Spatial path control in radio communication system

• US 7,184,773 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagai, Makoto, Doi, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zewdu; Meless
• Application Number:
  US10/505,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455423-425, 455/550.1, 455/561, 455101-103, 455/115.1, 455/126, 455/127.1, 455132-138, 455/466, 455/450, 455/562.1, 4552261-2263, 455 631- 632, 455/59, 455/63.4, 455/65, 455/67.11, 455/61, 455/67.13, 455/62, 455/67.16, 455/418, 455/95, 455/464, 455/107, 455/556.2, 455/569.2, 455/575.7, 455/575.9, 455/114.2, 455227-231, 455332-334, 455/266, 455/434, 455267-268, 455/299, 455/347
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0016 involving special memory structures, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading

Abstract

In an MIMO mobile communication system in which a PDM base station communicates with a single terminal through a plurality of paths the terminal and the base station each collectively transmit control message for a plurality of paths through a path best in communication quality as based on the plurality of spatial paths'"'"' communication quality information. Furthermore the communication quality information is referred to to appropriately control the path'"'"'s communication operation to switch between a plurality of types of operation. A first operation increases the path'"'"'s transmission power and a second operation decreases the path'"'"'s modulation level. These operations are performed by a DSP. Thus in the MIMO system the control message can be transmitted more efficiently with increased certainty.

Claims

1. A radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, comprising:

a message production circuit for producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively; and

a path select circuit for selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message.

2. The radio apparatus of claim 1, further comprising operation select circuit for selecting a communication operation of said selected spatial path, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path.

3. The radio apparatus of claim 2, wherein said operation select circuit selects an operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path.

4. The radio apparatus of claim 2, wherein said operation select circuit selects an operation changing a modulation system when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

5. The radio apparatus of claim 1, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

6. The radio apparatus of claim 1, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

7. The radio apparatus of claim 5 or 6, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

8. A radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, comprising:

a message production circuit for producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively;

a path select circuit for selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message; and

an operation select circuit for selecting, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path, one of a first operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path and a second operation changing a modulation system of said selected spatial path.

9. The radio apparatus of claim 8, wherein said operation select circuit selects said second operation when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

10. The radio apparatus of claim 8, wherein said operation select circuit selects said first operation when said selected spatial path has a reception error rate exceeding a prescribed threshold value.

11. The radio apparatus of claim 8, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

12. The radio apparatus of claim 8, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

13. The radio apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

14. A radio communication system for forming a plurality of spatial paths between a first radio apparatus and a second radio apparatus for communication, said first and second radio apparatuses each including:

a message production circuit for producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively; and

a path select circuit for selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message.

15. The radio communication system of claim 14, wherein said first and second radio apparatuses each further include an operation select circuit for selecting a communication operation of said selected spatial path, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path.

16. The radio communication system of claim 15, wherein said operation select circuit selects an operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path.

17. The radio communication system of claim 15, wherein said operation select circuit selects an operation changing a modulation system when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

18. The radio communication system of claim 14, wherein one of said first and second radio apparatuses is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and the other of said first and second radio apparatuses is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

19. The radio communication system of claim 18, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

20. A spatial path control method performed in a radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, comprising the steps of:

producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively; and

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of selecting a communication operation of said selected spatial path, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of selecting said communication operation selects an operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of selecting said communication operation selects an operation changing a modulation system when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

26. The method of claim 24 or 25, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

27. A spatial path control method performed in a radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, comprising the steps of:

producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively;

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message; and

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path, one of a first operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path and a second operation changing a modulation system of said selected spatial path.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of selecting one of said first and second operations selects said second operation when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of selecting one of said first and second operations selects said first operation when said selected spatial path has a reception error rate exceeding a prescribed threshold value.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

33. A spatial path control program executed in a radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, the program on a computer readable medium causing a computer to execute the steps of:

producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively; and

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message.

34. The program of claim 33, further causing the computer to execute the step of selecting a communication operation of said selected spatial path, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path.

35. The program of claim 34, wherein the step of selecting said communication operation selects an operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path.

36. The program of claim 34, wherein the step of selecting said communication operation selects an operation changing a modulation system when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

37. The program of claim 33, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

38. The program of claim 33, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

39. The program of claim 37 or 38, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.

40. A spatial path control program executed in a radio apparatus for forming a plurality of spatial paths to/from a separate single radio apparatus for communication, the program on a computer readable medium causing a computer to execute the steps of:

producing a control message for transmitting individual control messages for said plurality of spatial paths through a single path collectively;

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said plurality of spatial paths, a spatial path best in communication quality as a spatial path for transmission of said control message; and

selecting, based on information of communication quality of said selected spatial path, one of a first operation increasing transmission power of said selected spatial path, and a second operation changing a modulation system of said selected spatial path.

41. The program of claim 40, wherein the step of selecting one of said first and second operations selects said second operation when said selected spatial path is capable of accommodating a plurality of modulation systems.

42. The program of claim 40, wherein the step of selecting one of said first and second operations selects said first operation when said selected spatial path has a reception error rate exceeding a prescribed threshold value.

43. The program of claim 40, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of the mobile communication system.

44. The program of claim 40, wherein said radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a mobile terminal device of a mobile communication system and said separate single radio apparatus is a radio apparatus in a base station of the mobile communication system.

45. The program of claim 43 or 44, wherein said base station is an adaptive array base station forming said plurality of spatial paths.