Dynamic reconfiguration of communication resources in a multi-transceiver configuration

• US 20060035653A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A system and method that provide dynamic reconfiguration of communication resources in a multi-transceiver configuration. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise communicating a first portion of a first communication using a plurality of transceivers. A determination may be made to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication. A second portion of the first communication may be communicated using the plurality of transceivers less the reallocated transceiver(s), and the second communication may be communicated using at least the reallocated transceiver(s). Various aspects of the present invention may also comprise communicating a first communication utilizing a first transceiver and a second communication utilizing a second transceiver. A determination may be made to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate next information. The next information may then be communicated utilizing the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration.

Claims

1. In a communication system comprising a multi-transceiver configuration, a method for managing communication resources, the method comprising:

communicating a first portion of a first communication using a plurality of transceivers of the communication system;

determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication;

reallocating the at least one of the plurality of transceivers for performing the second communication;

communicating a second portion of the first communication using the plurality of transceivers less the reallocated at least one of the plurality of transceivers; and

concurrently with communicating the second portion of the first communication, communicating the second communication using the reallocated at least one of the plurality of transceivers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication comprises:

determining a first communication quality associated with communicating a second portion of the first communication using the plurality of transceivers less the at least one of the plurality of transceivers; and

determining to reallocate the at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based, at least in part, on the first communication quality.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication comprises determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based on at least one of:

energy utilization, power utilization, energy availability and power availability.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication comprises determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based on at least one of:

signal quality and data rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication comprises determining to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based on at least one of:

operational cost, negotiations between communicating systems, and explicit command.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to communicating the first portion of the first communication, communicating first MIMO training information; and

prior to communicating the second portion of the first communication, communicating second MIMO training information.

7. In a communication system comprising a multi-transceiver configuration, a method for managing communication resources, the method comprising:

communicating a first communication utilizing a first transceiver of a plurality of transceivers of the communication system;

communicating a second communication utilizing a second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers of the communication system;

determining to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information;

configuring the communication system to communicate information utilizing at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration; and

communicating the information utilizing at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information comprises determining to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate a next portion of the first communication.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein communicating a second communication utilizing a second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers of the communication system comprises communicating the second communication concurrently with communicating the first communication.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information comprises:

determining a first communication quality associated with utilizing at least one of the first and second transceivers in at least one SISO configuration;

determining a second communication quality associated with utilizing at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration; and

determining to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration based, at least in part, on the first communication quality and the second communication quality.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information comprises determining to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration based on at least one of:

energy utilization, power utilization, energy availability, power availability, signal quality, operational cost, data rate, negotiations between communicating systems, and explicit command.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

communicating a first communication utilizing a first transceiver comprises utilizing the first transceiver in a SISO configuration; and

communicating a second communication utilizing a second transceiver comprises utilizing the second transceiver in a SISO configuration.

13. In a communication system comprising a multi-transceiver configuration, a method for managing communication resources, the method comprising:

communicating using at least one of a plurality of transceivers of the communication system in a first configuration of a SISO configuration and a MIMO configuration;

determining that a second configuration of the SISO configuration and the MIMO configuration is preferable to the first configuration; and

after determining that a second configuration of the SISO configuration and the MIMO configuration is preferable to the first configuration, communicating using at least one of the plurality of transceivers in the second configuration.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

communicating using at least one of the plurality of transceivers in a first configuration comprises communicating a first portion of a communication; and

communicating using at least one of the plurality of transceivers in the second configuration comprises communicating a second portion of the communication.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein communicating using at least one of the plurality of transceivers in a first configuration and communicating using at least one of the plurality of transceivers in the second configuration each comprise communicating general communication information.

16. A multi-transceiver communication system comprising:

a plurality of transceivers; and

at least one module that;

configures the communication system to communicate a first portion of a first communication utilizing the plurality of transceivers;

determines to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication; and

configures the communication system to communicate the second communication utilizing the reallocated at least one of the plurality of transceivers, and concurrently communicate a second portion of the first communication utilizing the plurality of transceivers less the reallocated at least one of the plurality of transceivers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one module:

determines a first communication quality associated with communicating a second portion of the first communication using the plurality of transceivers less the at least one of the plurality of transceivers; and

determines to reallocate the at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based, at least in part, on the first communication quality.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one module determines to reallocate at least one of the plurality of transceivers for a second communication based on at least one of:

energy utilization, power utilization, energy availability, power availability, signal quality, operational cost, data rate, negotiations between communicating systems, and explicit command.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one module that:

prior to communicating a first portion of the first communication, communicates first MIMO training information; and

prior to communicating a second portion of the first communication, communicates second MIMO training information.

20. A multi-transceiver communication system comprising:

a plurality of transceivers; and

at least one module that;

configures the communication system to communicate a first communication utilizing a first transceiver of the plurality of transceivers;

configures the communication system to communicate a second communication utilizing a second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers;

determines to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information; and

configures the communication system to communicate the information utilizing the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein in determining to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information, the at least one module determines to utilize the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate a next portion of the first communication.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising as least one module that:

utilizes the first transceiver of the plurality of transceivers to communicate the first communication; and

utilizes the second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers to communicate the second communication concurrently with communicating the first communication.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one module:

determines a first communication quality associated with utilizing at least one of;

the first and second transceivers in at least one SISO configuration;

determines a second communication quality associated with utilizing at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration; and

determines to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration based, at least in part, on the first communication quality and the second communication quality.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one module determines to utilize at least the first and second transceivers in a MIMO configuration to communicate information based on at least one of:

energy utilization, power utilization, energy availability, power availability, signal quality, operational cost, data rate, negotiations between communicating systems, and explicit command.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one module:

configures the communication system to communicate the first communication utilizing the first transceiver of the plurality of transceivers in a SISO configuration; and

configures the communication system to communicate the second communication utilizing the second transceiver of the plurality of transceivers in a SISO configuration.