System and method for selecting a transmission channel in a wireless communication system that includes an adaptive array

• US 7,133,380 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sollenberger, Nelson R., Chuang, Justin C., Winters, Jack H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U.
• Application Number:
  US09/781,445
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 370203-352, 370389-477, 455422-442, 455/443, 455450-552
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/084 Equal gain combining, only phase adjustments antenna beam scanning or forming by phase or amplitude control H01Q3/26, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

A method for establishing wireless communication between a transmitter and a receiver in a wireless communication system. The receiver includes an adaptive array that has at least two antennas. Each antenna receives a signal and produces a received signal. The transmitter includes at least two transmission channels for communicating the signal from the transmitter to the receiver. The wireless communication system suppresses interference at the receiver by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the received signals. The selection of a channel at the transmitter is based on the channel performance at the receiver for each transmission channel. The channel performance is based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a receiver having an adaptive array, the adaptive array having at least two antennas to receive a signal and produce at least two received signals;

a transmitter having at least two transmission channels for communicating the signal from the transmitter to the receiver;

means for suppressing interference at the receiver by applying an interference suppression technique when combining said at least two received signals; and

means for selecting a channel at the transmitter based on channel performance at the receiver for each of said at least two transmission channels, the channel performance based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver communicates with at least two transmitters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a mobile terminal and the receiver is a base station.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a base station and the receiver is a mobile terminal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for suppressing interference applies minimum mean square error combining.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for selecting the best performing channel applies maximum ratio combining.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for selecting the best performing channel applies selection diversity combining.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for selecting the best performing channel applies equal gain combining.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for selecting the best performing channel applies switched diversity combining.

10. A method of wireless communication between a transmitter and a receiver comprising the steps of:

communicating a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the transmitter having at least two transmission channels;

receiving the signal at a receiver having an adaptive array, the adaptive array having at least two antennas to receive the signal and produce at least two received signals;

suppressing interference at the receiver by applying an interference suppression technique when combining said at least two received signals; and

selecting the transmission channel at the transmitter based on channel performance at the receiver for each of said at least two transmission channels, channel performance based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiver communicates with at least two transmitters.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a mobile terminal and the receiver is a base station.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a base station and the receiver is a mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the suppressing step applies minimum mean square error combining.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting step applies maximum ratio combining.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting step applies selection diversity combining.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting step applies equal gain combining.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting step applies switched diversity combining.

19. A method of operating a receiver in a wireless communication system, the receiver having an adaptive array comprising at least two antennas to receive a signal from a transmitter having at least two transmission channels and to produce at least two received signals, the method comprising:

suppressing interference by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the at least two received signals; and

selecting a channel at the transmitter based on channel performance at the receiver for each of at least two transmission channels, the channel performance based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

20. A receiver in a wireless communication system comprising:

an adaptive array comprising at least two antennas to receive a signal from a transmitter having at least two transmission channels and to produce at least two received signals;

means for suppressing interference by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the at least two received signals; and

means for selecting a channel at the transmitter based on channel performance at the receiver for each of at least two transmission channels, the channel performance based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

21. A method of operating a transmitter having at least two transmission channels in a wireless communication system, the transmitter communicating with a receiver having an adaptive array having at least two antennas to receive the signal and produce at least two received signals, wherein the receiver suppresses interference by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the at least two received signals, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from the receiver indicating a selection of one of the at least two transmission channels based on channel performance at the receiver for each of the at least two transmission channels, wherein the channel performance is based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique; and

communicating with the receiver using the selected one of the at least two transmission channels.

22. A transmitter having at least two transmission channels in a wireless communication system, the transmitter communicating with a receiver having an adaptive array having at least two antennas to receive the signal and produce at least two received signals, wherein the receiver suppresses interference by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the at least two received signals, the transmitter comprising:

means for receiving a signal from the receiver indicating a selection of one of the at least two transmission channels based on channel performance at the receiver for each of the at least two transmission channels, wherein the channel performance is based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique; and

means for communicating with the receiver using the selected one of the at least two transmission channels.