Downlink signal processing in CDMA systems utilizing arrays of antennae
First Claim
1. A method to determine an antennae array weight set corresponding to a subscriber unit (SC) for cellular communications between the SU and a first base station (BS) of a system, the system including the first BS and a number of other base stations, the method comprising:
- transmitting a plurality of test pilot downlink signals from the first BS to the SU, each test pilot downlink signal processed with a different weight set than the other test pilot downlink signals, at least one of the plurality of the test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with the first BS, and at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with one of the other, non-neighboring base stations;
receiving a report signal from the SU for at least one of the test pilot downlink signals; and
selecting a weight set from the plurality of weight sets based, at least in part, on the received report signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method for operating a base station (BS) for transmitting information to a subscriber unit (SU) in a cellular communication system. The information is included in a downlink signal sent from a signal processing circuit through an array of antennae. The processing depends on a weight set that is utilized in generating individual signals to be sent on individual antennae in the array to the SU. The weight set is determined by transmitting a plurality of pilot downlink signals from BS to the SU, each pilot downlink signal being processed with a different weight set than that used to process the other pilot downlink signals. Report signals are received for each of the pilot downlink signals and are compared to determine which weight set should be utilized. The present invention may be practiced within existing CDMA cellular standards such as the IS-95 standard.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method to determine an antennae array weight set corresponding to a subscriber unit (SC) for cellular communications between the SU and a first base station (BS) of a system, the system including the first BS and a number of other base stations, the method comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of test pilot downlink signals from the first BS to the SU, each test pilot downlink signal processed with a different weight set than the other test pilot downlink signals, at least one of the plurality of the test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with the first BS, and at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with one of the other, non-neighboring base stations;
receiving a report signal from the SU for at least one of the test pilot downlink signals; and
selecting a weight set from the plurality of weight sets based, at least in part, on the received report signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An article of manufacture containing a machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of test pilot signals from a first base station (BS) of a system to a subscriber unit (SU), the system including the first BS and a number of other base stations, each test pilot downlink signal processed with a different weight set from the other test pilot downlink signals, at least one of the plurality of the test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with the first BS, and at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a CDMA pilot signal associated with one of the other, non-neighboring base stations;
receiving a report signal from the SU for at least one of the test pilot downlink signals; and
selecting a weight set from the plurality of weight sets based, at least in part, on the received report signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method to determine an antennae array weight set corresponding to a subscriber unit (SU) for communications between the SU and a first base station (BS) of a system, the system including the first BS and a number of other base stations, the method comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of test pilot downlink signals from the first BS to the SU, each test pilot downlink signal processed with a different weight set than the other test pilot downlink signals, at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a pilot signal associated with the first BS, and at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a pilot signal associated with one of the other base stations that is typically used for at least one of controlling power and base station hand off, the one of the other base stations being sufficiently spatially separated from the first base station to not produce interference between the first BS and the SU;
receiving a report signal from the SU for at least one of the pilot downlink signals; and
determining the weight set corresponding to the SU based on the report signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An article of manufacture containing a machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of test pilot downlink signals from a first base station (BS) of a system to a subscriber unit (SU), the system including the first BS and a number of other bases stations, at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a pilot signal associated with the first BS, and at least one of the plurality of test pilot downlink signals comprising a pilot signal associated with one of the other base stations that is typically used for at least one of power control and base station hand off, each test pilot downlink signal processed with a different weight set from the other test pilot downlink signals, the one of the other base stations being sufficiently spatially separated from the first base station to not produce interference between the first BS and the SU;
receiving a report signal from the SU for at least one of the test pilot downlink signals; and
determining the weight set corresponding to the SU based on the report signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification