METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING POLARIZED ANTENNAS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS INCLUDING SINGLE SECTOR BASE STATIONS

• US 20090227292A1
• Filed: 03/08/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Wu, Xinzhou, Anreddy, Vikram Reddy
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for using multiple antennas having different polarizations are described. Polarized antennas are advantageously deployed in a cellular network. Some of the cells utilize an antenna with a first direction polarization, while cells use an antenna with a second direction polarization, for a given carrier. Various embodiments are directed to methods and apparatus related to base station deployment which set up and/or operate base stations in accordance with an advantageous reuse pattern from the perspective of inter-cell interference. In some embodiments a plurality of carriers are used in addition to a plurality of different polarization direction antennas. In some such embodiments, a base station is configured so that for a given cell different carriers are associated with different direction polarization antennas. Some embodiments are directed to single sector base station implementations.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a first base station including a first antenna assembly, said first antenna assembly including a first carrier antenna being polarized in a first direction; and

a second base station, located adjacent said first base station, the second base station including a second antenna assembly, said second antenna assembly including a first carrier antenna being polarized in a second direction which is different from said first direction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first carrier antenna of the first base station is vertically polarized and wherein said first carrier antenna of the second base station is horizontally polarized.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said antenna assembly of the first base station further includes a second carrier antenna having a different polarization than said first carrier antenna of the first base station.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said antenna assembly of the second base station further includes a second carrier antenna having a different polarization than said first carrier antenna of the second base station.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first carrier antenna of the first base station is vertically polarized and wherein said first carrier antenna of the second base station is horizontally polarized.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said second carrier antenna of the first base station is horizontally polarized and wherein said second carrier antenna of the second base station is vertically polarized.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said first and second base stations are single sector base stations.

8. A method of operating a system including first and second base stations located adjacent one another, the method comprising:

operating the first base station to transmit a first signal on a first carrier using a first first-carrier antenna polarized in a first direction, the first signal being polarized in the first direction; and

operating the second base station to transit a second signal on the first carrier, using a second first-carrier antenna polarized in a second direction, the second signal being polarized in the second direction, the first and second directions being different.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first direction is a vertical direction and wherein said second direction is a horizontal direction.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

operating the first base station to transmit a third signal on a second carrier using a first second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said first first-carrier antenna.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operating the second base station to transmit a fourth signal on the second carrier using a second second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said second first-carrier antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first first-carrier antenna is vertically polarized and wherein said second first-carrier antenna is horizontally polarized.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first second-carrier antenna is horizontally polarized and wherein said second second-carrier antenna is vertically polarized.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prior to performing said operating steps, deploying single sector base stations in geographically adjacent locations as said first and second base stations, respectively, said first base station including said first first-carrier antenna and said first second-carrier antenna, said second base station including said second-first carrier and said second second-carrier antennas.

15. A system comprising:

a first base station including means for transmitting a first signal, polarized in a first direction, on a first carrier; and

a second base station, located adjacent said first base station, said second base station including means for transmitting a second signal polarized in a second direction, the first and second directions being different.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said first direction is a vertical direction and wherein said second direction is a horizontal direction.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first base station further comprises:

means for transmitting a third signal on a second carrier having a different polarization than said first signal.

18. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a device to implement a method of operating a system including first and second base stations located adjacent one another, the method comprising:

operating the first base station to transmit a first signal on a first carrier using a first first-carrier antenna polarized in a first direction, the first signal being polarized in the first direction; and

operating the second base station to transmit a second signal on the first carrier, using a second first-carrier antenna polarized in a second direction, the second signal being polarized in the second direction, the first and second directions being different.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said first direction is a vertical direction and wherein said second direction is a horizontal direction.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

operating the first base station to transmit a third signal on a second carrier using a first second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said first first-carrier antenna.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

operating the second base station to transmit a fourth signal on the second carrier using a second second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said second first-carrier antenna.

22. A communications system comprising:

a first base station including a processor configured to control said first base station to transmit a first signal on a first carrier using a first first-carrier antenna polarized in a first direction, the first signal being polarized in the first direction; and

a second base station, said second base station located adjacent said first base station, said second base station including a processor configured to control said second base station to transit a second signal on the first carrier, using a second first-carrier antenna polarized in a second direction, the second signal being polarized in the second direction, the first and second directions being different.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first direction is a vertical direction and wherein said second direction is a horizontal direction.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the first base station processor is further configured to:

control the first base station to transmit a third signal on a second carrier using a first second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said first first-carrier antenna.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the second base station processor is further configured to:

control the second base station to transmit a fourth signal on the second carrier using a second second-carrier antenna having a different polarization than said second first-carrier antenna.