This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase II project will develop high performance, low-cost, interference filtering smart-antenna prototypes, anticipated to improve Signal to Interference Ratios (SIR) by up to 12dB. This results in improved wireless data rates by up to a factor of 4 or expands coverage by up to a factor of 16, dramatically reducing system costs. Private wireless broadband networks, deployed by municipalities and utilities are used for public safety, public Internet access, and energy and water management. These networks are experiencing dramatic growth in both size and number. This growth, along with expanding enterprise and consumer use of overlapping devices and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), continue to exacerbate performance reducing interference problems. This interference has forced many municipalities to double their investments in infrastructure equipment or to increase transmitter power to overcome interference, thus producing even more interference. Phase II objectives are to demonstrate technology effectiveness and conduct customer trials. Tasks include; antenna structure refinement, transceiver design, smart antenna algorithm development and packaging for customer trials. Customer trials will be performed in one or more of the target markets. Full commercialization of resulting low cost smart antenna systems is targeted for Phase III.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to ultimately save lives, reduce suffering and save taxpayer/ratepayer dollars through efficient and reliable wireless data communications. For example, public safety and first responder personnel need detailed information such as, interactive live video, voice and vitals monitoring allowing emergency room physicians to interact with disaster victims and their caregivers at the scene and during transport. Utilities must respond, along with emergency personnel, to secure downed power lines, broken gas and water lines and restore physical communications networks. Outage and leak information is increasingly transmitted over critical wireless infrastructure. Public safety networks, based on the WiMAX standard, are expected to surpass $3B in sales by 2013. ?Smart Meter? networks are also projected to grow to over $3B in sales by 2013. This unique smart antenna technology will restore otherwise non operating or degraded networks to operational status and help insure that private municipal wireless networks provide reliable high data rates that continue to meet performance goals as the frequencies they use become more crowded. This project will increase the research capability of the partner university?s antenna laboratory and engineering science will be advanced through developing a unique smart antenna radiated measurement instruments.
A team of Spokane Washington-based engineers has developed smart wireless antenna systems and algorithms that dramatically reduce the potential for dropped calls and intermittent data connections that are familiar to, and frustrate nearly all, mobile phone users. When life-or-death situations arise, during major storms and earthquakes, wireless call reliability and data throughput performance becomes particularly critical to emergency personnel. First responders must have fast and reliable connections to locate and provide care for victims. Utility crews must also locate and secure gas leaks and downed power lines or more lives could be threatened. These life and resource-saving communications networks are being updated and expanded world wide. Billions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars are being spent on these critical networks each year. Although unseen by many, the growth of these systems is nearly as explosive as personal wireless communications which includes smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, GPS and hands free enabled vehicles, and wireless home networking. This combined growth contributes to performance reducing interference problems as the airwaves become overcrowded. Network designers are often forced to deploy additional radio equipment and associated dollars to overpower interference, thus creating a vicious cycle of wireless overcrowding. In collaboration with Gonzaga University’s Smart Antenna and Radio Laboratory, Eigen Wireless has developed breakthrough smart antenna technology that can provide a 100 fold increase in wireless signal quality in the face of debilitating interference. This results in dramatic improvements in connection reliability and data throughput with associated reductions in costs to taxpayers and ratepayers. Although applicable to any radio system, this development focused on smart grid, public safety and remote sensing networks. The interoperable standards, upon which these networks are designed, were generally thought to be inappropriate for smart antenna techniques. The design team’s patented and patent pending techniques have reversed that thinking. These unique smart antenna systems utilize innovative antenna structures and adaptive signal processing techniques that optimally maximize the desired signal and minimize the surrounding interference. Water sport enthusiasts, such as boaters and fishermen, appreciate the glare reducing performance and resulting comfort of polarized sun glasses. In recent years, moviegoers have enjoyed the rich experience that a second stereoscopic view of a scene can provide in 3D enabled movies. The special 3D glasses provide each eye with a different view, or data set, through separately polarized lenses. In a sense the two lenses provide double the data throughput to the brain, again providing a rich cinematic experience. Just as polarized sunglasses reduce visual glare, Eigen Wireless’ smart antenna system utilizes polarization to reduce the glare of performance-obscuring interference and provide additional views delivering more data and a richer experience to the user. These smart antenna systems need not appear as multiple antennas. Rather, the form factor of current equipment can remain the same when this solution is integrated into any radio system. The technology is data-rate and industry-standards independent and will be followed by multiple generations of planned improvements. Eigen Wireless is currently demonstrating the technology and engaging radio manufacturers and their semiconductor suppliers to license the technology. This standards-independent technology can be integrated into the licensees' best-practice radio designs. Licensees will secure significant system cost reductions, product differentiation and ultimately save lives and conserve scarce energy resources.
