System and method capable of implicit feedback for the devices with an unequal number of transmitter and receiver chains in a wireless local area network

• US 7,830,980 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Xintian, Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu; Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh; Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US11/006,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20060120476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 375146-147, 375/260, 375/267, 375/135, 375/167, 375/297, 375/299, 375/352, 375/295, 375/302, 375/316, 375342-343, 375/344, 375/350, 375/354, 375/359, 375/306, 375/347, 375/371, 370/352, 370/353, 455/101, 455/137, 455/273, 455/103, 455/140, 455/132
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0421 utilizing implicit feedback, e.g. steered pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0675 characterised by the signaling

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless station (STA) capable of implicit feedback in a wireless local area network, comprising at least one power amplifier, a plurality of antennas capable of being connected with said at least one power amplifier, and a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA).

Claims

1. A wireless station (STA) capable of implicit feedback in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a plurality of power amplifiers, including at least one power amplifier;

a plurality of antennas, the plurality of antennas including at least one antenna to receive wireless data signals and to not transmit wireless data signals, wherein the at least one antenna is capable of being connected with said at least one power amplifier; and

a switch for switching a connection of the at least one power amplifier between the at least one antenna and at least one other of the plurality of antennas, wherein said switching is to occur when the wireless station is sounding a complete channel matrix for a remote device;

wherein an access point (AP) keeps track of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranks them accordingly and based on said ranking, the strongest and the weakest antennas are used to send a short preamble in order to set an automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level;

wherein said plurality of antennas are three antennas and said plurality of power amplifiers are two power amplifiers; and

wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

2. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein said plurality of power amplifiers are switchably connected to said plurality of antennas.

3. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein both said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all three said antennas.

4. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of antennas in a wireless station, the plurality of antennas including at least one antenna to receive wireless data signals and to not transmit wireless data signals, wherein the at least one antenna is capable of being connected with at least one power amplifier from a plurality of power amplifiers;

associating the at least one power amplifier with the at least one antenna and at least one other of the plurality of antennas via a switch;

switching a connection of the at least one power amplifier between the at least one antenna and the at least one other antenna of said plurality of antennas, said switching to occur when the wireless station is sounding a complete channel matrix for a remote device;

keeping track by an access point (AP) of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranking them accordingly;

sending a short preamble in order to set an automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level based on said ranking;

wherein said plurality of antennas are three antennas and said plurality of power amplifiers are two power amplifiers;

associating said three antennas with said two power amplifiers;

connecting non-switchably a first of said two power amplifiers to a first antenna of said three antennas; and

switchably connecting a second of said two power amplifiers to a second and third of said three antennas.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising connecting switchably all of said power amplifiers to all of said antennas.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising connecting switchably both of said power amplifiers to all three said antennas.

7. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform, results in providing implicit feedback by a wireless station (STA) in a wireless local area network by associating at least one power amplifier from a plurality of power amplifiers, with a plurality of antennas via a switch capable of switching the connection between said plurality of antennas and said at least one power amplifier thereby enabling said wireless station to sound a complete channel matrix for an access point (AP) in communication with said wireless station (STA);

wherein the plurality of antennas includes at least one antenna to receive wireless data signals and to not transmit wireless data signals;

wherein said switching of said at least one power amplifier is between the at least one antenna and at least one other of the plurality of antennas when the wireless station is sounding a complete channel matrix for a remote device; and

wherein said AP keeps track of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranks them accordingly and based on said ranking, the strongest and the weakest antennas are used to send a short preamble in order to set an automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level;

wherein said plurality of antennas are three antennas and said plurality of power amplifiers are two power amplifiers; and

wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein all of said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all of said antennas.

9. An implicit feedback system in a wireless local area network, comprising:

a wireless station including at least one power amplifier from a plurality of power amplifiers, a switch, and a plurality of antennas capable of being switchably connected with said at least one power amplifier; and

an access point;

wherein the plurality of antennas includes at least one antenna to receive wireless data signals and to not transmit wireless data signals;

wherein the switch is switching a connection of the at least one power amplifier between the at least one antenna and at least one other of the plurality of antennas, wherein said switching is to occur when the wireless station is sounding a complete channel matrix for said AP;

wherein said AP keeps track of the power received by each of said plurality of antennas and ranks them accordingly and based on said ranking, the strongest and the weakest antennas are used to send a short preamble in order to set an automatic gain control (AGC) in said AP to an appropriate level; and

wherein said plurality of antennas are three antennas and said plurality of power amplifiers are two power amplifiers;

wherein a first of said two power amplifiers is non-switchably connected to a first antenna of said three antennas and a second of said two power amplifiers is switchably connected to a second and third of said three antennas.

10. The implicit feedback system of claim 9, wherein all of said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all of said antennas.

11. The implicit feedback system of claim 9, wherein both said power amplifiers are switchably connected to all three said antennas.