Signalling MIMO allocations

• US 20050250506A1
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sisvel International S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ponnampalam, Vishakan, Beale, Martin W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to demodulation of radio signals from a base station having collocated transmit antennas, and more particularly to signaling allocation information from a base station to a mobile terminal. The allocation information may include timeslot and code information of allocation to other mobile terminals. Some embodiments of the present invention facilitate a mobile terminal'"'"'s ability to receive and demodulate a signal containing multiple interfering signals by communicating codes allocated to other mobile terminals.

Claims

1. A method of communicating code allocations in a cellular radio system, the method comprising:

allocating to a first mobile terminal a first code in a timeslot;

allocating to a second mobile terminal a second code in the timeslot;

generating a message including an indication of the second code allocated to the second mobile terminal; and

signaling to the first mobile terminal the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of signaling includes transmitting the message on a control channel monitored by the first mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of signaling includes transmitting the message on a broadcast channel monitored by the first mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of signaling includes:

determining a power level such that both the first and second mobile terminals receive the message; and

transmitting the message on a broadcast channel at the determined power level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message further includes an indication of the first code.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the message further includes an indication of allocated codes of a neighboring cell.

7. A method of communicating code allocations by a base station in a cellular radio system, the method comprising:

determining a first set of one or more codes in a timeslot to allocate to a first mobile terminal;

determining a second set of one or more codes in the timeslot to allocate to a second mobile terminal;

generating an allocation table that indicates the first and second sets of codes are allocated; and

transmitting the allocation table.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation table during a period prior to the timeslot.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation table after a change is made to the allocation table.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation periodically.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation once per frame.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes:

encoding the allocation table with an error correcting code; and

transmitting the encoded allocation table.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation once per MIMO timeslot in a frame.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table once per MIMO timeslot includes:

encoding the allocation table; and

transmitting the encoded allocation table during a period that a training sequence is transmitted.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the allocation table includes a bit map.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the bit map indicates which codes are allocated in a timeslot.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the bit map indicates which codes of which timeslots are allocated in a frame.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the bit map indicates:

codes of a timeslot of a first transmission from a first antenna are allocated; and

codes of the timeslot of a second transmission from a second antenna are allocated.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the bit map indicates which codes in which timeslots on which antenna in a frame are allocated in a base station having multiple transmit antennas.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes:

determining a power level that all mobile terminals having one or more allocated codes in the timeslot will receive the message, wherein the power level is less than a maximum transmitter power level; and

transmitting the allocation table at the determined power level.

21. A method of compiling an allocation table in a first mobile terminal, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more first channels;

receiving a signal in a timeslot, wherein the signal includes a data payload and a training sequence; and

extracting allocation information from the data payload.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising mitigating inference by using the allocation information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of mitigating inference includes operating a multi-user detector (MUD).

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of operation the MUD includes executing instructions in a microprocessor.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the act of operation the MUD exercises dedicated MUD hardware circuitry.

26. A method of compiling an allocation table in a first mobile terminal, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more first channels for allocation messages;

receiving on the first channels a first allocation message;

receiving on the first channels a second allocation message;

determining the first allocation message is directed to the first mobile terminal;

determining the second allocation message is directed to a different mobile terminal; and

building the allocation table from information received in the second allocation message, wherein the information includes a code allocated to the different mobile terminal.