Antenna Diversity

• US 20110317625A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Urquhart, Andrew, Gale, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of communicating between a first node including a plurality of antennas and a second node, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from the first node to said second node using each of the plurality of antennas of the first node; at the second node, selecting one of the plurality of antennas for use; and communicating between the two nodes using this selected antenna. The invention is also directed to apparatus and software for performing the methods.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a first transceiver and a second transceiver, the first transceiver having a plurality of antennas configured to provide polarization diversity, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a respective signal from said first transceiver to said second transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas of said first transceiver;

at the second transceiver, selecting at least one of said plurality of antennas for use; and

communicating between the two transceivers using said at least one selected antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one respective transmitted signal at the second transceiver, the step of selecting at least one of said plurality of antennas for use comprising selecting the at least one antenna based on at least one property of the at least one received respective signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective signal comprises an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal at the first transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the second transceiver to the first transceiver a signal indicating the at least one selected antenna.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a respective signal from said first transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas comprises transmitting the respective signals in respective time intervals.

6. A system, comprising:

a first transceiver having a plurality of antennas configured to provide polarization diversity, the first transceiver being operable to transmit a respective signal using each of the plurality of antennas;

a second transceiver operable to receive the transmitted signals and to select at least one of said plurality of antennas of the first transceiver for use;

the first transceiver being operable to communicate with the second transceiver using said at least one selected antenna.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second transceiver is operable to select the at least one antenna based on at least one property of the received respective signals.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein each respective signal comprises an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal at the first transceiver.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the second transceiver is operable to transmit to the first transceiver a signal indicating the at least one selected antenna.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the first transceiver is operable to transmit a respective signal from said first transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas by transmitting the respective signals in respective time intervals.

11. A method of communicating between a first transceiver and a second transceiver, said first transceiver having a plurality of antennas configured to provide polarization diversity, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a respective signal from said first transceiver to said second transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas of said first transceiver;

receiving a communication from said second transceiver indicating a selection of at least one of said plurality of antennas of said first transceiver; and

communicating with said second transceiver using said at least one selected antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each respective signal comprises an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal at the first transceiver.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting a respective signal from said first transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas comprises transmitting the respective signals in respective time intervals.

14. A transceiver, comprising:

a plurality of antennas configured to provide polarization diversity;

a signal generator operable to generate a respective signal for transmission using each of the plurality of antennas; and

a receiver operable to receive a signal communicating at least one selected antenna of the plurality of antennas;

the signal generator being operable to communicate using the at least one selected antenna after receiving the signal communicating the at least one selected antenna.

15. The transceiver of claim 14, wherein the signal generator is operable to include in each respective signal an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal.

16. The transceiver of claim 14, wherein the signal generator is operable to transmit a respective signal from said first transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas by transmitting the respective signals in respective time intervals.

17. A method of communicating between a first transceiver and a second transceiver having a plurality of antennas configured to provide polarization diversity, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a respective a signal from said second transceiver transmitted using each of said plurality of antennas;

selecting at least one of said plurality of antennas for use; and

communicating the at least one selected antenna to said second transceiver.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each respective signal comprises an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal at the first transceiver.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating said selection to said second transceiver comprises transmitting from the second transceiver to the first transceiver a signal indicating the at least one selected antenna.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving a respective signal from said second transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas comprises receiving the respective signals in respective time intervals.

21. A transceiver, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive respective signals transmitted from another transceiver using each of a plurality of antennas of the other transceiver; and

an antenna selector operable to select at least one of said plurality of antennas of the first transceiver for use; and

a transmitter operable to communicate said at least one selected antenna to the other transceiver.

22. The transceiver of claim 21, wherein the antenna selector is operable to select the at least one antenna based on at least one property of the received respective signals.

23. The transceiver of claim 21, wherein each respective signal comprises an indicator of at least one respective antenna used to transmit the respective signal at the first transceiver.

24. The transceiver of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit a signal indicating the at least one selected antenna to communicate said at least one selected antenna to the other transceiver.

25. The transceiver of claim 21, wherein the receiver is operable to receive respective signals from said other transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas by receiving the respective signals in respective time intervals.