Method and apparatus for beam switching in a wireless communication system

• US 6,751,206 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jalali, Ahmad, Judson, Bruce, Wheatley, Charles E. III, Bender, Paul E., Padovani, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US09/608,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335, 370/336, 370/337, 370/342, 370/347, 455/446, 455/561, 455/562, 455/515
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning

Abstract

In a CDMA data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, utilization of beam switching techniques decreases the average interference caused by transmissions of a base station to subscriber stations within a cell, and in neighboring cells. Base stations utilize multiple transmit antennas, each transmitting signals at controlled amplitudes and phases, to form transmit signal corresponding to sector divisions. Data and reference signals are transmitted along sector division beams that alternate according to fixed time slots in order to increase system capacity and data rates by maximizing carrier-to-interference ratios (C/I) measured at subscriber stations.

Claims

1. A method for beam switching in a wireless communication system having at least one base station located within a cell which is divided into sector and sub-sector divisions, said base station configured to transmit fixed signal beams to the sub-sector divisions during transmission time slots, wherein one half of the signal beams are identified as odd and another half of the signal beams are identified as even with like identified beams not adjacently located, and one half of the time slots are identified as odd and another half of the time slots are identified as even, the method comprising:

transmitting the odd identified beams only during odd identified time slots;

transmitting the even identified beams only during even identified time slots; and

receiving, at the base station, a data rate control message transmitted from a subscriber station on a reverse link during a reverse link transmission time slot having an identification antipodal to the identification of the time slot in which the subscriber station is receiving data on a forward link.

2. A method for beam switching in a wireless communication system having at least one base station located within a cell which is divided into sector and sub-sector divisions, said base station configured to transmit fixed signal beams to the sub-sector divisions during transmission time slots, wherein one half of the signal beams are identified as odd and another half of the signal beams are identified as even with like identified beams not adjacently located, and one half of the time slots are identified as odd and another half of the time slots are identified as even, the method comprising:

transmitting the odd identified beams only during odd identified time slots;

transmitting the even identified beams only during even identified time slots, wherein the odd identified beams contain information identical to the information contained in the even identified beams.

3. A method for transmitting signals in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections, comprising:

transmitting the signals in the first set of sections in a first time slot when a data rate control message is received from a subscriber station during a first reverse link time slot; and

transmitting the signals in the second set of sections in a second time slot when a data rate control message is received from a subscriber station during a second reverse link time slot.

4. A method for transmitting signals in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections, comprising:

transmitting the signals in sections of the first set of sections in a first time slot; and

transmitting the signals in sections of the second set of sections in a second time slot, wherein the signals transmitted in the first set of sections contain information identical to the information transmitted in the second set of sections.

5. A transmitter for transmitting signals in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections, comprising:

means for transmitting the signals in the first set of sections in a first time slot when a data rate control message is received from a subscriber station during a first reverse link time slot; and

means for transmitting the signals in the second set of sections in a second time slot when a data rate control message is received from a subscriber station during a second reverse link time slot.

6. A transmitter for transmitting signals in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections, comprising:

means for transmitting the signals in sections of the first set of sections in a first time slot; and

means for transmitting the signals in sections of the second set of sections in a second time slot, wherein the signals transmitted in the first set of sections contain information identical to the information transmitted in the second set of sections.

7. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station; and

a transmitter for transmitting signals to the subscriber station in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections;

wherein the transmitter transmits the signals in the first set of sections in a first time slot when a data rate control message is received from the subscriber station during a first reverse link time slot and transmits the signals in the second set of sections in a second time slot when a data rate control message is received from the subscriber station during a second reverse link time slot.

8. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station; and

a transmitter for transmitting signals to the subscriber station in a cell defined by alternating sections of first and second sets of sections;

wherein the transmitter transmits the signals in sections of the first set of sections in a first time slot and transmits the signals in sections of the second set of sections in a second time slot, wherein the signals transmitted in the first set of sections contain information identical to the information transmitted in the second set of sections.

9. A base station located within a cell which is divided into sector and sub-sector divisions, said base station configured to transmit fixed signal beams to the sub-sector divisions during transmission time slots, wherein one half of the signal beams are identified as odd and another half of the signal beams are identified as even with like identified beams not adjacently located, and one half of the time slots are identified as odd and another half of the time slots are identified as even, comprising:

means for transmitting the odd identified beams only during odd identified time slots;

means for transmitting the even identified beams only during even identified time slots; and

means for receiving a data rate control message transmitted from a subscriber station on a reverse link during a reverse link transmission time slot having an identification antipodal to the identification of the time slot in which the subscriber station is receiving data on a forward link.

10. A base station located within a cell which is divided into sector and sub-sector divisions, said base station configured to transmit fixed signal beams to the sub-sector divisions during transmission time slots, wherein one half of the signal beams are identified as odd and another half of the signal beams are identified as even with like identified beams not adjacently located, and one half of the time slots are identified as odd and another half of the time slots are identified as even, comprising:

means for transmitting the odd identified beams only during odd identified time slots; and

means for transmitting the even identified beams only during even identified time slots, the odd identified beams contain information identical to the information contained in the even identified beams.