Method and apparatus for wireless communication employing aggregation for digital signals
First Claim
1. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the microdiverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users.
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Abstract
A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications from and to a plurality of mobile users. A plurality of collectors are distributed at macro-diverse locations for receiving reverse channel signals from the users. Each of the collectors includes micro-diversity receivers for receiving the reverse channel signals from users. The collectors process and forward the reverse channel signals to aggregators. The aggregators combine the reverse channel signals to yield a combined signal with fewer bit errors than occur in the absence of combining.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the microdiverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users.
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3. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver mean including a plurality of micro-iversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the microdiverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits and , wherein said collector processing means includes a micro-combiner having a plurality of single-sensor equalizers, one for each of said micro-diverse received signals, and a stage combiner for combining outputs from each of said single-sensor equalizers to form said collector signals, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users.
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4. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers wherein said user signals are processed to yield a sequence of received bursts, each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits, and wherein said collector processor means uses soft maximum likelihood sequence estimates to form said confidence is metrics and wherein said collector processing means processes said received bursts having burst samples, β -
rb, where b=1, 2, . . . , B, based upon x-bit channel models where each channel model has taps, t, where t=0, 1, . . . , T, where T=2x−
1, where there is one channel model for each of said user signals, and where each channel model is an estimate of an actual transmission channel for each of said user signals, respectively, with channel target values 0CT, 1CT, . . . , tCT, . . . , TCT,aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
means to generate branch metric values 0BMb, 1BMb, . . . , tBMb, . . . , TBMb, means to generate path metric values, 0PMb, PMb, . . . , tPMb, . . . , (T+1)/2PMb, means to generate trace vector values, 0TVb, 1TVb, (T+1)/2TVb, means to generate confidence metric values, 0b, 1b, . . . , tb, . . . , (T+1)/2b; - and
means to generate processed burst with burst bits, β
p1, β
p2, β
3, . . . , β
pb. . . , β
pB.
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rb, where b=1, 2, . . . , B, based upon x-bit channel models where each channel model has taps, t, where t=0, 1, . . . , T, where T=2x−
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6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said collector processing means performs bit-by-bit processing for a current bit, b, for a once previous bit, b−
- 1, for a twice previous bit, b−
2, and so on up to a (b-(x−
1)) bit for each received burst having burst samples, β
rb, where b=1, 2, . . . , B, and the channel target values 0CT, 1CT, . . . , 1CT, . . . , TCT, by determining the branch metric difference values, 0BMrb, 1BMrb, . . . , TBMrb as follows;
- 1, for a twice previous bit, b−
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7. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said collector processing means processes said received bursts having said burst samples, β
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rb, as burst samples, α
β
rb, where b=1, 2, . . . , B, and α
=1, 2, . . . , Na where N1 is a number of diversity receivers based upon x-bit channel models where each channel model has taps, t, where t=0, 1, . . . , t, . . . , T, where T=2x−
1, where there are Na channel models, one for each of said user signals, and where each channel model is an estimate of an actual transmission channel for each of said user signals, respectively, with channel target;
values for each of the user signals 1, 2, . . . , α
, . . . , Na as follows,and where the received bursts samples are as follows,
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rb, as burst samples, α
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8. The communication system of claim 7 wherein said collector processing means performs bit-by-bit processing for a current bit, b, for a once previous bit, b−
- 1, for a twice previous bit, b−
2, and so on up to a (b-(x−
1)) bit for each received burst samples, β
rb, where b=1, 2, . . . , B, and the channel target values 0CT, 1CT, . . . , tCT, . . . , TCT, by determining the branch metric difference values, 0BMrb, 1BMrb, . . . , TBMrb as follows;
- 1, for a twice previous bit, b−
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9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein Na equals 2.
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10. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macrodiverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro iversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received; - signals for each of said plurality of users,
collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the microdiverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to each bit of said sequences of data bits, aggregator means for combining said collects as from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users and wherein said aggregator means receives, from Nc of said collector means, Nc macro-diverse collector signals each having a confidence metric value, α
cbfor each bit of said sequences of data bits and combines said confidence metric values to form an average confidence metric, aggcb, as follows;
- signals for each of said plurality of users,
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11. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of microdiversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said microdiverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to each bit of said sequences of data bits, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users and wherein said aggregator means receives, from Nc of said collector means, Nc macro-diverse collector signals each having a confidence metric value, α - cb for each bit and each having a weighting factor, |α
cb, for each bit of said sequences of data bits and combines said confidence metric values to form an average confidence metric, aggcb, as follows;
- cb for each bit and each having a weighting factor, |α
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12. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of microdiversity receivers each form receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users sequences of date bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidences metrics corresponding to each bit of said sequences of data bits, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diversity collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits is representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users, wherein said aggregator means combines said confidence metrics from two or more of said micro-diverse, collector signals for each of said plurality of users and forms a logical 1 or logical 0 value for each bit of said sequence of data bits based on combined confidence metrics and wherein each of said confidence metrics is in the form of a number, c, where (— - a)<
c<
(+a) and where a is an amplitude represented by one or more bytes to indicate the range for c.
- a)<
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13. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels,
a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of microdiversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the microdiverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits, wherein said collector processing means includes signal measurement means for providing measurement signals measuring properties of the received user signals, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users and wherein said aggregator means includes measurement processor means receiving said measurement signals for controlling which ones of said collector signals are combined.
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18. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including, for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users and wherein said aggregator means includes an aggregator signal processor having, a plurality of macro-diversity combiner units each for combining said confidence metrics from two or more of said macro-diverse collector signals to form a logical 1 or logical 0 value for each bit of said sequence of data bits based on combined confidence metrics, first selector means for selecting different ones of the macro-diverse collector signals for inputs to different ones of the macro-diversity combiner units, second selector means for selecting one of the outputs from the macro-iversity combiner units to form said final sequence of data bits.
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20. A communication system having a plurality of channels comprising,
a plurality of users for transmitting user signals in user channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said microdiverse received signals to form collector signals including for each of said plurality of users, sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits and, wherein said collector processing means includes signal measurement means for providing measurement signals measuring properties of the received user signals, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users and wherein said aggregator means includes aggregator signal processor means including, measurement processor means receiving said measurement signals for providing measurement control signals for controlling which ones of said collector signals are combined, a plurality of macro-diversity combiner unit groups each for combining said confidence metrics from two or more of said macro-diverse collector signals to form a logical 1 or logical 0 value for each bit of said sequence of data bits based on said combined confidence metrics, each of said macro-diversity combiner unit groups including a macro-diversity combiner, a de-interleaver, a de-convolution unit and a block decoder for providing data outputs, first selector means responsive to said measurement control signals for selecting different ones of the macro-diverse collector signals for inputs to different ones of the macrodiversity combiner unit groups, second selector means for selecting one of said data outputs as said final sequence of data bits.
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24. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,
a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone, each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a user reverse channel, said plurality of users providing a composite signal formed of a plurality of different user reverse channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zone at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits for each of said plurality of users, zone manager means including, broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said users in said broadcaster zone, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macrodiverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users.
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48. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,
a plurality of users in a broadcaster zone, each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a user reverse channel, said plurality of users providing a composite signal formed of a plurality of different user reverse channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zone at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits for each of said plurality of users, broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said users in said broadcaster zone, control means for selecting ones of said plurality of collector means in a collector group for receiving reverse channel signals from particular ones of said plurality of users, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means in said collector group for each of said particular ones of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said particular ones of said plurality of users.
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53. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,
a plurality of users in a plurality of broadcaster zones, each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broad- casting user reverse channel signals in a user reverse channel, said plurality of users providing a composite signal formed of a plurality of different user reverse channels, a number, Nbm, of broadcaster means, each including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said users in one of said broadcaster zones, a number, Nc, of collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zones at macro-diverse locations where the number Nc, of collector means is greater than the number, Nbm, of broadcaster means, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-diversity receivers each for receiving said composite signal and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of ones of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits for each of said ones of said plurality of users, collector forwarding means for forwarding said sequences of data bits and said confidence metrics as collector signals for each of said ones of said plurality of users, aggregator means for combining said macro-diverse collector signals for said each one of particular ones of the users from said collector means in said collector group to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for said each one of particular ones of the users.
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63. A communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications comprising,
a plurality of users in one or more broadcaster zones, each of said users including user receiver means for receiving different user forward channel signals and including user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel signals in a user reverse channel, said plurality of users providing a composite signal formed of a plurality of different user reverse channels, a plurality of macro-diverse collector means distributed in proximity to said broadcaster zones at macro-diverse locations, each of said collector means including, collector receiver means including a plurality of micro-iversity receivers each for receiving said user signals and providing a plurality of micro-diverse received signals for each of said plurality of users, collector processing means for processing said micro-diverse received signals to form collector signals including sequences of data bits representing the micro-diverse received signals and including confidence metrics corresponding to said data bits for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of zone manager means, each including, broadcaster means including a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting said plurality of user forward channel signals over a broadcaster range to said users in said one or more broadcaster zones, aggregator means for combining said collector signals from said plurality of macro-diverse collector means for each of said plurality of users to form a final sequence of data bits representing the user signals for each of said plurality of users.
Specification