Transmitter and method for transmitting information packets with incremental redundancy

• US 5,657,325 A
• Filed: 04/26/1996
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lou, Hui Ling, Weerackody, Vijitha
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/641,074
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 370/204, 370/216, 370/218, 370/314, 370/316, 370/323, 370/326, 370/324, 370/330, 370/333, 370/334, 370/336, 370/338, 370/341, 370/349, 370/354, 370/360, 370/389, 370/436 , 370/439, 370/481, 370/490, 370/511, 375/265, 375/267, 375/278, 375/280, 375/284, 375/315, 375/332, 375/334, 375/335, 375/337, 375/341, 375/346, 375/347, 375/348, 375/349, 375/358, 455/10, 455/13.3, 455/15, 455/17, 455/20, 455/23, 455/24, 455/25, 455/42, 455/50.1, 455/52.1, 455/52.3, 455/63, 455/67.3, 455/67.6, 455/69, 455/70, 455/71, 455/5.1, 455/277.2 , 455/274.1, 455/246, 455/303, 455/313, 371/43, 371/40.2, 371/37.7, 371/30, 371/34, 371/35, 371/37.1, 371/46, 371/641, 371/68.1, 371/41
• US Class Current: 370/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0604 with predefined switching scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/061 using feedback from receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0623 Auxiliary parameters, e.g. power control [PCB] or not acknowledged commands [NACK], used as feedback information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/04 using frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1893 Physical mapping arrangements physical resource mapping in general H04L5/00

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved wireless transmitter and method for transmitting incremental redundancy. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, switched antenna diversity is used in conjunction with punctured error correction codes to provide an independently fading channel for the punctured bits. In this embodiment, the transmitter includes an error correction encoder which outputs a punctured packet and punctured bits encoded from the information packet. The transmitter further includes a modulator for modulating the punctured packet and punctured bits, a first antenna for transmitting the modulated punctured packet to a receiver, and a second antenna for transmitting one or more of the punctured bits to the receiver, in response to a negative acknowledgment received by the transmitter. The first and second antennas in this embodiment are positioned to provide first and second channels having independent fading characteristics.

Claims

1. A transmitter for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

an error correction encoder for encoding the information packet with an error correction code, said encoder having a first output comprising a punctured packet and a second output comprising punctured bits;

a modulator for modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits;

a first antenna for transmitting the modulated punctured packet over a first channel of a communication medium, to a receiver;

a second antenna for transmitting the modulated punctured bits, over a second channel of the communication medium, to the receiver;

wherein said first and second antennas are positioned to provide the first and second channels with substantially independent fading characteristics; and

a controller for controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the punctured packet from the first antenna, over the first channel, to the receiver; and

, in response to a negative acknowledgement from the receiver, for further controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the one or more punctured bits from the second antenna, over the second channel, to the receiver.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, further comprising an error detection encoder for encoding the information packet with an error detection code.

3. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein said modulator includes a digital-to-analog convertor.

4. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas each included an RF section, said RF section comprising a frequency up-convertor, a low noise amplifier, and a band-pass filter.

5. A method for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

encoding the information packet with an error correction code;

forming a punctured packet and punctured bits from the encoded information packet;

modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits;

transmitting the modulated punctured packet from a first antenna, over a first channel of a communication medium, to a receiver; and

transmitting the modulated punctured bits from a second antenna, over a second channel of the communication medium, to the receiver, in response to a negative acknowledgement from the receiver;

wherein said first and second antennas are positioned to provide the first and second channels with substantially independent fading characteristics.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of encoding the information packet with an error detection code.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the modulated punctured packet and modulated punctured bits each have a frequency, the method further comprising the step of up-converting the frequency to a higher frequency for transmission.

8. A transmitter for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

an error correction encoder for encoding the information packet with an error correction code, said encoder having a first output comprising a punctured packet and a second output comprising punctured bits;

a modulator for modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits;

said modulated punctured packet and modulated punctured bits each having a frequency;

a frequency up-convertor for converting the frequency of the modulated punctured packet to a first higher frequency, and for converting the frequency of the modulated punctured bits to a second higher frequency;

wherein the first and second frequencies are selected to provide first and second channels having substantially independent fading characteristics;

an antenna for transmitting the modulated punctured packet at the first higher frequency, over the first channel of the communication medium, to a receiver, and for transmitting the modulated punctured bits at the second higher frequency, over the second channel of the communication medium, to the receiver; and

a controller for controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the punctured packet from the antenna at the first frequency, over the first channel of the communication medium, to the receiver; and

, in response to a negative acknowledgement from the receiver, for controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the one or more punctured bits at the second higher frequency, over the second channel of the communication medium, to the receiver.

9. A method for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

encoding the information packet with an error correction code;

forming a punctured packet and punctured bits from the encoded information packet;

modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits, said modulated punctured packet and modulated punctured bits each having a frequency;

converting the frequency of the modulated punctured packet to a first higher frequency and converting the frequency of the one or more modulated punctured bits to a second higher frequency;

wherein the first and second frequencies are selected to provide first and second channels having substantially independent fading characteristics;

transmitting the modulated punctured packet at the first higher frequency, over the first channel of the communication medium, to a receiver; and

transmitting the modulated punctured bits at the second higher frequency, over the second channel of the communication medium, to the receiver, in response to a negative acknowledgement from the receiver.

10. A transmitter for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

an error correction encoder for encoding the information packet with an error correction code, said encoder having a first output comprising a punctured packet and a second output comprising punctured bits;

a modulator for modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits;

a multiplier for applying a first set of M fixed phase offsets to the modulated punctured packet, and a second set of M fixed phase offsets to the modulated punctured bits;

said first and second sets of M fixed phase offsets selected to provide first and second channels having substantially independent fading characteristics;

M antennas for transmitting the modulated punctured packet over the first channel of a communication medium, with the first set of M fixed phase offsets, to a receiver; and

, for transmitting the modulated punctured bits over the second channel of the communication medium, with the second set of M fixed phase offsets, to the receiver; and

a controller for controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the punctured packet with the first set of M fixed phase offsets from the M antennas, over the first channel, to the receiver; and

, in response to a negative acknowledgment from the receiver, for further controlling the transmitter to modulate and transmit the one or more punctured bits with the second set of M fixed phase offsets from the M antennas, over the second channel, to the receiver.

11. A method for transmitting an information packet with incremental redundancy, comprising:

encoding the information packet with an error correction code;

forming a punctured packet and punctured bits from the encoded information packet;

modulating the punctured packet and one or more punctured bits;

applying a first set of M fixed phase offsets to the modulated punctured packet, and a second set of M fixed phase offsets to the modulated punctured bits;

said first and second sets of M fixed phase offsets selected to provide first and second channels having substantially independent fading characteristics;

transmitting the modulated punctured packet over the first channel of a communication medium, from M antennas, with the first set of M fixed phase offsets, to a receiver; and

transmitting the modulated punctured bits over the second channel of the communication medium, from the M antennas, with the second set of M fixed phase offsets, to the receiver, in response to a negative acknowledgement from the receiver.