System and method capable of implicit feedback for the devices with an unequal number of transmitter and receiver chains in a wireless local area network

• US 20060120476A1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Qinghua, Lin, Xintian
• Granted Patent: US 7,830,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0421 utilizing implicit feedback, e.g. steered pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0675 characterised by the signaling

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless station (STA) capable of implicit feedback in a wireless local area network, comprising at least one power amplifier, a plurality of antennas capable of being connected with said at least one power amplifier, and a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA).

Claims

1. A wireless station (STA) capable of implicit feedback in a wireless local area network, comprising:

at least one power amplifier;

a plurality of antennas capable of being connected with said at least one power amplifier; and

a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA).

2. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein said plurality of antennas is three antennas and said at least one power amplifier is two power amplifiers.

3. The wireless station of claim 2, wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

4. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein all of said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all of said antennas.

5. The wireless station of claim 2, wherein both said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all three said antennas.

6. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein said AP keeps track of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranks them accordingly.

7. The wireless station of claim 6, wherein based on said ranking, the strongest and the weakest antennas are used to send a short preamble in order to set the automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising keeping track by said AP of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranking them accordingly.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending a short preamble in order to set the automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level based on said ranking.

8. A method of providing implicit feedback by a wireless station (STA) in a wireless local area network, comprising:

associating at least one power amplifier with a plurality of antennas via a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating three antennas and with two power amplifiers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting non-switchably a first of said two power amplifiers to a first antenna of said three antennas and switchably connecting a second of said two power amplifiers to a second and third of said three antennas.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising connecting switchably all of said power amplifiers to all of said antennas.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting switchably both of said power amplifiers to all three said antennas.

15. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform, results in providing implicit feedback by a wireless station (STA) in a wireless local area network by associating at least one power amplifier with a plurality of antennas via a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA).

16. The article of claim 15, wherein said plurality of antennas is three antennas and said at least one power amplifier is two power amplifiers.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

18. The article of claim 15, wherein all of said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all of said antennas.

19. An implicit feedback system in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a wireless station including at least one power amplifier and a plurality of antennas capable of being switchably connected with said at least one power amplifier; and

an access point capable of sounding a complete channel matrix with said wireless station (STA).

20. The implicit feedback system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of antennas is three antennas and said at least one power amplifier is two power amplifiers.

21. The implicit feedback system of claim 19, wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

22. The implicit feedback system of claim 19, wherein all of said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all of said antennas.

23. The implicit feedback system of claim 19, wherein both said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all three said antennas.