Controlling coverage in a wireless communications network
Devices, systems, and methods for providing improved network performance in wireless communications networks using intelligent radiation selection are provided. A radio is communicatively coupled to an antenna and configured to provide a signal to the antenna for broadcast from a cell site. One or more input components are communicatively coupled to the radio to provide information on at least one of an internal or an external condition of the antenna, so that the radio can adjust or modify the signal provided to the antenna to change an emitted pattern of radiation from the antenna to reduce signal loss, or recover or help maintain an area of coverage provided by the antenna.
1. A method for providing coverage in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
broadcasting a sector of coverage from a stationary cell site,
the stationary cell site comprising:
at least one radio,
at least one antenna,
at least one input component affixed to the stationary cell site, wherein the sector of coverage is broadcast from the antenna using a signal generated by the at least one radio;
receiving, at the at least one radio, information from the at least one input component indicating a change in at least one of an internal and an external condition of the antenna, the change resulting in the sector of coverage adjusting from a first coverage footprint to a second coverage footprint; and
modifying the signal from the at least one radio to modify the broadcasted sector of coverage to at least partially recover the first coverage footprint, wherein modifying the signal comprises modifying at least two of the following:
a power of the signal,
a frequency of the signal,
a phase shift of the signal, and
an amplitude of the signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the signal changes a pattern of radiation emitted from the at least one antenna in at least one of a horizontal plane and a vertical plane relative to the at least one antenna.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one radio is configured to dynamically modify the signal based on the information received from the at least one input component.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a gyroscopic device coupled to the at least one antenna that provides at least one of position and orientation information for the at least one antenna.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a movement detecting component, and wherein the at least one radio is configured to modify the signal based on at least one of:
direct movement information of the antenna received from the movement detecting component; and
patterns of movement information of the antenna received from the movement detecting component.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal or external condition comprises at least one of:
a temperature of a component of the at least one antenna;
an atmospheric temperature;
a barometric pressure;
a position of the at least one antenna; and
a velocity of the at least one antenna.
7. A method for providing a stationary cell site configured to maintain coverage in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
attaching at least one input component to the stationary cell site or a fixed location apart from the stationary cell site,
the stationary cell site comprising an antenna and a radio communicatively coupled to the antenna,
the radio configured to generate a signal that is broadcast by the antenna to provide a sector of coverage,
the at least one input component configured to detect at least one internal condition of the antenna,
communicating information from the at least one input component to the radio; and
modifying the signal provided to the antenna from the radio based on the information from the at least one input component.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a movement detecting component that provides at least one of a position and an orientation of the antenna.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one internal condition comprises at least one of:
a temperature of a component of the antenna;
a position of the antenna; and
a velocity of the antenna.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one input component is mounted on at least one of:
a structure of the stationary cell site upon which the antenna is mounted; and
the antenna.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one input component is a gyroscopic device.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a plurality of input components at separate locations, wherein the information communicated to the radio includes information from each of the plurality of input components.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information from each of the plurality of input components is weighted, and wherein the signal is further modified based on the weighting of the information from the plurality of input components.
14. A system for providing coverage in a wireless communications network, the system comprising:
a stationary cell site comprising:
a radio, and
an antenna, the antenna configured to broadcast a sector of coverage using a signal generated by the radio; and
at least one input component positioned in fixed relation relative to the stationary cell site, the at least one input component configured to provide information on at least one of an internal and an external condition of the antenna,
wherein the radio is configured to modify the signal provided to the antenna based on the information to modify a footprint of the broadcasted sector of coverage, wherein modifying the signal comprises modifying at least two of the following:
a power of the signal,
a frequency of the signal,
a phase shift of the signal, and
an amplitude of the signal.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a movement detecting component coupled to the stationary cell site, and wherein the radio is configured to modify the signal based on movement information from the movement detecting component.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one input component is coupled to:
the stationary cell site; or
a fixed location apart from the stationary cell site.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one internal or external condition comprises at least one of:
a temperature of a component of the antenna;
an atmospheric temperature;
a barometric pressure;
a position of the antenna; and
a velocity of the antenna.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one input component comprises a gyroscopic device coupled to the antenna.
19. The system of claim 14 , wherein modifying of the signal comprises modifying the power of the signal, the frequency of the signal, and the amplitude of the signal.