Antenna multiplexing system and method of smart antenna and multiple-input multiple-output antenna

• US 8,295,382 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China Mobile Communications Corporation (Central People's Government of The People's Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: China Mobile Communications Corporation (Central People's Government of The People's Republic of China)
• Inventors: Xu, Xiaodong, Liu, Guangyi, Cheng, Guanghui, Huang, Yuhong, Yan, Zhigang, Cui, Chunfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Shawkat M
• Application Number:
  US12/452,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20100135420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/267, 375/295, 375/316, 455/575.7, 370/312
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0469 taking special antenna structures, e.g. cross polarized antennas into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas

Abstract

An antenna multiplexing system and a method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna are provided, wherein the system includes a MIMO antenna array and a smart antenna array, the smart antenna array includes several groups of antenna array elements in which the distance between neighbor antenna array elements is less than or equal to one half of wavelength, and the smart antenna array comprises at least two groups of antenna array elements with the coherence sufficient for the requirement of the MIMO applications. The method includes: in accordance with the type of the data to be transmitted, determining a transmitting mode and processing the data to be transmitted accordingly, and in accordance with the transmitting mode, controlling the MIMO antenna array or smart antenna array, so as to transmitting the data to the mobile terminal. With the premise that the actual coverage of TD-SCDMA system should be further improved, the requirement of higher user throughout could be met, and the MIMO antenna system could satisfy the requirement of the future system evolution. Both of the applications of the MIMO and the smart antenna could be met with the use of the same antenna feeding system, and the adaptive switching of the MIMO and the smart antenna with respect to the user could be achieved.

Claims

1. An antenna multiplexing system of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna, comprising an MIMO antenna array and a smart antenna array, the smart antenna array comprises a number of antenna elements, spacing of adjacent antenna elements being smaller than or equal to ½

wavelength, and the MIMO antenna array consists of at least two antenna elements with dependence satisfying requirements of MIMO application;

the antenna multiplexing system further comprising a transmitting processing device configured for controlling the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array to transmit a data to a mobile terminal; and

the transmitting processing device comprises;

a determining module configured for determining a transmitting mode according to a type of a data to be transmitted, correspondingly processing the data to be transmitted under the transmitting mode and controlling transmission of the data;

an MIMO antenna array transmitting processing module configured for transmitting a control information data or an MBMS (Multimedia Broadcasting and Multicasting Service) service data to all mobile terminals in a cell through the MIMO antenna array according to the transmitting mode; and

a smart antenna array transmitting processing module configured for transmitting a general service data to a single target mobile terminal in the cell through the smart antenna array according to the transmitting mode, wherein the determining module further comprises;

a transmitting mode determining unit configured for determining the transmitting mode according to the type of the data to be transmitted;

a data channel code, scrambling code and intermediate code assigning unit configured for selecting and assigning a corresponding channel code, scrambling code and intermediate code to the data to be transmitted of different types according to the transmitting mode;

a data spread spectrum processing unit configured for performing spread spectrum processing on the data to be transmitted according to the channel code and scrambling code;

a multiplexing unit configured for multiplexing the data to be transmitted after spread spectrum processing and the corresponding intermediate code to constitute a burst;

an ON/OFF controller provided on a transmitting path of the multiplexing unit; and

a transmitting mode control unit configured for transmitting the burst through one of the MIMO antenna array transmitting processing module and the smart antenna array transmitting processing module by controlling the ON/OFF controller according to the transmitting mode determined by the transmitting mode determining unit.

2. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 1, wherein, the transmitting mode respectively is to transmit a data to all mobile terminals in the cell by the MIMO antenna array and to transmit a data to a single target mobile terminal in the cell by the smart antenna array.

3. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 1, wherein, the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array constitute an antenna array with N antenna elements, wherein N is an integer, M antenna elements in the antenna array with dependence satisfying the requirement of MIMO application constituting the MIMO antenna array, wherein M is an integer no smaller than 2, and the remaining N-M antenna elements with spacing smaller than or equal to ½

wavelength constituting the smart antenna array.

4. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 3, wherein, the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array both are vertically polarized antenna array.

5. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 3, wherein, the MIMO antenna array is a dual-polarized antenna array, and the smart antenna array is a vertically polarized antenna array.

6. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 3, wherein, the antenna array with N antenna elements is a linear antenna array, and the N-M antenna elements constitute a directional smart antenna array.

7. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 6, wherein, the M antenna elements constituting the MIMO antenna array are located at an end portion of the linear antenna array.

8. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 3, wherein, the antenna array with N antenna elements is a combined antenna array, and the N-M antenna elements constitute a directional smart antenna array in a linear layout or an omnidirectional smart antenna array in a circular layout.

9. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 1, wherein, the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array constitute an antenna array with N antenna elements, wherein N is an integer, M antenna elements in the antenna array with dependence satisfying the requirement of MIMO application constituting the MIMO antenna array, wherein M is an integer no smaller than 2, and all the N antenna elements with spacing of adjacent antenna elements smaller than or equal to ½

wavelength constituting the smart antenna array.

10. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 9, wherein, the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array both are vertically polarized antenna arrays.

11. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 9, wherein, the MIMO antenna array is a dual-polarized antenna array, and the smart antenna array is a vertically polarized antenna array.

12. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 9, wherein, the antenna array with N antenna elements is a linear antenna array, and all the N antenna elements constitute a directional smart antenna array.

13. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 12, wherein, the M antenna elements constituting the MIMO antenna array are located at an end portion of the linear antenna array.

14. The antenna multiplexing system of the smart antenna and the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 9, wherein, the antenna array with N antenna elements is a circular antenna array, and all the N antenna elements constitute an omnidirectional smart antenna array.

15. An antenna multiplexing method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna, comprising:

determining a transmitting mode according to a type of a data to be transmitted;

selecting and assigning a corresponding channel code, scrambling code and intermediate code to the data to be transmitted of different types according to the transmitting mode;

performing spread spectrum processing on the data to be transmitted according to the determined channel code and scrambling code;

multiplexing the data to be transmitted after spread spectrum processing and the corresponding intermediate code to constitute a burst; and

transmitting the burst through an MIMO antenna array module or a smart antenna array by controlling an ON/OFF controller provided on a transmitting path according to the transmitting mode, including transmitting a control information or an MBMS (Multimedia Broadcasting and Multicasting Service) service data to all mobile terminals in a cell through the MIMO antenna array according to the transmitting mode, or transmitting a general service data to a single target mobile terminal in the cell through the smart antenna array according to the transmitting mode,

the smart antenna array comprises a number of antenna elements, spacing of adjacent antenna elements being smaller than or equal to ½

wavelength, and the MIMO antenna array consists of at least two antenna elements with dependence satisfying requirement of MIMO application.

16. The antenna multiplexing method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 15, wherein, the transmitting mode respectively is to transmit a data to all mobile terminals in the cell by the MIMO antenna array and to transmit a data to a single target mobile terminal in the cell by the smart antenna array.

17. The antenna multiplexing method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 15, wherein, the MIMO antenna array and the smart antenna array both are vertically polarized antenna arrays.

18. The antenna multiplexing method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna of claim 15, wherein, the MIMO antenna array is a dual-polarized antenna array, and the smart antenna array is a vertically polarized antenna array.