Multi-antenna transmission method and system

• US 7,403,748 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Katz, Marcos, Ylitalo, Juha, Keskitalo, Ilkka
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US10/240,628
• Time in Patent Office: 3,028 Days
• Field of Search: 455/101, 455/67.11, 455/69, 455/67.16, 455/562.1, 455/67.14, 455/68, 455/276.1, 4551142-1143, 455/115, 455/118, 455/222, 455/225, 455/226.1, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/112, 455/114.1, 375/267, 375/152, 375/148, 370/229, 370/230, 370231-236, 370/236.1
• US Class Current: 455/101
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/061 using feedback from receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0634 Antenna weights or vector/matrix coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/065 Variable contents, e.g. long-term or short-short
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0669 using different channel coding between antennas space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0618 Space-time coding

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for transmitting a transmission signal from an antenna array (19) to a receiving means (20) of a wireless communication system, wherein a signal quality measurement is performed at the receiving means (20) for predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array (19). Based on a feedback information derived from the signal quality measurement, at least two of the predetermined antennas or beams of the antenna array (19) are selected. The selected antennas or beams are used for transmitting said transmission signal according to a transmit diversity or beamforming scheme. Thus, spectral efficiency and diversity gain can be enhanced by using only selected ones of the predetermined antennas or beams.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a transmission signal from an antenna array to a receiving means of a wireless communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) performing a signal quality measurement at said receiving means for predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array;

b) selecting at least two of said predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array based on feedback information derived from said signal quality measurement; and

c) using said at least two selected antennas or beams for transmitting said transmission signal according to a transmit diversity or beamforming scheme;

wherein said selection comprises a pre-selection performed at said receiving means and a subsequent final selection at a transmitting end;

wherein said final selection is based on a scoring system which takes into account said feedback information, an amplifier load condition of channels associated with said at least two selected antennas, and a degree of interference to co-channel users of said associated channels;

wherein the scoring system is implemented by defining final scores of said at least two selected antennas, the final scores being defined by scores for respective antennas of said at least two selected antennas, the scores for the respective antennas including a score of a respective antenna due to a selection by the receiving means, the score of a power loading of a power amplifier of the respective antenna, the score of interference produced by the respective antenna and the score of a selection of the respective antenna in former transmission bursts; and

weighting the scores and summing up the weighted scores so as to form a final score for the respective antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two selected antennas or beams are controlled based on at least another feedback information received from said receiving means.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said other feedback information is generated based on a channel estimation using respective pilot signals transmitted via said at least two selected antennas or beams.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said respective pilot signals are transmitted via a CPICH of a WCDMA system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal quality measurement is performed by measuring a signal strength, SNR or SIR using respective pilot signals transmitted via each of said predetermined antenna elements or beams.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said respective pilot signals are-transmitted via a secondary pilot channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said secondary pilot channel is an S-CPICH of a WCDMA system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal quality measurement is repeatedly performed for said predetermined number of antennas or beams after a predetermined time period so as to achieve an adaptive selection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission signal is transmitted via said at least two selected antennas or beams by using a space-time coding scheme.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number of antennas or beams is four.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said feedback information is transmitted using a WCDMA feedback channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least two selected antennas or beams have least attenuation in their associated radio channels.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said feedback information consists of at least one bit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection is performed at said receiving means, and said feedback information indicates said at least two selected antennas or beams.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said final selection is based on said feedback information and an additional signal quality measurement in the opposite transmission direction.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said subsequent final selection is based on statistical information indicating a degree of involvement of a selected antenna in previous selections.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection is performed by using an evaluation or cost function based on a scoring system.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein an antenna or beam is selected in said selection step when a channel response of a channel associated with said antenna or beam exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein said other feedback information is transmitted using feedback signaling of said transmit diversity scheme.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said feedback information is transmitted using at least one feedback bit of said feedback signaling.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said transmit diversity scheme is a WCDMA transmit diversity scheme.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said WCDMA transmit diversity scheme is an STTD or TxAA scheme or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said feedback signaling is performed using FBI bits of an FSM signal of a WCDMA system.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein an SSDT signaling is used for said feedback signaling.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein an ID of said SSDT signaling refers to said at least two selected antennas or beams.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein fixed antenna or beam pairs are selected in said selection step.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said other feedback information comprises feedback weights used to control at least one of an amplitude and phase of said transmission signal.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein a variable number of antennas or beams are selected in said selection step.

29. A system for transmitting a transmission signal from an antenna array to a unit configured to receive of a wireless communication system, said system comprising:

a) a unit configured to measure a signal quality at said unit configured to receive for predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array;

b) a unit configured to select at least two of said predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array based on feedback information derived from said signal quality measurement; and

c) a unit configured to transmit said transmission signal using said at least two selected antennas or beams according to a transmit diversity or beamforming scheme;

wherein said unit configured to select comprises a pre-selection unit arranged at said unit configured to receive and a final selection unit arranged at a transmitting end;

wherein said final selection unit is arranged to perform selection based on a scoring system which takes into account said feedback information, an amplifier load condition of channels associated with said at least two selected antennas, and a degree of interference to co-channel users of said associated channels;

wherein the scoring system is implemented by defining final scores of said at least two selected antennas, the final scores being defined by scores for respective antennas of said at least two selected antennas, the scores for the respective antennas including a score of a respective antenna due to a selection by the unit configured to receive, the score of a power loading of a power amplifier of the respective antenna, the score of interference produced by the respective antenna and the score of a selection of the respective antenna in former transmission bursts; and

the system being configured to weight the scores and to sum up the weighted scores so as to form a final score for the respective antenna.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a unit configured to control said at least two selected antennas or beams based on at least another feedback information received from said receiving unit.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising a pilot unit configured to generate pilot signals transmitted via said predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising a feedback extraction unit configured to filter said feedback information and for supplying the filtered feedback information to said unit configured to select.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said feedback extraction unit is arranged to filter other feedback information received from said unit configured to receive and to supply the filtered other feedback information to a weight determination unit of said control unit.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said pilot control unit is arranged to perform control such that said pilot signals are transmitted via a CPICH channel.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein said unit configured to measure is arranged to measure a signal strength, SNR, or SIR by using respective pilot signals transmitted via each of said predetermined antenna elements or beams.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said pilot control unit is arranged to perform control such that said respective pilot signals are transmitted via a secondary pilot channel.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said secondary pilot channel is an S-CPICH of a WCDMA system.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein said unit configured to measure is arranged to perform said signal quality measurement repeatedly for said predetermined number of antennas or beams after a predetermined time period.

39. The system of claim 29, further comprising a nit configured to encode said transmission signal by using a space-time coding scheme, wherein said unit configured to transmit is arranged to transmit the space-time coded transmission signal via said at least two selected antennas or beams.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein said unit configured to select is arranged at said unit configured to receive, and wherein said feedback information indicates said at least two selected antennas or beams.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said unit configured to select is arranged to select at least two antennas or beams having least attenuation in their associated radio channels.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein said final selection unit is arranged to perform selection based on said feedback information and an additional sign.

43. The system of claim 29, wherein said final selection unit is arranged to perform selection based on statistical information indicating a degree of involvement of a selected antenna in previous selections.

44. The system of claim 29, wherein said final selection unit is arranged to perform selection by using an evaluation or cost function based on a scoring system.

45. The system of claim 29, wherein an antenna or beam is selected by said unit configured to select when a channel response of a channel associated to said antenna or beam exceeds a predetermined threshold.

46. The system of claim 30, wherein said receiving unit comprises a feedback generating unit configured to generate said another feedback information based on a channel estimation performed using respective pilot signals transmitted via said at least two selected antennas or beams.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein said feedback generating unit is arranged to transmit said another feedback information by using feedback signaling of said transmit diversity scheme.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said feedback generating unit is arranged to transmit said another feedback information by using at least one feedback bit of said feedback signaling.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said transmit diversity scheme is an STTD or TxAA scheme or a combination of these.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein said feedback generating unit is arranged to transmit said another feedback information by using a WCDMA feedback channel.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein said feedback signaling is performed using FBI bits of an FSM signal.

52. The system of claim 46, wherein said feedback generating unit is arranged to use an ID of an SSDT signaling to refer to said at least two selected antennas or beams.

53. The system of claim 29, wherein said means configured to select is arranged to select fixed antenna or beam pairs.

54. The system of claim 30, wherein said control unit is arranged to control at least one of an amplitude and phase of said transmission signal.

55. The system of claim 29, wherein said means configured to select is arranged to select a variable number of antennas or beams.

56. The system of claim 29, wherein said unit configured to receive is a mobile station and said antenna array is arranged at a base station of a WCDMA system.

57. A base station for transmitting a transmission signal from an antenna array to a unit configured to receive of a wireless communication system, comprising:

a) a unit configured to select at least two predetermined antennas or beams of said antenna array based on feedback information derived from a signal quality measurement; and

b) a unit configured to transmit said transmission signal using said at least two selected antennas or beams according to a transmit diversity or beamforming scheme;

wherein said unit configured to select comprises a final selection unit arranged at the base station;

wherein said final selection unit is arranged to perform selection based on a scoring system which takes into account said feedback information, an amplifier load condition of channels associated with said at least two selected antennas, and a degree of interference to co-channel users of said associated channels;

wherein the scoring system is implemented by defining final scores of said at least two selected antennas, the final scores being defined by scores for respective antennas of said at least two selected antennas, the scores for the respective antennas including a score of a respective antenna due to a selection by the unit configured to receive, the score of a power loading of a power amplifier of the respective antenna, the score of interference produced by the respective antenna and the score of a selection of the respective antenna in former transmission bursts; and

the base station being configured to weight the scores and to sum up the weighted scores so as to form a final score for the respective antenna.