Wireless communications system and method

• US 10,212,603 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Naden, James M., Ward, Chris, Jeffries, Andrew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US14/254,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20140302860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 455426, 455447, 455517
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7097 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70702 Intercell-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures

Abstract

The invention is directed to a mobile communications system having improved spectral efficiency. The invention is further directed to methods and apparatus to achieve this improved spectral efficiency. In the mobile communications system communication with a plurality of mobile terminals is provided by a base station. Within the system terminals are adapted to communicate with one or more adjacent similar terminals to establish groups of terminals, called micro-cells. Each terminal within a micro-cell receives signals from the base station and then performs a first processing step on these signals. These processed signals are shared with all the other terminals within the micro-cell. Each terminal then performs a second processing step on the information it has received from all the other terminals within the micro-cell which enables it to derive a signal intended for reception by that terminal. The technique is applicable to both the uplink (user to base station) and the down link (base station to user) and also to peer to peer (user to user) communication.

Claims

1. A method for operating a first mobile terminal of a group of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

at a first mobile terminal;

generating a first symbol sequence;

receiving at least a second symbol sequence directly from a second mobile terminal of the group;

generating a transmit signal based at least on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence using code division multiplexing;

transmitting the transmit signal to a communication station, wherein the communication station includes a plurality of antennas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile terminal is configured to transmit the second symbol data sequence directly to the first mobile terminal over a first frequency range, wherein transmissions between the communication station and the group of mobile terminals occurs outside the first frequency range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile terminal includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna is used to receive said second symbol sequence from the second mobile terminal, wherein the second antenna is used to transmit the transmit signal to the communication station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication station is a base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication station is a mobile terminal belonging to a second group of mobile terminals, distinct from said group of mobile terminals, wherein said transmitting the transmit signal to the communication station is a direct transmission to the mobile terminal of the second group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile terminal includes only one antenna.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of mobile terminals is formed from a superset of mobile terminals based on measurements of signal strength of transmissions between the mobile terminals of the superset.

8. A first mobile terminal comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement;

generating a first symbol sequence, wherein the first mobile terminal belongs to a group of mobile terminals;

receiving at least a second symbol sequence directly from a second mobile terminal of the group;

generating a transmit signal based at least on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence using code division multiplexing;

transmitting the transmit signal to a communication station, wherein the communication station includes a plurality of antennas.

9. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the first mobile terminal is configured to receive the second symbol data sequence over a first frequency range, wherein the base station is configured to communicate with the group of mobile terminals outside the first frequency range.

10. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the first mobile terminal includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein first mobile terminal is configured to receive said second symbol sequence using the first antenna, wherein the first mobile terminal is configured to transmit the transmit signal to the communication station using the second antenna.

11. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the communication station is a base station.

12. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the communication station is a mobile terminal belonging to a second group of mobile terminals, distinct from said group of mobile terminals.

13. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the first mobile terminal includes only one antenna.

14. The first mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the group of mobile terminals is formed from a superset of mobile terminals based on measurements of signal strength of transmissions between the mobile terminals of the superset.

15. A non-transitory memory medium for operating a first mobile terminal, wherein the memory stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement:

generating a first symbol sequence, wherein the first mobile terminal belongs to a group of mobile terminals;

receiving at least a second symbol sequence directly from a second mobile terminal of the group;

generating a transmit signal based at least on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence using code division multiplexing;

transmitting the transmit signal to a communication station, wherein the communication station includes a plurality of antennas.

16. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the first mobile terminal is configured to receive the second symbol data sequence over a first frequency range, wherein the base station is configured to communicate with the group of mobile terminals outside the first frequency range.

17. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the first mobile terminal includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein first mobile terminal is configured to receive said second symbol sequence using the first antenna, wherein the first mobile terminal is configured to transmit the transmit signal to the communication station using the second antenna.

18. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the communication station is a base station.

19. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the communication station is a mobile terminal belonging to a second group of mobile terminals, distinct from said group of mobile terminals.

20. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the group of mobile terminals is formed from a superset of mobile terminals based on measurements of signal strength of transmissions between the mobile terminals of the superset.