Reconfigurable Antennas And Configuration Selection Methods For Ad-Hoc Networks

Abstract

Reconfigurable antennas in an ad-hoc network are provided where all nodes employ MIMO/SIMO/MISO communication techniques. Three types of reconfigurable antennas: Reconfigurable Printed Dipole Array (RPDA), Reconfigurable Circular Patch Antenna (RCPA) and Two-Port Reconfigurable CRLH Leaky Wave Antennas are used. The RPDA, RCPA and the CRLH Leaky Wave antennas have a different number of configurations as well as different degrees of pattern diversity between possible configurations. To effectively use these antennas in a network, the performance of centralized and decentralized antenna configuration selection schemes are quantified for reconfiguration at one or both link ends. The sum capacity of the network is used as a metric to quantify the performance of these antennas in measured and simulated network channels.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An ad-hoc network system, comprising:
 at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver, each said multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and each said multi-element reconfigurable receiver comprising multiple antennas where each antenna is capable of changing a radiation pattern and/or a polarization of a radiated field; and   a processor that processes software implementing a configuration selection method for selecting an antenna configuration for said at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or receiver based on knowledge of all or part of communication and interference channels in the ad-hoc network, where the antenna configuration is selected based on changes in interference in a transmission over a transmission link including the antenna being configured, a transmission rate of at least one transmitter, a received signal strength of at least one receiver, an error vector magnitude of at least one receiver, a channel matrix of at least one receiver, and/or a packet error rate of at least one of the receivers or transmitters of the transmission link, wherein the selected antenna configuration optimizes a sum capacity of the ad-hoc network, a sum throughput of the ad-hoc network, and/or an error rate of the ad-hoc network.   
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the processor changes the antenna configuration of only a receiver in response to changes in interference in said transmission link. 
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the processor changes the antenna configuration of only a transmitter, wherein the antennas of different transmission links are allowed to change only after the interference level in said transmission link has adapted to a new antenna configuration at the transmitter of the transmission link. 
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter or receiver comprises multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO), single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) or multiple-input-single-output (MISO) transceivers. 
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the MIMO transceivers comprises a reconfigurable circular patch antenna. 
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the MIMO transceivers comprises a two-port reconfigurable leaky wave antenna. 
     
     
         7 . A system as in  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the MIMO transceivers comprises a reconfigurable printed dipole array. 
     
     
         8 . An ad-hoc network system, comprising:
 at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver, each said multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and each said multi-element reconfigurable receiver comprising multiple antennas where each antenna is capable of changing a radiation pattern and/or a polarization of a radiated field; and   a processor that processes software implementing a distributed configuration selection method for selecting an antenna configuration for said at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or receiver, where the antenna configuration is selected using link channel and interference noise plus a noise covariance matrix, a transmission rate, a received signal strength, an error vector magnitude, a channel matrix, and/or a packet error rate for the transmission link including the antenna being configured by optimizing the link capacity, link throughput, or the link packet error rate of said transmission link.   
     
     
         9 . A method for selecting a configuration of at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver in an ad-hoc network, each said multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and each said multi-element reconfigurable receiver comprising multiple antennas where each antenna is capable of changing a radiation pattern and/or a polarization of a radiated field, comprising:
 a processor selecting an antenna configuration for said at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver of a transmission link in said ad-hoc network;   measuring or estimating interference, a channel matrix, a transmission rate, a received signal strength, an error vector magnitude, and/or an error packet rate of said transmission link in said ad-hoc network including an antenna of the transmitter and/or receiver to be configured; and   selecting an antenna configuration for another transmission link in said ad-hoc network based on based on knowledge of all or part of communication and interference channels in the ad-hoc network and said measured or estimated interference, channel matrix, transmission rate, received signal strength, error vector magnitude, and/or error packet rate of said transmission link, wherein the selected antenna configuration optimizes a sum capacity of the ad-hoc network, a sum throughput of the ad-hoc network, and/or an error rate of the ad-hoc network.   
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 9 , comprising repeating the measuring or estimating and selecting steps so as to allow transmission links in said ad-hoc network besides said transmission link to respond to new measured or estimated levels caused by a change in a transmit configuration of a transmitter of said transmission link. 
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein the antenna configuration is selected only for a receiver in response to changes in the measured or estimated levels in said transmission link. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein the antenna configuration is selected only for a transmitter, wherein the antennas of different transmission links are allowed to change only after the measured or estimated levels in said transmission link have adapted to a new antenna configuration at the transmitter of the transmission link. 
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter or receiver comprises multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO), single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) or multiple-input-single-output (MISO) transceivers. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 9 , wherein an antenna configuration at only one end of said transmission link is changed and an end of said transmission link that is not changed is restricted to use the most radiation efficient antenna configuration at all times. 
     
     
         15 . A method for selecting a configuration of at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver in an ad-hoc network, each said multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and each said multi-element reconfigurable receiver comprising multiple antennas where each antenna is capable of changing a radiation pattern and/or a polarization of a radiated field, comprising:
 a processor selecting an antenna configuration for said at least one multi-element reconfigurable transmitter and/or at least one multi-element reconfigurable receiver of a transmission link in said ad-hoc network;   measuring or estimating interference, a channel matrix, a transmission rate, a received signal strength, an error vector magnitude, and/or an error packet rate of said transmission link in said ad-hoc network including an antenna of the transmitter and/or receiver to be configured; and   selecting an antenna configuration for another transmission link in said ad-hoc network by implementing a distributed configuration selection process that selects the antenna configuration using link channel and interference noise plus a noise covariance matrix, a transmission rate, a received signal strength, an error vector magnitude, a channel matrix, and/or a packet error rate for the transmission link including the antenna being configured by optimizing the link capacity, link throughput, or the link packet error rate of said transmission link.