Methods and Apparatus for Overlapping MIMO Physical Sectors

• US 20170134081A1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Inventors: Lastinger, Roc, Spenik, John, Woodbury, Brian C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,859,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas

Abstract

A system is provided comprising: a first wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability; a second wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability; and circuitry in communication with the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability. The system is configured such that the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability selects a channel based on one or more channel characteristics and initiates a first transmission to a first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device via the first wireless protocol, and further initiates a second transmission to a second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, the first wireless part being part of a single wireless station and having;

a plurality of first directional antennas, and

at least one first radio in communication with the first directional antennas for communicating via a first wireless protocol;

a second wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, the second wireless part being part of the single wireless station and having;

a plurality of second directional antennas, and

at least one second radio in communication with the second directional antennas for communicating via a second wireless protocol; and

circuitry in communication with the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability;

said system configured such that the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability selects a channel based on one or more channel characteristics and initiates a first transmission to a first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device via the first wireless protocol, and further initiates a second transmission to a second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, such that the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission and on the channel, where the system is configured to;

receive first information from the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a first measurement performed by the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

receive second information from the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a second measurement performed by the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

alter at least one aspect of the first transmission in connection with multiple of the first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the first information and the second information, so as to direct the first transmission more towards the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device as compared to the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, thereby reducing interference between the first transmission and the second transmission when the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission on the channel;

alter at least one aspect of the second transmission in connection with multiple of the first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the first information and the second information, so as to direct the second transmission more towards the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device as compared to the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, thereby reducing interference between the first transmission and the second transmission when the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission on the channel;

transmit first data in connection with the first transmission to the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability;

transmit second data in connection with the second transmission to the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability;

said system further configured such that the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability initiates a third transmission to a third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device via the second wireless protocol, where the system is configured to;

receive third information from the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a third measurement performed by the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

alter at least one aspect of the third transmission in connection with multiple of the second directional antennas of the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the third information, so as to direct the third transmission towards the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device; and

transmit third data in connection with the third transmission to the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple second directional antennas of the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that at least one of the first information or the second information is a function of at least one of:

a data throughput, a signal-to-noise ratio, a reduced signal error, a reduced data error, a reduced retransmission request, a reduced interference, a rejection of multipath signal, a higher transmission rate, or a signal strength.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability are capable of communicating utilizing the channel, but with at least one different channel characteristic.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the altering the at least one aspect of the first transmission and the altering the at least one aspect of the second transmission includes altering beamforming.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system is configured such that the beamforming involves weighting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the first information is received utilizing the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second information is received utilizing the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the second wireless protocol includes a 802.11n protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the first information is received by the first wireless part and the second information is received by the second wireless part.

9. A method, comprising:

providing access to an access point including;

a first wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, the first wireless part being part of a single wireless station and having;

a plurality of first directional antennas, and

at least one first radio in communication with the first directional antennas for communicating via a first wireless protocol;

a second wireless part with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, the second wireless part being part of the single wireless station and having;

a plurality of second directional antennas, and

at least one second radio in communication with the second directional antennas for communicating via a second wireless protocol; and

circuitry in communication with the first circuitry of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second circuitry of the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability;

selecting a channel based on one or more channel characteristics for use in initiating a first transmission to a first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device via the first wireless protocol, and further initiating a second transmission to a second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, such that the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission and on the channel;

receiving first information from the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a first measurement performed by the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

receiving second information from the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a second measurement performed by the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

altering at least one aspect of the first transmission in connection with multiple of the first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the first information and the second information, so as to direct the first transmission more towards the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device as compared to the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, thereby reducing interference between the first transmission and the second transmission when the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission on the channel;

altering at least one aspect of the second transmission in connection with multiple of the first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the first information and the second information, so as to direct the second transmission more towards the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device as compared to the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, thereby reducing interference between the first transmission and the second transmission when the first transmission occurs simultaneously with the second transmission on the channel;

transmitting first data in connection with the first transmission to the first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability; and

transmitting second data in connection with the second transmission to the second multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple first directional antennas of the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is a function of at least one of:

a data throughput, a signal-to-noise ratio, a reduced signal error, a reduced data error, a reduced retransmission request, a reduced interference, a rejection of multipath signal, a higher transmission rate, or a signal strength.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability are capable of communicating utilizing the channel, but with at least one different channel characteristic.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the altering the at least one aspect of the first transmission and the altering the at least one aspect of the second transmission includes altering beamforming.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the beamforming involves weighting.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first information is received utilizing the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability and the second information is received utilizing the first wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second wireless protocol includes a 802.11n protocol.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first information is received by the first wireless part and the second information is received by the second wireless part.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the method involves a third transmission to a third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device via the second wireless protocol, and further comprising:

receiving third information from the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device that is based on a third measurement performed by the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device;

altering at least one aspect of the third transmission in connection with multiple of the second directional antennas of the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability, based on the third information, so as to direct the third transmission towards the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device; and

transmitting third data in connection with the third transmission to the third multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-capable portable wireless device, utilizing the multiple second directional antennas of the second wireless part with the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability.