MULTI-TRANSCEIVER SYSTEM WITH MIMO AND BEAM-FORMING CAPABILITY

• US 20090042614A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• 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 7,890,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with a second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise determining whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas in a first configuration, which comprises a beam-forming configuration, is preferable to utilizing a plurality of antennas in a second configuration, which comprises a MIMO or MISO configuration. If it is determined that the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration, the communication system may be configured to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing at least a portion of the plurality of antennas in the first configuration. If it is determined that the second configuration is preferable to the first configuration, then the communication system may be configured to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing at least a portion of the plurality of antennas in the second configuration.

Claims

1. In a communication system comprising a plurality of antennas, a method of communicating with at least a second communication system, the method comprising:

determining, based at least in part on communication channel conditions, whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a first configuration, which comprises a beam-forming configuration, is preferable to utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a second configuration, which comprises either of a MIMO or MISO configuration;

if it is determined that the first configuration is preferable to one or more configurations comprising the second configuration, then configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the first configuration to form a directional signal; and

if it is determined that the second configuration is preferable to one or more configurations comprising the first configuration, then configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the second configuration to communicate using MIMO or MISO signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the first configuration and energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the second configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on secure communication needs of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on dimensional characteristics of a communication cell that is associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on geographical position of the second communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on multi-path communication environment between the communication system and the second communication system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on input received from a user of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on a predetermined communication profile associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration comprises determining whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on predicted channel performance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the first configuration to form a directional signal comprises determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam comprises determining geographical position of the second communication system and determining directional characteristics of the desired communication beam based, at least in part, on the geographical position of the second communication system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the second configuration comprises utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system to communicate MIMO training information to the second communication system.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a portable communication system.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a communication network access point.

13-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A communication system capable of communicating with a second communication system simultaneously utilizing at least a portion of a plurality of antennas, the communication system comprising:

at least one module that operates to, at least;

determine, based at least in part on communication channel conditions, whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a first configuration, which comprises a beam-forming configuration, is preferable to utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a second configuration, which comprises either of a MIMO or MISO configuration;

if it is determined that the first configuration is preferable to one or more configurations comprising the second configuration, configure the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the first configuration to form a directional signal; and

if it is determined that the second configuration is preferable to one or more configurations comprising the first configuration, configure the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the second configuration to communicate using MIMO or MISO signals.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the first configuration and energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the second configuration.

19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on secure communication needs of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on dimensional characteristics of a communication cell that is associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

21. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on geographical position of the second communication system.

22. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on multi-path communication environment between the communication system and the second communication system.

23. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on input received from a user of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

24. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on a predetermined communication profile associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

25. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module determines whether the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration based, at least in part, on predicted channel performance.

26. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module configures the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the first configuration to form a directional signal by, at least in part, determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam.

27. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines directional characteristics of a desired communication beam by, at least in part, determining geographical position of the second communication system and determining directional-characteristics of the desired communication beam based, at least in part, on the geographical position of the second communication system.

28. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module configures the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the second configuration by, at least in part, utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system to communicate MIMO training information to the second communication system.

35. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the communication system is a portable communication system.

36. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the communication system is a communication network access point.

29-32. -32. (canceled)