Operating time division duplex (TDD) wireless systems in paired spectrum (FDD) allocations

• US 7,336,626 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ArrayComm LLC (Ygomi LLC)
• Inventors: Barratt, Craig H., Uhlik, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/967,637
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 370/280, 370/281, 370/294, 370/295, 370/330
• US Class Current: 370/281
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

A wireless communication system operates in a combined FDD and TDD mode. During a first time period, data may be transmitted at a first frequency band and received at a second frequency band. During a second time period, data is transmitted at the second frequency band and received at the first frequency band. The first and second time periods may be of identical durations, thereby creating a 50% duty cycle. When the base station operates with multiple frequency bands, spatial processing parameters such as the spatial signature or copy weights of the mobile stations may be collected in all frequency bands, thereby allowing the full processing advantage of adaptive antenna.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting information from a wireless communications device during a first period in a first band;

receiving information at the wireless communications device during the first period in a second band;

transmitting information from the wireless communications device during a second period in the second band;

receiving information at the wireless communications device during the second period in the first band; and

determining at least one of a spatial signature or copy weights corresponding to the first and second bands from the received information in the first band and the second band.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a combination of the first period and second period comprises a single cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting and receiving with a 50% duty cycle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating a mobile station in either the first band or the second band.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted to and received from a first mobile station in the first band and a second mobile station in the second band.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining communication channel characteristics of the first band and the second band using at least one of the determined spatial signature or copy weights; and

optimizing transmission and reception of information in the first band and the second band using the determined communication channel characteristics of the first band and the second band.

7. A method of obtaining spatial processing signal processing parameters in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting information from a first terminal and receiving at a second terminal during a first period in a first band;

transmitting information from the second terminal and receiving at the first terminal during the first period in a second band;

transmitting information from the first terminal and receiving at the second terminal during a second period in the second band;

transmitting information from the second terminal and receiving at the first terminal during the second period in the first band; and

determining the spatial signature or copy weights or both corresponding to both frequency bands of the second terminal from the received information in both the first band and the second band.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting from and receiving information at the first terminal comprises transmitting and receiving information via adaptive antenna arrays.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a combination of the first period and second period comprises a single cycle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting and receiving with a 50% duty cycle.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second terminals are peers utilizing adaptive antenna systems at both ends.

12. A wireless communication system comprising a base station that transmits information in a first band and receives information in a second band during a first period and transmits information in the second band and receives information in the first band during the second period, wherein the system determines at least one of spatial signature or copy weights corresponding to the first and second bands from the received information in the first band and the second band.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 12, further comprising a first TDD terminal that transmits and receives either in the first band or in the second band.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the first period and the second period together comprise a complete cycle.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the first terminal transmits and receives at one of a 50% duty cycle or a subset of a 50% duty cycle.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein communication channel characteristics of the first band and the second band are determined using at least one of the determined spatial signature or copy weights to optimize transmission and reception of information in the first band and the second band.

17. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first terminal that transmits in the second band and receives in the first band during a first period and transmits in the first band and receives in the second band during the second period; and

a second terminal that transmits in a first band and receives in a second band during a first period and transmits in the second band and receives in the first band during the second period, wherein the second terminal is configured to determine the spatial signature or copy weights or both of the first terminal in the first band and the second band.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the first period and the second period together comprise a complete cycle.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein each of the first terminal and the second terminal operates with a 50% duty cycle.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the second terminal uses adaptive antenna arrays.

21. A method of facilitating wireless communication comprising:

establishing between a first terminal and a second terminal a communication link having at least two frequency channels;

controlling the two frequency channels such that

(i) a first frequency channel transmits data from the first terminal to the second terminal while a second frequency channel transmits data from the second terminal to the first terminal, and

(ii) the second frequency channel transmits data from the first terminal to the second terminal while the first frequency channel transmits data from the second terminal to the first terminal; and

determining at least one of the spatial signature or copy weights of the first terminal from the received data in the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising periodically exchanging roles between the first terminal and the second terminal.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting and receiving at a 50% duty cycle.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second terminal is a mobile station in a wireless communication system.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining frequency channel characteristics using at least one of the determined spatial signature or copy weights; and

optimizing transmission and reception of information in the two frequency channels using the determined frequency channel characteristics.