Spatial multiplexing in a cellular network
First Claim
1. A wireless cellular network for transmitting subscriber datastreams to corresponding ones among a plurality of subscriber units located within the cellular network, and said wireless cellular network comprising:
- base stations each including spatially separate transmitters for transmitting in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol; and
logic communicating with each of the base stations and the logic for assigning an available channel on which to transmit each subscriber datastream, for routing at least a substream of each datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations and for generating control signals to configure the at least a selected one of the base stations to transmit the selected substreams to a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for implementing spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the one or more multiple access protocols during the broadcast of information in a wireless network. A wireless cellular network for transmitting subscriber datastream(s) to corresponding ones among a plurality of subscriber units located within the cellular network is disclosed. The wireless cellular network includes base stations and a logic. The base stations each include spatially separate transmitters for transmitting, in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol. The logic communicates with each of the base stations. The logic assigns an available channel on which to transmit each subscriber datastream. The logic routes at least a substream of each datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations. The logic also generates control signals to configure the at least a selected one of the base stations to transmit the selected substreams to a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel. A subscriber unit for use in a cellular system is also disclosed. The subscriber unit includes: spatially separate receivers, a spatial processor, and a combiner. The spatially separate receivers receive the assigned channel composite signals resulting from the spatially separate transmission of the subscriber downlink datastream(s). The spatial processor is configurable in response to a control signal transmitted by the base station to separate the composite signals into estimated substreams based on information obtained during the transmission of known data patterns from at least one of the base stations. The spatial processor signals the base stations when a change of a spatial transmission configuration is required. The combiner combines the estimated substreams into a corresponding subscriber datastream.
412 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A wireless cellular network for transmitting subscriber datastreams to corresponding ones among a plurality of subscriber units located within the cellular network, and said wireless cellular network comprising:
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base stations each including spatially separate transmitters for transmitting in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol; and logic communicating with each of the base stations and the logic for assigning an available channel on which to transmit each subscriber datastream, for routing at least a substream of each datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations and for generating control signals to configure the at least a selected one of the base stations to transmit the selected substreams to a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A wireless cellular network for transmitting subscriber downlink datastreams from a first network to subscribers located within the wireless cellular network, and said wireless cellular network comprising:
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base stations each configured for spatially separate transmission of selected substreams of each subscriber downlink datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol; subscriber units each configured for spatially separate reception on the assigned channel of the selected substreams and for combining the substreams into the corresponding subscriber datastream; and a logic communicating with each of the base stations and to the first network and the logic configured to route at least a substream of each subscriber downlink datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations and further configured to vary the routing between a single base station and multiple base stations to vary a spatial transmission configuration of the selected substreams.
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40. A wireless cellular network for receiving subscriber datastreams at corresponding ones among a plurality of base stations located within the cellular network, and said wireless cellular network comprising:
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a plurality of subscriber units each including spatially separate transmitters for transmitting, in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol; and logic communicating with each of the base stations and the logic for generating control signals to configure selected ones of the base stations to receive composite signals resulting from the spatially separate transmission of the selected substreams from a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel, for converting the composite signals into estimate substreams and for combining the estimated substreams of each subscriber datastream into each subscriber datastream. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A wireless cellular network for transmitting subscriber datastreams to corresponding ones among a plurality of subscriber units located within the cellular network, and said wireless cellular network comprising:
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base stations each including at least one transmitter for transmitting, in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol; and logic communicating with each of the base stations and the logic for assigning an available channel on which to transmit each subscriber datastream, for routing at least a substream of each datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations and for generating control signals to configure the at least a selected one of the base stations to transmit the selected substreams to a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification