1. A method of improving a wireless communication link between two or more communication devices with at least one of the communication devices using an antenna system with the capability to transmit and receive signals in more than one pattern, the method comprising:
transmitting a polling request;
receiving one or more signals at the antenna system from a device when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns;
monitoring at least one characteristic of the received signals when the antenna system is configured in the at least two different selected patterns;
determining a pattern of the antenna system based on the at least one monitored characteristic of the received signals;
transmitting to the device that sent the one or more signals in the determined pattern.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more signals are requests for a data link.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a pattern the antenna system comprises:
detecting a beam pattern of the one or more signals.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a pattern of the antenna system comprises:
comparing characteristics of the one or more signals which were received when the antenna system was configured in at least two different selected patterns.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the antenna system has a plurality of antenna elements and configuring the antenna system in at least two different selected patterns comprises activating and switching off different antenna elements of the antenna system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the antenna system has a plurality of antenna elements and configuring the antenna system in at least two different selected patterns comprises shifting the phases of signals received by different antenna elements of the antenna system.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording the determined direction for later use in communicating with the device.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the received signals were transmitted in response to said polling request.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring at least one characteristic of the received signals when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns comprises taking a measurement of a characteristic of the received signals when the antenna system is configured in the at least two different selected patterns.
10. A method of improving a wireless communication link between two or more communication devices with at least one of the communication devices using an antenna system with the capability to transmit and receive signals in more than one pattern, the method comprising:
transmitting a polling request;
receiving one or more signals at the antenna system from a communication device when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns;
measuring one or more characteristics of the received signals when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns;
determining a pattern of the antenna system based on the one or more measured characteristics of the received signals;
transmitting a message to the communication device in the determined pattern.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the received signals were transmitted from the communication device in response to the polling request.
12. A system for improving a wireless communication link between two or more communication devices with at least one of the communication devices using an antenna system with the capability to transmit and receive signals in more than one pattern, the system comprising:
means for transmitting a polling request;
means for receiving one or more signals at the antenna system from a communication device when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns;
means for monitoring one or more characteristics of the received signals when the antenna system is configured in at least two different selected patterns;
means for determining a pattern of the antenna system based on the one or more monitored characteristics of the received signals;
means for transmitting to the communication device in the determined pattern.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Connection device for optical fibres, comprising a first connector (2) intended to be associated with at least a first optical fibre (16) and a second connector (3) intended to be associated with at least a second optical fibre (25) which is to be connected to the first fibre, characterised in that one (3) of the two connectors (2, 3) carries a reserve (36) of a fluid having a refractive index equal to that of the optical fibres, and at least one pumping means (37) which is connected to the said fluid reserve and which, in service, can be actuated in response to the connection and disconnection movements of the two connectors (2, 3) in order, at each connectiondisconnection movement, to inject fluid into a space (58) surrounding the front ends of the two fibres bringing them closer together or spacing them apart.
2. Connection device according to claim 1, characterised in that the first connector (2) comprises a first fixed casing or base (4) which has, in its end face turned towards the second connector (3), a first cavity (6) which is open towards the said second connector and on the bottom (12) of which there project on the one hand at least one fixed optical contact (11) in the form of a socket, in which the first optical fibre (16) is fixed, and on the other hand at least one pusher (13) forced by a first spring (15) towards the second connector (3).
3. Connection device according to claim 2, characterised in that the first optical fibre (16) is provided with a first rigid contact piece (17) which extends axially beyond the end of the fixed optical contact (11) projecting in the said first cavity (6), and in that the fixed optical contact (11) carries a protective cowl (18) which, in the disconnected state of the connection device (1), covers the said first contact piece (17) and is at least partially filled with the said fluid.
4. Connection device according to claim 3, characterised in that the protective cowl (18) can slide on the fixed optical contact (11) and has, in the region where it covers the free end of the first contact piece (17), at least two contiguous lips (18a, 18b) made from elastomer material, which can separate in order to allow the said first contact piece to pass when the protective cowl is subjected to a thrust directed in the direction of the connection movement of the second connector (3) towards the first connector (2), counter to the force of a second spring (19) forcing the said protective cowl towards the second connector.
5. Connection device according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the second connector (3) comprises a second moving casing or plug (8), which can be fitted in the first cavity (6) of the first casing (4) and which has, in its end face turned towards the first connector (2), a second cavity (21) which is open towards the said first connector and which contains at least one movable optical contact (24) in the form of a socket, in which the second optical fibre (25) is fixed, which is provided with a second rigid contact piece (26), the said movable optical contact (24) being aligned axially with the fixed optical contact (11) of the first casing (4) when the second casing (8) is fitted in the first cavity of the first casing (4), and being mounted so as to be able to slide with respect to the second casing (8) between a first position in which the first and second contact pieces (17 and 26) of the first and second optical fibres (16 and 25) are spaced apart from each other, and a second position in which the said first and second contact pieces are mutually in contact.
6. Connection device according to claim 5, characterised in that the second contact piece (26) is situated inside the movable optical contact (24) in the form of a socket, which has, at its end directed towards the fixed optical contact (11), an entry convergence (31) for guiding the first contact piece (17) of the first optical fibre (16), and the first and second casings (4, 8) have abutment surfaces (34, 35) cooperating in order to limit the entry of the second casing (8) into the first cavity (6) of the first casing (4), so that, when the said abutment surfaces are mutually in contact and the movable optical contact (24) is in its first position, the first contact piece (17) is partially engaged in the entry convergence (31) of the movable optical contact (24).
7. Connection device according to claim 6, characterised in that the second connector (3) also comprises a wandering sub-assembly (38), which carries the said reserve (36) of the said fluid and the said pumping means (37) and which is able to move in the second cavity (21) of the second casing (8) in the direction of the connection-disconnection movement between a first position in which the said wandering sub-assembly is retracted in the second cavity of the second casing, and a second position in which it is partially emerged from the said second cavity.
8. Connection device according to claim 7, characterised in that the said wandering sub-assembly (38) is coupled to the movable optical contact (24) by an idle-movement connection (43) and by a third spring (44) so that, in a first part (L1L2) of the travel (L) of the wandering sub-assembly (38) in the direction of the connection movement, the movable optical contact (24) is not driven by the said wandering sub-assembly and, in a second part (L3L4) of the said travel, the said wandering sub-assembly drives with it, by means of the third spring (44), the movable optical contact (24) until the second contact piece (26) of the second optical fibre (25) comes into contact with the first contact piece (17) of the first optical fibre (16).
9. Connection device according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the wandering sub-assembly (38) comprises a body (39) in which there are formed at least a first passage for the movable optical contact (24), a first chamber forming the said fluid reserve (26) and a second, cylindrical, chamber (51) which is connected to the first chamber by a second passage (52) containing a first non-return valve (53) allowing the fluid to pass only from the first to the second chamber, and in that a piston (54), provided with a second non-return valve, is disposed in the second chamber (51) and divides the latter into a suction chamber (55), into which the said second passage (52) opens out, and a delivery chamber (56) which communicates with the said first passage through a third passage (57) formed in the body (39) of the wandering sub-assembly (38) and with a chamber (58) situated inside the movable optical contact (24) in the form of a socket, in front of the second contact piece (26) of the second optical fibre (25), by means of at least a fourth passage formed in the said movable optical contact.
10. Connection device according to claim 9, characterised in that the second non-return valve consists of a lip joint (59) which surrounds the said piston (54) and which allows the fluid to pass only from the suction chamber (55) to the delivery chamber (56).
11. Connection device according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the piston (54) is provided with a piston rod (61) which extends in the delivery chamber (56) and which projects outside the body (39) of the wandering sub-assembly (38) in the direction of the first connector (2) and in alignment with the pusher (13) of the first connector when the second casing (8) is engaged in the first cavity (6) in the first casing (4), and in that a fourth spring (62) having lesser stiffness than the first spring is disposed in the suction chamber (55) and forces the piston (54) and the piston rod (61) towards the said pusher (13), the said piston being actuated by the pusher when the wandering sub-assembly is moved from its first to its second position, and by the fourth spring (62) when the wandering sub-assembly is moved from its second to its first position.
12. Connection device according to claim 7, characterised in that the second casing (8) and the wandering sub-assembly (38) of the second connector (3) also comprises cooperating retention means (67, 68) for retaining the wandering sub-assembly (38) in its first position in the second cavity (21) of the second casing (8), and the second casing carries a control means (69) which is actuated by the first casing (4) when the said abutment surfaces (34, 35) of the first and second casings (4, 8) come into contact with each other, and which at this moment acts on the said retention means (67, 68) in order to put them in an inactive state such that the wandering sub-assembly (38) can be moved from its first to its second position.
13. Connection device according to claim 6, characterised in that the second casing (8) of the second connector (3) has an anchoring ring (71) made from elastomer material, which is fixed by one end to the second casing and which carries at its other end at least one anchoring element (72) able to be attached behind a cooperating anchoring element (73) formed on the first casing (4) of the first connector (2) when the said abutment surfaces (34, 35) of the first and second casings are mutually in contact.
14. Connection device according to claim 7, characterised in that, to allow the movement of the wandering sub-assembly (38) between its first and second positions, the second connector (3) also comprises a manoeuvring ring (74) which can slide on the second casing (8) of the second connector and which is connected to the wandering sub-assembly (38) in the second cavity (21) by several radial connecting elements (75) passing through oblong slots (76) formed in the second casing.
15. Connection device according to claims 13 and 14, characterised in that the manoeuvring ring (74, 74a) is sized and configured so as to closely surround the anchoring ring (71) when the said manoeuvring ring is in a position corresponding to the second position of the wandering sub-assembly (38).