Radio communication system

• US 7,020,490 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Khatri, Bhavin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US10/055,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20020127978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/277.1, 455/560, 455/561, 370/340, 370/341, 375/260
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A radio communication system has a communication channel with many paths between two terminals having many antennas. One of the terminals has a receiver and a transmitter, where the receiver is configured to determine the directions from which the strongest signals arrive from the other terminal, corresponding to particular paths. The transmitter separates a signal for transmission into sub-streams and transmits each sub-stream in the respective directions determined by the receiver.

Claims

1. A radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between first and second terminals each having a plurality of antennas, wherein the first terminal comprises a receiver configured to determine a plurality of directions from which signals arrive from the second terminal, and a transmitter configured to separate a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams for transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of directions determined by the receiver, wherein the transmitter includes a controller configured to independently adjust the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises means for determining an angular power distribution of incoming signals.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the receiver further comprises means for selecting from the plurality of directions those directions from which the strongest signals arrive from the second terminal.

4. A terminal for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between the terminal and another terminal, wherein transmitting means are provided having means for separating a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams, the transmitting means being configured for transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of directions, wherein the transmitting means includes control means for independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

5. A terminal as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for receiving a plurality of respective signals from some or all of the plurality of directions, means for extracting a plurality of sub-streams from the received signals, and means for combining the plurality of sub-streams to provide an output data stream.

6. A terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein the numbers of transmitted and received sub-streams are not equal.

7. A terminal as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for determining an angular power distribution of incoming signals.

8. A terminal as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for selecting from the plurality of directions those directions from which the strongest signals arrive from the second terminal.

9. A terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control means are configured for operating the plurality of antennas as an array and for adapting the antenna pattern for each sub-stream such that a peak in the antenna pattern corresponds to the respective direction and nulls in the antenna pattern correspond to the directions in which other sub-streams are transmitted.

10. A terminal for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between the terminal and another terminal, wherein receiving means are provided having direction determining means for determining a plurality of directions from which signals arrive from the other terminal, and transmitting means are provided having means for separating a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams, the transmitting means being configured for transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of directions determined by the receiving means, wherein the transmitting means includes control means for independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

11. A terminal for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between the terminal and another terminal, the terminal comprising a controller configured for determining a plurality of directions from which received signals arrive from the other terminal, extracting a plurality of sub-streams from the received signals, and combining the plurality of sub-streams to provide an output data stream, the controller configured being further configured for operating a plurality of antennas as an array, adapting the antenna pattern for each sub-stream such that a peak in the antenna pattern corresponds to the respective direction, and independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

12. A method of operating a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between first and second terminals each having a plurality of antennas, the method comprising the first terminal:

separating a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams,

transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of determined directions, and

independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each transmitted sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

13. A method of operating a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between first and second terminals each having a plurality of antennas, the method comprising the first terminal:

determining a plurality of directions from which signals arrive from the second terminal,

receiving signals from some or all of the plurality of directions,

extracting a plurality of sub-streams from the received signals,

combining the plurality of sub-streams to provide an output data stream,

separating a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams,

transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of determined directions, and

independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each transmitted sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

14. A radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between first and second terminals each having a plurality of antennas, wherein the first terminal comprises receiving means having direction determining means for determining a plurality of directions from which signals arrive from the second terminal, means for receiving a plurality of respective signals from some or all of the plurality of directions, means for extracting a plurality of sub-streams from the received signals and means for combining the plurality of sub-streams to provide an output data stream, and the first terminal further comprises transmitting means having means for separating a signal for transmission into a plurality of sub-streams, the transmitting means being configured for transmitting each sub-stream into a respective one of the plurality of directions determined by the receiving means, wherein the transmitting means includes control means for independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.

15. A terminal for use in a radio communication system having a communication channel comprising a plurality of paths between the terminal and another terminal, wherein receiving means are provided having direction determining means for determining a plurality of directions from which signals arrive from the other terminal, means for receiving a plurality of respective signals from some or all of the plurality of directions, means for extracting a plurality of sub-streams from the received signals and means for combining the plurality of sub-streams to provide an output data stream, and transmitting means which includes control means for independently adjusting the power and/or bitrate of each sub-stream depending on a signal quality parameter of the sub-stream.