Method And Apparatus For Concerted Signal Transmission On Multiple Antennas

• US 20110158205A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nabhane, Walid Elias, Niemasz, John W. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,837,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0669 using different channel coding between antennas space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

A communication method is provided for use in a network in which users are allocated respective symbol positions within timeslots for communication to the respective users from a base station. A signal periodically transmitted from at least two antennas of the base station to a user terminal represents coded information. The signal is transmitted within each of a plurality of periodic timeslots. Within each timeslot, each antenna transmits the same coded information only during an assigned symbol position. The symbol positions assigned to the respective antennas are separated in time according to a specified sequential spacing of symbol positions within the timeslot.

Claims

1. A communication method for use in a network in which users are allocated respective symbol positions within timeslots for communication to the respective users from a base station, comprising, from a base station transmitter:

periodically transmitting a signal representing coded information to a user terminal from at least two antennas belonging to the same base station, wherein;

the signal is transmitted within each of a plurality of periodic timeslots;

within each said timeslot, each antenna transmits the same coded information only during an assigned symbol position; and

the symbol positions assigned to the respective antennas are separated in time according to a specified sequential spacing of symbol positions within the timeslot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a given one, of a plurality of user terminals served by the base station, and the periodically transmitted signal is transmitted on an orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal code designated for communication with a limited set of one or more user terminals including the given user terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified sequential spacing of symbol positions is characterized by a fixed offset between said symbol positions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified sequential spacing of symbol positions is characterized by a programmable offset between said symbol positions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the value of the programmable offset is signaled explicitly.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising computing the value of the programmable offset from received information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an on/off indicator for antenna diversity, and performing the periodic transmission step in response to a determination that a value of “

on”

for antenna diversity has been indicated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is transmitted within each timeslot in a contiguous sequence of periodic timeslots.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is transmitted within each timeslot in a periodic but non-contiguous sequence of timeslots.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the periodic but non-contiguous sequence of timeslots has a period of k contiguous timeslots, wherein k is an integer at least 2.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the number of antennas is an integer n at least 2;

the number of sequentially spaced symbol positions within each timeslot is at least 2 and at most n; and

a total of two or more signals containing different coded information are transmitted in each timeslot, each said signal being repeated from each of at least two said antennas according to a specified sequential spacing of symbol positions within the timeslot.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the two, or more signals are transmitted in accordance with a space-time block code.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded information is a TPC command.

14. A communication method for use in a network in which users are allocated respective symbol positions within timeslots for communication to the respective users from a base station, comprising, in a user terminal:

periodically receiving signals from at least two antennas belonging to the same base station, wherein a signal containing the same coded information is received from each respective antenna only during a corresponding symbol position within each of a plurality of periodic timeslots; and

recovering the signal values using knowledge of a specified sequential spacing of symbol positions within each timeslot, according to which the symbol positions corresponding to the respective antennas are separated in time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the recovering step is carried out in a receiver configured for receiving space-time block codes.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the signal values are recovered using a diversity receiver.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the recovered signal values are TPC commands.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein recovering the signal values comprises despreading the signals from, an orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal code.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the signals are recovered within each of a contiguous sequence of periodic timeslots.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the signals are recovered within each of a periodic but non-contiguous sequence of timeslots.