A Radio Antenna Alignment Tool

Abstract

A radio antenna alignment tool ( 100 ) for aligning a first antenna with respect to at least a second antenna is disclosed. The tool comprises a sensor unit ( 120 ) disposed in connection to the first antenna ( 110 ) comprising means to determine a present direction of the first antenna ( 110 ). The radio antenna alignment tool ( 100 ) further comprises guiding means ( 130 ) adapted to receive, on a first input port, the present direction of the first directive antenna ( 110 ) from the sensor unit ( 120 ). The guiding means ( 130 ) is further arranged to indicate to a user at least one of: the present direction of the first directive antenna ( 110 ), the location of the second antenna, and a preferred direction of the first directive antenna, where said preferred direction of the first directive antenna is determined in order to maximize a signal quality metric for communication between the first directive antenna and at least the second antenna. The tool facilitates the alignment of the first directive radio antenna without the user having direct visual contact with the far end antenna.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A radio antenna alignment tool for aligning a first directive antenna with respect to at least a second antenna, the radio antenna alignment tool comprising:
 a sensor unit disposed connected to the first directive antenna, the sensor unit comprising:
 means to determine a present direction of the first directive antenna; 
 an interface on which sensor information comprising the present direction can be accessed, 
   guiding means configured to:
 receive, on a first input port, the present direction of the first directive antenna from the interface of the sensor unit; 
 indicate to a user at least one of: the present direction of the first directive antenna, the location of the second antenna, and a preferred direction of the first directive antenna; 
   wherein the preferred direction of the first directive antenna is determined in order to maximize a signal quality metric for communication between the first directive antenna and at least the second antenna.   
     
     
         20 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 :
 wherein the signal quality metric comprises at least one parameter of:
 a received signal power; 
 a mean squared error; 
 a measure of frequency selectivity; 
 a bit error rate; 
 a frame error rate; 
 a multiple-antenna communication channel rank; and 
 a multiple-antenna communication channel condition number; 
   wherein the parameter is measured based on a signal received at the first directive antenna from at least the second antenna.   
     
     
         21 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 , wherein the preferred direction of the first directive antenna is determined in order to maximize the signal quality metric for communication between the first directive antenna and the second antenna in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. 
     
     
         22 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor unit further comprises at least one of:
 a camera;   a positioning system unit;   a three-dimensional compass; and   a radar transceiver unit.   
     
     
         23 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 :
 wherein the sensor unit comprises a camera adapted to capture an image;   wherein the guiding means is configured to determine the preferred direction of the first directive antenna by means of processing image data received from the sensor unit.   
     
     
         24 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 :
 wherein the guiding means further comprises a processing circuit configured to receive at least one of:
 sensor information data from the sensor unit on the first port of the guiding means; 
 received signal strength data from a radio receiver unit connected to the first directive antenna; 
 geographic data; 
   wherein the geographic data comprises at least one of:
 building coordinates; 
 coordinates of the first directive antenna; 
 coordinates of the second antenna; and geometry of buildings; 
   wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the preferred direction based on the received data.   
     
     
         25 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 , wherein the guiding means further comprises a display unit configured to display at least one of:
 a first indicator indicating the present direction of the first directive antenna;   a second indicator indicating the location of the second antenna;   a third indicator indicating the preferred direction of the first directive antenna.   
     
     
         26 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 25 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display an image showing a camera view as seen from the first directive antenna, in the current direction of the first directive antenna. 
     
     
         27 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 :
 wherein the radio alignment tool is configured to determine a plurality of preferred directions of the first directive antenna with respect to the second antenna, the preferred directions being suitable for communication over an non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication channel where an obstacle blocks a line-of-sight (LOS), between the first directive antenna and the second antenna,   wherein the radio alignment tool is configured to determine the plurality of preferred directions by evaluating a plurality of alternative propagation paths, including propagation paths with reflection and propagation paths with diffraction.   
     
     
         28 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 19 :
 further comprising an emitter unit connected to the second antenna, the emitter unit being configured to transmit a known signal;   wherein the sensor unit is configured to receive the known signal and to measure the power of the received known signal;   wherein the guiding means is configured to:
 receive the power measurement value from the sensor unit; 
 indicate the power measurement value to a user; 
 determine the preferred direction of the first directive antenna based on the power measurement value. 
   
     
     
         29 . The radio antenna alignment tool of  claim 28 :
 wherein the emitter unit and sensor unit each comprise first and second antenna arrays, respectively;   wherein the emitter unit is configured to transmit a known narrow-beam signal in a pre-determined sequence over a first pre-determined range of antenna array beam transmit directions;   wherein the sensor unit is configured to measure received signal power over a second pre-determined range of antenna array beam receive directions,   wherein the sensor unit is configured to communicate the power measurements and corresponding receive beam directions to the guiding means;   wherein the guiding means is configured to:
 store the power measurements together with the corresponding receive beam directions in a memory; 
 select a suitable direction of the first directive antenna based on the received power measurements and corresponding receive beam directions. 
   
     
     
         30 . A method for aligning a first directive antenna and at least a second directive antenna in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication conditions, the method comprising:
 sensing a current direction of the first directive antenna;   determining a preferred direction of the first directive antenna, the preferred direction maximizing a signal quality metric for communication between the first and second antennas;   presenting, to a user, at least one of:
 the current direction of the first directive antenna; 
 the location of the second directive antenna; 
 the preferred direction of the first directive antenna. 
   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 :
 wherein the signal quality metric comprises at least one parameter of:
 a received signal power; 
 a mean squared error; 
 a measure of frequency selectivity; 
 a bit error rate; 
 a frame error rate; 
 a multiple-antenna communication channel rank; 
 a multiple-antenna communication channel condition number; 
   wherein the parameter is measured based on a signal received at the first directive antenna from at least the second antenna.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the sensing the current direction of the first directive antenna comprises sensing at least one of:
 a camera image as seen from the first directive antenna;   coordinates of the first directive antenna;   coordinates of the second directive antenna.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 :
 wherein an emitter is connected to the second directive antenna and configured to transmit a known radio signal;   wherein the sensing the current direction of the first directive antenna comprises measuring a received signal power by means of a radio receiver unit, connected to the first directive radio antenna, that is configured to receive the known radio signal.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the determining a preferred direction of the first directive antenna comprises determining the preferred direction to maximize the signal quality metric based on at least one of:
 the result from the sensing the current direction of the first directive antenna;   a measurement of received signal power;   map information, the map information comprising pre-determined building coordinates, antenna unit coordinates, and building geometry.   
     
     
         35 . A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for assisting in aligning a first directive antenna with respect to at least a second directive antenna in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication conditions, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on one or more processors of a mobile device, causes the mobile device to:
 sense a current direction of the first directive antenna;   determine a preferred direction of the first directive antenna, the preferred direction maximizing a signal quality metric for communication between the first and second antennas;   present, to a user, at least one of:
 the current direction of the first directive antenna; 
 the location of the second directive antenna; 
 the preferred direction of the first directive antenna. 
   
     
     
         36 . A mobile device for assisting in aligning a first directive antenna with respect to at least a second directive antenna in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication conditions, the mobile device comprising:
 a processor,   a non-transitory computer readable medium storing software instructions, the software instructions configured to, when run on the processor, cause the mobile device to:
 sense a current direction of the first directive antenna; 
 determine a preferred direction of the first directive antenna, the preferred direction maximizing a signal quality metric for communication between the first and second antennas; 
 present, to a user, at least one of:
 the current direction of the first directive antenna; 
 the location of the second directive antenna.