Method and system for adaptively combining signals

• US 20040125899A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Inventors: Harel, Haim, Li, Yingxue
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]

Abstract

Combining signals includes receiving a plurality of groups of signals at a plurality of antennas at a mobile device, where each group of signals includes a plurality of signals, and each signal includes a time slot. The following is repeated for each group of signals of the plurality of groups of signals. An adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal is set. Each signal of the group of signals is adjusted at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot. A signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals is established, and an optimal adjustment in accordance with the signal qualities is determined. The signals are adjusted in accordance with the optimal adjustment.

Claims

1. A method for combining signals, comprising:

receiving a plurality of groups of signals at a plurality of antennas at a mobile device, each group of signals comprising a plurality of signals, each signal having a time slot; and

repeating the following for each group of signals of the plurality of groups of signals;

setting an adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal of a group of signals;

adjusting each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot;

establishing a signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals;

determining an optimal adjustment in accordance with the signal qualities; and

adjusting the signals in accordance with the optimal adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the antennas are separated by a distance within a range of 0.1 to 1.0 wavelength.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the plurality of signals of each group of signals to form one or more combined signals, the number of the combined signals being less than the number of the plurality of signals of the group of signals received at the plurality of antennas.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the optimal adjustment in accordance with a look-up table entry, the look-up table entry associated with a deemphasis of a non-constant signal characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting an adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal of a group of signals comprises:

establishing a previous optimal adjustment associated with a previous group of signals, the previous optimal adjustment comprising a previous group character and a previous time slot character;

determining a current time slot character;

setting a current group character to the previous optimal adjustment; and

setting the adjustment to the current group character and the current time slot character.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot comprises:

determining an adjustment of a relative group phase among the signals in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot; and

adjusting the relative group phase among the signals in accordance with the adjustment of the relative phase distribution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot comprises:

determining an adjustment of a relative power distribution among the signals in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot; and

adjusting the relative power distribution among the signals in accordance with the adjustment of the relative power distribution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals comprises establishing a signal-to-noise ratio associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals.

9. A system for combining signals comprising:

a plurality of antennas operable to receive a plurality of groups of signals at a mobile device, each group of signals comprising a plurality of signals, each signal having a time slot; and

a signal adjustment module operable to repeat the following for each group of signals of the plurality of groups of signals;

set an adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal of a group of signals;

adjust each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot;

establish a signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals;

determine an optimal adjustment in accordance with the signal qualities; and

adjust the signals in accordance with the optimal adjustment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least two of the antennas separated by a distance within a range of 0.1 to 1.0 wavelength.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a vector modulator operable to combine the plurality of signals of each group of signals to form one or more combined signals, the number of combined signals being less than the number of the plurality of signals of the group of signals received at the plurality of antennas.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a vector modulator operable to calibrate the optimal adjustment in accordance with a look-up table entry, the look-up table entry associated with a deemphasis of a non-constant signal characteristic.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal adjustment module is further operable to:

establish a previous optimal adjustment associated with a previous group of signals, the previous optimal adjustment comprising a previous group character and a previous time slot character;

determine a current time slot character;

set a current group character to the previous optimal adjustment; and

set the adjustment to the current group character and the current time slot character.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal adjustment module is further operable to:

determine an adjustment of a relative group phase among the signals in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot; and

adjust the relative group phase among the signals in accordance with the adjustment of the relative phase distribution.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal adjustment module is operable to adjust each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot by:

determining an adjustment of a relative power distribution among the signals in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot; and

adjusting the relative power distribution among the signals in accordance with the adjustment of the relative power distribution.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising an estimator operable to establish a signal-to-noise ratio associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals.

17. A system for combining signals, comprising:

a means for receiving a plurality of groups of signals at a plurality of antennas at a mobile device, each group of signals comprising a plurality of signals, each signal having a time slot; and

a means for repeating the following for each group of signals of the plurality of groups of signals;

setting an adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal of a group of signals;

adjusting each signal of the group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot;

establishing a signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals;

determining an optimal adjustment in accordance with the signal qualities; and

adjusting the signals in accordance with the optimal adjustment.

18. A system for combining signals comprising:

a plurality of antennas operable to receive a plurality of groups of signals at a mobile device, each group of signals comprising a plurality of signals, each signal having a time slot, the at least two of the antennas separated by a distance within a range of 0.1 to 1.0 wavelength;

an estimator operable to establish a signal quality associated with each time slot of each signal of the group of signals;

a signal adjustment module operable to repeat the following for each group of signals of the plurality of groups of signals;

set a current group character associated with a current group of signals;

set an adjustment associated with a time slot of each signal of the current group of signals, the adjustment comprising an adjustment of a relative phase distribution among the signals or an adjustment of a relative power distribution among the signals;

adjust each signal of the current group of signals at the time slot in accordance with the adjustment associated with the time slot;

receive the signal-to-noise ratio associated with each time slot of each signal of the current group of signals;

determine an optimal adjustment in accordance with the received signal qualities;

adjust the signals in accordance with the optimal adjustment; and

set the adjustment to the optimal adjustment and the current group character; and

a vector modulator operable to

combine the plurality of signals of each group of signals to form one or more combined signals, the number of the combined signals being less than the number of the plurality of signals of the group of signals received at the plurality of antennas;

calibrate the optimal adjustment in accordance with a look-up table entry, the look-up table entry associated with a deemphasis of a non-constant signal characteristic.