Radio apparatus, and method and program for controlling spatial path

• US 7,539,461 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hera Wireless S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/508,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/575.7, 455/101, 455/112, 455/115.1, 455/132, 455/133, 455/140, 455/216, 455/225, 455/67.11, 455/69, 455/522, 370/332, 375/220, 375/221
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

A PDMA terminal establishes communication by forming a plurality of spatial paths to another single radio apparatus. A plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna are divided into a plurality of subarrays corresponding to the plurality of spatial paths respectively. An adaptive array processing unit can perform an adaptive array processing for each of the plurality of subarrays. A memory stores in advance information on the number of antennas associated with the number of spatial paths that can be formed by the array antenna. A control unit controls a processing to transmit possible multiplicity information to another radio apparatus at a prescribed timing.

Claims

1. A radio system capable of communication by forming a plurality of spatial paths to another single radio system, comprising:

a plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna, said plurality of antennas being divided into a plurality of subarrays corresponding to said plurality of spatial paths respectively;

an adaptive array processor capable of adaptive array processing for each of said plurality of subarrays;

a storage for storing in advance information on possible multiplicity associated with a number of spatial paths that can be formed by said array antenna; and

a control unit for controlling a processing to transmit said information on possible multiplicity to said another radio system at a prescribed timing.

2. The radio system according to claim 1, wherein said information on possible multiplicity is information on a total number of said plurality of antennas.

3. The radio system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor for detecting a communication status for each of said plurality of antennas, wherein

said information on possible multiplicity is information associated with a maximum number of spatial paths that can be used for multiplex communication, determined based on a detection result by said monitor.

4. The radio system according to claim 3, wherein

said monitor detects a number of antennas that can attain normal reception, and

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a maximum number of antennas that can attain normal reception.

5. The radio system according to claim 3, wherein

a signal transmitted/received by said radio system is divided into a plurality of frames,

said monitor detects an error rate for each said frame in each of said spatial paths, and

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a number of spatial paths that can be used for multiplex communication.

6. The radio system according to claim 3, wherein

said monitor detects an amount of interference between said spatial paths, and

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a number of spatial paths that can be used for multiplex communication.

7. The radio system according to claim 1, wherein

said adaptive array processor can change a combination of said antennas allocated to each said subarray to perform said adaptive array processing, and

said control unit divides said plurality of antennas into a set or sets in a number corresponding to a number of paths, in accordance with said number of paths notified from said another radio system, to implement said set or sets of said antennas as each said subarray.

8. The radio system according to claim 1, wherein

said adaptive array processor can change a combination of said antennas allocated to each said subarray to perform said adaptive array processing, and

said control unit allocates one antenna out of said plurality of antennas to respective subarray or subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of paths notified from said another radio system, and subsequently, allocates remaining antennas out of said plurality of antennas to each said subarray in a prescribed order.

9. The radio system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein

said control unit preferentially allocates said antennas having an identical plane of polarization to identical said subarray.

10. The radio system according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a detector for detecting a reception level for each said antenna,

wherein said control unit preferentially allocates said antennas having planes of polarization different from each other to identical said subarray.

11. The radio system according to claim 1, wherein

said adaptive array processor can change a combination of said antennas allocated to each said subarray to perform said adaptive array processing,

said radio system further comprises a monitor for monitoring communication quality for each said spatial path during communication, and

said control unit changes the number of said antennas allocated to each said subarray in accordance with a detection result of said monitor.

12. A method of controlling a spatial path in a radio system capable of communication by forming a plurality of spatial paths to another single radio system, the radio system including an array antenna constituted of a plurality of antennas that can be divided into a plurality of subarrays corresponding to said plurality of spatial paths respectively, and an adaptive array processor capable of adaptive array processing for each of said plurality of subarrays, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in advance information on possible multiplicity associated with a number of spatial paths that can be formed by said array antenna;

transmitting said information on possible multiplicity to said another radio system from said radio system at a prescribed timing; and

determining said antenna to be allocated to said subarray based on information specifying the number of said spatial paths provided from said another radio system.

13. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting a number of antennas capable of normal reception in said radio system, wherein

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a maximum number of antennas that can attain normal reception.

14. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 12, wherein

a signal transmitted/received by said radio system is divided into a plurality of frames,

the method further comprises the step of detecting an error rate for each said frame for each of said spatial paths in said radio system , and

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a number of spatial paths that can be used for multiplex communication.

15. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting an amount of interference between said spatial paths in said radio system, wherein

said information on possible multiplicity is information on a number of spatial paths that can be used for multiplex communication.

16. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 12, wherein

said step of determining said antenna includes the step of dividing said plurality of antennas into a set or sets in a number corresponding to a number of paths, in accordance with said number of paths notified from said another radio system, to allocate said set or sets of said antennas to each said subarray.

17. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 12, wherein

said step of determining said antenna includes the step of allocating one antenna out of said plurality of antennas to respective subarray or subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of paths notified from said another radio system, followed by allocating remaining antennas out of said plurality of antennas to each said subarray in a prescribed order.

18. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 16 or 17, wherein

in said step of allocating antennas to said subarray, said antennas having an identical plane of polarization are preferentially allocated to identical said subarray.

19. The method of controlling a spatial path according to claim 16 or 17, wherein

in said step of allocating antennas to said subarray, said antennas having planes of polarization different from each other are preferentially allocated to identical said subarray.