Method for a wireless communication node and for configuring a donor antenna and a serving antenna therefor

Abstract

The wireless communication node adopts a method for configuring its donor antenna and service antenna during or after node installation. The antennas are positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis. The node includes the antennas, an actuator, one or more processors, and a memory storing processor-executable instructions for the processors. In response to the stored instructions, the processor processes the radio signals received by the donor antenna and communicates a control signal to the actuator to rotate the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group about the central axis. This rotation can be performed incrementally based on whether the donor antenna received an acceptable base station signal in an increment of a previous angular displacement, or can be performed in an inclusive manner that permits reception of candidate base station data for a predetermined amount of rotation. After an acceptable base station is identified, the beam pattern of the donor antenna is formed in the direction of the identified base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to antennas and antenna selection schemes. More specifically, although not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to wireless communication nodes such as repeaters and methods for configuring donor antennas and service antennas for such nodes.

Background Art

[0002] The successful deployment of 5G systems utilizing the new 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) band is complex and requires multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas or other antenna structures, adopts emerging standards such as millimeter wave or C-band 5G, and further improvement of performance parameters is needed. Millimeter wave 5G systems may also require more base stations, especially in urban and other environments, due to the high propagation loss of mmWave signals. However, the cost of deploying base stations to increase the coverage and capacity of mmWave 5G networks in urban environments can be significant considering the costs of equipment, new poles, land acquisition, obtaining utility power, and implementing fiber backhaul for such installations. Therefore, more cost-effective solutions are needed for the densification of mmWave 5G and other common line-of-sight communication systems.

[0003] All of the subject matter described in the background art section is not necessarily prior art and should not be assumed to be prior art simply as a result of the description in the background art section. Along these lines, any recognition of problems in the prior art described in the background art section or related to such subject matter should not be treated as prior art unless explicitly stated as such. Instead, the description of any subject matter in the background art section should be treated as part of the inventor's approach to a particular problem that may itself be inventive.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication node includes, among other things, a donor antenna and a service antenna, an actuator (e.g., a rotary actuator such as a servo, stepper, induction, or other type of motor), one or more processors, and a memory. The donor antenna and the service antenna may each be implemented as a phased array antenna having an array of electronically controllable antenna elements. The donor antenna and the service antenna are positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, which may be the central axis of a support structure to which the antennas are coupled. Each donor antenna is operable to communicate a wireless signal with a base station (e.g., a 5G gNodeB or gNB) after the base station has been discovered by the wireless communication node (e.g., transmit a wireless signal to the base station and receive a wireless signal from the base station). Each service antenna is operable to communicate a wireless signal within one or more service areas or coverage areas (e.g., transmit a signal to and receive a signal from a mobile device, a tablet computer, a wireless router, or other user equipment located within one or more service areas). In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node is airborne mountable on a streetlight, a utility pole, or other structure. In another exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node can function as an infrastructure component such as a repeater, a relay node, a small cell node, an access point, a gateway, or a router in a wireless communication system (e.g., a mmWave or C-band 5G system), or as an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in a 5G IAB network. In a further exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node can include a total of four antennas, one donor antenna and three service antennas, with each antenna configured to be substantially orthogonal to its adjacent antenna so as to form a substantially rectangular arrangement. Such an arrangement serves to improve the radio frequency separation between the antennas. In another exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node can include a total of three antennas, one donor antenna and two service antennas, with each antenna configured at approximately 120 degrees from its adjacent antenna so as to form a substantially triangular arrangement.In other embodiments, two antennas or five or more antennas may be used depending on the number and geography of the coverage areas served by the service antenna.

[0005] The processor is operable, among other things, to communicate control signals to the actuator and process at least the radio signals received by the donor antenna. For example, the processor may be operably coupled directly or indirectly to the actuator and operably coupled to the donor antenna and / or the service antenna via conventional radio transceiver circuitry. The memory stores instructions (e.g., executable code) for execution by the processor. When executed by the processor, such instructions cause the processor to perform various steps or tasks. For example, such instructions may cause the processor to process a first radio signal received by the donor antenna and determine whether the first radio signal meets a base station discovery criterion that enables discovery of a base station. In the context of the present disclosure, a radio signal received by the donor antenna meets the base station discovery criterion if the radio signal meets or exceeds the base station discovery criterion. The base station discovery criterion can include one or more of a base station identifier, a signal strength or other signal quality criterion (e.g., a threshold or level), a channel load criterion, and a bandwidth criterion. For example, the base station discovery criterion can include parameters, thresholds, or other criteria for establishing whether a radio signal received by the donor antenna is (a) of sufficient quality to be decoded by a wireless communication node or user equipment with an acceptable level of accuracy, (b) meets or exceeds a threshold of signal strength, (c) includes a base station identifier, (d) includes data or information by which the base station load can be determined, and / or (e) includes data or information regarding the channel frequencies and bandwidth supported by the base station.

[0006] When the first wireless signal meets the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor can provide one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna to form a beam pattern in the direction of the base station by the donor antenna. According to the present disclosure, the formation of the beam includes any one or more of beamforming, beam steering, spatial filtering, or other known or future-developed beamforming techniques. In an exemplary embodiment, the formed beam pattern is sufficient to achieve a signal strength exceeding a threshold for subsequent signals received from the base station.

[0007] When the first wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor communicates an actuation control signal to the actuator. The actuator is operable to rotate the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group about the central axis in response to the actuation control signal from the processor. The first actuation control signal received by the actuator from the processor can cause the actuator to rotate the antenna as a group incrementally clockwise (e.g., to the right) or counterclockwise (e.g., to the left) by an angular displacement relative to the current position of the group of antennas. In an exemplary embodiment, such an angular displacement can be between about 5 degrees and about 10 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the current position of the group of antennas. When the group of the donor antenna and the service antenna is coupled to a support structure defining the central axis, the actuator can rotate the support structure about the central axis, thereby rotating the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group about the central axis.

[0008] After the group of antennas is collectively rotated by an angular displacement according to the stored instructions, the processor processes the second radio signal received by the donor antenna and determines whether the second radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria. When the second radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor can provide one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna to form a beam pattern in the direction of the base station by the donor antenna. When the second radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor can communicate a second actuation control signal to the actuator. The second actuation control signal can incrementally rotate the actuator as a group of antennas by the same angular displacement or a different angular displacement used when it was determined that the first radio signal did not meet the base station discovery criteria. For example, when the stored instructions implement a coarse adjustment and fine adjustment method, the angular displacement used after it is determined that the second radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria can be smaller than the angular displacement used in response to the determination that the first radio signal did not meet the base station discovery criteria. In contrast, when the stored instructions implement a uniform rotation method, the angular displacement used after it is determined that the second radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria can be substantially the same as the angular displacement used in response to the determination that the first radio signal did not meet the base station discovery criteria. According to the stored instructions, the processor can continue the iterative process-rotation-process approach until a radio signal that meets the base station discovery criteria is received by the donor antenna.

[0009] After the donor antenna receives a radio signal that meets the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor can provide one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna to form a beam pattern in the direction of the base station for the donor antenna. Also, according to the stored instructions, the processor can establish a wireless connection with the base station (for example, when the wireless communication node is a small cell node). Further, according to the stored instructions, the processor can provide one or more beam control signals to each service antenna to form respective beam patterns for the service antennas to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas or respective service areas. According to an exemplary embodiment, the beam control signals provided to the donor antenna and the service antennas are such that the donor antenna forms a beam pattern having a higher gain and a narrower beam width than the gain and beam width of the beam pattern formed by one or more of the service antennas. Thus, the beam control signals provided to the donor antenna or the service antennas can be used to form a beam pattern with a desired gain and a desired beam width directed or steered to a desired azimuth angle and / or a desired elevation angle. Further, the donor antenna, the service antenna, or both can include respective arrays of antenna elements configured in respective phased antenna arrays. In such a case, the processor can provide the beam control signals to the respective phased antenna arrays to cause the phased antenna arrays to form a desired beam pattern directed to the base station (for the donor antenna) or to the service area (for the service antenna).

[0010] According to an alternative embodiment, the donor antenna and the service antenna can form part of or be housed within an antenna module that includes a housing, a cover, or some other protective enclosure. The antenna module can also include a support structure to which the donor antenna and the service antenna are coupled. Further, the antenna module and / or the support structure can be attached to another electronic device or module, such as a streetlight-mounted device, that includes other circuitry of the wireless communication node and optionally circuitry for performing other functions such as streetlight illumination control, power measurement, location services, etc. In such a case, or if the antenna is coupled to the support structure without an antenna module, the antenna module or the support structure can include a light pipe that directs ambient light towards a light sensor within the antenna module, the support structure, or the electronic device to which the antenna module or the support structure is attached. For example, if the antenna module or the support structure is attached to an electronic device mounted on a streetlight luminaire and the electronic device includes a light sensor to facilitate the performance of a light control function, the antenna module or the support structure can include a light pipe to enable ambient light to reach the light sensor of the electronic device. In this embodiment, the electronic device and the antenna module or the support structure can form all or part of the wireless communication node, and the electronic device can include one or more processors, memory, and various other components of the wireless communication node.

[0011] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, by the stored processor-executable instructions, after detecting that the wireless communication node has been powered on, the processor can communicate an initial operation control signal to the actuator. In this case, the initial operation control signal may be part of an automatic configuration operation for the wireless communication node, and cause the actuator to incrementally rotate (e.g., by increments of 5 degrees to 10 degrees) the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group by a predetermined angular displacement (e.g., 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, or 360 degrees) until a predetermined amount of displacement or rotation is completed (e.g., rotating the support structure to which the antenna is coupled). At each increment of the angular displacement, the processor can process one or more wireless signals received by the donor antenna to determine whether one or more signals meet the base station discovery criteria for enabling base station discovery. The processor can discover the base station to be locked or the base station to which a connection is to be established before the completion of the automatic configuration process, or collect candidate base station data during the automatic configuration process and select (discover) the base station to be locked or the base station to which a connection is to be established at the completion of the automatic configuration (e.g., after the group of antennas has been rotated through the entire predetermined angular displacement).

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a wireless communication node includes an antenna module, a donor antenna and a service antenna, an actuator, one or more processors, and a memory. The antenna module includes a support structure defining a central axis. The antennas are oriented in a predetermined arrangement about the central axis and coupled to the support structure. The actuator is operable to rotate the support structure about the central axis in response to one or more operation control signals. The processor is operable to communicate the operation control signal to the actuator and process at least the wireless signals received by the donor antenna. The memory stores processor-executable instructions. When the processor-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the processor executes an antenna configuration routine.

[0013] For example, according to this exemplary embodiment, by the stored instructions, the processor processes a first radio signal received by the donor antenna and determines whether the first radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria for enabling a connection with the base station. The radio signal received by the donor antenna meets the base station discovery criteria if the radio signal meets or exceeds the base station discovery criteria. When the first radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, by the stored instructions, the processor communicates a first actuation control signal to the actuator, whereby the actuator rotates the support structure by an angular displacement. After the support structure has been rotated by the angular displacement, by the stored instructions, the processor processes a second radio signal received by the donor antenna and determines whether the second radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria. When the second radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, by the stored instructions, the processor communicates an additional actuation control signal to the actuator for incrementally rotating the support structure by the angular displacement until the processor determines that at least one of the received radio signals meets the base station discovery criteria. When the radio signal received by the donor antenna meets the base station discovery criteria, the wireless communication node can establish a connection with the base station that transmitted the radio signal meeting the criteria through the operation of the processor. After establishing the connection, or as part of establishing the connection, by the stored instructions, the processor can provide a beam control signal to the donor antenna to cause the donor antenna to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the base station.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a wireless communication node includes a donor antenna and a service antenna positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, an actuator, one or more processors, and a memory. The actuator is operable to rotate the antennas as a group about the central axis in response to one or more actuation control signals. The processor is operable to communicate the actuation control signals to the actuator and process at least wireless signals received by the donor antenna. The memory stores processor-executable instructions. The processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute an antenna configuration routine.

[0015] For example, according to this exemplary embodiment, by the stored instructions, the processor communicates at least one actuation control signal to the actuator to incrementally rotate the plurality of antennas as a group by an angular displacement (e.g., 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, or 360 degrees) until a predetermined angular displacement is completed. Also, by the stored instructions, the processor processes one or more radio signals received by the donor antenna for each increment of the angular displacement to collect candidate base station data. Further, by the stored instructions, the processor selects a candidate base station to establish a connection from the candidate base station data and provides a beam control signal to the donor antenna to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the selected base station by the donor antenna. Also, by the stored instructions, the processor can compare the candidate base station data of each candidate base station with the base station discovery criteria and select a candidate base station having candidate base station data that meets the base station discovery criteria. When the candidate base station data indicates that signals from two or more base stations satisfy the base station discovery data, by the stored instructions, the processor can select the base station having the best overall candidate base station data. Further, by the stored instructions, the processor can provide a beam control signal to each service antenna to form a desired beam pattern directed to each service area by the service antenna. In this embodiment, when the predetermined angular displacement is greater than 180 degrees, by the stored instructions, to reduce any torsion of the cable that may be connected to the antenna, the antenna module including the antenna, or the support structure to which the antenna is coupled, the processor can transmit an actuation control signal to the actuator to rotate the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group by 180 degrees or less in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) from the starting position.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an exemplary method is provided for configuring a donor antenna and a serving antenna of a wireless communication node for operation in a wireless communication system including at least one base station and at least one wireless communication node. The method may be executed by one or more processors and / or other components of the wireless communication node. According to this embodiment, the donor antenna and the serving antenna are configured in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis.

[0017] According to the exemplary method, a wireless signal received by the donor antenna is processed and a determination is made as to whether the wireless signal meets a base station discovery criterion. When the wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criterion, the donor antenna and the serving antenna are rotated as a group about the central axis by an angular displacement. After the rotation, another wireless signal received by the donor antenna is processed and a determination is made as to whether that wireless signal meets the base station discovery criterion. When the wireless signal meets the base station discovery criterion, a beam pattern is formed for the donor antenna in the direction in which the wireless signal is received (e.g., in the direction of the base station). The donor antenna beam pattern may be formed to achieve a signal strength above a threshold for subsequent signals received from the base station. When the wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criterion, the donor antenna and the serving antenna are rotated as a group about the central axis by another angular displacement. The latter angular displacement may be the same as or different from the former angular displacement (e.g., when using a coarse / fine adjustment process, the angular displacement may change (e.g., become smaller) over the course of the configuration process). After or during the formation of the beam pattern of the donor antenna, a respective beam pattern is formed for each serving antenna to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas or their respective service areas.

[0018] Accordingly, according to this exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node uses iterative signal processing and antenna group rotation methods to automatically configure or position a group of donor antennas and service antennas, enabling the donor antenna to establish a high-quality wireless communication signal path with the base station. Such a method can be very beneficial both performance-wise and economically when the wireless communication node is installed in the system, such as on or in streetlights or other aerial lighting facilities, utility poles, buildings, etc., or in locations where the support structure of the node and utility power are already available.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, another exemplary method is provided for configuring the donor antenna and service antenna of a wireless communication node for operation in a wireless communication system including at least one base station and at least one wireless communication node. This method can be executed by one or more processors and / or other components of the wireless communication node. According to this embodiment, the donor antenna and service antenna are configured in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis.

[0020] According to this exemplary method, the donor antenna and the service antenna are rotated incrementally as a group by an angular displacement until a predetermined angular displacement (e.g., 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees, etc.) is completed. At each increment of the angular displacement, one or more radio signals received by the donor antenna are processed to collect candidate base station data. When the predetermined angular displacement is completed, a base station is selected or discovered from the candidate base station data. Next, a beam pattern is formed for the donor antenna in the direction of the selected base station (e.g., to achieve a signal strength or signal quality that exceeds a desired level for subsequent signals received from the base station). Further, respective beam patterns are formed for each service antenna to provide radio coverage to one or more service areas or to each service area. If the predetermined angular displacement is greater than 180 degrees, the rotation of the donor antenna and the service antenna as a group can be limited to 180 degrees or less in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) from the starting position to relieve any twisting of the cables that may be connected to the antenna, the antenna module including the antenna, or the support structure to which the antenna is coupled.

[0021] Thus, according to this exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication node automatically configures or positions the group of the donor antenna and the service antenna using a more comprehensive analysis approach to enable the donor antenna to establish a high-quality wireless communication path with the base station. According to this embodiment, signals received by the donor antenna over a larger angular displacement or rotation are processed before selecting the base station to which the connection is to be established. Such a method can be very beneficial when the wireless communication node is installed in the system at a fixed location where the support structure of the node and utility power are already available, such as on or in streetlights or other aerial lighting facilities, utility poles, buildings, etc.

[0022] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a wireless communication node includes a donor antenna and a service antenna positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, one or more processors, a memory, and an alert mechanism (e.g., one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a display, a speaker, or a communication module providing Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH, cellular, or other known wireless communication). The processor is operable to process at least a wireless signal received by the donor antenna and to control the operation of the alert mechanism. The memory stores processor-executable instructions. The processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute an antenna configuration routine.

[0023] According to this exemplary embodiment, by the stored instructions, the processor processes the first radio signal received by the donor antenna and determines whether the first radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria for enabling connection to the base station. The radio signal received by the donor antenna meets the base station discovery criteria if the radio signal meets or exceeds the base station discovery criteria. When the first radio signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, by the stored instructions, the processor controls the alert mechanism to notify a user, such as the installer of the wireless node, that the base station discovery criteria are not met. For example, the processor can send one or more alert control signals to the alert mechanism to cause the alert mechanism to continuously or briefly display a specific color (e.g., red) (e.g., if the alert mechanism is an LED), or communicate a message (e.g., a "no lock" message) to a mobile application running on a mobile device owned by the user (e.g., if the alert mechanism is a wireless communication module), to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are not met. After sending the alert control signal to the alert mechanism, by the stored processor instructions, the processor waits until the group of antennas is rotated manually or electronically by an angular displacement (e.g., for a predetermined time, or until instructed by a mobile application or other means). For example, the support structure to which the group of antennas is coupled can be rotated by such an angular displacement, thereby rotating all the antennas in the group by the angular displacement.

[0024] When the standby period ends, according to the stored instructions, the processor processes another radio signal received by the donor antenna to determine whether the radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria. When the newly received signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, according to the stored instructions, the processor re-transmits one or more alert control signals to the alert mechanism, causing the alert mechanism to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are not met and wait until the next angular displacement of the antenna group. When the processor determines that the radio signal received by the donor antenna meets the base station discovery criteria, the processor transmits one or more other alert control signals to the alert mechanism, causing the alert mechanism to continuously or briefly display another color (e.g., green) (e.g., if the alert mechanism is an LED), or communicate another message (e.g., "Lock completed" message) to the mobile application running on the user's mobile device (e.g., if the alert mechanism is a wireless communication module), to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are met. Further, the wireless communication node can establish a connection with the base station that transmitted the radio signal meeting the criteria through the operation of the processor. After establishing the connection, or as part of it, according to the stored instructions, the processor can provide a beam control signal to the donor antenna to cause the donor antenna to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the base station.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, and like reference numerals refer to like parts or elements throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified. The sizes and relative positions of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of the various elements are selected, enlarged, and positioned to improve the readability of the drawings. The specific shapes of the elements drawn are selected to facilitate recognition in the drawings.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] In the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and the like. Also, in these examples, well-known structures are either omitted or shown and described with reduced detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a wireless communication node 200 is shown in the form mounted on a block diagram and a street lamp according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The exemplary wireless communication node 200 includes a set or group of two or more antennas 101-104 (only four are shown for illustrative purposes) oriented in different directions, one or more processors 107 (only one is shown for illustrative purposes), and a memory 109. The wireless communication node 200 may be a repeater, a relay node, or a small cell node in a radio access network (RAN), or an IAB node in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network.

[0028] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the antennas 101-104 are fixedly positioned and individually or as a group are immovable. If the set of antennas 101-104 includes four antennas 101-104, each antenna 101-104 may be configured to be substantially orthogonal to adjacent antennas 101-104, as shown in FIG. 1. Positioning each antenna 101-104 substantially orthogonal to each adjacent antenna 101-104 helps to provide separation between the antennas 101-104 during operation. In other embodiments, such as the embodiments described below with respect to FIGS. 4-9, the antennas 101-104 may be rotatable as a group about a central axis (e.g., axis 606 in FIG. 6).

[0029] In FIG. 1, the antennas 101-104 of the exemplary wireless communication node 200 are shown as being substantially in the same plane. However, in alternative embodiments, the antennas 101-104 may be positioned in different planes (e.g., different parallel planes) relative to each other, such as in a stacked arrangement, an offset stacked arrangement, or other multi-plane configurations.

[0030] The memory 109 stores instructions executable by the processor 107 during operation of the wireless communication node 200. The instructions may be implemented as any set of firmware, software, or data executable or usable by the processor 107 to cause the processor 107 to execute various routines, algorithms, processes, or methods. The memory 109 may also be used for other purposes, including storing data reported from sensors within or attached to the wireless communication node 200, storing additional instructions for causing the processor 107 to perform artificial intelligence or other functions, and for other purposes. The processor 107 may be any known processor and, in some embodiments, may be field programmable. If the processor 107 is field programmable, the processor 107 may be implemented as or include a field programmable gate array.

[0031] Very schematically shown in FIG. 1 and described in more detail below, the processor 107 interfaces with the set of antennas 101-104 to receive and process wireless signals received by the antennas 101-104 and to provide beam control signals to the antennas 101-104 when the antennas 101-104 are constructed to be able to receive beam control signals and respond to such control signals. For example, the antennas 101-104 may be controllable by the processor 107 when the antennas 101-104 are constructed to facilitate electronic beamforming (e.g., beamforming, beam steering, or spatial filtering), such as when the antennas 101-104 are electronically controllable phased array antennas.

[0032] One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize and understand that the block diagram of FIG. 1 does not depict various components that may be included in a particular wireless communication node 200, including, but not limited to, a power supply, one or more radio transceivers, filters, a high-precision clock, and various other components and modules that may be included in 5G wireless communication equipment. Such components have been omitted from the drawings to minimize complexity and facilitate a better understanding of the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0033] To protect antennas 101 - 104 from the effects of weather and other environments, antennas 101 - 104 may form part of an antenna module 105 that may include a housing 201 and / or a support structure. If the wireless communication node 200 also performs functions based on the amount of ambient light detected, for example, if the wireless communication node 200 provides control of a street light fixture 206 or other overhead lighting equipment configured to be mounted, attached, or controlled by the wireless communication node 200, the wireless communication node 200 may include a light sensor 130. In some embodiments, the light sensor 130 may be positioned within the antenna module 105, or another electronic device or module 202 of the wireless communication node 200 to which the antenna module 105 is attached. The electronic module 202 may be a small cell node or a multi - function device that includes, for example, a small cell function, a light control function, power measurement, tilt and / or vibration sensing, an image capture function, and / or a general Internet of Things (IoT) function. If the wireless communication node 200 includes the antenna module 105 and / or the electronic module 202 to which the antenna module 105 is attached, the wireless communication node 200 or its antenna module 105 (e.g., as part of the support structure of the antenna module) may further include a light pipe 120 for directing ambient light towards the light sensor 130 of the wireless communication node. If the light sensor 130 is included within the electronic module 202 to which the antenna module 105 is attached, and the electronic module 202 and its light sensor 130 are positioned below (or above depending on the installation configuration) the antenna module 105, the light pipe 120 may be routed through the antenna module housing 201, or through an antenna module support structure such as a post configured between the antenna module housing 201 and an opening within the electronic module 202 aligned with the light sensor 130.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless communication node 200 can be mounted on a street lamp or other equipment exposed to street light or ambient light. When the wireless communication node 200 is mounted on a street lamp, the optical sensor 130 of the wireless communication node can be used as part of a system for controlling the operation of the street lamp. In FIG. 1, the light pipe 120 and the optical sensor 130 are shown linearly arranged along the central vertical axis of the antenna module 105 or its support structure. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the light pipe 120 can be wired in any way to direct ambient light to the optical sensor 130 positioned below the antenna module 105 or at another location. In a further embodiment, the optical sensor 120 may be included within the antenna module 105 rather than within the electronic module 202 to which the antenna module 105 is attached.

[0035] Referring again to FIG. 2, the wireless communication node 200 can be mounted on a street lamp by using an electrical socket incorporated in the upper part of the street lamp fixture 206. To fix the wireless communication node 200 to the street lamp with sufficient strength to withstand wind loads and other various environmental conditions, the wireless communication node 200 or a part thereof (e.g., the electronic module 202) can be fixed to the street lamp post 208 by using a mounting bracket 204.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a logic flow diagram 300 of steps performed to select a donor antenna and one or more service antennas from a set of antennas 101 - 104 included as part of an exemplary wireless communication node 200. The logic flow steps of FIG. 3 can be performed by one or more processors 107 of the wireless communication node 200 through the execution of instructions stored in the node's memory 109.

[0037] According to the logic flow of FIG. 3, the processor 107 processes (301) at least one radio signal received by a first antenna among the antennas 101 to 104. The first antenna can be any one of the antennas 101 to 104 from which a donor antenna and a service antenna are selected. The processor 107 determines (303) whether any radio signal received by the first antenna meets the base station discovery criteria. Such criteria can include, among other things, whether the signal includes an identifier for the base station (e.g., gNB identifier), whether the signal strength or other signal quality metrics for the received signal meet the desired strength or quality level, whether the channel load for the base station is determined to be less than a maximum threshold based on the data or information in the signal, and / or whether the frequencies and bandwidths supported by the base station are within the desired frequency range having a minimum bandwidth threshold.

[0038] In some embodiments, multiple radio signals can be detected from the first antenna (e.g., antenna 101) or any subsequent antenna to be evaluated (e.g., antennas 102 to 104). For example, as part of the evaluation of the first antenna, the processor 107 can send a control signal to the antenna 101 to form a beam pattern having a predetermined or intelligently selected beam width or conical field of view (e.g., a 15-degree conical field of view). Next, the processor 107 can send a control signal to the antenna 101 to electronically steer the beam pattern across its omnidirectional range in an attempt to receive any base station signals. If the wireless communication node 200 includes the four antennas 101 to 104 configured as shown in FIG. 1, the azimuth range of each of the antennas 101 to 104 encompasses approximately 90 degrees (e.g., 360 degrees) of the omnidirectional range of the set of antennas 101 to 104. In such a case, each radio signal received by the antennas 101 to 104 being evaluated can be processed to determine whether the signal meets the base station discovery criteria.

[0039] When the processor 107 determines that the radio signal received from the first antenna (e.g., antenna 101) meets the base station discovery criteria (303), the processor 107 designates antenna 101 as the donor antenna for the wireless communication node 200 (305), and forms a beam pattern for the donor antenna 101 in the direction of the radio signal or the direction in which the radio signal is received, which is also likely to be the direction of the discovered base station (305). To form the beam pattern of the donor antenna, the processor 107 provides one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna 101 (e.g., to the antenna elements of the phased array of the antenna), so that the beam pattern can have a desired gain, beam width, and / or conical field of view, or achieve a signal strength exceeding a threshold for subsequent signals received from the base station. After or simultaneously with designating the donor antenna 101, the processor 107 designates some or all of the remaining antennas (e.g., antennas 102 - 104) as service antennas (307), and forms a beam pattern for one or more of those antennas 102 - 104 to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas (307). To form the beam pattern for the service antennas 102 - 104, the processor 107 provides one or more beam control signals to each of the service antennas 102 - 104 (e.g., to the antenna elements of the phased array of the antenna), so that each of the service antennas 102 - 104 can form its respective beam pattern to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas.

[0040] When the processor 107 determines that the radio signal received from the first antenna 101 does not meet the base station discovery criteria (303), or when it is determined that the radio signal received from the first antenna 101 does not meet the base station discovery criteria (for example, when the radio signal is received over a preset or variable period), the processor 107 determines whether all the antennas 101 - 104 of the wireless communication node 200 have been processed (309). If all the antennas 101 - 104 have not yet been processed, the processor 107 processes one or more radio signals received from another one of the antennas 102 - 104 (301), and the signal analysis process is repeated until the antennas 101 - 104 are designated as donor antennas and service antennas and their beam patterns are formed, or until a radio signal that meets the base station discovery criteria is no longer received. If the latter condition occurs, the processor 107 can wait for a predetermined period (for example, 30 seconds to 5 minutes) according to the instructions stored in the memory 109, and then repeat the logic flow of FIG. 3.

[0041] If the wireless communication node 200 includes four fixed antennas 101 - 104 as schematically shown in FIG. 1, the beam pattern of each antenna 101 - 104 can be formed to achieve its determined purpose. For example, the beams of the service antennas 102 - 104 can be formed to cover one or more desired or selected service areas, while the beam pattern of the donor antenna 101 can be formed to achieve maximum signal strength for the signal received from the discovered base station. The beamforming for each antenna 101 - 104 can depend on various factors including the center frequency and bandwidth of the antenna, the use case, and the number of phased antenna array elements. As an example, if three service antennas 102 - 104 are intended to cover a 270 - degree azimuth angle after the determination of the donor antenna 101, the beam pattern for each service antenna 102 - 104 can be formed to have a beam width of about 60 degrees and can be electronically steerable to cover a conical field of view of about 120 degrees in azimuth.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 4-7, an alternative wireless communication node 400 is shown in block diagram and other forms according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The alternative exemplary wireless communication node 400 includes a set or group of two or more antennas 401-404 (only four are shown for illustration purposes) oriented in different directions, one or more processors 407 (only one is shown for illustration purposes), optionally but preferably an actuator 408, a memory 409, and an optional alert mechanism 411. When provided, the actuator 418 can be a servo, stepper, induction, or other type of motor that can provide sufficient torque to rotate the antennas 401-404 as a group by a selected amount of angular displacement (e.g., rotate the support structure to which the antennas 401-404 are coupled). When provided, the alert mechanism 411 can be, for example, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a display, a speaker, or a communication module that provides Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH, cellular, or other known wireless communication. The wireless communication node 400 can be a repeater, relay node, or small cell node in a wireless access network (e.g., a time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD) 5G network, etc.), or an IAB node in an IAB network.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7, the antennas 401-404 can be rotated as a group about a central axis 606 by the actuator 408 or manually. When the set of antennas includes four antennas 401-404, each antenna 401-404 can be configured to be substantially orthogonal to adjacent antennas 401-404 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Positioning each antenna 401-404 substantially orthogonal to each adjacent antenna 401-404 helps to provide separation and reduce crosstalk between the operating antennas 401-404.

[0044] The exemplary antennas 401-404 of the wireless communication node 400 are shown as being in substantially the same plane. However, in alternative embodiments, the antennas 401-404 may be positioned in different planes (e.g., different parallel planes) relative to each other, such as in a stacked arrangement, an offset stacked arrangement, or other multi-plane configurations.

[0045] Memory 409 stores instructions executable by processor 407 during operation of the wireless communication node 400. The instructions may be implemented as any set of firmware, software, or data executable by processor 407 to cause processor 407 to execute various routines, algorithms, processes, or methods. Memory 409 may be used for other purposes, including storing data reported from sensors within or attached to the wireless communication node 400, storing additional instructions for causing processor 407 to perform artificial intelligence or other functions, and for other purposes. Processor 407 may be any one or more known processors and, in some embodiments, may be field programmable. If processor 407 is field programmable, processor 407 may be implemented as or include a field programmable gate array.

[0046] As shown very schematically in FIG. 4 and described in more detail below, processor 407 interfaces with the donor antenna and service antennas 401-404 to receive and process wireless signals received by antennas 401-404 and to provide beam control signals to antennas 401-404 when antennas 401-404 are constructed to be able to receive beam control signals and respond to such control signals. For example, antennas 401-404 may be controllable by processor 407 when antennas 401-404 are constructed to facilitate electronic beamforming (e.g., beamforming, beam steering, or spatial filtering), such as when antennas 401-404 are electronically controllable phased array antennas.

[0047] One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the block diagram of FIG. 4 does not depict the various components that may be included in a particular wireless communication node 400, including, but not limited to, a power supply, one or more wireless transceivers, filters, a high-precision clock, and various other conventional components and modules of 5G wireless communication equipment. Such components have been omitted from the drawings to minimize complexity and facilitate a better understanding of the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0048] To protect antennas 401-404 from the effects of weather and other environments, antennas 401-404 may form part of an antenna module 405 that may include a housing 616 and / or a support structure. If included, the support structure may be a platform 428, a post 418, a combination thereof, or any other element or component that can support antennas 401-404 and facilitate their rotation as a group, or may include them. For example, the support structure may be a post 418 or one or more other structures to which antennas 401-404 may be coupled to facilitate their rotation as a group by an actuator 408 or manually, or may include them. Antenna module 405 or its support structure or a part thereof (e.g., post 418) can define a central axis 606 of antenna module 405, about which donor antenna and service antennas 401-404 are configured in a predetermined arrangement (e.g., orthogonal to their adjacent antennas when a total of four antennas 401-404 are used).

[0049] When the wireless communication node 400 also performs functions based on the amount of detected ambient light, for example, when the wireless communication node 400 is configured to provide control of a street light fixture 206 or other overhead lighting equipment on which, mounted, or controlled by the wireless communication node 400, the wireless communication node 400 can include a light sensor 430. In some embodiments, the light sensor 430 can be positioned within the antenna module 405, or another electronic device or module 440 of the wireless communication node 400 to which the antenna module 405 is attached. The electronic module 440 can be a small cell node or a multi-functional device that includes, for example, a small cell function, a light control function, power measurement, tilt and / or vibration sensing, an image capture function, and / or a general Internet of Things (IoT) function. When the wireless communication node 400 includes the antenna module 405 and / or the electronic module 440 to which the antenna module 405 is attached, the wireless communication node 400 or its antenna module 405 can further include a light pipe 420 for directing ambient light towards the light sensor 430 of the wireless communication node. When the light sensor 430 is included within the electronic module 440 to which the antenna module 405 is attached and the electronic module 440 and its light sensor 430 are positioned below (or above depending on the installation configuration) the antenna module 405, the light pipe 420 can be routed through the antenna module housing 616 or through an antenna module support structure such as a post 418 configured between the antenna module housing 616 and an opening within the electronic module 440 aligned with the light sensor 430.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6, the wireless communication node 400 can be mounted on a street lamp or other equipment exposed to street light or ambient light. When the wireless communication node 400 is mounted on a street lamp, the optical sensor 430 of the wireless communication node can be used as part of a system for controlling the operation of the street lamp. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the light pipe 420 and the optical sensor 430 are shown linearly arranged along the central vertical axis of the antenna module 105, such as along an axis defined by the post 418 of the support structure. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the light pipe 420 can be wired in any way so as to direct ambient light to the optical sensor 430 positioned below the antenna module 405 or at another location. In a further embodiment, the optical sensor 420 may be included within the antenna module 405 rather than within the electronic module 440 to which the antenna module 405 is attached.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the wireless communication node 400 can be mounted on a street lamp by using an electrical socket incorporated in the upper part of the street lamp fixture 206. To fix the wireless communication node 400 to the street lamp with sufficient strength to withstand wind loads and various other environmental conditions, the wireless communication node 400 or a part thereof (e.g., the electronic module 440) can be fixed to the street lamp post 208 by using a mounting bracket 204.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows exemplary antenna implementations and beam pattern formations for the various antennas 401 - 404 of the wireless communication node 400 of FIG. 4, according to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna implementations and beam pattern formations shown in FIG. 7 can also be used to implement and form the beam patterns for the antennas 101 - 104 of the wireless communication node 200 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0053] In some embodiments, one or more of the donor antenna and service antennas 101-104, 401-404 may be implemented, or may include a phased antenna array 611 that houses an array of antenna elements 612. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the phased antenna array module 611 may be part of the donor antenna 401 or any other antennas 101-104, 402-404, and may include an array of antenna elements 612 configured on a substrate. The antenna elements 612 of the phased antenna array 611 are coupled to a local controller board 620 that can form one of the processors 407, enabling the controller board 620 to form and reform (e.g., steer) a beam pattern 601 for the applicable antennas 101-104, 401-404 (e.g., the donor antenna 401 in this example). According to some embodiments, the donor antenna 401 has a higher gain and a narrower beam width than the gains and beam widths of the service antennas 402-404. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the donor antenna 401 has a high-gain, narrow-bandwidth (e.g., a conical field of view range of 5 degrees to 20 degrees) beam pattern directed towards the discovered base station 610. During the beamforming process performed upon discovery of the base station, one or more of the processors 407 (e.g., the local controller 620) provide beam control signals to the antennas 401-404 to form beam patterns for the antennas 401-404 (e.g., pattern 601 for the donor antenna 401, pattern 602 for one of the service antennas 402, and pattern 604 for the service antenna 404). As shown in FIG. 7, note that one or more of the service antennas 402-404 may not be used after discovery of the base station 610, as service coverage may not be required within the one or more coverage areas of such one or more antennas.Instructions stored in the memory 409 of the wireless communication node can cause the processor 407 to use only a portion of the service antennas 402-404 after discovery of the base station 610, depending on the location of the service area to be supported by the service antennas 402-404.

[0054] FIG. 8 shows a logical flow diagram 800 of steps performed to configure the donor antenna and service antennas 401-404 of an alternative exemplary wireless communication node 400, according to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The logical flow steps of FIG. 8 may be performed by one or more processors 407 of the wireless communication node 400 through execution of instructions stored in the node's memory 409.

[0055] According to the logical flow of FIG. 8, the processor 407 processes at least one wireless signal received by the donor antenna 401 (801) and determines whether the wireless signal received by the donor antenna 401 meets a base station discovery criterion (803). As described above, such criteria can include, among other things, whether the signal includes an identifier for the base station (e.g., a gNB identifier), whether the signal strength or other signal quality metric for the received signal meets a desired strength or quality level, whether the channel load for the base station is determined to be less than a maximum threshold based on data or information in the signal, and / or whether the frequency and bandwidth supported by the base station are within a desired frequency range having a minimum bandwidth threshold.

[0056] When the processed signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, the processor 407 rotates (805) the center axis 606 by an angular displacement around the donor antenna and the service antennas 401 - 404 as a group. The angular displacement may be any desired displacement. In an exemplary embodiment, the angular displacement is in the range of 5 - 15 degrees in a specific direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise). The processor 407 can perform the rotation by providing one or more actuation control signals to an actuator 408 configured to rotate the support structure to which the antennas 401 - 404 are coupled.

[0057] After the antennas 401 - 404 are rotated by the angular displacement, the processor processes (801) another signal received by the donor antenna 401 while it is oriented in the new direction and determines (803) whether the received signal meets the base station discovery criteria. When this received signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, the rotation and processing routine continues until the radio signal received by the donor antenna 401 meets the base station discovery criteria. The angular displacement in each rotation phase of the antenna configuration process can be the same as or different from the previous angular displacement depending on the algorithm or method selected for base station discovery. For example, if a coarse / fine discovery technique is implemented, the angular displacement of the group of antennas 401 - 404 can be larger earlier in the process and then gradually smaller.

[0058] When the radio signal received by the donor antenna 401 meets the base station discovery criteria, the processor forms (807) a beam pattern for the donor antenna 401 in the direction in which the radio signal meeting the base station discovery criteria is received (e.g., in the direction of the discovered base station 610 that transmitted the radio signal). The processor 407 can form the beam pattern of the donor antenna by providing one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna 401 (e.g., to the antenna elements 612 of the donor antenna) to cause the donor antenna 401 to form a beam pattern for achieving a signal strength above a threshold for subsequent signals received from the discovered base station 610.

[0059] The processor 407 also forms beam patterns for the service antennas 402 - 404 (809) to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas. The beam patterns for the service antennas 402 - 404 can have a gain and a conical field of view that are substantially smaller than the gain and the conical field of view of the donor antenna 401. The processor 407 can form the beam pattern of each service antenna by providing one or more beam control signals to the respective service antennas 402 - 404 (e.g., to the antenna elements 612 of the service antennas) to cause the service antennas 402 - 404 to form a beam pattern having a desired gain and conical field of view.

[0060] FIG. 9 shows an alternative logical flow diagram 900 of steps performed to configure the donor antenna and the service antennas 401 - 404 of the wireless communication node 400 of FIG. 4, according to an additional exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The logical flow steps of FIG. 9 can be performed by one or more processors 407 of the wireless communication node 400 through the execution of instructions stored in the memory 409 of the node.

[0061] According to the logical flow of FIG. 9, the processor 407 processes at least one wireless signal received by the donor antenna 401 (901) and collects candidate base station data from the signal (903). The candidate base station data can be (a) the direction in which the wireless signal was received by the donor antenna 401 relative to the starting position of the group of antennas 401 - 404, and (b) any data necessary to determine whether the wireless signal meets the base station discovery criteria.

[0062] Next, the processor 407 determines (905) whether the group of antennas 401-404 has completed a predetermined rotation or angular displacement. When the group of antennas 401-404 has not completed the predetermined angular displacement, the processor 407 incrementally rotates the antennas 401-404 as a group by an angular displacement that can be determined based on various factors including the installation location of the wireless communication node 400, the usage case, the quantity and location of possible signal obstacles, etc. (907). In an exemplary embodiment, the increment of the angular displacement is in the range of 5 to 15 degrees in a specific direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise). The processor 407 can perform the rotation by providing one or more actuation control signals to an actuator 408 configured to rotate the support structure to which the antennas 401-404 are coupled.

[0063] After the antennas 401-404 are incrementally rotated as a group by the angular displacement, the processor 407 processes (901), if any, the wireless signals received by the donor antenna 401 and collects (903), if any, additional candidate base station data from the signals. Next, the processor 407 determines whether the group of antennas 401-404 has completed the predetermined rotation. If not, the rotation, processing, and collection functions of logic flow blocks 907, 901, and 903 continue until the antennas 401-404 are rotated as a group by a predetermined angular displacement (e.g., 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees, or some other selected displacement amount). If the predetermined angular displacement is greater than 180 degrees, the processor 407 can transmit actuation control signals to the actuator 408 to rotate the donor antenna and the service antennas 401-404 as a group by up to 180 degrees in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) from the starting position to relieve any twisting of the cables that may be connected to the antennas 401-404, the antenna module 405 including the antennas 401-404, or the support structure to which the antennas 401-404 are coupled.

[0064] After the antennas 401 to 404 are rotated as a group by a predetermined angular displacement, the processor 407 selects (909) a base station based on the collected candidate base station data, and forms (911) a beam pattern for the donor antenna 401 in the direction of the selected base station (for example, in the direction from which a radio signal from the selected base station was received during the candidate base station data collection process). The processor 407 can form the beam pattern of the donor antenna by providing one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna 401 (for example, to the antenna element 612 of the donor antenna) to cause the donor antenna 401 to form a beam pattern to achieve a signal strength above a threshold for subsequent signals received from the selected base station.

[0065] The processor 407 also forms (913) beam patterns for the service antennas 402 to 404 to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas. The beam patterns for the service antennas 402 to 404 can have a substantially smaller gain and a wider conical field of view than the gain and conical field of view of the donor antenna 401. The processor 407 can form the beam pattern of each service antenna by providing one or more beam control signals to each of the service antennas 402 to 404 (for example, to the antenna element 612 of the service antenna) to cause the service antennas 402 to 404 to form a beam pattern having a desired gain and conical field of view.

[0066] According to another exemplary embodiment where the wireless communication node 400 includes an alert mechanism 411, the processor 407 processes the wireless signal received by the donor antenna 401 as described above and determines whether the wireless signal meets or exceeds the base station discovery criteria. When the wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, the processor 407 controls the alert mechanism 411 to notify a user, such as the installer of the wireless node 400, that the base station discovery criteria are not met. For example, the processor 407 can send one or more alert control signals to the alert mechanism 411 to cause the alert mechanism 411 to continuously display a specific color (e.g., red) or display it for a short period of time between 10 seconds and 60 seconds (e.g., if the alert mechanism 411 is an LED), or communicate a message (e.g., a "no lock" message) to a mobile application running on a mobile device owned by the user (e.g., if the alert mechanism 411 is a wireless communication module), to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are not met.

[0067] After sending the alert control signal to the alert mechanism 411, the processor 407 can wait until the group of antennas 401 - 404 is rotated manually or electronically by only an angular displacement (e.g., only within the range of 5 degrees to 45 degrees), for example, for a predetermined time such as 1 minute to 5 minutes, or until an instruction is received by a mobile application or other means. For example, a support structure such as the antenna module 405 to which the antennas 401 - 404 are coupled can be rotated by such an angular displacement, thereby rotating all the antennas 401 - 404 within the group by the angular displacement.

[0068] When the standby period ends, the processor 407 processes another radio signal received by the donor antenna 401 to determine whether the radio signal meets the base station discovery criteria. When the newly received signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria, the processor 407 sends one or more alert control signals to the alert mechanism 411, causing the alert mechanism 411 to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are not met and wait until the next angular displacement of the group of antennas 401 - 404. When the processor 407 determines that the radio signal received by the donor antenna 401 meets the base station discovery criteria, the processor 407 sends one or more other alert control signals to the alert mechanism 411, causing the alert mechanism 411 to continuously display a different color (e.g., green) for 10 to 60 seconds (e.g., if the alert mechanism 411 is an LED), or communicate a different message (e.g., "Lock completed" or "Lock successful" message) to a mobile application running on the user's mobile device (e.g., if the alert mechanism 411 is a wireless communication module), to notify the user that the base station discovery criteria are met. Further, the wireless communication node 400 can establish a connection with the base station that transmitted the radio signal meeting the criteria via the operation of the processor 407. After establishing the connection, or as part of it, the processor 407 can provide a beam control signal to the donor antenna 401 to cause the donor antenna 401 to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the base station.

[0069] In some embodiments, the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can further include at least one or more processors (not shown) mounted on a substrate that can further include a communication module or transceiver that enables wireless communication of data and control signals via one or any number of known wireless protocols (such as LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, etc.).

[0070] The wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can provide wireless communication capabilities to any one or more devices having corresponding wireless transceivers. In some cases, for example, using the functions provided by the wireless communication nodes 200, 400, the electronic components embedded in the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 are configured to operate as Wi-Fi access points. In this way, the electronic components enable one or more mobile devices to access the Internet. A local government or other organization can make Internet services available to remote mobile devices in the vicinity of any one of the plurality of wireless communication nodes 200, 400 over a determined geographical area (e.g., neighborhood, city, stadium, construction site, campus, etc.). For example, if many street lighting facilities in a neighborhood or city are equipped with wireless communication devices such as the wireless communication nodes 200, 400, Wi-Fi services can be provided to a large number of users. Further, based on seamless communication between embodiments of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the Wi-Fi services can be configured as a mesh that enables users to perceive a certain level of Internet connectivity even when the mobile devices are in motion.

[0071] In some embodiments, the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can monitor one or more sensors or conditions associated with the corresponding street lighting facilities for events. Examples of events include light source failure (e.g., bulb burnout), pole tilt, external vibration, light source temperature, external temperature, power consumption, image capture, motion detection, recording, vehicle or pedestrian traffic, ambient light level, or other information that can be acquired or recorded by the wireless communication nodes 200, 400, but are not limited thereto.

[0072] The wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can be part of a system or network such as street lamp poles, street lighting facilities, street light sources, etc. in a system-level deployment controlled by a local government or other government agency. In other cases, this system may be controlled by a private entity (e.g., a private property owner, a third-party service contractor, etc.). In still other cases, multiple entities can share the control of a system such as street lamp poles, street lighting facilities, street light sources, etc.

[0073] In other embodiments, each of the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 may be equipped with communication capabilities, which enables the monitoring or remote control of the light sources of street lighting facilities or other utility devices. Thus, each light source within each street lighting facility, or in a broader context, each device within any facility, can be remotely monitored and controlled independently or in combination. In the case of street lighting facilities, each street lighting facility can be monitored and / or controlled as an independent light source or in combination with other light sources, and the electronic device can serve to provide wireless (or wired) communication of light control signals and any other information (e.g., packetized data) between wireless communication devices.

[0074] As one non-limiting and non-exhaustive example, each of the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can operate as a small cell node, a relay node, or a repeater to provide wireless cellular-based network communication services. A mobile device provisioned by a mobile network operator or carrier can communicate with the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 in the same or a similar manner as the mobile device communicates with a macro cell tower. In at least some cases, an active communication session formed between the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 and the mobile device may be handed off between different wireless communication nodes 200, 400 when the mobile device moves into or out of the active range of the wireless communication nodes 200, 400. For example, a user having an active communication session enabled by the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 may be mobile, and when the mobile device is in motion, the active communication session may, in some cases, be automatically and seamlessly handed off and continue via another wireless communication node 200, 400 or via a macro cell tower.

[0075] The wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can be integrated with lighting equipment or utility poles and can be formed of any number of materials. The wireless communication nodes 200, 400 can be configured as network devices, but in other embodiments, the wireless communication device is a smart sensor device, a combination device, some other wireless network device, or some other control device. In some embodiments, the lighting equipment can include a light source that can be an incandescent light source, a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, a high-pressure sodium lamp, or any other type of light source.

[0076] Also in this case, the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 are not limited to being attached to street lights, and can be attached to any number of objects including, but not limited to, utility poles, LED boards, brackets, road signs, highway signs, bus stops, automated teller machines (ATMs), telephone booths, buildings, HVAC units, mailboxes, billboards, lighting, parking signs, stop lights, speed limit signs, solar cells, crosswalk signs, tunnels, utility boxes, water towers, cranes, wireless antenna towers, stores, awnings, roofs, or toll booths. In some embodiments, each of these items is identified within a map of the map service so that appropriate modifications can be made using base station selection as well as beamforming of the donor antenna and the serving antenna.

[0077] References herein to "substrate" or "board" may refer to a circuit board, which may include, but is not limited to, a printed circuit board ("PCB") such as a single-sided PCB, double-sided PCB, multi-layer PCB, rigid PCB, flexible PCB, or hybrid rigid-flex PCB, or may be a part of a housing that functions as a substrate. As will be understood, any of the above circuit boards may include various electronic components coupled to or carried by the circuit board, such as, for example, integrated circuits, integrated circuit chips or dies (including, but not limited to, semiconductor chips or dies), wires, transistors, lead frames or pads, antennas, receivers, transmitters, transceivers, or other components. Further, each of the above-described electronic components can communicate electronically with one or more of the other electronic components, either wired or wirelessly (e.g., for transmitting power or signals among other functions). Further, it should be understood that any of the above may be coupled to one or more of the other electronic components of the wireless communication nodes 200, 400 via one or more known coupling techniques or materials.

[0078] Furthermore, in some cases, one or more internal or external antennas may be electrically and communicatively coupled to the wireless communication nodes 200, 400, and may be incorporated into or mounted on various features of external equipment such as utility poles. In some examples, one or more wires may extend through a utility pole to communicatively and electrically couple a wireless communication device to one or more antennas.

[0079] Furthermore, the present disclosure includes a method for forming a wireless communication node, the forming including providing electronic components within a housing enclosure suitable for attachment to any of the objects described herein and other similar objects, installing a wireless communication device, and connecting the wireless communication device to a power source or other utility line for transmitting power and data via one or more wires or cables or via a wireless communication channel.

[0080] It should be understood that, in the absence of specific descriptions related to explicit use in a particular context, when the terms "substantially" or "about" are used as modifiers in the present disclosure and the appended claims (e.g., when modifying a structure, dimension, measurement, or any other characteristic), the characteristic may vary by up to 30 percent. For example, a wireless communication network device may be described as being mounted "substantially vertically." In these cases, a device mounted exactly vertically is mounted along the "X" axis that is perpendicular (i.e., 90 degrees or at a right angle) to the plane or line formed by the "Y" axis and the "Z" axis. Unlike the exact precision of the term "vertical," the use of "substantially" or "about" to modify a characteristic allows for a maximum variation of 30 percent for a particular characteristic.

[0081] The term "include" and its variations are to be construed in all its syntactic contexts as having an open and inclusive meaning (e.g., "including, but not limited to") without limitation. The term "or" is inclusive and means and / or. The phrases "associated with" and "relating thereto" and their derivatives can be understood to mean including, contained within, interconnected with, enclosing, enclosed within, connected to, or connected with, coupled to, or coupled with, capable of communicating with, cooperating with, interleaving, juxtaposing, in proximity to, associated with, or associated with, having, having the characteristics of, etc.

[0082] Throughout this specification and the following claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense (e.g., "including, but not limited to").

[0083] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" and their variations mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0084] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, the connecting terms "and" and "or" are generally used in their broadest sense to include "and / or" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, in which case the inclusivity or exclusivity may be specified. Additionally, when "and / or" is described in this specification, the constructs of "and" and "or" are intended to encompass embodiments that include all of the relevant items or ideas, and one or more alternative embodiments that include less than all of the relevant items or ideas.

[0085] In this disclosure, connection lists utilize an Oxford comma, Harvard comma, serial comma, or a comma known by another similar term. Such lists are intended to connect words, clauses, or sentences such that those following the comma are also included in the list.

[0086] As the context may require in this disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise, the singular means the plural and vice versa. All pronouns shall mean the persons, groups, companies, or enterprises to which they refer and include them.

[0087] When configured as described herein, each computing device can be transformed from a general-purpose and non-specific computing device into a combination device that includes hardware and software configured for a particular purpose. When arranged as described herein, the ordered combinations of elements and limitations are explicitly presented to provide the required inventive concepts to the extent that any of the inventive concepts described herein are found to be subsumed by an abstract idea by a competent tribunal, by converting the abstract idea into its tangible and concrete practical application.

[0088] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, as necessary, to employ concepts from various patents, applications, and publications to provide further embodiments.

Claims

1. A wireless communication node, A plurality of antennas positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, the plurality of antennas including a donor antenna and one or more service antennas, the donor antenna being operable to communicate a wireless signal to a base station after the base station has been discovered by the wireless communication node, and the one or more service antennas being operable to communicate a wireless signal within one or more service areas, the plurality of antennas; An actuator operable to rotate the plurality of antennas as a group about the central axis in response to one or more control signals; One or more processors operable to communicate the one or more control signals to the actuator and process at least a wireless signal received by the donor antenna; A memory storing processor-executable instructions; Comprising, When the processor-executable instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors, Process a first wireless signal received by the donor antenna, Determine whether the first wireless signal meets a base station discovery criterion, When the first wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criterion, communicate a first control signal to the actuator, whereupon the first control signal causes the actuator to rotate the plurality of antennas as a group by an angular displacement, After rotating the plurality of antennas as a group by the angular displacement, process a second wireless signal received by the donor antenna, Determine whether the second wireless signal meets the base station discovery criterion. A wireless communication node.

2. By the processor-executable instructions, the one or more processors further, When the second wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criterion, communicate a second control signal to the actuator, whereupon the second control signal causes the actuator to rotate the plurality of antennas as a group by another angular displacement. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

3. By the processor-executable instructions, the one or more processors further, Providing one or more beam control signals to each of the one or more service antennas, and after it is determined that at least one of the first radio signal and the second radio signal meets the base station discovery criterion, causing the service antenna to form a beam pattern for providing radio coverage to the one or more service areas. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

4. Each of the one or more service antennas includes an array of antenna elements configured in a phased antenna array, and by the processor-executable instructions, the one or more processors further Providing the one or more beam control signals to the phased antenna array of each respective service antenna, and causing the phased antenna array to form a desired beam pattern directed to the service area. The wireless communication node according to claim 3.

5. By the processor-executable instructions, the one or more processors further When at least one of the first radio signal and the second radio signal meets the base station discovery criterion, providing one or more beam control signals to the donor antenna, and causing the donor antenna to form a beam pattern in the direction of the base station. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

6. The donor antenna includes an array of antenna elements configured in a phased antenna array, and by the processor-executable instructions, the one or more processors further Providing the one or more beam control signals to the phased antenna array, and causing the phased antenna array to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the base station. The wireless communication node according to claim 5.

7. The plurality of antennas includes a total of four antennas, one of the donor antennas and three of the service antennas, and each of the four antennas is configured to be substantially orthogonal to an adjacent one of the four antennas. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

8. Further including a support structure defining the central axis, The plurality of antennas are operably coupled to the support structure, The actuator is operable to rotate the support structure in response to the one or more control signals. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

9. At least one of the support structure and the antenna module that houses the plurality of antennas includes a light pipe that directs ambient light towards the optical sensor. The wireless communication node according to claim 8.

10. By the processor-executable instructions, after the one or more processors further detect that the wireless communication node has been powered on, an initial control signal is communicated to the actuator. The initial control signal is part of an automatic configuration operation, and causes the actuator to incrementally rotate the plurality of antennas as a group by a predetermined angular displacement around a central axis until a predetermined rotation is completed. During the rotation of the plurality of antennas as a group, the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are received by the donor antenna. The wireless communication node according to claim 1.

11. A method for configuring a plurality of antennas of a wireless communication node for operation in a wireless communication system including at least one base station and the wireless communication node, the plurality of antennas including one donor antenna and a plurality of service antennas configured in a predetermined arrangement around a central axis. Processing a first wireless signal received by the donor antenna. Determining whether the first wireless signal meets a base station discovery criterion. When the first wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criterion, rotating the plurality of antennas as a group around the central axis by an angular displacement. After rotating the plurality of antennas as a group, processing a second wireless signal received by the donor antenna. Determining whether the second wireless signal meets the base station discovery criterion. When the second wireless signal meets the base station discovery criterion, establishing a wireless connection with the base station that transmitted the second wireless signal. A method comprising:

12. Forming a beam pattern for the donor antenna to achieve a signal strength above a threshold for subsequent signals received from the base station. Forming respective beam patterns for the plurality of service antennas to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of rotating the plurality of antennas as a group by another angular displacement about the central axis when the second wireless signal does not meet the base station discovery criteria.

14. A wireless communication node, comprising a plurality of antennas positioned in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, the plurality of antennas including a donor antenna and one or more service antennas, the donor antenna being operable to communicate a wireless signal to a base station after the base station has been discovered by the wireless communication node, and the one or more service antennas being operable to communicate a wireless signal within one or more service areas; a plurality of antennas, an actuator operable to rotate the plurality of antennas as a group about the central axis in response to one or more control signals; one or more processors operable to communicate the one or more control signals to the actuator and process at least the wireless signals received by the donor antenna; a memory storing processor-executable instructions; comprising When the processor-executable instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors communicate at least one of the control signals to the actuator to cause the actuator to incrementally rotate the plurality of antennas as a group by an angular displacement until a predetermined angular rotation is completed; process one or more wireless signals received by the donor antenna for each increment of the angular displacement to collect candidate base station data; select a base station to communicate with based on the candidate base station data; provide a beam control signal to the donor antenna to cause the donor antenna to form a desired beam pattern in the direction of the selected base station; A wireless communication node.

15. The wireless communication node according to claim 14, wherein the candidate base station data of the selected base station meets the base station discovery criteria.

16. A method for configuring a plurality of antennas of a wireless communication node for operation in a wireless communication system including at least one base station and the wireless communication node, the plurality of antennas including one donor antenna and a plurality of service antennas configured in a predetermined arrangement about a central axis, Rotating the plurality of antennas incrementally by an angular displacement until a predetermined angular displacement is completed, as a group; Processing one or more radio signals received by the donor antenna for each increment of the angular displacement to collect candidate base station data; Selecting a base station to be connected based on the candidate base station data; After selecting the base station based on the candidate base station data, establishing a wireless connection with the base station; A method comprising the steps of. **Claim 17** Forming a beam pattern for the donor antenna in the direction of the base station; Forming respective beam patterns for the plurality of service antennas to provide wireless coverage to one or more service areas; The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of.

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