A system and method for configuring a multimode antenna based on network performance metrics for wireless networks.

Abstract

This configuration involves installing a multimode antenna on one or more network devices within a wireless network. [Solution] In system 100, the computing device 162 of the network controller 160 includes a processor that obtains data indicating channel quality indicators related to one or more antenna modes Am-1 to AM-3 that constitute a multimode antenna 120 mounted on one or more of the network devices 110. Each of the multiple antenna modes has a distinct radiation pattern. Based on the aforementioned data, the processor determines one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network 150 and supplies one or more control signals through the wireless network. One or more control signals are associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna modes of the multimode antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Priority Claim

[0001] This application has a filing date of September 11, 2020, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 077,070, entitled "System and Method for Configuring a Multi-Mode Antenna Based on Network Performance Indicators for a Wireless Network". By this reference to this patent application, its content is hereby incorporated into this application. Thereby, the content thereof is also included in this application.

[0002] field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to network devices on a wireless network, and more particularly to beam-steering of a multi-mode antenna mounted on one or more network devices based on network performance indicators for a wireless network. Prior Art

[0003]

[0003] Multimode antennas can be used in a variety of applications. For example, a multimode antenna can be used in a smartphone to facilitate communication with other devices, such as other smartphones. A multimode antenna can be configured to be configurable to multiple antenna modes. Each of the multiple antenna modes may have a distinct radiation pattern. Furthermore, one or more control devices can be configured to obtain data indicating a channel quality indicator (CQI) while the multimode antenna is configured to each of the multiple antenna modes. One or more control devices can be configured to determine, at least in part, one of the multiple antenna modes as the selected antenna mode for the multimode antenna, based on the relevant CQI data. In this way, the multimode antenna can be configured to an antenna mode (e.g., a selected antenna mode) that provides an optimal or near-optimal communication link between the multimode antenna and one or more remote devices (e.g., routers, cell towers, etc.). [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0004]

[0004] The aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure are partially expressed in the following description, can be learned from that description, or can be acquired through the implementation of the embodiments.

[0005]

[0005] In one embodiment, a system is provided for configuring a multimode antenna mounted on one or more of a plurality of network devices on a wireless network. The system includes one or more processors configured to obtain data indicating channel quality metrics associated with one or more antenna modes from a plurality of antenna modes that can constitute a multimode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices. Each of the plurality of antenna modes may have a distinct radiation pattern. The one or more processors may be configured to determine one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network based on the aforementioned data. The one or more processors may determine the wireless network based on the one or more network performance metrics. Through this, it can be configured to supply one or more control signals. One or more control signals can be associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna mode of a multimode antenna.

[0006]

[0006] In another embodiment, a method is provided for configuring a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices on a wireless network. The method includes obtaining data through a network controller of the wireless network that indicates channel quality metrics associated with one or more antenna modes among a plurality of antenna modes that can constitute a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices. Each of the plurality of antenna modes has a distinct radiation pattern. The method includes the step of the network controller determining one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network, at least in part, based on the aforementioned data. The method includes the step of the network controller supplying one or more control signals through the wireless network, at least in part, based on one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network. One or more control signals are associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna modes of the multimode antenna mounted on at least one of the plurality of network devices.

[0007]

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a computing device is provided, which includes a multimode antenna configurable to operate in multiple antenna modes, each of which has a distinct radiation pattern. The computing device includes one or more control devices, which are configured to configure the multimode antenna in each of the multiple antenna modes. The one or more control devices are configured to obtain channel quality index data while the multimode antenna is configured in each of the multiple antenna modes. The one or more control devices are configured to supply channel quality index data for one or more of the antenna modes to a network controller via a wireless network. The one or more control devices are configured to obtain one or more control signals from the network controller via a wireless network. The one or more control signals are associated at least in part with an operation to configure the multimode antenna in an antenna mode selected from the multiple antenna modes, based at least in part with a network performance index determined by the network controller based at least in part on channel quality index data for one or more antenna modes. One or more control devices are configured to configure a multimode antenna to a selected antenna mode.

[0008]

[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the various embodiments will be better understood by referring to the following description and the appended claims. The accompanying drawings are incorporated into this specification and constitute part thereof. These accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to illustrate the principles relating thereto. .

[0009]

[0009] With reference to the attached drawings, a detailed description of embodiments intended for those skilled in the art will be given in this specification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A system for configuring a multimode antenna based on network performance metrics for a wireless network is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This disclosure shows a multimode antenna according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This document shows a two-dimensional radiation pattern associated with a multimode antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] The frequency characteristics (plot) of a multimode antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. [Figure 5] This document shows a block diagram of the components of a network device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating a method for configuring a multimode antenna based on network performance metrics for a wireless network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating another method for configuring a multimode antenna based on network performance metrics for a wireless network, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011]

[0017] Embodiments will now be described in detail, with one or more examples shown in the drawings. Each example is provided for illustrative purposes of the embodiments and not to limit the disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For example, a feature illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used in conjunction with other embodiments to create yet another embodiment. In other words, aspects of the disclosure are intended to extend their scope to such modifications and variations.

[0012]

[0018] Examples of embodiments of this disclosure relate to a system for controlling the operation of a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices based on one or more network performance metrics for a wireless network. This system may include a network controller that can communicate with multiple network devices over the wireless network. A multimode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices may be configurable into multiple antenna modes. Each of the multiple antenna modes may have a distinct radiation pattern. The network controller may be configured to obtain data from each of the multiple network devices. In one embodiment, the network controller may be configured, at least partially, to obtain data based on events. For example, in one embodiment, this event may correspond to a time interval. That is, in such an embodiment, the network controller may be configured, at least partially, to obtain data based on the passage of a time interval. In an alternative embodiment, the network controller may be configured to obtain data continuously.

[0013]

[0019] In one embodiment, the network controller receives data from a network device having a multi-modal antenna. The network controller can display channel quality metrics associated with one or more of the multiple configurable antenna modes. Alternatively, or in addition, each of the multiple network devices may include one or more control devices configured to run software applications (e.g., third-party software) stored on a memory device associated with each of the corresponding network devices. The software applications may be configured to determine data indicating the performance of the corresponding network devices. For example, one or more control devices running a software application may be configured to detect violations of data limits set for the corresponding network devices. As will be discussed below, the network controller obtains, at least in part, data from each of the multiple network devices. Based on the collected data, it can be configured to determine one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network.

[0014]

[0020] In one embodiment, a network controller may be configured to supply data from each of a plurality of network devices as input to one or more machine learning models. The one or more machine learning models may be configured to process the data from each of the plurality of network devices and output one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network. These one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network may indicate the overall performance of the wireless network. Examples of one or more network performance metrics may include at least one of the uplink speeds for each of the plurality of network devices over a certain period of time, or the downlink speeds associated with each of the plurality of network devices over the same period. Alternatively, or in addition, the one or more network performance metrics may include data indicating the amount of traffic on the wireless network over the same period. In one embodiment, the one or more network performance metrics may include channel quality metrics (e.g., received signal strength metrics) associated with each link in the wireless network.

[0015]

[0021] A network controller can be configured to supply one or more control signals to one or more network devices on a wireless network, based at least partially on one or more network performance metrics. For example, in one embodiment, one or more network performance metrics may indicate that the amount of traffic derived through a first network device among multiple network devices exceeds a threshold at a given time of day (e.g., morning, noon, evening). In such an embodiment, the network controller can be configured to supply one or more control signals to one or more network devices other than the first network device. More specifically, one or more network devices are multi-modal When having an antenna, one or more control signals can be associated with an operation of adjusting the antenna mode of a multi-mode antenna from a first antenna mode in which the radiation pattern of the multi-mode antenna is aimed at a first network device to a second antenna mode in which the radiation pattern of the multi-mode antenna is no longer aimed at the first network device. Thus, the amount of traffic derived through the first network device at a given time of day can be reduced to a level below a threshold value, improving the performance of the wireless network.

[0016]

[0022] In one embodiment, one or more network performance metrics can be signals indicating maintenance actions associated with network devices of a wireless network. Examples of network devices can include access points, bridges, hubs, network switches, network controllers, wiring (e.g., Ethernet cables), or any other type of device configured to facilitate communication between two or more nodes of a wireless network. In such an embodiment, the network controller can supply one or more control signals to one or more network devices having a multi-mode antenna and configure the antenna mode of the multi-mode antenna to switch from an operation in a first antenna mode in which the multi-mode antenna is communicating with a network device to an operation in a second antenna mode in which the multi-mode antenna is no longer communicating with the network device. Thus, the path of traffic on the network can be changed until maintenance work is performed on the network device. When having an antenna, one or more control signals can be associated with an operation of adjusting the antenna mode of a multi-mode antenna from a first antenna mode in which the radiation pattern of the multi-mode antenna is aimed at a first network device to a second antenna mode in which the radiation pattern of the multi-mode antenna is no longer aimed at the first network device. Thus, the amount of traffic derived through the first network device at a given time of day can be reduced to a level below a threshold value, improving the performance of the wireless network.

[0017]

[0023] The system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure has a number of technical effects (benefits) and advantages (ad It is possible to provide (a vantage). For example, by supplying data (such as CQI values) associated with the performance of multi-mode antennas mounted on each of a plurality of network devices to a network controller, the accuracy of one or more network performance metrics determined by the network controller for a wireless network can be improved. Further, the network controller can at least partially determine an adjustment to the antenna mode of a multi-mode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices based on one or more network performance metrics. More specifically, this adjustment can be associated with an operation of switching the antenna mode of the multi-mode antenna for one or more network devices from a first antenna mode to a second antenna mode different from the first antenna mode in order to improve the performance of the wireless network. Further, as discussed above, when the connectivity (such as link quality) of network equipment associated with the wireless network is less than a threshold and cannot be improved any further, the network controller can switch the antenna mode of the multi-mode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices from the first antenna mode to the second antenna mode so that one or more network devices no longer communicate with this network equipment. In this way, the network equipment can be kept offline so that maintenance work can be performed there.

[0018]

[0024] Referring to the drawings thereafter, Figure 1 shows a system 100 comprising a multimode antenna 120 based on network performance indicators for a wireless network 150. In one embodiment, one or more of the network devices 110 may include, for example, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, tablets, wearable devices). However, it should be understood that the multiple network devices 110 may include any type of network device configured to transmit (e.g., send and / or receive) data through the wireless network 150.

[0019]

[0025] As shown in the figure, one or more of the network devices 110 on the wireless network 150 may include a multimode antenna 120. Furthermore, in one embodiment, one or more of the network devices 110 on the wireless network 150 may include an antenna 121 having a fixed radiation pattern.

[0020]

[0026] In one embodiment, the wireless network 150 can be a cellular network. In such an embodiment, one or more of the network devices 110 may include repeaters, small cells, femtocells, or any other cellular devices configured to operate on a cellular network. It should be understood that the wireless network 150 can include any suitable type of wireless network configured to facilitate communication between multiple network devices 110. For example, in one embodiment, the wireless network 150 may include a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as an 802.11 network (e.g., a WiFi network). In such an embodiment, one or more of the network devices 110 may include gateways, routers, extenders, or any other suitable devices configured to communicate on an 802.11 network. It should also be understood that the wireless network 150 can have any suitable topology. For example, in one embodiment, the wireless network 150 can be a mesh network.

[0021]

[0027] The multimode antenna 120 can be configured to have multiple different antenna modes (e.g., Am-1, Am,2, Am,3, etc.). Each of the multiple antenna modes can be associated with a different radiation pattern and / or polarization. It should be understood that the network device 110 may have any suitable number of multimode antennas 120. For example, in one embodiment, one or more of the network devices 110 may include two or more multimode antennas.

[0022]

[0028] In one embodiment, each of the multiple network devices 110 may include one or more control devices 130. The one or more control devices 130 can be configured to control the operation of antennas 120, 121. For example, one or more control devices 130 of one or more network devices 110 having a multimode antenna 120 can configure the multimode antenna 120 to each of a plurality of antenna modes. In this way, the one or more control devices 130 can obtain data indicating the channel quality index (CQI) for one or more of the plurality of antenna modes (e.g., Am-1, Am-2, Am-3, etc.) that can configure the multimode antenna 120.

[0023]

[0029] In one embodiment, one or more control devices 130 can be configured to implement a software application (e.g., third-party software) stored on one or more memory devices (not shown) associated with the one or more control devices 130. The software application can be associated with the monitoring performance of the wireless network 150. For example, one or more control devices 130 can run a software application to detect violations of data limits set for the corresponding network devices 110. By implementing the software application on each of the multiple network devices 110, the software application can function more closely to the hardware of the corresponding network devices 110 (e.g., multimode antenna 120). In this way, the software application can collect data (e.g., CQI for one or more antenna modes) that provides more detail about the performance (e.g., health) of the corresponding network devices 110.

[0024]

[0030] In such embodiments, each of the multiple network devices 110 may include an application programming interface 140 to facilitate communication between one or more control devices 130 and a software application. For example, the application programming interface 140 can enable one or more control devices 130 mounted on one or more network devices 110 having a multimode antenna 120 to receive requests from a software application for data indicating CQI for one or more antenna modes of the multimode antenna 120. Furthermore, in response to requests from the software application, one or more control devices 130 can supply data indicating CQI associated with one or more antenna modes of the multimode antenna 120 to the software application via the application programming interface 140. It should be acknowledged that the application programming interface 140 can also be bidirectional. In this way, data indicating the performance of the corresponding network device 110 can be determined by the software application and supplied to one or more control devices 130 via the application programming interface 140.

[0025]

[0031] As shown in the figure, system 100 may include a network controller 160. The network controller 160 can communicate with each of a plurality of network devices 110 through the wireless network 150. In this way, the network controller 160 can obtain data from each of the plurality of network devices 110. For example, in one embodiment, the data obtained by the network controller 160 from each of the plurality of network devices 110 may indicate CQI related to one or more antenna modes of a multimode antenna 120 mounted on one or more of the network devices 110. Alternatively, or in addition, the data obtained by the network controller 160 from each of the plurality of network devices 110 may include output data of a software application implemented by one or more control devices 130 mounted on each of the plurality of network devices 110 (e.g., performance of the network device 110). In this way, the network controller 160 can be configured to monitor the health of the wireless network 150 based at least in part on the data obtained from each of the plurality of network devices 110.

[0026]

[0032] The network controller 160 may include one or more computing devices 162. Each computing device 162 may include one or more processors and one or more memory devices. The processor(s) may include any suitable processing device, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, integrated circuit, logic device, or other suitable processing device. The memory device(s) may include one or more computer-readable media, including but not limited to non-temporary computer-readable media, RAM, ROM, hard drives, flash drives, or other memory devices. The memory device(s) may store information accessible by the processor(s), including computer-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor(s). The computer-readable instructions may be any set of instructions, which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the processor(s) to perform an action. The computer-readable instructions may be software written in any suitable programming language, or they may be implemented in hardware. In one embodiment, a computer-readable instruction can be executed by one or more processors to cause one or more processors to perform the operations described therein.

[0027]

[0033] One or more computing devices 162 can be configured, at least in part, to determine one or more network performance metrics for a wireless network 150 based on data indicating CQI related to one or more antenna modes among multiple antenna modes that can constitute a multimode antenna 120 mounted on one or more of the network devices 110. In one embodiment, the network controller 160 uses one or more machine-learned models 64 may be included. In such embodiments, one or more computing devices 162 may be configured to supply data obtained from each of a plurality of network devices 110 (e.g., CQI for one or more antenna modes of a multimode antenna 120) as input to one or more machine learning models 164. One or more machine learning models 164 may be configured to process the data indicating the CQI and output one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network 150. In some embodiments, the network controller 160 may include a display screen 166. Thus, the output data of one or more machine learning models 164 can be supplied for viewing through the display screen 166. Alternatively, or in addition, Data indicating CQI can be supplied for viewing via the display screen 166 of the network controller 160.

[0028]

[0034] It should be acknowledged that one or more machine learning models 164 may include any suitable type of machine learning model. For example, one or more machine learning models 164 may include, but are not limited to, random forest classifiers, logistic regression classifiers, support vector machines, one or more decision trees, neural networks, and / or other types of machine learning models, including both linear and nonlinear models. Examples of neural networks may include feedforward neural networks, recurrent neural networks (e.g., long / short-term memory recurrent neural networks), or other forms of neural networks.

[0029]

[0035] In one embodiment, one or more machine learning models 164 can be trained using a model trainer 168. The model trainer 168 is One or more machine learning models can be trained using one or more training or learning algorithms. One example of a training technique is backpropagation. For example, backpropagation is Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation. It may include: In one embodiment, the model trainer 168 can perform a supervised training technique using a set of supervised training data. In another embodiment, the model trainer 168 can perform an unsupervised training technique using a set of unsupervised training data. The model trainer 168 can perform multiple generalization techniques to improve the generalization ability of the model under training. Generalization techniques include load decay, dropout, or other techniques. Specifically, the model trainer 16 8 can train one or more machine learning models 164 based on a set of training data 169. The training data 169 may include multiple training examples. Each training example may include instances of data showing CQI for one or more antenna modes out of several antenna modes that can constitute the multimode antenna 120.

[0030]

[0036] In one embodiment, one or more computing devices 162 can be configured to perform one or more control actions based at least partially on network performance metrics for the wireless network 150. For example, one or more computing devices 162 can determine one or more adjustments to a multimode antenna 120 mounted on one or more of the network devices 110 based at least partially on one or more network performance metrics. In one embodiment, one or more control actions may include supplying one or more control signals associated with an action to adjust the antenna mode of the multimode antenna 120 of one or more network devices 110. For example, one or more control signals may be associated with an action to switch the multimode antenna 120 of one or more network devices 110 from operation in a first antenna mode to operation in a second antenna mode different from the first antenna mode in order to improve the performance of the wireless network 150.

[0031]

[0037] Examples of data showing channel quality indicators related to one or more antenna modes of the multimode antenna 120 include: Received Signal Strength Index (RSSI), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Signal-to-Interference + Noise Ratio (SINR), Magnitude Error Ratio (MER), Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), and Bit Error Rate (BER). This can include block error rate (BLER), packet error rate (PER), or a combination of the above metrics and / or various other metrics. ru.

[0032]

[0038] In one embodiment, one or more computing devices 162 can be configured to assign each of a plurality of network devices 110 to one or more classes. Furthermore, in one embodiment, one or more computing devices 162 can be configured to set priorities for each of the classes. For example, a first group of network devices 110 can be assigned to a first class having a first priority, while a second group of network devices 110 can be assigned to a second class having a second priority different from the first priority. For example, in one embodiment, the second priority may be lower than the first priority. In an alternative embodiment, the second priority may be higher than the first priority. In one embodiment, one or more computing devices 162 can be configured, at least in part, to determine the priority of the communication links between a first network device among the plurality of network devices 110 and at least a second network device among the plurality of network devices 110, based on the type of data transmitted over the communication links. It should be understood that the priority of the communication link between the first network device and at least the second network device can be determined based on parameters other than the type of data transmitted over this communication link.

[0033]

[0039] Figure 2 shows an example of a multimode antenna 120 according to the present disclosure. As shown, the multimode antenna 120 may include a circuit board 200 (e.g., including a ground plane) and a driven antenna element 202 disposed on the circuit board 200. An antenna space may also be defined between the circuit board 200 (and, e.g., the ground plane) and the driven antenna element 202. The multimode antenna 120 may include a first parasitic element 204 located at least partially within the antenna space. The multimode antenna 120 may further include a first tuning element 206 coupled to the first parasitic element 204. The first tuning element 206 may be a passive or active component or a series of components and may be configured to change the reactance on the first parasitic element 204 by either a variable reactance or a short circuit to ground. It should be acknowledged that changing the reactance of the first parasitic element 204 will result in a frequency shift of the multimode antenna 120. Furthermore, it should be acknowledged that the first tuning element 206 may include at least one of the following: an adjustable capacitor, a MEMS device, an adjustable inductor, a switch, an adjustable phase shifter, a field-effect transistor, or a diode.

[0034]

[0040] In one embodiment, the multimode antenna 120 may include a second parasitic element 208 adjacent to the driven antenna element 202 and located outside the antenna space. The multimode antenna 120 may further include a second tuning element 220. In one embodiment, the second tuning element 220 may be a passive or active component or a series of components and may be configured to change the reactance on the second parasitic element 208 by either a variable reactance or a short circuit to ground. It should be acknowledged that changing the reactance of the second parasitic element 208 will result in a frequency shift of the multimode antenna 120. It should also be acknowledged that the second tuning element 220 may include at least one of an adjustable capacitor, a MEMS device, an adjustable inductor, a switch, an adjustable phase shifter, a field-effect transistor, or a diode.

[0035]

[0041] In one embodiment, the operation of at least one of the first tuning element 206 and the second tuning element 220 can be controlled to adjust (e.g., shift) the antenna radiation pattern of the driven antenna element 202. For example, the reactance of at least one of the first tuning element 206 and the second tuning element 220 can be controlled to adjust the antenna radiation pattern of the driven antenna element 202. The adjustment of the antenna radiation pattern can be called "beam steering". However, in examples where the antenna radiation pattern includes nulls, Performing a similar action, commonly known as "null steering," results in... The null can be shifted to an alternative location around the drive antenna element 202 (for example, to reduce interference).

[0036]

[0042] Figure 3 shows the antenna radiation pattern associated with the multimode antenna 120 of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be acknowledged that in order to configure the multimode antenna 120 into multiple modes, the operation of at least one of the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208 can be controlled. It should also be acknowledged that when the multimode antenna 120 is configured into each of the multiple modes, it can have a separate antenna radiation pattern or antenna polarization.

[0037]

[0043] In one embodiment, the multimode antenna 120 may have a first antenna radiation pattern 300 when it is configured in a first mode among a plurality of modes. In addition, the multimode antenna 120 may have a second antenna radiation pattern 302 when it is configured in a second mode among a plurality of modes. Furthermore, the multimode antenna 120 may have a third antenna radiation pattern 304 when it is configured in a third mode among a plurality of modes. As shown in the figure, the first antenna radiation pattern 300, the second antenna radiation pattern 302, and the third antenna radiation pattern 304 can be distinct from each other. Thus, the multimode antenna 120 may have distinct radiation patterns when it is configured in each of the first, second, and third modes.

[0038]

[0044] Figure 4 shows an example of a frequency plot of the multimode antenna 120 of Figure 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that at least one electrical characteristic (e.g., reactance) of the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208 can be controlled. By adjusting at least one electrical characteristic of the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208, the frequency at which the corresponding multimode antenna operates can be shifted.

[0039]

[0045] In one embodiment, deactivating (e.g., switching off) the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208 results in multi-mode operation. Antenna 120 can be tuned to the first frequency f0. Alternatively and / or in addition, by shorting the second parasitic element 208 to ground, the multimode antenna 120 can be tuned to frequency f L and f H It can be tuned to a frequency. Furthermore, by short-circuiting both the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208 to ground, the multimode antenna 120 can be tuned to frequency f4. Furthermore, by short-circuiting the first parasitic element 204 and the second parasitic element 208 to ground, the multimode antenna 120 can be tuned to frequencies f4 and f0. It should be understood that other configurations are also within the scope of this disclosure. For example, more or fewer parasitic elements can be used. By changing the positioning of the parasitic elements, additional modes that exhibit different frequencies and / or combinations of frequencies can also be achieved.

[0040]

[0046] Figures 2-4 show an example of a modal antenna having multiple modes, for illustrative and descriptive purposes only. Those skilled in the art will understand that other modal antennas and / or antenna configurations can also be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure by using the disclosures presented herein. As used herein, “modal antenna” means an antenna capable of operating in multiple modes. Each mode is associated with a separate radiation pattern.

[0041]

[0047] Now, referring to Figure 5, we will show an example of an embodiment of one of the multiple network devices 110 discussed earlier with reference to Figure 1. As shown in the figure, The multimode antenna 120 may include a driven element 510 and a parasitic element 512. As discussed earlier, the multimode antenna 120 can be made capable of operating in multiple different modes. Each of these modes may be associated with a different radiation pattern and / or polarization characteristics, as illustrated earlier with reference to Figures 2-4. Furthermore, although the network device 110 is illustrated to have only one multimode antenna 120, it should be acknowledged that the network device 110 may include any suitable number of multimode antennas. For example, in one embodiment, the network device 110 may include two or more multimode antennas.

[0042]

[0048] The network device 110 may include a tuning circuit 520 configured to control the electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic element 512 in order to operate the multimode antenna 120 in several different modes. In one embodiment, the network device 110 may include an adjustable component 530. As shown in the figure, the adjustable component 530 can be coupled between the parasitic element 512 and the tuning circuit 520. The tuning circuit 520 may be configured to control the operation of the adjustable component 530 to change the electrical connection of the parasitic element 512 to a voltage source or voltage sink or a current source or current sink, such as coupling the parasitic element 512 to electrical ground.

[0043]

[0049] The network device 110 may include an RF circuit 540. In one embodiment, the RF circuit 540 may include a front-end module. The front-end module may include, for example, one or more power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, impedance matching circuits, etc. Thus, the front-end module can be configured to amplify the RF signal transmitted to and / or received from the driven element 510 of the multimode antenna 120.

[0044]

[0050] In one embodiment, one or more control devices 130 of the network device 110 can be operably coupled to the tuning circuit 520. Thus, one or more control devices 130 can be configured to control the operation of the tuning circuit 520 in order to configure the multimode antenna 120 into several different modes. Alternatively and / or in addition, one or more control devices 130 can be in telecommunication state with the RF circuit 540. Thus, the RF signals received in the multimode antenna 120 can be supplied to one or more control devices 130 via the RF circuit 540. In addition, one or more control devices 130 can supply data modulated on the transmitted RF signals supplied to the driven element 510 of the multimode antenna 120 via the RF circuit 540.

[0045]

[0051] As shown in the figure, one or more control devices 130 are connected to one or more processors 13 It may include 2 and one or more memory devices 134. The processor(s) 132 may include any suitable processing device, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, integrated circuit, logic device, or other suitable processing device. The memory device(s) 134 may include one or more computer-readable media. One or more computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, non-temporary computer-readable media, RAM, ROM, hard drives, flash drives, or other memory devices.

[0046]

[0052] A memory device 134 may store information accessible by a processor 132, which includes computer-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor 132. A computer-readable instruction can be any set of instructions that, when executed by the processor 132, cause the processor 132 to perform an operation. A computer-readable instruction can be software written in any suitable programming language, or it can be implemented in hardware. In one embodiment, a computer-readable instruction can be executed by the processor 132, causing the processor 132 to perform an operation that will be discussed in more detail.

[0047]

[0053] Referring now to Figure 6, a flowchart of Method 600 for configuring a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices in a wireless network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. Overall, Method 600 will be discussed here with reference to System 100, which was described earlier with reference to Figure 1. In addition, Figure 6 shows the steps to be performed in a particular order, for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, but the method discussed herein is not limited to any particular order or arrangement. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that, by using the disclosure presented herein, it is possible to omit, rearrange, combine, and / or adapt various steps of the method disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0048]

[0054] In (602), method 600 includes the step of obtaining data from one or more network devices having a multimode antenna via a network controller. For example, in one embodiment, this data may represent a channel quality index (CQI) associated with one or more antenna modes among a plurality of antenna modes that can constitute a multimode antenna. It should be acknowledged that the data representing a channel quality index associated with one or more antenna modes of a multimode antenna may include the received signal strength index (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), amplitude error ratio (MER), modulation accuracy (EVM), bit error rate (BER), block error rate (BLER), packet error rate (PER), or a combination of the above and / or various other metrics.

[0049]

[0055] In an alternative embodiment, data indicating CQI can be supplied as input to a model (e.g., a third-party software application) running on a control device for one or more network devices having multimode antennas. This model can process the CQI data to obtain data indicating the performance (e.g., health) of the corresponding network devices. In such an embodiment, the data obtained from one or more devices having multimode antennas may include the output of the model running on the control device. More specifically, the output of the model may include data indicating the performance of the corresponding network devices.

[0050]

[0056] In (604), method 600 is performed by a network controller, The method includes, at least in part, a step of determining one or more network performance metrics for a wireless network based on the data obtained in (602). For example, in one embodiment, the step of determining one or more network performance metrics for a wireless network may include, in (606), a step of supplying data as input to one or more machine learning models. For example, data showing CQI for one or more antenna modes of a multimode antenna may be supplied as input to one or more machine learning models. Alternatively, or in addition, data output by a model running on a control device of one or more network devices may be supplied as input to one or more machine learning models. One or more machine learning models process this data, and in (608), the method 600 may include a step of obtaining one or more network performance metrics as output to one or more machine learning models.

[0051]

[0057] In (610), method 600 includes the step of having a network controller supply one or more control signals to one or more network devices, at least in part, based on one or more network performance indicators determined in (604). One or more control signals may be associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna mode of a multimode antenna. More specifically, one or more control signals may be associated with an operation to switch the antenna mode of a multimode antenna from a first antenna mode among multiple antenna modes to a second antenna mode among multiple antenna modes. In this way, the radiation pattern of a multimode antenna to one or more network devices can be steered, at least in part, based on one or more network performance indicators determined in (604), in order to improve the performance of the communication network.

[0052]

[0058] Referring hereto to Figure 7, another flowchart of Method 700 for configuring multimode antennas mounted on each of a plurality of network devices in a wireless network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Overall, Method 700 will be discussed here with reference to System 100, which was previously described with reference to Figure 1. In addition, Figure 7 shows the steps to be performed in a particular order, for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, but the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that by using the disclosures provided herein, it is possible to omit, rearrange, combine, and / or adapt various steps of the methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0053]

[0059] In (702), method 700 includes the step of obtaining data from one or more network devices having a multimode antenna by a network controller. More specifically, this data may represent channel quality indicators (CQI) associated with one or more of the multiple antenna modes that can constitute a multimode antenna. It should be acknowledged that the data representing channel quality indicators associated with one or more of the antenna modes of a multimode antenna may include the received signal strength index (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), amplitude error ratio (MER), modulation accuracy (EVM), bit error rate (BER), block error rate (BLER), packet error rate (PER), or a combination of the above and / or various other metrics.

[0054]

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, data indicating CQI can be supplied as input to a model (e.g., a third-party software application) running on a control device of one or more network devices having a multimode antenna. This model processes data indicating CQI to obtain data indicating the performance (e.g., health) of the corresponding network device. In such an embodiment, data obtained from one or more devices having multimode antennas may include the output of a model running on a control device. More specifically, the output of the model may include data indicating the performance of the corresponding network device.

[0055]

[0061] In (704), Method 700 includes the step of having a network controller determine one or more network performance metrics for a wireless network, at least in part, based on data obtained in (702) from each of the multiple network devices. For example, in one embodiment, Method 700 includes the step in (706) of supplying the data obtained in (702) as input to one or more machine learning models. For example, data indicating CQI for one or more antenna modes of multimode antennas mounted on each of the multiple network devices may be supplied as input to one or more machine learning models. Alternatively, or in addition, data output by models running on control devices of one or more network devices may be supplied as input to one or more machine learning models. One or more machine learning models process this data, and in (708), Method 700 may include the step of obtaining one or more network performance metrics as output to one or more machine learning models.

[0056]

[0062] In (710), method 700 includes the step of determining by a network controller that maintenance work is required on network equipment associated with the wireless network (e.g., access points, network switches, bridges, routers, repeaters, wiring, network controllers, etc.). For example, one or more network performance indicators determined in (704) for a wireless network may include one or more signals indicating maintenance work on network equipment.

[0057]

[0063] In (712), method 700 includes the step of supplying one or more control signals to one or more network devices associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna mode of a multimode antenna, in response to the network controller determining in (710) that maintenance work is required on a network device. For example, in one embodiment, one or more control signals may be associated with an operation to switch the antenna mode of a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices from a first antenna mode in which the multimode antenna can communicate with the network device requiring maintenance to a second antenna mode in which the multimode antenna cannot communicate with this network device. In this way, the route of network traffic can be changed to avoid network devices so as to avoid degradation of the wireless network performance.

[0058]

[0064] The subject matter of the present invention has been described in detail above with respect to specific embodiments. If the above description is understood, it will be acknowledged that modifications, variations, and equivalents to such embodiments can be readily generated by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is an example rather than an limitation, and as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, this disclosure does not exclude such modifications, variations, and / or additional inclusions of the subject matter of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system comprising a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices in a wireless network, One or more processors, One or more memory devices for storing computer-readable instructions, Equipped with, When the computer-readable instruction is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors are made to perform an operation, and the operation is performed An operation to obtain data indicating a channel quality index (CQI) related to one or more antenna modes among a plurality of antenna modes capable of constituting a multimode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices, wherein each of the plurality of antenna modes has a distinct radiation pattern; An operation to determine one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network based at least partially on the aforementioned data, A system comprising, at least in part, the operation of supplying one or more control signals through the wireless network, based on one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network and one or more control signals associated with the operation of a multimode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices.

2. In the system according to claim 1, the operation of determining one or more network performance indicators is: The operation of supplying data indicating CQI related to one or more antenna modes as input to a machine learning model, The operation of obtaining one or more of the aforementioned network performance indicators as the output of the machine learning model, A system that includes this.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data indicating the CQI includes at least one of the following: received signal strength index (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein one or more control signals are associated with an operation to switch the antenna mode of the multimode antenna from a first antenna mode among the plurality of antenna modes to a second antenna mode among the plurality of antenna modes.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network include at least one of the uplink speed for each of the network devices or the downlink speed for each of the network devices.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network include data indicating the amount of traffic on the wireless network.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more network performance indicators include signals indicating maintenance work associated with network equipment of the wireless network.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more control signals are associated with an operation that reconfigures the antenna mode of the multimode antenna from a first antenna mode in which the multimode antenna communicates with the network device to a second antenna mode in which the multimode antenna does not communicate with the network device.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the network equipment includes at least one of an access point, a bridge, a hub, a router, or wiring.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network includes a cellular network.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network includes an 802.11 network.

12. In the system according to claim 1, the operation of determining one or more network performance indicators for the network is: The operation of supplying the data indicating the aforementioned CQI as input to the model, An operation to obtain data indicating the performance of one or more of the aforementioned network devices as the output of the model, The operation involves determining one or more network performance metrics for the wireless network based at least in part on the output of the model, A system that includes this.

13. A method for configuring a multimode antenna mounted on one or more network devices in a wireless network, A step of obtaining data from the network controller of the wireless network showing channel quality index (CQI) associated with one or more antenna modes among a plurality of antenna modes capable of configuring a multimode antenna mounted on one or more of the network devices, wherein each of the plurality of antenna modes has a distinct radiation pattern; The steps include: determining one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network based at least partially on the data using the network controller; The steps include: supplying one or more control signals through the wireless network, at least partially based on one or more network performance indicators for the plurality of wireless networks and one or more control signals associated with an operation to reconfigure the antenna mode of a multimode antenna mounted on at least one of the network devices; Methods that include...

14. In the method according to claim 13, the step of determining one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network is: The network controller provides data indicating CQI associated with one or more antenna modes as input to a machine learning model. The steps include obtaining one or more network performance indicators as the output of the machine learning model using the network controller, Methods that include...

15. In the method according to claim 13, the one or more network performance indicators are the wire A method including signals indicating maintenance work associated with network equipment in a less-than-ideal network.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more control signals are associated with a step of reconfiguring the antenna mode of the multimode antenna to at least one of a plurality of network devices from a first antenna mode in which the multimode antenna communicates with the network device to a second antenna mode in which the multimode antenna does not communicate with the network device.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the wireless network includes a mesh network.

18. A computing device, A multimode antenna configurable to operate in multiple antenna modes, wherein each of the multiple antenna modes has a distinct radiation pattern, One or more control devices, Equipped with, The one or more control devices described above The multimode antenna is configured for each of the plurality of antenna modes, While the multimode antenna is configured in each of the plurality of antenna modes, data indicating the channel quality index (CQI) is obtained. Data indicating CQI for one or more of the aforementioned antenna modes is supplied to the network controller via the wireless network. Through the wireless network, one or more control signals are obtained from the network controller, and the one or more control signals are associated at least partially with an operation to configure the multimode antenna to an antenna mode selected from the plurality of antenna modes, based at least partially on one or more network performance indicators for the wireless network determined by the network controller based on data indicating CQI for the one or more antenna modes. The multimode antenna is configured to the selected antenna mode. A computing device configured in such a way.

19. A computing device according to claim 18, wherein one or more control devices are configured to supply data indicating the CQI for each of the plurality of antenna modes.

20. A computing device according to claim 18, wherein the one or more network performance indicators include signals indicating maintenance work associated with network equipment of the wireless network.

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