Antenna control system and method

• US 8,155,096 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Proctor, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Blanche
• Application Number:
  US09/999,172
• Time in Patent Office: 3,784 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/522, 455/562.1, 455/126, 343/734
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/386 centralized, e.g. when the radio network controller or equivalent takes part in the power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/58 Format of the TPC bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Each of multiple directional transmissions from an antenna array of a subscriber unit are received at a base unit. Based on the detected quality of received signals at the base unit, directional transmissions from the antenna array that produce a higher quality of received signal at the base unit receiver are identified. Feedback messages can be used to notify the subscriber unit which of the directional transmissions are optimal. Consequently, settings of an antenna array at the subscriber unit can be adjusted to support more efficient directional transmissions from the subscriber unit to the base unit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring wireless transmissions, at least two of which are based on different directional transmissions from a transmitter;

generating a first type of feedback messages to control a power output level of the transmitter;

generating a second type of feedback messages to indicate which of the at least two different directional transmissions from the transmitter supports a higher quality received signal;

communicating the first and second type of feedback messages over a shared feedback channel to adjust settings of the transmitter;

partitioning the shared feedback channel into multiple repeating sequences of frames; and

communicating either a first or second type of feedback message in a frame of the shared feedback channel depending on a position of the frame in a sequence of periodically repeating frames.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

in a first frame of the shared feedback channel, transmitting a first type of feedback message, and

in a frame contiguous with the first frame, transmitting a second type of feedback message.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first type of feedback message or the second type of feedback message is a single bit.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein the first type of feedback message is a power control bit.

5. The method as in claim 2, wherein the second type of feedback message is a lobe control bit.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

partitioning a data channel into frames in which data information is transmitted; and

for two successive frames of the data channel, generating two different directional transmissions from the transmitter.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a feedback message at the transmitter indicating which of the two different directional data transmissions results in a higher quality received signal.

8. A method comprising:

monitoring wireless transmissions, at least two of which are based on different directional transmissions from a transmitter;

generating a feedback message of a first type to control a power output level of the transmitter;

generating a feedback message of a second type to indicate which of the at least two different directional transmissions from the transmitter supports a higher quality received signal; and

communicating the feedback message of the first type and the feedback message of the second type over a feedback channel to adjust settings of the transmitter, wherein

the feedback channel is partitioned into a repeating sequence of frames; and

each of the feedback messages is communicated in a frame of the repeating sequence of frames, wherein a position of that frame in the repeating sequence of frames is used to identify the type of each of the feedback messages.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the feedback channel is a shared feedback channel.