Method of use for an adaptive antenna in same frequency networks

• US 6,304,215 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tantivy Communications Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, Jr., James A., Gainey, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/579,084
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368, 342/372, 342/432, 342/434, 342/442, 455/422, 455/426
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas

Abstract

A method for setting optimal phase settings for a plurality of antenna elements of a subscriber unit in a CDMA cellular telephone system includes the steps of detecting a received pilot signal at each of the plurality of antenna elements, combining the received pilot signal detected at each of the plurality of antenna elements with a summation circuit to produce a combined received pilot signal, determining a quality metric for the combined received pilot signal and adjusting phase settings of at least one of the plurality of antenna elements on the subscriber unit in response to the quality metric of the received pilot signal. These steps are repeated until the determined quality metric of the combined received pilot signal reaches a maximum.

Claims

1. A method for setting optimal phase settings for a plurality of antenna elements of a subscriber unit in a CDMA cellular telephone system, the method comprising the steps of:

i. detecting a received pilot signal at each of the plurality of antenna elements;

ii. combining the received pilot signal detected at each of the plurality of antenna elements with a summation circuit to produce a combined received pilot signal;

iii. determining a quality metric for the combined received pilot signal;

iv. adjusting phase settings of at least one of the plurality of antenna elements on the subscriber unit in response to the quality metric of the received pilot signal;

v. repeating steps i through iv until the determined quality metric of the combined received pilot signal reaches a maximum.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the quality metric is a ratio of received signal energy to interference.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the quality metric is received signal power.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

vi. beginning a communication session between the subscriber unit and a base station using the phase settings of the plurality of antenna elements to maintain optimal phase settings for the plurality of antenna elements of the subscriber unit.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

vi. beginning a communication session between the subscriber unit and a base station using the phase settings of the plurality of antenna elements;

vii. detecting an error rate of the communication session which exceeds a threshold; and

viii. repeating steps i through vii to reset the optimal phase setting for the plurality of antenna elements of the subscriber unit in order to reduce the error rate.