Method and apparatus for conveying a communication signal between a communication unit and a base site
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting a downlink communication signal from a base site that services a sectorized coverage area to a communication unit residing in the sectorized coverage area, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) determining an approximate location of the communication unit within a first sector of the sectorized coverage area; and
b) transmitting the downlink communication signal to the approximate location of the communication unit using an antenna structure that produces a beamwidth narrower than an angular width of the first sector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system (100) employs a method (600) and apparatus (101) for conveying a communication signal between a communication unit (105) and a base site (101) that services a sectorized coverage area (103). The communication unit (105) transmits an uplink communication signal (113) to the base site (101). The base site (101) receives (603) the uplink communication signal (113) and determines (605) an approximate location of the communication unit (101) within a first portion (111) of a sector (108) of the sectorized coverage area (103). A downlink communication signal is then transmitted (609, 613) to the communication unit (105) based on the approximate location of the communication unit (105) using an antenna structure that produces a beamwidth (117) narrower than an angular width of the sector (108).
311 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting a downlink communication signal from a base site that services a sectorized coverage area to a communication unit residing in the sectorized coverage area, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) determining an approximate location of the communication unit within a first sector of the sectorized coverage area; and b) transmitting the downlink communication signal to the approximate location of the communication unit using an antenna structure that produces a beamwidth narrower than an angular width of the first sector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for receiving an uplink communication signal at a base site from a communication unit residing in a sectorized coverage area of the base site, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving the uplink communication signal at a first antenna to produce a first received signal; b) receiving the uplink communication signal at a second antenna to produce a second received signal; c) decorrelating the second received signal with respect to the first received signal to produce decorrelated uplink signals; and d) combining the decorrelated uplink signals. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A base site that services a sectorized coverage area, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an uplink communication signal from a first sector of the sectorized coverage area; and selection means, operably coupled to the receiver, for routing a downlink communication signal to a first portion of a plurality of portions of the first sector, each of the portions defined by a beamwidth narrower than the first sector, based on an approximate location of a communication unit that transitted the uplink communication signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A base site that services a sectorized coverage area, comprising:
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a first receive antenna for receiving an uplink communication signal from a first portion of a first sector of the sectorized coverage area; a second receive antenna for receiving the uplink communication signal from a second portion of the first sector; decorrelating means, operably coupled to the first receive antenna and the second receive antenna, for decorrelating the uplink communication signal received by the second receive antenna with respect to the uplink communication signal received by the first receive antenna to produce decorrelated uplink signals; and combining means, operably coupled to the decorrelating means, for combining the decorrelated uplink signals. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification