Patent ID: 8487813
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
1. A method of automatic alignment of a first directional beam antenna with a second directional beam antenna at a predetermined path attenuation each directional beam having an antenna gain pattern, the aligning being to provide mutual transmission, each directional beam antenna having first and second independent alignment angles respectively, the method being performed at said first directional beam antenna, the method comprising: determining a beam width of said directional beam antennas for said path attenuation, said beam width being between a first location of minimal detectable connection and a second location of minimal detectable connection, said first and second locations being on either side of a beam maximum in accordance with said antenna gain pattern; mapping scan points onto a scan field in a regular pattern, said pattern comprising a gap, the gap being set to correspond to said determined beam width; and scanning said first antenna over ones of said mapped scan points; and at each point allowing said second antenna to scan over all of a respective second antenna set of mapped scan points to locate said beam, thereby providing a coarse alignment of said first antenna with said second antenna to achieve at least said minimal detectable connection, the scanning further comprising an additional fine alignment of finding said beam maximum in terms of said two independent alignment angles at each of said first and second antennas, said fine alignment comprising feeding back a slope of a signal quality metric to a steering unit, and smooth following of said slope by said steering unit until a flat region in said slope is found to indicate that said beam maximum is reached.