System and related methods for beamforming in a multi-point communications environment

• US 7,817,590 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Jason, Kasapi, Athanasios A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rose; Kerri M
• Application Number:
  US12/580,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/316, 370320-322, 370/432, 455/562.1, 342/368, 342/372
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A system and related methods for beamforming in a multi-point communication environment is presented. According to one aspect of the invention, a method comprising identifying one or more target(s) for which a communication signal is intended, identifying one or more other target(s) which may benefit from receipt of the communication signal, and developing a multi-lobe beampattern to transmit the communication signal to the intended target(s) and the identified one or more other target(s).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of terminals; and

a communication unit, including;

a communications agent to identify one or more of the terminals for which a communication signal is intended as well as one or more other terminals which may also benefit from receipt of the communication signal, and to develop a multi-lobe beampattern to transmit the communication signal to the intended terminals and the identified one or more other terminals.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communications agent analyzes a received datagram for transmission in the communication signal for terminal information.

3. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the terminal information includes at least information denoting the intended terminals and information denoting other terminals which may benefit from receipt of the communication signal.

4. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the terminal information comprises one or more of an electronic serial number (ESN), a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a telephone number, and/or an application identifier.

5. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein the communications agent identifies a first spatial signature associated with the one or more intended terminals and a second spatial signature associated with the identified one or more other terminals.

6. A communication system according to claim 5, the communications agent comprising:

a beamforming engine, to modify one or more transmission characteristics of the communication signal based, at least in part, on the identified first and second spatial signatures.

7. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein beamforming engine modifies one or more of a amplitude weight value and/or a phase weight value associated with each of the one or more antennae in the antenna array to generate the developed beampattern.

8. A communication system according to claim 7, wherein the communications agent identifies a spatial signature associated with one or more undesired users of the communication signal, wherein beamforming engine modifies one or more attributes of the multi-lobe beampattern to null at least a subset of the undesired users.

9. A method comprising:

identifying one or more targets for which a communication signal is intended;

identifying one or more other targets which may benefit from receipt of the communication signal; and

modifying the communication signal to generate a multi-lobe beampattern directed to each of the intended targets and the identified other targets.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the communication signal to the intended targets and the identified other targets employing the developed multi-lobe beampattern.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the wireless communication system implements general packet radio services (GPRS), wherein identifying the targets comprises:

analyzing a received datagram for target information.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the target information includes at least information regarding the intended targets of the wireless communication signal.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the information regarding the intended target(s) comprise one or more of an electronic serial number, a media access controller (MAC) address, a telephone number, an internet protocol (IP) address, and/or an application identifier.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the target information includes at least information regarding the intended targets of the wireless communication signal and intended targets of a subsequent wireless communication signal.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein developing a multi-lobe beampattern comprises:

identifying a first spatial signature associated with the intended targets;

identifying a second spatial signature associated with the identified other targets; and

modifying one or more transmission characteristics of the communication signal based on the identified first and second spatial signatures.

16. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a spatial signature for undesired users; and

modify the multi-lobe beampattern to facilitate nulling of at least a subset of the undesired users based, at least in part, on the identified spatial signature for the undesired users.

17. A subscriber unit comprising:

a communications agent to identify one or more targets for which the communication signal is intended as well as one or more other targets which may also benefit from receipt of the communication signal, and to modify the communication signal to generate a multi-lobe beampattern directed to each of the intended targets and the identified other targets.

18. A subscriber unit according to claim 17, wherein the communications agent analyzes a received datagram for transmission in the communication signal for target information.

19. A subscriber unit according to claim 18, wherein the target information includes at least information denoting the intended targets and information denoting other targets which may benefit from receipt of the communication signal.

20. A subscriber unit according to claim 18, wherein the target information comprises one or more of an electronic serial number (ESN), a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a telephone number, and/or an application identifier.