Simulcasting MIMO communication system

• US 8,116,260 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Ye, Sollenberger, Nelson Ray, Winters, Jack Harriman
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US09/935,069
• Time in Patent Office: 3,828 Days
• Field of Search: 370/208, 370/210, 370/242, 370/342, 370/343, 370/291, 370/328, 370/344, 370/347, 370/365, 370/480, 370/503, 370/341, 455/105, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0669 using different channel coding between antennas space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2626 Arrangements specific to the transmitter only
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system includes signal simulcasting. Base stations include a plurality of transmit antennas and terminals include a plurality of receive antennas to form MIMO channels. In one embodiment, a simulcasting MIMO wireless communication system includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). This arrangement achieves the spectral efficiency advantages of OFDM and simulcasting.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication comprising:

simulcasting at least one signal from a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output base stations;

non-simulcasting at least one other signal from the plurality of multiple-input multiple-output base stations, wherein the simulcasting comprises transmitting the at least one signal in a same frequency or in a same timeslot; and

adjusting a number of multiple-input multiple-output signals comprised of the at least one signal that is simulcast and the at least one other signal that is non-simulcast by adjusting a number of simulcasted signals from the plurality of multiple-input multiple-output base stations based upon user requests for respective signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing time division multiplexing to transmit the at least one simulcast signal and the at least one non-simulcast signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing frequency division multiplexing to transmit the at least one simulcast signal and the at least one non-simulcast signal.

4. A method for wireless communication comprising:

simulcasting at least one signal from a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output base stations;

non-simulcasting at least one other signal from the plurality of multiple-input multiple-output base stations, wherein the simulcasting comprises transmitting the at least one signal in a same frequency or in a same timeslot; and

adjusting a number of multiple-input multiple-output signals comprised of the at least one signal that is simulcast and the at least one other signal that is non-simulcast by adjusting a number of transmitted multiple-input multiple-output signals based upon a level of co-channel interference.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

utilizing time division multiplexing to transmit the at least one simulcast signal and the at least one non-simulcast signal.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

utilizing frequency division multiplexing to transmit the at least one simulcast signal and the at least one non-simulcast signal.