Network coverage by cycling through beam shape coverage configurations
View Patent ↗Technologies and implementations for providing network coverage by cycling through beam shape coverage configurations are generally disclosed.
1. A method comprising:
transitioning through coverage configurations including at least two instantiations of each of:
providing a first coverage configuration including a first beam of a first network type that is configured to provide coverage for all devices of a group of devices; and
providing a second coverage configuration including a second beam of the first network type that has greater carrier signal power than that of the first beam and that is configured to provide coverage for a first set of devices of the group of devices, wherein the first set of devices includes at least one continuous use device that belongs to a substantially continuous service; and further including coverage by a second network type for a second set of devices of the group of devices, wherein the second set of devices includes at least one interval use device that does not belong to the substantially continuous service.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transitioning through coverage configurations further includes alternating between the providing of the first coverage configuration and the second coverage configuration.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one continuous use device is a single continuous use device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coverage for the first set of devices and the coverage for the second set of devices are provided by an overlapping network.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coverage for the first set of devices and the coverage for the second set of devices are provided by separate, non-overlapping networks.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transitioning through coverage configurations includes cycling through a coverage configuration sequence that includes the at least two instantiations of each of providing of the first coverage configuration and the providing of the second coverage configuration.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interval use device includes an interval use device configured to begin a continuous service.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interval use device includes an interval use device configured to change state from interval use to continuous use based on receiving an initiation of a continuous service.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a support structure; and
a network coverage provider supported by the support structure, including:
an antenna arrangement configured for a first coverage configuration including a first beam of a first network type, to provide coverage for all devices of a group of devices; and for a second coverage configuration including a second beam of the first network type that has greater carrier signal power than that of the first beam, to provide coverage for a first set of devices of the group of devices, wherein the first set of devices includes at least one continuous use device that belongs to a substantially continuous service; and further to provide coverage by a second network type for a second set of devices of the group of devices, wherein the second set of devices includes at least one interval use device that does not belong to the substantially continuous service.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the antenna arrangement includes a first antenna configured to provide the coverage of the first coverage configuration for all devices of the group of devices and the coverage of the second coverage configuration for the first set of devices of the group of devices; and a second antenna configured to provide the coverage of the second coverage configuration for the second set of devices of the group of devices.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the antenna arrangement includes an antenna configured to provide the coverage of the first coverage configuration for all devices of the group of devices, the coverage of the second coverage configuration for the first set of devices of the group of devices, and the coverage of the second coverage configuration for the second set of devices of the group of devices.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the support structure includes a communications tower.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions of:
providing network coverage for a first coverage configuration for a group of devices, including transmitting a first beam of a first network type that is configured to provide coverage for all devices of the group of devices;
providing network coverage for a second coverage configuration for a first set of devices of the group of devices including at least one continuous use device that belongs to a substantially continuous service, including transmitting a second beam of the first network type that has greater signal power than that of the first beam;
providing network coverage for a second set of devices of the group of devices including at least one interval use device that does not belong to the substantially continuous service, including transmitting the second beam that is configured to provide the network coverage by a second network type for the second set of devices of the group of devices; and
transitioning through at least two instantiations of each of the providing of the network coverage for the first coverage configuration and the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform the transitioning through coverage configurations by at least alternating between the providing of the first coverage configuration and the second coverage configuration.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one continuous use device is a single continuous use device.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration for the first set of devices and the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration for the second set of devices by an overlapping network.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration for the first set of devices and the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration for the second set of devices by separate, non-overlapping networks.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform the transitioning through coverage configurations by at least cycling through a coverage configuration sequence that includes the at least two instantiations of each of the providing of the network coverage for the first coverage configuration and the providing of the network coverage for the second coverage configuration.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one interval use device includes an interval use device configured to begin a continuous service.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one interval use device includes an interval use device configured to change state from interval use to continuous use based on receiving an initiation of a continuous service.