Granted Patent B2

US 9,635,509 · App. 14/245,922 · Granted Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Claims (15)

1. A wireless array for providing wireless access to a network comprising:

a plurality of transceivers in signal communication with a corresponding plurality of antennas disposed to form a circular array of antennas, each antenna configured to radiate a directional antenna pattern covering a portion of the circular area surrounding the circular array, each transceiver configured to communicate with a client in the portion of the circular area covered by the antenna corresponding to the transceiver;

a magnetometer that provides orientation information relating to an orientation of the wireless array relative to a magnetic field; and

a controller in signal communication with the plurality of transceivers and in signal communication with the magnetometer, the controller manages the communications exchanged via the transceivers and receives the orientation information provided by the magnetometer.

2. The wireless array of claim 1 wherein the magnetometer provides the orientation information as geospatial orientation information relating to the orientation of the wireless array relative to the surface of the Earth.

3. The wireless array of claim 2 wherein the orientation information provided by the magnetometer comprises an azimuth, the azimuth comprising an angular measurement between a bearing of the wireless array and a reference bearing.

4. The wireless array of claim 3 wherein the reference bearing is magnetic north.

5. The wireless array of claim 3 further comprising an orientation module in signal communication with the controller, the orientation module determines a respective geospatial orientation of at least one transceiver in the plurality of transceivers based on the orientation information provided by the magnetometer and respective position of the at least one transceiver in the wireless array.

6. The wireless array of claim 5 wherein the orientation module determines the respective geospatial orientation of the at least one transceiver based on the azimuth and the respective position of the at least one transceiver in the wireless array.

7. The wireless array of claim 6 wherein the orientation module calculates the respective geospatial orientation of the at least one transceiver by adding the azimuth to the respective position of the at least one transceiver in the wireless array.

8. The wireless array of claim 5 further comprising a distance module in signal communication with the controller, the distance module determines a distance between the wireless array and a client in signal communication with the wireless array such that a combination of the distance determined by the distance module and the respective geospatial orientation of the at least one transceiver provided by the orientation module identifies a geospatial sector in which the client is located.

9. The wireless array of claim 8 wherein the geospatial sector is defined by an antenna pattern of a transceiver in the plurality of transceivers of the wireless array that the client is in signal communication with.

10. The wireless array of claim 8 wherein the distance module determines the distance between the wireless array and the client in signal communication with the wireless array based on a signal strength of a signal received at the wireless array from the client.

11. The wireless array of claim 1 wherein the orientation information provided by the magnetometer is stored in the memory during a boot-up operation, at a periodic interval, or in response to a command received at the wireless array.

12. The wireless array of claim 1 further comprising a network interface in signal communication with the controller, the network interface transmits the orientation information provided by the magnetometer to a data network.

Assignments (11)