment configurations; and

The tilting direction corresponds to a direction for tilting the plurality of external antennas to the desired deployment configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it further comprises:

(d) obtaining sensor information;

(e) determining the initial orientation using at least a portion of the sensor information, wherein at least a portion of the proactive aiming assistance guidance information is determined using the sensor information;

The sensor information includes information acquired from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors are placed at corresponding external antennas.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors include at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of: a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclinometer, a tilt switch, an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, and a digital compass.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it further comprises the following steps:

(f) acquiring additional sensor information after one or more of the plurality of external antennas are re-orientated in the corresponding desired deployment configuration; and

(g) providing at least a portion of the additional sensor information to an external source for use in determining active aiming assistance guidance information.

(h) acquiring sensor information during said redirecting of one or more of said plurality of external antennas; and

(i) updating the proactive aiming assistance guidance information based on at least a portion of the sensor information acquired during the redirecting of the one or more of the plurality of external antennas.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the active aiming auxiliary guidance information includes azimuth guidance information and tilt guidance information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it further comprises the following steps:

(j) providing the active guidance consistent with the active aiming assistance guidance information, wherein the active guidance comprises activating one or more azimuth guidance outputs and one or more elevation guidance outputs.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the active guidance includes activating a hold guidance output terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tilting direction and the rotating direction of the plurality of external antennas can be remotely adjusted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor information is transmitted to the wireless node wirelessly.

The present invention also provides a system comprising:

A wireless node; wherein the wireless node comprises a processing unit and includes or is connected to a plurality of wireless communication modules;

a plurality of external antennas; wherein the plurality of external antennas are connected to corresponding wireless communication modules;

a plurality of sensors; wherein the plurality of sensors are placed at corresponding external antennas;

an aiming assistance user interface that provides proactive aiming assistance guidance for reorienting each of the plurality of external antennas from an initial orientation to a desired deployment configuration;

The active aiming auxiliary guidance information includes a rotation direction and a tilt direction;

wherein the rotation direction corresponds to a direction for rotating the plurality of external antennas to the desired deployment configurations; and

The tilting direction corresponds to a direction for tilting the plurality of external antennas to the desired deployment configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rotation direction and the tilt direction guide the orientation of the plurality of external antennas from corresponding initial orientations to the desired deployment configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the active aiming assistance guidance information provides active guidance for reorienting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to the desired deployment configuration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of external antennas are redirected according to the active aiming assistance guidance information to achieve the desired deployment configuration, the desired deployment configuration being calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired properties.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors include at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of: a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclinometer, a tilt switch, an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, and a digital compass.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors provide sensor information during the redirection of one or more of the plurality of external antennas; and the active aiming assistance guidance information is updated based on at least a portion of the sensor information acquired during the redirection of the one or more of the plurality of external antennas.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor information is transmitted to the wireless node wirelessly.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the active aiming auxiliary guidance information includes azimuth guidance information and tilt guidance information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the active guidance includes activating a hold guidance output terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tilting direction and the rotating direction of the plurality of external antennas can be remotely adjusted.

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for providing proactive aiming assistance for wireless nodes that facilitates a desired wireless link, derived from local sensors and/or external information. Embodiments of the present invention provide an aiming assistance user interface that provides guidance on appropriately changing the orientation of a wireless node to provide the desired wireless link. Such proactive guidance may include, for example, providing instructions to redirect in a specific azimuth direction, providing instructions to redirect in a specific elevation direction, and not providing instructions to redirect.

To provide aiming assistance as described herein, embodiments of wireless nodes may be configured to include a plurality of sensors that may be used to provide information useful for environmental analysis to determine active directional guidance information. For example, embodiments of wireless nodes adapted according to the concepts herein may include a plurality of sensors that may be used to determine geographic location, orientation in azimuth, orientation in elevation, altitude, and/or orientation with respect to one or more corresponding wireless nodes.

Wireless nodes adapted according to embodiments of the present invention may additionally or alternatively utilize externally obtained information that may be used to determine proactive directional guidance information. For example, embodiments of wireless nodes adapted according to the concepts herein may obtain information about the locations of other wireless nodes from one or more external sources, from which the current location of the wireless node may be determined, the current orientation of the wireless node may be determined, and so forth.

Embodiments of the present invention utilize the aforementioned sensor information and external source information (collectively referred to as deployment information) to determine active directional guidance information. For example, processing may be performed with reference to all or a portion of the deployment information to determine one or more inferred deployment configurations of the wireless node, which should enable the wireless link to have at least one desired characteristic. The wireless node directional guidance user interface of the embodiment provides the determined active directional guidance information to the installer in real time, thereby providing active aiming assistance for the wireless node to assist the desired wireless link. Processing may be performed with reference to available deployment information (e.g., utilized updated sensor information), which is used to provide real-time active aiming assistance.

In operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, active directional guidance information may be provided and used for multiple deployment configurations of a particular wireless node. For example, a presumed "optimal" deployment configuration may be determined and active directional guidance information may be provided to the installer to orient the wireless node in this presumed optimal deployment configuration. Analysis of the resulting wireless link may indicate that a presumed "suboptimal" deployment configuration should be analyzed to determine whether the resulting wireless link more closely satisfies one or more desired properties. Therefore, active directional guidance information may again be provided to the installer to orient the wireless node in this presumed suboptimal deployment configuration, followed by analysis of the resulting wireless link. This iteration of active directional guidance may be repeated until the resulting wireless link suitably satisfies one or more desired properties or is otherwise determined to be the optimal deployment configuration for the wireless node.

Embodiments of the present invention may operate to provide proactive orientation guidance information at times other than the initial deployment of a wireless node. For example, after deployment, sensor information and/or external source information may be monitored to determine whether there may be changes that suggest a better deployment configuration than the currently used deployment configuration. The user may be notified that a new presumed optimal deployment configuration is available, so proactive orientation guidance information may be provided again and used to redirect the wireless node.

Information about the wireless node, such as sensor information collected during the deployment phase and/or during operation of the wireless node, information about the final deployment configuration of the wireless node, and the like, can be provided to and used by external systems. For example, information about the final deployment configuration of the wireless node and information about different interference sources detected by the wireless node can be provided to an external server, which provides a radio map and other information used by the wireless node to make deployment configuration determinations.

The foregoing has been a fairly extensive overview of the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that the specific embodiments of the present invention below can be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be described hereinafter, which form the subject matter of the claims of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed concepts and specific embodiments can be easily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures to achieve the same purpose of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are considered to be the characteristics of the present invention (in terms of its organization and method of operation), as well as other objects and advantages, will be better understood through the following specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be clearly understood that each of the figures proposed is for illustration and description purposes only and is not intended to be a definition of limitations of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG1 illustrates a system adapted to provide active aiming assistance according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG2 shows an aiming assistance user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG3 illustrates an exemplary deployment of wireless nodes using active aiming assistance according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG4 is a high-level flow chart illustrating the operation of active aiming assistance according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG5 illustrates an embodiment of a flow chart providing details regarding interacting with active aiming assistance for orienting a wireless node as shown in FIG4 ;

FIG6 illustrates an exemplary deployment of wireless nodes connected to multiple external antennas adapted to provide active aiming assistance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

7 illustrates an exemplary deployment of wireless nodes connected to multiple external antennas adapted to provide active aiming assistance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG1 shows a system 100 adapted to provide active aiming assistance for wireless nodes that facilitates a desired wireless link according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 of the embodiment includes multiple wireless nodes (shown herein as wireless nodes 100A to 100N), which can be used to provide the desired wireless link. For example, wireless nodes 100B and 100N can be deployed as master nodes (e.g., wireless access points, base stations, service provider equipment, etc.), while wireless node 100A can be deployed as slave nodes (e.g., wireless terminals, subscriber devices, etc.). A wireless link that provides the desired level of reliability, throughput, signal-to-noise characteristics, etc. may need to be established between wireless node 100A and one or more of wireless nodes 100B and 100N to provide a connection to a network 150 (e.g., the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wired subscriber network, and/or the like). Thus, in normal operation one or more devices or systems may be coupled to wireless node 110A and thereby connected to network 150 .

This document describes embodiments with reference to providing a wireless node 100A configured as a slave node and providing wireless nodes 100B and 100N coupled to a master node of a network, thereby providing more specific examples to help understand the concepts of the present invention. However, it should be understood that the concepts of the present invention are not limited to the application of such wireless node configurations. For example, wireless node 100A may provide a connection to a network, while wireless nodes 100B and 100N provide connections to different devices or systems. In some embodiments, it is possible that none of wireless nodes 100A to 100N is connected to a network, such as when point-to-point communication between specific devices is required. Accordingly, in other embodiments, it is possible that each of wireless nodes 100A to 100N is connected to a network, such as when network bridging is required. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the specific functionality provided by wireless nodes in their operation is irrelevant to the active aiming assistance of the embodiments herein.

As can be seen in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , the wireless node 100A includes a radio unit 114 coupled to an antenna system 116, and a data interface 115 that provides a radio communication interface. For example, the data interface 115 provides one or more ports, such as a network port (e.g., an Ethernet port, a personal area network (e.g., Bluetooth) port), a universal serial bus (USB) port, a proprietary bus, and/or the like, for communicatively connecting the wireless node 110A to various devices and systems. The antenna system 116, for example, may include one or more antennas, patches, horns, or other antenna elements and an associated feed network (e.g., feed lines, meanders, beamforming networks, baluns, etc.) for providing one or more radiation patterns (e.g., directional antenna narrow beams) for transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. Accordingly, the radio unit 114 provides modulation and/or demodulation between baseband and RF signals, which are transmitted between the antenna system 116 and the data interface 115. Thus, the radio 114 , antenna system 116 , and data interface 115 cooperate to provide communication between one or more devices or systems coupled to the data interface 115 and other remote devices or systems using wireless links facilitated by the radio 114 and antenna system 116 .

In addition to radio unit 114, antenna system 116, and data interface 115, wireless node 110A of the illustrated embodiment includes processor 111, sensor package 112, and aiming assistance user interface 113. These functional blocks of the illustrated embodiment cooperate to provide active aiming assistance of the present invention.

Sensor package 112 includes one or more sensors that provide information to processor 111 for providing active aiming assistance to a user via aiming assistance user interface 113. For example, sensor package 112 in embodiments includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (e.g., an integrated circuit GPS receiver module), an atmospheric pressure sensor (e.g., a static pressure sensor), a temperature sensor (e.g., a silicon strip temperature sensor, a resistance thermometer, a Coulomb blockade thermometer, etc.), an inclinometer (e.g., a liquid capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, etc. tilt sensor), a tilt switch (e.g., a mercury tilt switch), an accelerometer (e.g., a 3-axis solid-state accelerometer), a gyroscopic sensor (e.g., a Coriolis vibration gyroscope), a digital compass (e.g., a magnetometer), a signal reception strength sensor, a signal-to-noise sensor, and/or similar components that provide corresponding sensor information to processor 111.

It should be understood that the sensors in sensor package 112 need not be provided specifically for active aiming assistance operations. For example, a GPS receiver module used as part of sensor package 112 in one embodiment may also be used for other purposes, such as providing GPS-derived timing for a communication protocol supported by wireless node 110A.

The processor 111 may include a general-purpose processor (e.g., a processor from the Pentium processor family available from Intel Corporation), a special-purpose processor (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), or a combination thereof, which operates under the control of an instruction set (e.g., software and/or firmware) that defines the operations described herein. The processor 111 may have associated support circuits (not shown), such as memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), disk storage, optical storage, etc.), coprocessors (e.g., mathematical coprocessors), etc. In operation according to embodiments of the present invention, the processor 111 utilizes information obtained from one or more sensors in the sensor package 112 and/or information obtained from external sources (e.g., via the data interface 115) to determine a configuration orientation for the wireless node 110A. For example, external source information used in conjunction with the aforementioned sensor information for determining configuration orientation may be obtained from a database 121 stored by a server 120, for example by coupling the wireless node 110A to a suitable network host (e.g., a computer 130 or a broadband modem 140) via the data interface 115 or using a wireless link (e.g., using the data interface 115, the radio unit 114, and the antenna system 116).

The aiming assistance user interface 113 of an embodiment can be operated to provide guidance to the user for locating the wireless node 110A in the configuration orientation determined by the processor 111. For example, guidance on appropriately changing the orientation of the wireless node 110A can be provided at the aiming assistance user interface 113 using a signal provided by the processor 111. Such active guidance can include, for example, providing instructions for redirecting in a specific azimuth direction, providing instructions for redirecting in a specific elevation direction, and no longer providing instructions for redirecting. Therefore, the aiming assistance user interface 113 of an embodiment includes different output terminals for conveying guidance information to the user. In addition, the aiming assistance user interface 113 can include different input terminals for accepting control inputs and/or user responses.

FIG2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of inputs and outputs provided by aiming assistance user interface 113. The embodiment of aiming assistance user interface 113 shown in FIG2 includes azimuth guidance outputs 211 and 212, pitch guidance outputs 221 and 222, and hold guidance output 231. The illustrated embodiment of the aiming assistance user interface further includes guidance control inputs 241 and 242 and guidance response inputs 251 and 252. According to an embodiment, guidance outputs 211, 212, 221, and 222 may include light-emitting diodes (LEDs), while guidance control inputs 241 and 242 and guidance response inputs 251 and 252 may include push-button switch surfaces. However, embodiments of the present invention may include any number of user interface configurations, including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, a digital pointing device, a keyboard, and the like.

The various inputs and outputs provided by aiming assistance user interface 113 cooperate to provide active aiming assistance guidance to the user. For example, a user may indicate a desire to receive active aiming assistance by manipulating input 241 (e.g., a "Start" button). Subsequently, as will be better understood from the following operational description, appropriate outputs from outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and 231 may be activated to guide the user in reorienting wireless node 110A. According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputs 211 and 212 comprise azimuth guidance outputs, such that activating the appropriate output guides the user in reorienting wireless node 110A in azimuth (e.g., activating output 211 guides a left turn, activating output 212 guides a right turn), outputs 221 and 222 comprise pitch guidance outputs (e.g., activating output 221 guides a downtilt, activating output 222 guides an uptilt), and output 231 comprises a hold guidance output (e.g., activating output 231 guides maintaining further reorientation). By activating one or more of the outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and 231 as appropriate throughout the user's reorientation of the wireless node 110A, the user can be guided to orient the wireless node in the desired deployment configuration. It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention can simultaneously activate multiple outputs (e.g., rotation and tilt) to provide complex guidance information. When the desired deployment configuration is reached, output 231 can be activated to indicate "hold." The user can then indicate satisfaction and that further active aiming assistance is not required by manipulating input 242 (e.g., an "end" button).

The outputs of the aiming assistance user interface 113 of the embodiment shown in FIG2 are not limited to binary guidance information (e.g., activation of an output or deactivation of an output). For example, more robust guidance can be provided using techniques such as flashing or pulsing the outputs at different rates to indicate the amount of redirection to be provided (e.g., a rapidly flashing output 211 can indicate that a sharp left turn is required, while a slowly flashing output 211 can indicate that the wireless node is approaching the desired orientation). Robust guidance can be provided by activating multiple outputs simultaneously, using a coded sequence of activations, and the like. For example, when the wireless node is initially deployed in a position that is not suitable for establishing a desired wireless link (e.g., an obstruction angle by all other wireless nodes), each of the outputs 211, 212, 221, and 222 can be activated simultaneously (e.g., all outputs flash simultaneously) to indicate that the wireless node 110A needs to reposition.

It should be understood that the aiming assistance user interface 113 of the described embodiment is not limited to indicating a single deployment configuration for the wireless node 110A to the user. For example, multiple different deployment configurations may provide a desired wireless link, and the aiming assistance user interface 113 may be utilized to guide the user in reorienting the wireless node 110A to several such deployment configurations (e.g., to determine which deployment configuration provides the "best" deployment configuration). Thus, if desired, outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and 231 may operate to guide the user in orienting the wireless node 110A in each of such deployment configurations. For example, after orienting the wireless node 110A in a particular deployment configuration, perhaps after a sufficient period of time has remained in that deployment configuration to analyze the established wireless link, the user may then indicate a desire to reorient the wireless link to another deployment configuration by manipulating the appropriate input of inputs 251 and 252 (e.g., selecting a "next" deployment configuration or a "previous" deployment configuration).

Embodiments of aiming assistance user interface 113 may include other inputs/outputs in addition to or in place of the inputs/outputs shown in the embodiment of Figure 2. For example, embodiments of aiming assistance user interface 113 may include a display screen, a touch screen, various indicators, a digital pointer, audio input, audio output, and the like.

It should be understood that although exemplary embodiments are described above in which processor 111, sensor package 112, and aiming assistance user interface 113 are included as part of a wireless node, embodiments may be configured differently than described. For example, some or all of the functionality provided by the aforementioned embodiments of processor 111, sensor package 112, and/or aiming assistance user interface 113 may be provided externally or independently of the wireless node. According to one embodiment, some of the functionality provided by processor 111, sensor package 112, and/or aiming assistance user interface 113 is disposed in an external module that is removably coupled to wireless node 110A. Such an external module configuration may facilitate providing the active aiming assistance described herein using wireless nodes that are not specifically configured for such operations, using less expensive or less robust wireless nodes, using the same external module for multiple wireless nodes, and the like.

Embodiments of the aforementioned external module configurations can be communicatively coupled to the wireless node 110A to provide the operations described herein using an interface (e.g., a network interface, a USB interface, a proprietary interface, etc.) of the data interface 115, using a wireless link provided by the radio unit 114 and antenna 116, and/or the like. The functional blocks of the external module can cooperate with the functional blocks of the wireless node to provide active aiming assistance. For example, the sensors of the external module and the wireless node can both be used to provide aiming assistance. Similarly, the processor of the external module and the wireless node can cooperate with each other to determine active directional guidance information for aiming assistance. As another example, an input and/or output provided by the aiming assistance user interface 113 can be provided in an external module used with the wireless node.

It should be understood that embodiments of external modules that can be used to provide active aiming assistance can implement different configurations. For example, an embodiment can implement a configuration in which the external module is specifically designed to provide active aiming assistance for a wireless node. Alternatively, an embodiment can implement a general-purpose device that can operate as an external module that provides active aiming assistance for a wireless node (e.g., operating under the control of an instruction set that defines the operations described herein). For example, a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone purchased from Apple Computer or an Android-based phone purchased from a manufacturer such as Motorola) can execute an application for interfacing with a wireless node (e.g., via WiFi or Bluetooth) and providing a display of output and/or accepting input from an aiming assistance user interface 113.

While details of an embodiment with respect to wireless node 110A are discussed above, it should be understood that other wireless nodes of system 100 may be similarly configured. For example, one or more of wireless nodes 110B through 110N may be adapted as described for wireless node 110A in Figures 1 and 2. Thus, if desired, such configurations of wireless nodes 110B through 110N may be provided with active aiming assistance during and/or after deployment, according to embodiments of the present invention. Additionally or alternatively, using the configuration of functional blocks described above with respect to wireless node 110A, deployment information regarding the deployment configuration of one or more of wireless nodes 110B through 110N may be provided to server 120 and stored in database 121. Thus, while wireless nodes may be configured to provide different operational functionality (e.g., slave node functionality, master node functionality, etc.), any or all of such wireless nodes may advantageously implement the functional aspects of the active aiming assistance architecture described herein.

Continuing with the example where wireless node 110A is configured to provide operation as a slave node and wireless nodes 110B and 110N are configured to provide operation as a master node, assume that wireless node 110A is desired to be deployed at a particular location, such as location 310A shown in FIG3 , for facilitating a broadband wireless link. For example, wireless node 110A may be desired to be deployed to provide a broadband Internet connection to location 310A, e.g., for coupling one or more computers (e.g., computers such as computer 130) located at location 310A to the Internet, for coupling a LAN (not shown) at location 310A to the Internet (e.g., via a modem such as broadband modem 140), etc. Further assume that wireless nodes 110B and 110N are deployed at locations 310B and 310N, respectively, as shown in FIG3 , to provide radio coverage for the broadband wireless link to network 150. Thus, wireless node 310B deployed in the illustrated configuration provides radio coverage in a service area associated with 90° antenna beam 311B and 90° antenna beam 312B. Similarly, wireless node 310N deployed in the illustrated configuration provides radio coverage in a service area associated with 90° antenna beam 311N and 90° antenna beam 312N.

Position 310A of wireless node 110A is arranged within the service area of antenna beam 311B provided by wireless node 110B and antenna beam 311N provided by wireless node 110N. Assuming that antenna system 116 ( FIG. 1 ) of wireless node 110A provides directional radio coverage (e.g., a narrow directional antenna beam such as a 30° antenna beam), different orientations of wireless node 110A may be able to establish a wireless link with either wireless node 110B or wireless node 110N. A particular orientation of wireless node 110A may provide a suitable wireless link (e.g., appropriately oriented toward the corresponding wireless node), or may provide a wireless link with one or more superior or "optimal" characteristics within a subset of these orientations (e.g., one or two orientations). Active aiming assistance, as provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, guides a user in orienting wireless node 110A to establish a desired wireless link with the corresponding wireless node (e.g., wireless node 110B or wireless node 110N).

4, a flow chart 400 is shown illustrating the operation of active aiming assistance provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At block 401 of the illustrated embodiment, wireless node information for facilitating active aiming assistance is provided to one or more databases, such as database 121 of FIG. 1. For example, the database may be provided with information about the operational configuration of the wireless node (e.g., master node, slave node, public node, private node, provided resources, etc.), information about the communication properties of the wireless node (e.g., supported protocols, antenna beam width (e.g., horizontal width and/or vertical width), antenna beam shape, antenna gain, radio output power, radio receive sensitivity, etc.), information about the geographic location of the wireless node (e.g., physical address, latitude and longitude, GPS coordinates, etc.), information about the orientation of the wireless node (e.g., altitude (e.g., altitude above ground level (AGL) and/or mean sea level (MSL))), vertical alignment, uptilt/downtilt, azimuth heading angle, etc.), information about environmental conditions (e.g., deployment on a rooftop, deployment indoors, location of possible obstacles, shading by deciduous plants, high interference environment, etc.), and/or other information that may be used to determine suitable wireless node pairing for providing the desired wireless link.

It should be understood that although embodiments are described above with respect to the use of database 121 for storing wireless node information, operation according to the concepts of the present invention is not limited to the use of such a configuration. For example, different nodes, such as wireless nodes 110B to 110N, may store such wireless node information (or portions thereof) on their own. In operation according to embodiments of the present invention, such nodes may share wireless node information and/or other information, such as through ad-hoc or peer-to-peer techniques.

The aforementioned wireless node information may be provided by operator input, collected by automated devices, provided by the wireless nodes themselves, and/or a combination of these. According to an embodiment of the present invention, wireless nodes such as wireless nodes 110B and 110N of FIG. 3 utilize sensors associated therewith (e.g., using sensor package 112 and processor 111 of FIG. 1 ) to collect and/or derive the wireless node information provided at block 401. If desired, such information may be supplemented, improved, etc., by operator input.

At block 402 of the described embodiment, a location and operational configuration for the wireless node to be deployed are selected. For example, a general location, such as a home or business location where a wireless link is desired, may be selected. The deployment location may be indicated using information such as a physical address, latitude and longitude, GPS coordinates, and the like. An operational configuration for the wireless node is also selected, such as for indicating whether the wireless node will operate as a master or slave node, for selecting a communication protocol to be utilized, for selecting resources that may be used by or for the wireless node, and the like. For example, wireless device 110A (the wireless device to be deployed) may be coupled to a host system (e.g., computer 130) to select or input the aforementioned location and operational configuration. Additionally or alternatively, the location and/or operational configuration may be provided directly to wireless device 110A, such as by manipulation of an input feature of aiming assistance user interface 113 or other user interface of wireless device 110A.

At block 403 of the described embodiment, information for providing active aiming assistance is obtained from a source external to the wireless node to be deployed. For example, some or all of the aforementioned wireless node information may be obtained (block 401). According to embodiments of the present invention, the location of the deployment of the wireless node (block 402) may be used to identify a subset of other wireless nodes (e.g., wireless nodes 110B and 110N of FIG. 3 ) as potential candidates for establishing a desired wireless link. For example, processor 111 may be operative to utilize information about the selected location and information from database 121 to identify a subset of wireless nodes (e.g., wireless nodes located within a threshold distance from the location, wireless nodes with a specific configuration, wireless nodes with specific resources, etc.) as candidates for establishing a wireless link. Wireless node information for the subset of wireless nodes may be obtained and used for active aiming assistance. For example, wireless node 110A may be temporarily provided with network connectivity (e.g., using computer 130, modem 140, etc.) or access to database 121 may be provided to obtain wireless node information for a suitable subset of wireless nodes.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the wireless node 110A may be temporarily coupled to a host device to facilitate selection of an operational configuration and location (block 402) and to obtain information from an external source. For example, the wireless node 110A may be temporarily coupled to a computer 130, which is itself coupled to the network 150, as part of the deployment process of the illustrated embodiment of process 400.

At block 404 of the illustrated embodiment, the wireless node is initially positioned for deployment. For example, the wireless node 110A may be placed on a rooftop, on an antenna mast, in a suitable window of a building at location 301A, or the like. The location of the wireless node 110A is the initial location from which the active aiming assistance herein will guide the user in orienting the wireless node 110A in the deployed configuration to establish the desired wireless link. Therefore, this initial location does not need to be precise and does not even need to be pointed at another wireless node (e.g., wireless node 110B or wireless node 110N).

It should be understood that a particular location of wireless node 110A may not be suitable for establishing a suitable wireless link with a particular other wireless node (e.g., one or the other of wireless nodes 110B and 110N). For example, while at location 310A, the particular location may result in a structure being arranged between wireless node 110A and one or more of the available other wireless nodes. Similarly, the particular location at location 310A may result in wireless node 110A being arranged outside the service area (horizontally and/or vertically) of one or more of the available other wireless nodes. Thus, embodiments of the present invention may operate to provide proactive assistance with initial positioning of wireless node 110A.

In operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, processor 111 or another processor (e.g., a processor of computer 130) may determine active location guidance information for initially locating wireless node 110A (block 404). For example, having information about the location selected for deployment of wireless node 110A (block 402) and information about other wireless nodes (block 403), embodiments of the present invention may perform an analysis to determine the approximate location of wireless node 110A (e.g., rooftop, above a threshold height, with a particular exposure direction (e.g., south exposure), generally tilted upward/downward, etc.), from which active aiming assistance is provided. Such location guidance information may be provided to a user via an interface of wireless node 110A (e.g., via aiming assistance user interface 113, such as by flashing a code or displaying information on its output) or an interface of another device (e.g., via a display screen of computer 130, such as may be used to obtain the aforementioned information from an external source).

At block 405 of the described embodiment, active orientation guidance information is determined and communicated to a user via an aiming assistance user interface for orienting the wireless node in the determined deployment configuration to provide a wireless link with one or more wireless nodes. For example, as discussed in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG5 , the processor 111 may determine an estimated deployment configuration for the wireless node 110A that should result in a wireless link having at least one desired characteristic. The processor 111 may then utilize the determined estimated deployment configuration information and information provided by the sensor package 112, the radio unit 114, and/or the data interface 115 to provide appropriate signals to the aiming assistance user interface 113 to guide the user in manipulating the wireless node 110A to achieve the deployment configuration.

At block 406 of the described embodiment, once a suitable deployment configuration is achieved, the orientation of the wireless node 110A can be permanently or semi-permanently fixed (e.g., by tightening fasteners, securing clamps, applying adhesives, etc.), and a wireless link having desired characteristics is established with one or more other wireless nodes (e.g., wireless nodes 110B and/or 110N).

Figure 5 provides details regarding the process that may be provided by the operations of block 405 of Figure 4 for performing active aiming assistance to orient a wireless node. In operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may have initially positioned wireless node 110A (block 404) and indicated a need for active aiming assistance, such as by manipulating input 241 (e.g., "Start") of aiming assistance user interface 113.

At block 501 of the illustrated embodiment, sensor information is obtained that provides information about the environment that the wireless node is in. For example, one or more sensors in the sensor package 112 may provide information about the precise location of the wireless node 110A (e.g., location information derived from a GPS sensor), information about the altitude of the wireless node 110A (e.g., altitude information derived from atmospheric pressure), information about the heading of the wireless node 110A (e.g., direction information derived from a compass), information about the tilt of the wireless node 110A (e.g., tilt information derived from an inclinometer), and/or the like.

The above-mentioned sensor information can be utilized by the processor 111 to determine the current deployment configuration of the wireless node 110A (e.g., precise information such as the location of the wireless node, the azimuth orientation of the wireless node, the pitch orientation of the wireless node, the altitude of the wireless node, etc.). However, it should be understood that such sensor information may not directly provide information for determining the current deployment configuration of the wireless node 110A. For example, although atmospheric pressure information from an atmospheric pressure sensor that may be included as part of the sensor package 112 provides information from which altitude information can be derived, the atmospheric pressure information itself may not directly provide such altitude information. That is, although atmospheric pressure decreases at a known rate with altitude, the local ambient atmospheric pressure is affected by weather systems (e.g., high pressure areas, low pressure areas, cold temperature areas, warm temperature areas, etc.), so that a particular atmospheric pressure reading needs to be corrected according to local conditions (e.g., temperature and pressure) in order to determine altitude.

Thus, the operation of the embodiment of block 501 according to the described embodiment obtains external source information (e.g., in addition to or an update to the external source information obtained at block 403 of FIG. 4 ). In operation according to the embodiment, the processor 111 accesses one or more external data sources available via the network 150 to obtain such additional or updated external source information. For example, continuing with the aforementioned example of atmospheric pressure, the processor 111 may access an aviation weather database available via the Internet to obtain current temperature and atmospheric pressure readings for one or more locations (e.g., an airport) near the deployment location of the wireless node 110A.

It should be understood that the external source information obtained at block 501 of the described embodiment may also be obtained elsewhere in the process. For example, when the wireless node 110A is not equipped with Internet connectivity during deployment, such information may be obtained before locating the wireless node (e.g., at block 403 of obtaining other external source information).

At block 502 of the embodiment, one or more candidate wireless nodes for establishing a wireless link with desired characteristics are identified. In the operations at block 502 according to an embodiment, current deployment configuration information (e.g., orientation and/or location information) for the wireless node is determined by processor 111. The determined current deployment information and/or other information (e.g., sensor information) is analyzed by processor 111 of an embodiment to determine candidate wireless nodes from the aforementioned subset of wireless nodes (e.g., wireless nodes 110B and 110N of FIG. 3 ) that are suitable for establishing a wireless link. For example, the current deployment configuration information may indicate that wireless node 110A is located on the north side of a building and therefore has a south-facing obstruction angle. Therefore, a particular wireless node from the subset of wireless nodes (e.g., wireless node 110N of FIG. 3 ) may not be considered as a candidate wireless node because the particular wireless node was previously determined to be within range of wireless node 110A in other respects, but the particular wireless node is located south of wireless node 110A. Thus, a particular wireless node located in the north of the previously determined subset of wireless nodes (eg, wireless node 110B of FIG. 3 ) may be identified as a candidate wireless node.

In addition to identifying candidate wireless nodes for providing a wireless link with the wireless node 110A deployed at its current location, the analysis of the candidate wireless nodes provided at block 502 according to an embodiment may also include other analyses. For example, the processor 111 may provide analysis such that the identified candidate wireless nodes are organized into a hierarchy of priorities, such as a "best" candidate (e.g., wireless node 110B), a "next best" candidate (e.g., wireless node 110N), etc. Such a hierarchy of priorities may be based on various factors, such as relative distance, topology between the candidate wireless nodes and the current location of the wireless node 110A, altitude difference between the candidate wireless nodes and the wireless node 110A, configuration of the candidate wireless nodes, calculation of a predicted link budget between the candidate wireless nodes and the wireless node 110A, attributes of the deployment configuration of the wireless node 110A when establishing a wireless link with the candidate wireless nodes, and/or the like. In operation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more predicted wireless link quality attributes are calculated (e.g., using a calculation of a predicted link budget and a calculation for determining whether the locations of the wireless node 110A and the candidate wireless nodes are within the Fresnel zones of the corresponding antenna beams) and these attributes are used to determine a priority hierarchy of candidate wireless nodes for establishing a wireless link with the wireless node 110A.

At block 503 of the illustrated embodiment, a candidate wireless node is selected to direct wireless node 110A to establish a wireless link. For example, the "best" candidate wireless node (eg, wireless node 110B) may be selected from a priority hierarchy of candidate wireless nodes.

At block 504 of the described embodiment, active orientation information for a deployment configuration of the wireless node is determined to establish a wireless link with the selected candidate wireless node. For example, using the determined current deployment configuration information (block 502) and the obtained wireless node information about the selected candidate wireless node (block 403), this information can be analyzed by the processor 111 to determine a desired deployment configuration for the wireless node 110A for establishing a wireless link between the wireless node 110A and the selected candidate wireless node (e.g., wireless node 110B). Knowing the determined desired deployment configuration for the selected candidate wireless node and the determined current deployment configuration of the wireless node 110A (block 502), active orientation information can be determined to guide a user to re-orient the wireless node 110A (e.g., guidance to tilt up, tilt down, turn left, turn right, etc.).

At block 505 of the described embodiment, active orientation information is provided to the user to guide the user in orienting the wireless node in the determined desired deployment configuration. For example, outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and/or 231 of the aiming assistance user interface 113 can be controlled to guide the user in orienting the wireless node 110A into a deployment configuration for establishing a wireless link with a selected candidate wireless node (e.g., wireless node 110B). According to an embodiment of the present invention, outputs 211 and 212 include azimuth guidance outputs, whereby activating the appropriate output guides the user in reorienting the wireless node 110A in azimuth (e.g., activating output 211 to guide a left turn, activating output 212 to guide a right turn), outputs 221 and 222 include pitch guidance outputs (e.g., activating output 221 to guide a downtilt, activating output 222 to guide an uptilt), and output 231 includes a hold guidance output (e.g., activating output 231 to guide a hold further reorientation).

Should be understood that the provision of active directional information is not limited to the use of the aiming assistance user interface 113 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the port of data interface 115 can be used additionally or alternatively to provide active directional information to the user. In the operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, a system based on a processor (e.g., computer 130, smart phone, PDA, etc.) can be arranged to communicate with wireless node 110A (e.g., using a USB port, Ethernet port, WiFi port, Bluetooth port, etc. of data interface 115) to receive active directional information from wireless node 110A and present the information to the user. Such a system based on a processor can be robust to the presentation of active directional information, so as to provide a graphical representation of wireless node 110A and selected candidate wireless nodes, provide an image overlay on a map or satellite image, provide audio instructions to the user, etc.

During the process of providing active orientation information at block 505, embodiments of the present invention are used to obtain updated sensor information and/or other information for providing active aiming assistance guidance to the user. Using such updated sensor information, throughout the process of the user reorienting the wireless node 110A, the processor 111 of an embodiment can activate one or more of the outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and 231 (FIG. 1), thereby guiding the user to orient the wireless node in the desired deployment configuration. For example, as the azimuth indicated by the digital compass (e.g., magnetometer) in the sensor package 112 changes, the processor 111 can determine whether the wireless node 110A requires more rotation, less rotation, or no further rotation, and activate/deactivate the appropriate outputs of the outputs 211 and 212 of the aiming assistance user interface 113. Similarly, using such updated sensor information, the processor 111 of an embodiment can determine that the wireless node 110A has been oriented to the determined desired deployment configuration and, therefore, activate output 231 to indicate that further reorientation should cease. For example, information from one or more sensors in the sensor package 112 may be analyzed to determine that the wireless node 110A is in the determined desired deployment configuration. Additionally or alternatively, other available information, such as data provided by the data interface 115, may be used to determine that the wireless node 110A is in the determined desired deployment configuration (e.g., data received by the radio unit 114 may be analyzed to determine that the wireless node 110A is properly oriented to communicate with another wireless node, such as the wireless node 110B).

At block 506 of the described embodiment, wireless communications are analyzed to determine whether a wireless link with desired properties has been established. For example, data provided by the data interface 115 (e.g., received via the antenna system 116, the radio unit 114, and the data interface 115) can be analyzed by the processor 111 to determine whether data is being received from another wireless node. Similarly, the data interface 115, the radio unit 114, and the antenna system 116 can be used to communicate data by the processor 111 for reception by another wireless node. Such communications can be used to analyze the quality of a wireless link established between the wireless node 110A and another wireless node (e.g., the wireless node 110B).

Additionally or alternatively, the sensor information may be used to determine whether a wireless link having desired properties has been established at block 506. For example, received signal strength information, signal-to-noise information, link budget information, etc., which may be determined by the processor 111 from the sensor information provided by the sensor package 112, may be analyzed to determine the quality of the wireless link established between the wireless node 110A and another wireless node.

Information about the quality of the resulting radio link can be analyzed to determine whether the radio link provides the desired radio link. For example, one or more attributes of the radio link can be analyzed to determine whether the one or more attributes are within a threshold of a desired value selected for the attribute. Embodiments of the present invention can compare one or more attributes of the established radio link with a set of radio link target attributes (e.g., obtained at block 403 and/or block 501) and/or one or more predicted radio link quality attributes (e.g., calculated at block 502) to determine whether the established radio link has the desired attributes.

It should be understood that the wireless node information and other information from which the predicted wireless link properties are calculated may not be perfect, and therefore the properties of the established wireless link may not match those predicted wireless link properties. Therefore, it may be necessary to analyze multiple wireless links and, therefore, multiple deployment configurations of the wireless node 110A. Therefore, the embodiment of the process 405 shown in Figure 5 includes blocks 507 and 508, which are used to repeatedly provide proactive aiming assistance guidance to multiple candidate wireless nodes.

At block 507 of the described embodiment, a determination is made as to whether the established wireless link is suitable. For example, processor 111 may determine whether the established wireless link has properties sufficient to meet the desired requirements. If the established wireless link is determined to be unsuitable, processing according to the described embodiment proceeds to block 508. For example, output 231 of aiming assistance user interface 113 may flash to indicate that additional redirection is required in order to analyze other wireless links. When ready to proceed with further active aiming assistance guidance, the user may manipulate an input of aiming assistance user interface 113, such as input 251 (e.g., a "next" button).

At block 508 of the described embodiment, a determination is made as to whether there are additional candidate wireless nodes to analyze. That is, a determination is made as to whether there are additional candidate wireless nodes that can be used to establish a suitable wireless link according to the embodiment. If it is determined that there are additional candidate wireless nodes to analyze, then processing according to the described embodiment proceeds to block 503. At block 503 of the described embodiment, another candidate wireless node is selected to direct wireless node 110A to establish a wireless link. For example, a "next best" candidate wireless node (e.g., wireless node 110N) from the priority hierarchy of candidate wireless nodes may be selected and active aiming assistance guidance provided for establishing a wireless link therewith. However, if it is determined at block 508 that there are no additional candidate wireless nodes to analyze, then processing according to the described embodiment proceeds to block 509.

At block 509 of the embodiment, an exception situation deployment orientation process is performed. For example, one or more outputs of the aiming assistance user interface 113 can indicate to the user that the wireless node 110A should be relocated (e.g., moved from a building to the outside of the building, raised or lowered in height, arranged in a position not covered by a shadow in a specific direction, etc.). In operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, outputs 211, 212, 221, 222, and 231 can flash simultaneously to indicate an exception situation. Therefore, the user can be informed that the current position is inappropriate. Afterwards, the user can search for further information, for example, by coupling the wireless node 110A to a host computer (e.g., computer 130) to provide more detailed information for resolving the exception situation.

If it is determined at block 507 that the established wireless link has properties sufficient to meet those desired requirements, then processing according to the described embodiment proceeds to block 510. At block 510 of the described embodiment, redirection of wireless node 110A is stopped, and wireless node 110A is placed in an operational configuration. For example, processor 111 can indicate that a suitable wireless link has been established using the current deployment configuration by continuously activating output 231 of aiming assistance user interface 113. A user can indicate a desire to place wireless node 110A in operational mode by manipulating an input such as input 242 (e.g., an "end" button) of aiming assistance user interface 113. Thereafter, devices or systems coupled to wireless node 110A (e.g., via one or more ports of data interface 115) can communicate using the established wireless link.

In addition to or in lieu of placing the wireless node 110A in an operational state, embodiments of the present invention may also provide other functionality at block 510. For example, embodiments may operate to report deployment configuration information of the wireless node, communication environment information (e.g., as measured by sensors in the sensor package 112), and other information to one or more external systems (e.g., server 120 for storing the data in database 121). Such information may be used to help improve proactive aiming assistance in further operations regarding the wireless node 110A and/or other wireless nodes deployed in the system 100.

Although the foregoing examples are described with reference to deploying wireless node 110A, active aiming assistance provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may also be provided at times other than initial deployment. For example, active aiming assistance as described above may be performed post-deployment, such as after a significant change in topology or morphology, when a new source of interference emerges, when a new candidate wireless node is deployed, and so forth. In operation according to embodiments of the present invention, processor 111 may periodically access wireless node information (e.g., as may be stored in database 121) to determine whether one or more new candidate wireless nodes have been deployed. If such a candidate wireless node is determined to exist, active aiming assistance may be suggested (e.g., via an output of aiming assistance user interface 113, by providing a signal to another system via data interface 115, and so forth).

It should be understood that although the processes 400 of FIG. 4 and the processes 405 of FIG. 5 illustrate functions performed in an exemplary order, the order in which the various functions described above are performed may be changed as needed or appropriate. For example, certain calculations or determinations may be performed prior to locating the wireless node (block 404 of FIG. 4 ), such as offloading some or all of this processing to another system (e.g., computer 130), accessing network data or resources when the wireless node is not equipped with network connectivity during the redirection process, and the like. As another example, the process of determining candidate wireless nodes may be performed for embodiments of the present invention prior to obtaining sensor information (block 501 of FIG. 5 ) in order to perform the process of identifying candidate wireless nodes at block 402 of FIG. 4 .

If desired, functional blocks that can be used to assist in active aiming assistance according to embodiments of the present invention can operate to provide additional or alternative functionality. For example, the processor 111 and sensor package 112 can operate at times other than when the wireless node 110A is deployed or reoriented to provide communication environment analysis, determine whether the orientation of the wireless node 110A has changed, and so on. In operation according to embodiments of the present invention, the processor 111 and sensor package 112 can periodically operate to collect signal information and/or other information, which is provided to an external system (e.g., server 120) and used for a variety of purposes, such as communication environment analysis, wireless link quality modeling, determining the location of other (e.g., non-cooperative) wireless nodes, and/or similar purposes. For example, such information provided by multiple similarly configured wireless nodes can be used in conjunction with triangulation or triangulation techniques to determine the locations of different interference sources in the wireless environment.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it will be understood that various changes, substitutions and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, the scope of this application is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments of the processes, machines, manufacturing processes, material compositions, components, methods and steps described in the specification. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure of the present invention that processes, machines, manufacturing processes, material compositions, components, methods or steps currently existing or to be developed later that perform substantially the same functions as the corresponding embodiments described in this text or achieve substantially the same results as the corresponding embodiments described in this text may be utilized according to the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to include such processes, machines, manufacturing processes, material compositions, components, methods or steps within their scope.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that external antennas are commonly used. External antennas include omnidirectional antennas and directional antennas. When using external antennas, adjusting the position, rotation, and tilt of the wireless node 110A does not significantly affect the quality of the wireless link compared to adjusting the position, rotation, and tilt of the external antenna. In addition, when the wireless node has multiple wireless communication modules and each wireless communication module is capable of connecting to one or more antennas, adjusting the position, rotation, and tilt of each antenna will affect the quality of the wireless link of the corresponding wireless communication module.

Figure 6 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention. A wireless node 610 includes multiple wireless communication modules housed within the wireless node 610 housing and/or coupled to the wireless node 610's data bus. Each of the wireless communication modules can be connected to one or more external antennas, such as external antennas 602a through 602c, via antenna cables 605a through 605c, respectively. Wireless communication modules with Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) capabilities are preferably connected to multiple external antennas to improve the quality of the wireless link. Numerous options exist for wireless communication modules, including 3G cellular modems, 4G cellular modems, LTE cellular modems, WiFi modules, and Bluetooth modules. The wireless communication module can be an embedded electronic device connected to the wireless node 610's data bus. Alternatively, the wireless communication module can be an electronic device connected to a USB port on the wireless node 610. The number of external antennas that can be connected to the wireless communication module is limited by the computing resources and physical connectors provided by the wireless communication module. There is no limit on the number of wireless communication modules. In one embodiment, the number of wireless communication modules is sixteen. In another embodiment, the number of wireless communication modules is three.

The external antenna 602 is mounted to the corresponding pole 601 via a corresponding upper arm 604 and a corresponding lower arm 606. The upper arm 604 and lower arm 606 are used to orient the tilt direction of the antenna 602. The pole 601 is placed on top of the corresponding base 603. By rotating the pole 601, the rotational direction of the external antenna 602 can be oriented. In one variation, the upper arm 604 and lower arm 606 can be adjusted along the pole axis using a pole bracket (such as the AXIS T91A47 Pole Bracket provided by Axis Communications). There is no restriction on using the upper arm 604, lower arm 606, pole 601, and base 603 to mount the external antenna 602. Any structure that allows the rotational and tilt directions of the external antenna to be oriented can be deployed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that common connector types for connecting the antennas 602a to 602c to the antenna cables 605 of their corresponding wireless communication modules include CRC9 and SMA.

Sensor packages 611a through 611c are attached to external antennas 602a through 602c, respectively. Preferably, sensor packages 611a through 611c are placed or attached to the backs of the corresponding external antennas 602a through 602c to reduce signal interference and minimize the impact on the performance of the corresponding external antennas 602a through 602c. Within each sensor package 611, there are sensors for determining geographic location, azimuth orientation, elevation orientation, altitude, and/or orientation relative to the corresponding external antenna. Sensor package 611 includes one or more sensors that provide information to the processing unit of wireless node 610 for providing active aiming assistance to the user via the aiming assistance user interface. For example, sensor package 611a of an embodiment includes a GPS receiver, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an inclinometer, a tilt switch, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic sensor, a digital compass, and/or the like that provide corresponding sensor information to the processor unit of wireless node 610. The information is sent to the processor unit of the wireless node 610 via a cable (not shown in FIG6 ) (e.g., a USB cable and an Ethernet cable) or via wireless communication technology (e.g., Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11). Unlike the sensor package 112 shown in FIG1 , the sensor packages 611 a to 611 c do not need to have a signal reception strength sensor or a signal-to-noise sensor because the wireless communication module can provide the signal reception strength information and the signal-to-noise information.

Active aiming assistance guidance information is provided to the user via antennas 602a to 602c for use in orientation in rotation and pitch directions. The wireless communication module detects signal strength information, signal-to-noise ratio information, and link budget information. This information is then retrieved by or sent to the processing unit of the wireless node 610 for processing. The processing unit of the wireless node 610 then uses a user interface (e.g., user interface 113) to provide aiming assistance guidance information based on the received signal strength information and signal-to-noise information from the wireless communication module and sensor package 611. In one variation, since each wireless communication module can be connected to one or more antennas and there are multiple wireless communication modules, it is preferred to add one or more selection buttons to the user interface 113 for selecting one or more antennas and/or corresponding wireless communication modules.

Each of the wireless communication modules can be connected to the same or different wireless nodes operated by the same or different operators. For example, wireless communication modules A, B, and C of wireless node 610 are connected to wireless nodes D, E, and F, respectively. For illustrative purposes only, wireless nodes D, E, and F are LTE base stations located on the rooftops of different buildings. Using the multiple wireless communication modules and external antenna 602, the wireless node can connect to multiple wireless networks.

For example, a user first selects antenna 602a using a selection button. The user then orients the antenna 602a for rotation and pitch based on the azimuth guidance outputs 211 and 212, the elevation guidance outputs 221 and 222, and the hold guidance output 231. For example, when the user attempts to orient antenna 602c, the user selects antenna 602c using one or more selection buttons. The azimuth guidance outputs 211 and 212, the elevation guidance outputs 221 and 222, and the hold guidance output 231 are then updated by the processing unit of wireless node 610 based on information from the wireless communication module connected to antenna 602c. The user can then adjust the position and orientation of antenna 602c based on the azimuth guidance outputs 211 and 212, the elevation guidance outputs 221 and 222, and the hold guidance output 231.

Providing active aiming assistance guidance information to the user is not limited to only one external antenna. For example, the user interface can be allowed to simultaneously provide active aiming assistance guidance information for multiple or all external antennas. For example, additional outputs for azimuth guidance outputs, elevation guidance outputs, and hold guidance outputs can be added to user interface 113 for each of antennas 602a through 602c.

Figure 7 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 6 , an upper arm 704 replaces upper arm 604; a lower arm 706 replaces lower arm 606; motor modules 702a through 702c are added; and cables 703a through 703c are added. Motor modules 702a through 702c are connected to wireless node 610 via cables 703a through 703c. The processing unit of wireless node 610 controls motor modules 702a through 702c to adjust the upper arm 704, lower arm 706, and pole 601. In one example, the tilt angle of antenna 602a can be adjusted by extending or retracting upper arm 704a and lower arm 706. The rotational direction of antenna 602a can be adjusted by rotating pole 601a via motor module 702a. Motor module 702a contains the mechanical components, including the motor and gears, that provide the force to drive upper arm 704a, lower arm 706a, and pole 601a.

The user can control the rotation and tilt of the external antennas 602a to 602c through a user interface (e.g., user interface 113). In one variation, the user interface is a web page provided via the Internet from the wireless node 610. This allows the user to remotely control the rotation and tilt of the external antennas 602a to 602c. This is particularly beneficial when the external antennas 602a to 602c are located in a difficult-to-access location or a location that is expensive to access.

In one variation, the processing unit of the wireless node 610 controls the rotation and tilt of the external antennas 602a to 602c without user intervention. Based on the signal strength information, signal-to-noise ratio information, and link budget information detected by the wireless communication module, the processing unit of the wireless node 610 can then send control signals to the motor modules 702a to 702c to adjust the external antennas 602a to 602c. The control signals are sent via cable 703. In one variation, cable 703 is not only a medium for data transmission, but also a medium for providing power from the wireless node 610 to the motor module 702. Cable 703 can be any electrical wire that can simultaneously transmit data and supply power. Preferably, cable 703 is a cable that supports Power over Ethernet (PoE).

In one variation, the cable 703 is not present, and control signals are sent from the wireless node 610 to the motor modules 702a to 702c via wireless communication technology (eg, Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11). The motor modules 702a to 702c receive power via other power cables.

The operations shown in Figure 4 are applicable to the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7. However, instead of adjusting the position and orientation of the wireless node 610, the position and orientation of the external antenna 602 are adjusted.

Claims (20)

1. A method for providing active aiming assistance guidance information at a wireless node, the method comprising the following steps: (a) Locate the wireless node based on the selected location and locate multiple external antennas in their corresponding initial orientations based on the operational configuration; (b) Determine active targeting assistance guidance information to provide active guidance for redirecting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to the desired radio link deployment configuration; (c) Reorienting the plurality of external antennas according to the active aiming assist guidance information provided by the user interface of the wireless node to implement the desired wireless link deployment configuration, the desired wireless link deployment configuration being calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired attributes; wherein the user interface further includes an azimuth guidance output, a pitch guidance output, a hold guidance output, a guidance control input, and a guidance response input; The wireless node is connected to the plurality of external antennas via at least one wireless communication module; The active cat-like guidance information includes rotation direction and tilt direction; The rotation direction corresponds to rotating the plurality of external antennas to the desired wireless link deployment configuration. The tilting direction corresponds to the direction in which the plurality of external antennas are tilted to the desired wireless link deployment configuration. The active cat-like guidance information is used to orient the rotation direction and tilt direction of the plurality of external antennas; and The rotation direction and tilt direction of the plurality of external antennas are adjusted by a motor module. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: (d) Acquire sensor information; (e) Using at least a portion of the sensor information to determine the initial orientation, wherein the sensor information is used to determine at least a portion of the active aiming assist guidance information; The sensor information includes information acquired from multiple sensors, which are placed at corresponding external antennas. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of: an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope sensor. 4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the following steps: (f) Acquire additional sensor information after one or more of the plurality of external antennas have been redirected in the corresponding desired wireless link configuration; wherein the additional sensor information is about the quality of the resulting wireless link; and (g) During step (f), at least a portion of the additional sensor information is provided to an external source in real time to determine active aiming assistance guidance information. 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising: (h) During the reorientation of one or more of the plurality of external antennas, updated sensor information is acquired; wherein the updated sensor information is used to activate one or more guidance outputs; and (i) The active aiming assistance guidance information is updated based on at least a portion of the updated sensor information acquired during one or more of the reorientation of the plurality of external antennas. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the active aiming assistance guidance information includes azimuth guidance information and tilt guidance information. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the following steps: (j) Provide active guidance consistent with the active aiming assistance guidance information, wherein the active guidance includes activating one or more azimuth guidance outputs and one or more pitch guidance outputs; wherein the active guidance includes activating hold guidance outputs. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor module receives power via an Ethernet-powered cable. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tilt direction and the rotation direction of the plurality of external antennas can be adjusted remotely. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the motor module is controlled by the processing unit of the wireless node. 11. A system comprising: A wireless node; wherein the wireless node includes a processing unit and includes or is connected to multiple wireless communication modules; Multiple external antennas; wherein the multiple external antennas are connected to corresponding wireless communication modules; Multiple sensors; wherein the multiple sensors are placed at corresponding external antennas; A targeting-assisted user interface provides active targeting-assisted guidance information for redirecting each of the plurality of external antennas from its initial orientation to the desired radio link deployment configuration; wherein The user interface further includes an azimuth guidance output terminal, a pitch guidance output terminal, a hold guidance output terminal, a guidance control input terminal, and a guidance response input terminal; The wireless node is connected to the plurality of external antennas via at least one wireless communication module; The active aiming assistance guidance information includes rotation direction and tilt direction; The rotation direction corresponds to the direction in which the plurality of external antennas are rotated to the desired wireless link deployment configuration. The tilting direction corresponds to the direction in which the plurality of external antennas are tilted to the desired wireless link deployment configuration. The active cat-like guidance information is used to orient the rotation direction and tilt direction of the plurality of external antennas; and The rotation direction and tilt direction of the plurality of external antennas are adjusted by a motor module. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotation direction and the tilt direction guide the orientation of the plurality of external antennas from their respective initial orientations to the desired wireless link deployment configuration. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the active aiming assist guidance information provides active guidance for redirecting each of the plurality of external antennas from the initial orientation to the desired radio link deployment configuration; wherein the active guidance includes activating a hold guidance output. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of external antennas are redirected according to the active aiming assistance guidance information to achieve the desired wireless link deployment configuration, the desired wireless link deployment configuration being calculated to provide a wireless link having one or more desired attributes. 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least two sensors selected from the group consisting of: an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope sensor. 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors provide updated sensor information during the reorientation of one or more of the plurality of external antennas; wherein the updated sensor information is used to activate one or more guidance outputs; and wherein the active aiming assistance guidance information is updated based on at least a portion of the updated sensor information acquired during the reorientation of the plurality of external antennas. 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the motor module is controlled by the processing unit of the wireless node. 18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the active aiming assistance guidance information includes orientation guidance information and tilt guidance information. 19. The system of claim 11, wherein the motor module receives power via an Ethernet-powered cable. 20. The system of claim 11, wherein the tilt direction and the rotation direction of the plurality of external antennas are remotely adjustable.