Systems and methods for using spatial multiplexing in conjunction with a multi-conductor cable

• US 10,148,336 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellium Technologies, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Cellium Technologies, LTD.
• Inventors: Kinamon, Roy, Zuckerman, Gal, Liv, Oz
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Linda
• Application Number:
  US15/941,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 375219, 375220, 375221, 375222, 375223, 375240, 37524026, 37524027, 375254, 375259, 375285, 375 2, 375 84, 375278, 375271, 375273, 375279, 375295, 375302, 375308, 375316, 375324, 375322, 375340, 375346, 375347, 375354
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation

Abstract

Systems and methods for using spatial multiplexing in conjunction with a multi-conductor cable deployed in-house. Input streams associated with spatial multiplexing are converted into respective signals occupying different respective frequencies. The signals are transported, via a multi-conductor cable deployed in-house, into a certain room located in-house, thereby enabling a presence of the plurality of signals in the certain room. The signals are shifted into respective output signals that occupy a single wireless frequency by up-converting each signal from the corresponding different frequency into the single wireless frequency. The output signals are transmitted wirelessly, using only the single wireless frequency, via respective antennas located in the certain room, all said antennas operating in conjunction with the single wireless frequency, thereby achieving spatial multiplexing in the certain room and in conjunction with the multi-conductor cable.

Claims

1. A method for using spatial multiplexing in conjunction with a plurality of multi-conductor cables, comprising:

converting a plurality of streams associated with spatial multiplexing into a plurality of intermediary frequency (IF) signals;

transmitting the plurality of IF signals at least twice;

a first time respectively over a plurality of conductors belonging to a first multi-conductor cable reaching a first location, and a second time respectively over a plurality of conductors belonging to a second multi-conductor cable reaching a second location;

shifting, at the first location, the transmitted plurality of IF signals respectively into a first plurality of output signals, each of the first plurality of output signals occupying a single wireless frequency range, and transmitting the first plurality of output signals respectively over a first plurality of antennas, thereby allowing a first client device associated with the first location to utilize said spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the first plurality of output signals; and

shifting, at the second location, the transmitted plurality of IF signals respectively into a second plurality of output signals, each of the second plurality of output signals occupying the single wireless frequency range, and transmitting the second plurality of output signals respectively over a second plurality of antennas, thereby allowing a second client device associated with the second location to utilize said spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the second plurality of output signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second multi-conductor cables are multi-paired cables.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-paired cables are category 5 cables (CAT5).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of streams are formed together from a plurality of independent data streams as part of a conversion process associated with the spatial multiplexing, in which said utilization by the first client device comprises the first client device decoding the plurality of independent data streams from the first plurality of output signals associated with the plurality of streams.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said utilization by the second client device comprises the second client device decoding the plurality of independent data streams from the second plurality of output signals associated with the plurality of streams.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said formation of the plurality of streams comprises generating each of the plurality of streams from a linear combination of at least two of the plurality of independent data streams, in accordance with said spatial multiplexing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of streams are generated by an access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the access point is a wifi access point supporting at least partly a standard associated with IEEE 802.11, such as IEEE 802.11n or IEEE 802.11ac, in which the spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the plurality of streams is part of the standard.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of IF signals has a bandwidth that is either 20 Mhz, 40 Mhz, 80 Mhz, or 160 MHz.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of IF signals has a center frequency located below 1 Ghz.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the single wireless frequency range is located in either a 2.4 Ghz band or a 5 Ghz band.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the access point is a LTE access point or a LTE base-station supporting at least partly a standard associated with LTE, in which the spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the plurality of streams is part of the standard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is associated with a first room.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second location is associated with a second room.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first client device is located in the first room and the second client device is located in the second room, in which the first client device is unable to utilize the second plurality of output signals being too weak to be decoded in the first room, and the second client device is unable to utilize the first plurality of output signals being too weak to be decoded in the second room.

16. A system operative to use spatial multiplexing in conjunction with a plurality of multi-conductor cables, comprising:

an access point operative to generate a plurality of streams associated with spatial multiplexing;

a base converter operative to convert the plurality of streams respectively into a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) signals;

at least two multi-conductor cables, in which each of the at least two multi-conductor cables comprises a plurality of conductors; and

at least two pluralities of mixers associated respectively with the at least two multi-conductor cables, in which each of the plurality of mixers is associated respectively with a plurality of antennas and is located at a specific location;

wherein;

each of the at least two multi-conductor cables is configured to transport the plurality of IF signals, via the respective plurality of conductors, to the respective plurality of mixers; and

each of the plurality of mixers is configured to shift the plurality of IF signals respectively into a plurality of output signals, and transmit the plurality of output signals via the respective plurality of antennas to a respective client device, in which the respective client device is operative to utilize said spatial multiplexing in conjunction with reception of the respective plurality of output signals.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of streams are input to the base converter in a radio frequency form at frequency bands above 1.5 GHz, such as a 1.8 GHz band, a 1.9 GHz band, a 2.0 GHz band, a 2.3 GHz band, a 2.4 GHz band, a 2.5 GHz band, or a 5 GHz band; and

said conversion of the plurality of streams respectively into the plurality of IF signals is performed respectively by a plurality of mixers in the base converter operating as down-converters.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of streams are input to the base converter in a digital form; and

said conversion of the plurality of streams respectively into the plurality of IF signals is a modulation process, such as OFDM modulation process.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of streams are input to the base converter in a base-band form; and

said conversion of the plurality of streams respectively into the plurality of IF signals is performed respectively by a plurality of mixers in the base converter operating as up-converters.

20. A system operative to use spatial multiplexing in conjunction with a multi-conductor cable, comprising:

an access point operative to generate a plurality of streams associated with spatial multiplexing;

a base converter operative to convert the plurality of streams respectively into a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) signals;

a multi-conductor cable comprising a plurality of conductors; and

a plurality of mixers associated respectively with the multi-conductor cable, in which the plurality of mixers is associated respectively with a plurality of antennas and is located at a specific location;

wherein;

the multi-conductor cable is configured to transport the plurality of IF signals, via the plurality of conductors, to the plurality of mixers; and

the plurality of mixers is configured to shift the plurality of IF signals respectively into a plurality of output signals all occupying a single wireless frequency range, and transmit the plurality of output signals via the plurality of antennas to a client device, in which the client device is operative to utilize said spatial multiplexing in conjunction with reception of the plurality of output signals.