Transmit antenna multi-mode tracking

• US 7,248,638 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Banister, Brian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure; Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US10/198,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 375/141, 375/144, 375/146, 375/147, 375/240.04, 375/267, 375/299, 375/358, 375/347, 375/130, 375/140, 375/148, 375/316, 375/295, 455/101, 455/102, 455/240.04, 455/132, 370/335, 370/342, 370/441
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0687 Full feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0204 of multiple channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0224 using sounding signals

Abstract

Provided are methods and apparatuses for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas. A first data stream using a first transmit antenna weight vector and a second data stream using a second transmit antenna weight vector simultaneously are transmitted to the receiver. In addition, a first perturbation signal corresponding to the first transmit antenna weight vector and a second perturbation signal corresponding to the second transmit antenna weight vector are transmitted. Feedback regarding the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vector is received from the receiver and is utilized to modify the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vector.

Claims

1. A method for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said method comprising:

(a) simultaneously transmitting to the receiver a first data stream using a first transmit antenna weight vector and a second data stream using a second transmit antenna weight vector;

(b) transmitting to the receiver a first perturbation signal corresponding to the first transmit antenna weight vector and a second perturbation signal corresponding to the second transmit antenna weight vector;

(c) receiving from the receiver feedback regarding the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vector; and

(d) utilizing the feedback to modify the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vector,

wherein at least two weights in the first transmit antenna weight vector and at least two weights in the second transit antenna weight vector are non-zero.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first perturbation signal comprises a pilot signal transmitted using a first perturbation of the first transmit antenna weight vector.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of transmitting the pilot signal using a second perturbation of the first transmit antenna weight vector.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the second perturbation is 180°

out of phase with the first perturbation.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first perturbation is time multiplexed with the second perturbation.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first perturbation signal comprises a pilot signal transmitted using a perturbation vector, and wherein in step (d) the perturbation vector is added to the first transmit antenna weight vector depending upon the first feedback.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first feedback indicates a direction in which to perturb the first transmit antenna weight vector.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step (d) each of the first and second transmit antenna weight vectors is perturbed using a perturbation vector that is orthogonal to both the first and second transmit antenna weight vectors.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein a separate pilot channel is transmitted for each of the first and second data streams.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first transmit antenna weight vector is at least approximately orthogonal to the second transmit antenna weight vector.

11. A method for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said method comprising:

(a) receiving plural input signals, one input signal from each receive antenna;

(b) decoding from each input signal plural pilot signals, one pilot signal corresponding to each of plural data stream signals;

(c) estimating a modified channel gain matrix based on the pilot signals decoded in step (b), wherein the modified channel gain matrix reflects actual channel gains between the transmitter and the receiver and any transmit antenna weight vector, which has at least two non-zero weights, applied by the transmitter; and

(d) using the modified channel gain matrix to obtain the plural data stream signals,

wherein the pilot signal is transmitted using a perturbation vector, which is added to the transmit antenna weight vector depending upon a feedback from the receiver.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising steps of separating the pilot signals into different components, generating feedback based upon a comparison of the different components, and transmitting the feedback to the transmitter.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the feedback is generated by determining which component of the pilot signals resulted in greater total received power.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the feedback is generated based on a comparison of the different components across all receive antennas and all data stream signals.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the different components are time-multiplexed in the pilot signals.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (d) comprises multiplying the input signals by a complex conjugate transpose of the modified channel gain matrix.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of communicating with the transmitter to establish a number of data stream signals to be communicated.

18. A method for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said method comprising:

(a) receiving plural input signals, one input signal from each receive antenna;

(b) decoding from each input signal plural pilot signals, one pilot signal corresponding to each of the plural transmit antennas at the transmitter;

(c) estimating a channel gain matrix based on the pilot signals decoded in step (b), wherein the channel gain matrix reflects channel gains between the transmitter and the receiver;

(d) selecting a set of transmit antenna weight vectors, each of which has at least two non-zero weights, for simultaneously transmitting plural data stream signals based on the channel gain matrix; and

(e) transmitting information to identify the set of transmit antenna weight vectors to the transmitter,

wherein the pilot signal is transmitted using a perturbation vector, which is added to the transmit antenna weight vector depending upon a feedback from the receiver.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the information transmitted in step (e) comprises a code to select the set of transmit antenna weight vectors from a group of predefined sets.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein all vectors in the set of transmit antenna weight vectors are mutually orthogonal.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the set of transmit antenna weight vectors is selected so as to maximize total power of the plural data stream signals, subject to other constraints.

22. An apparatus for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for simultaneously transmitting to the receiver a first data stream using a first transmit antenna weight vector and a second data stream using a second transmit antenna weight vector;

(b) means for transmitting a first perturbation signal corresponding to the first transmit antenna weight vector and a second perturbation signal corresponding to the second transmit antenna weight vector;

(c) means for receiving from the receiver feedback regarding the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vectors; and

(d) means for utilizing the feedback to modify the first transmit antenna weight vector and the second transmit antenna weight vector,

wherein at least two weights in the first transmit antenna weight vector and at least two wights in the second transmit antenna weight vector are non-zero.

23. An apparatus for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving plural input signals, one input signal from each receive antenna;

(b) means for decoding from each input signal plural pilot signals, one pilot signal corresponding to each of the plural data stream signals;

(c) means for estimating a modified channel gain matrix based on the pilot signals decoded by said means (b), wherein the modified channel gain matrix reflects actual channel gains between the transmitter and the receiver and any transmit antenna weight factor, which has at least two non-zero weights, applied by the transmitter; and

(d) means for using the modified channel gain matrix to obtain the plural data stream signals,

wherein the pilot signal is transmitted using a perturbation vector, which is added to the transmit antenna weight vector depending upon a feedback from the receiver.

24. An apparatus for use in wireless communication between a transmitter having plural transmit antennas and a receiver having plural receive antennas, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving plural input signals, one input signal from each receive antenna;

(b) means for decoding from each input signal plural pilot signals, one pilot signal corresponding to each of the plural transmit antennas at the transmitter;

(c) means for estimating a channel gain matrix based on the pilot signals decoded by said means (b), wherein the channel gain matrix reflects channel gains between the transmitter and the receiver;

(d) means for selecting a set of transmit antenna weight vectors, each of which has at least two non-zero weights, for simultaneously transmitting plural data stream signals based on the channel gain matrix; and

(e) means for transmitting information to identify the set of transmit antenna weight vectors to the transmitter,

wherein the pilot signal is transmitted using a perturbation vector, which is added to the transmit antenna weight vector depending upon a feedback from the receiver.