Method and system for forward link beam forming in wireless communications

• US 20020098872A1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Judson, Bruce A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0623 Auxiliary parameters, e.g. power control [PCB] or not acknowledged commands [NACK], used as feedback information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an antenna beam pattern is used to send a communication signal to a user. For example, the antenna beam pattern can be formed using adaptive antenna array technology on the forward link of a wireless communication system. A control signal from the user is used to determine a statistic. For example, the control signal can be a power control bit sent by the user on the return link. The statistic can be an average of the power control bit values over a specified time interval. The statistic is used to narrow the antenna beam pattern and direct it toward the user. For example, a dithering algorithm can be used to optimize the antenna beam pattern. After a call is completed, an optimized antenna beam pattern specific to each user can be stored for the next call to make the optimizing process faster and more efficient.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

using an antenna beam pattern to send a communication signal to a user;

determining a statistic using a control signal from said user;

utilizing said statistic to narrow said antenna beam pattern and to direct said antenna beam pattern to said user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said antenna beam pattern after said utilizing step.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said utilizing step comprises using a dithering algorithm to optimize said antenna beam pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said control signal is a power control signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said control signal is a data rate control signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said statistic is an average of said control signal over a specified interval of time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said statistic is a running average of said control signal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said statistic is a weighted average of said control signal.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said antenna beam pattern is formed using an adaptive antenna array.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication signal is sent over a forward link of a wireless communication system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said wireless communication system is a wideband code division multiple access communication system.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising an adaptive antenna array module configured to output and direct said antenna beam pattern to said user.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising an antenna beam pattern storing module configured to store said antenna beam pattern.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said antenna beam pattern optimizing module uses a dithering algorithm to optimize said antenna beam pattern.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said control signal is a power control signal.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said control signal is a data rate control signal.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said statistic is an average of said sequence of monitored signals over a specified interval of time.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein said statistic is a running average of said sequence of monitored signals.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said statistic is a weighted average of said sequence of monitored signals.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein said antenna beam pattern is used to send a communication signal to said user.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said communication signal is sent over a forward link of a wireless communication system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said wireless communication system is a wideband code division multiple access communication system.

12. A system comprising:

a control signal monitoring module configured to access a control signal from a user;

a signal statistic computation module configured to determine a statistic from a sequence of monitored signals output by said signal monitoring module;

an antenna beam pattern optimizing module configured to utilize said statistic to narrow an antenna beam pattern to be directed to said user.