Hybrid time-spatial multiplexing for wireless broadcast messages through antenna radiation beam synthesis
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- dividing a region in which a first communication device wirelessly communicates with one or more of a plurality of second communication devices into a plurality of segments;
assigning respective ones of the second communication devices to a group of the segments;
monitoring locations of the second communication devices and adjusting assignment of the second communication devices to the segments based on the monitoring;
generating beamforming antenna weights that are configured to produce a radiation beam pattern from a plurality of antennas of the first communication device to respective ones of each of the plurality of segments in the region; and
transmitting a broadcast message from the first communication device to each segment of the region in a time-division multiplexed manner using the beamforming antenna weights associated with the radiation beam pattern for the corresponding segment such that the broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so as to reduce inter-region interference of broadcast messages.
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Abstract
A hybrid time-spatial multiplexing technique is provided for beamforming broadcast messages to mobile stations that may be within a coverage region or cell of a base station. The coverage region is divided into a plurality of segments. The mobile stations are assigned to at least one of the segments based on their locations within the coverage region or other criteria. The base station computes beamforming antenna weights which are configured to produce a radiation beam pattern from a plurality of antennas of the base station to respective ones of each of the plurality of segments in the region. A broadcast message is transmitted to each segment of the region in a time-division multiplexed manner using the beamforming antenna weights associated with the radiation beam pattern for the corresponding segment.
23 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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dividing a region in which a first communication device wirelessly communicates with one or more of a plurality of second communication devices into a plurality of segments; assigning respective ones of the second communication devices to a group of the segments; monitoring locations of the second communication devices and adjusting assignment of the second communication devices to the segments based on the monitoring; generating beamforming antenna weights that are configured to produce a radiation beam pattern from a plurality of antennas of the first communication device to respective ones of each of the plurality of segments in the region; and transmitting a broadcast message from the first communication device to each segment of the region in a time-division multiplexed manner using the beamforming antenna weights associated with the radiation beam pattern for the corresponding segment such that the broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so as to reduce inter-region interference of broadcast messages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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dividing a region in which a first communication device wirelessly communicates with one or more of a plurality of second communication devices into a plurality of segments; assigning one or more second communication devices to at least one of the segments; generating beamforming antenna weights that are configured to produce a radiation beam pattern from a plurality of antennas of the first communication device to respective ones of each of the plurality of segments in the region; and transmitting a broadcast message from the first communication device to each segment of the region in a time-division multiplexed manner using the beamforming antenna weights associated with the radiation beam pattern for the corresponding segment wherein when the first communication device communicates with second communication devices in multiple regions that are adjacent to each other, said dividing and transmitting are performed such that a broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so that inter-region interference of broadcasted messages is reduced.
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14. An apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of antennas; a transmitter coupled to the plurality of antennas, wherein the transmitter is configured to apply beamforming weights to a transmit signal to generate corresponding ones of a plurality of weighted signals that are supplied to respective ones of the plurality of antennas; a controller coupled to the transmitter configured to; store data representing division of a region into a plurality of segments in which one or more mobile stations may be located; assign mobile stations to a group of the segments; monitor locations of the mobile stations and adjust assignment of the mobile stations to the segments; generate a plurality of beamforming weights for each segment that are supplied to the transmitter and are computed so as to produce a radiation beam pattern from the plurality of antennas to each of the plurality of segments in the region; and supply a broadcast message to the transmitter for beamforming transmission to each of the segments in a time-division multiplexed manner using the beamforming weights for each segment such that the broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so as to reduce inter-region interference of broadcast messages. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:
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store in a base station data representing division of a region into a plurality of segments in which one or more mobile stations may be located; assign mobile stations to a group of the segments; monitor locations of the mobile stations and adjust assignment of the mobile stations to the segments; generate a plurality of beamforming weights for each segment that produce a radiation beam pattern when applied to a signal that is transmitted from a plurality of antennas of the base station to each of the plurality of segments in the region; and apply the beamforming weights for each segment to a broadcast message for beamforming transmission of the broadcast message from the base station to each of the segments in a time-division multiplexed manner such that the broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so as to reduce inter-region interference of broadcast messages. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:
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store in a base station data representing division of a region into a plurality of segments in which one or more mobile stations may be located; assign mobile stations to at least one of the segments; generate a plurality of beamforming weights for each segment that produce a radiation beam pattern when applied to a signal that is transmitted from a plurality of antennas of the base station to each of the plurality of segments in the region; and apply the beamforming weights for each segment to a broadcast message for beamforming transmission of the broadcast message from the base station to each of the segments in a time-division multiplexed manner wherein the logic that stores data comprises logic that stores data for segments in each of a plurality of regions some of which are adjacent to each other, and wherein the logic for applying comprises logic for applying beamforming weights to a broadcast message for transmission from the base station such that the broadcast message is not transmitted during the same time interval to segments of different regions that are immediately adjacent to each other, and if the segments of different regions share a common boundary, a size of the common boundary is smaller than that of a common boundary of a region without segmentation so that inter-region interference of broadcasted messages is reduced.
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Specification