Granted Patent B2

US 12,500,327 · App. 17/923,761 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Inventors: Yubing Jian (Atlanta, GA); Raghupathy Sivakumar (Atlanta, GA); Shyam Krishnan Venkateswaran (Atlanta, GA); Ching-Lun Tai (Atlanta, GA)

Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation

H01Q1/1257H01Q1/007H04W16/20H04W64/00H04W88/08

Abstract

Claims (83)

1 . A method of improving a line of sight condition between a wireless device and a mobile access point comprising:

receiving a request to connect to a mobile access point from a wireless device;

receiving location data from the wireless device corresponding to a location of the wireless device;

determining a line of sight condition between the mobile access point and the wireless device;

until an improved line of sight condition is determined, repeating a cycle of:

moving the mobile access point to a location different from any prior location of the mobile access point; and

determining a line of sight condition between the moved mobile access point and the wireless device;

wherein the improved line of sight condition is determined when the line of sight condition between a subsequently moved mobile access point and the wireless device is an improved line of sight condition over the prior location of the subsequently moved mobile access point and the wireless device;

creating, through machine learning, a map of one or more obstacles within a space based at least in part on one or more determined line of sight conditions; and

using the map to identify one or more locations of the moved mobile access point possessing the improved line of sight condition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile access point is disposed on a ceiling within a space.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the mobile access point comprises moving the mobile access point with an actuator.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising supporting the mobile access point via a track.

5 . A wireless network system for the method of improving the line of sight condition of claim 1 comprising:

the mobile access point;

the wireless device;

an actuator configured to move the mobile access point; and

a controller comprising a processing platform and memory to store instruction that, when executed by the processing platform, are configured to cause the controller to output one or more control signals to the actuator to move the mobile access point.

6 . The wireless network system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive the request to connect to the mobile access point from the wireless device;

receive the location data from the wireless device corresponding to the location of the wireless device;

determine the line of sight conditions between the mobile access point and the wireless device; and

determine when the line of sight condition is the improved line of sight condition;

wherein the one or more control signals activate the actuator to move the mobile access point to an optimal location.

7 . A wireless network system comprising:

an actuator; and

a controller configured to:

receive a request to connect to a mobile access point from a wireless device;

receiving location data from the wireless device corresponding to a location of the wireless device; and

until a line of sight condition is determined to be one of a clear line of sight condition or an improved line of sight condition, to repeat a cycle of:

receiving connectivity data between the wireless device and the mobile access point;

determining the line of sight condition based at least in part on the connectivity data; and

outputting a control signal to the actuator;

wherein:

if in a first cycle:

the determined line of sight condition is the clear line of sight condition between the wireless device and the mobile access point, wherein the clear line of sight condition is when the line of sight between the wireless device and the mobile access point contains no obstacles, then the control signal controls the actuator to maintain the location of the mobile access point; or

if the line of sight contains one or more obstacles, then the control signal controls the actuator to move the location of the mobile access point and repeat the cycle;

if in a second or subsequent cycle:

the determined line of sight condition is the clear line of sight condition, then the control signal controls the actuator to maintain the location of a moved mobile access point; or

if the line of sight condition between the wireless device and the moved mobile access point is an improved line of sight condition over the line of sight condition between the wireless device and a prior location of the moved mobile access point, then the control signal controls the actuator to maintain the location of the moved mobile access point; or

if the determined line of sight condition is not the improved line of sight condition, then the control signal controls the actuator to move the location of the mobile access point to a location different from any prior location of the mobile access point and repeat the cycle; and

the controller is further configured to:

create, through machine learning, a map of one or more obstacles within a space based at least in part on one or more determined line of sight conditions made by the controller; and

use the map to identify one or more locations of the moved mobile access point possessing the improved line of sight condition.

8 . The wireless network system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

predict an optimal location for the mobile access point by determining a location with the clear line of sight conditions based at least in part on the map and the location data from the wireless device;

wherein the control signal controls the actuator to move the mobile access point to the optimal location.

9 . A controller in wired or wireless communication with an actuator, the controller configured to move a mobile access point by outputting one or more control signals to the actuator, the controller comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the controller to:

receive requests from a plurality of wireless devices to connect to the mobile access point;

receive location data from each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

until a set of line of sight conditions is determined to be an optimal set of line of sight conditions, repeat a cycle of:

receiving connectivity data between the mobile access point and each of the plurality of wireless devices

determining the set of line of sight conditions based at least in part on the connectivity data between the mobile access point and each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

outputting a control signal to the actuator

wherein:

if the determined set of line of sight conditions is the optimal set of line of sight conditions, wherein each line of sight between each wireless device and the mobile access point contains no obstacles, then the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the controller to output the control signal to control the actuator to maintain the location of the mobile access point; or

if one or more lines of sight between each wireless device and the mobile access point contains one or more obstacles, then the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the controller to output the control signal to control the actuator to move the location of the mobile access point to a location different from any prior location of the mobile access point and repeat the cycle; and

the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the controller to:

create, through machine learning, a map of one or more obstacles within a space based at least in part on the determined set of line of sight conditions made by the controller; and

use the map to identify one or more locations of the moved mobile access point possessing the optimal set of line of sight conditions.

10 . A wireless network system comprising:

an actuator; and

a controller configured to:

receive requests to connect to a mobile access point from wireless devices;

receive location data from each of the wireless devices corresponding to the locations of each of the wireless devices; and

until a set of line of sight conditions is determined to be an optimal set of line of sight conditions, to repeat a cycle of:

receiving connectivity data between each of the wireless devices and the mobile access point;

determining the set of line of sight conditions based at least in part on the connectivity data; and

outputting a control signal to the actuator;

wherein:

if the determined set of line of sight conditions is the optimal set of line of sight conditions, wherein each line of sight between each wireless device and the mobile access point contains no obstacles, then the control signal controls the actuator to maintain the location of the mobile access point; or

if one or more lines of sight between each wireless device and the mobile access point contains one or more obstacles, then the control signal controls the actuator to move the location of the mobile access point to a location different from any prior location of the mobile access point and repeat the cycle; and

the controller is further configured to:

create, through machine learning, a map of one or more obstacles within a space based at least in part on the determined set of line of sight conditions made by the controller; and

use the map to identify one or more locations of a moved mobile access point possessing the optimal set of line of sight conditions.

11 . The wireless network system of claim 10 , wherein the mobile access point is disposed on a ceiling within a space.

12 . The wireless network system of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

13 . The wireless network system of claim 10 further comprising a track configured to support the mobile access point.

14 . The wireless network system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

predict an optimal location for the mobile access point by determining a location with the optimal set of line of sight conditions based at least in part on the map and the location data from the wireless devices; and

wherein the control signal controls the actuator to move the mobile access point to the optimal location.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (13)