Mobile WiFi Relay Positioning for Uneven Home Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

In home environments, wireless WiFi coverage is often uneven due to distance from the access point and obstacles, leading to decreased signal strength and quality.

Innovation Solution

A mobile device with a communication unit and displacement assembly, capable of moving within a zone to optimize wireless signal coverage by positioning itself based on user location and signal strength, using sensors and predictive analytics to enhance coverage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a static access point is used to provide WiFi coverage, then the device complexity is low, but the wireless coverage quality deteriorates due to distance and obstacles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewireless coverage qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a mobile robot equipped with a repeater that dynamically moves within the environment to optimize signal relay positions. This transforms the static access point system into a dynamic system where the repeater can reposition itself to overcome obstacles and extend coverage to areas with poor signal quality, directly resolving the contradiction between coverage reliability and system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile robot acts as an intermediary device between the access point and user devices in hard-to-reach areas. By positioning itself strategically, the robot relay node mediates the wireless communication, receiving signals from the access point and retransmitting them to users in coverage zones that would otherwise have poor or no signal, thus improving coverage quality without requiring changes to the original access point infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the access point position is fixed, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to user location and environmental changes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage adaptabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mobile robot continuously monitors signal quality metrics and user device locations. Based on this feedback information, the robot's controller adjusts the robot's position to optimize relay performance, enabling the system to adapt dynamically to changing environmental conditions and user movements while maintaining manageable complexity through automated control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile robot operates autonomously to improve wireless coverage without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts by having the robot navigate to optimal positions based on real-time signal quality assessments and user location data, enabling adaptive coverage enhancement while keeping the system complexity manageable through automated self-positioning algorithms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3466141B1Method and devices for providing wireless coverage
Publication Date: 2022.06.15 INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS SAS
  • EP3466141B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3466141B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3466141B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~5

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a device for providing wireless signal coverage. The device includes a wireless signal transceiver and a displacement assembly for moving the wireless signal transceiver within a zone. The device is provided with a processor configured to control the displacement assembly to move the mobile device based on the wireless signal coverage within the zone and the location with respect to the zone of a wireless device operable to access the wireless signal coverage.