Method for frequency division duplex communications

• US 8,305,990 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alamouti, Siavash, Casas, Eduardo F., Hirano, Michael, Hoole, Elliott, Jesse, Mary, Michelson, David G., Poon, Patrick, Veintimilla, Gregory J., Zhang, Hongliang
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/116,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20110222526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/203, 370/329, 370/337, 370/281, 370343-344, 370/321, 370/206, 370/336, 375/267, 375/299, 375/347
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0652 Synchronisation among time division multiple access [TDMA] nodes, e.g. time triggered protocol [TTP] bus network with centralized control in which slots are of a TDMA packet structure H04L12/4035
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource

Abstract

The high quality PCS communications are enabled in environments where adjacent PCS service bands operate with out-of-band harmonics that would otherwise interfere with the system'"'"'s operation. The highly bandwidth-efficient communications method combines a form of time division duplex (TDD), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), spatial diversity, and polarization diversity in various unique combinations. The method provides excellent fade resistance. The method enables changing a user'"'"'s available bandwidth on demand by assigning additional TDMA slots during the user'"'"'s session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a communications unit, a first data signal, using a first set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a channel coupled to the communications unit and during a first set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of a plurality of time intervals of a time division multiple access frame of the channel; and

transmitting, by the communications unit, a second data signal, using a second set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a second set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are different, the first and second frequency bands are the same frequency band, and the first and second sets of time intervals are the same time intervals.

3. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same, the first and second frequency bands are the same, and the first and second sets of time intervals are distinct, time intervals.

4. The method, as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same discrete frequency tones, the first and second frequency bands are the same frequency band, and the first and second sets of time intervals are the same time intervals,

wherein the first and second signals are transmitted to a first remote station in a first geographic location and a second remote station in a second geographic location distinct from the first geographic location, respectively, and

further comprising spatially spreading the first and second data signals;

and

wherein first and second data are transmitted using the first and second data signals, respectively.

5. The method, as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same discrete frequency tones, the first and second frequency bands are the same frequency band, and the first and second sets of time intervals are the same time intervals,

wherein the first signal is polarized in a first direction and the second signal is polarized in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and

wherein the first and second signals are transmitted to a first remote station in a first geographic location and a second remote station in a second geographic location distinct from the first geographic location, respectively.

6. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the first data signal;

mapping the encoded first data signal to the first set of tones in a frequency domain signal;

transforming the frequency domain signal into a digital time domain signal;

converting the digital time domain signal into an analog baseband signal; and

converting the analog baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

7. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

applying spatial spreading weights to a version of the data signal to generate weighted versions of the data signal; and

transmitting corresponding radio frequency versions of the weighted versions of the data signal using corresponding antennas.

8. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first receive signal including a third data signal, the third data signal being allocated to a third set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a third frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a third set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

9. The method, as recited in claim 8, wherein the first and third sets of time intervals are different, the first and third frequency bands are different, and the first and third sets of discrete frequency tones are different.

10. The method, as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second receive signal including a fourth data signal, the fourth data signal being allocated to a fourth set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a fourth frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a fourth set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

11. The method, as recited in claim 10, wherein the third and fourth sets of time intervals are different, the third and fourth frequency bands are the same, and the third and fourth sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same.

12. The method, as recited in claim 10, wherein the third and fourth sets of time intervals are the same, the third and fourth frequency bands are the same, and the third and fourth sets of discrete frequency tones are different.

13. The method, as recited in claim 10, wherein the third and fourth sets of time intervals are different, the third and fourth frequency bands are the same, and the third and fourth sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are different.

14. The method, as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a radio frequency signal corresponding to a first antenna;

converting the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal;

sampling the baseband signal to generate a digital baseband signal;

transforming the digital baseband signal from a time domain signal into a frequency domain signal;

selecting the second set of tones from a plurality of sets of tones in the frequency domain signal; and

recovering the second data signal from a signal at least partially based on the second set of tones.

15. The method, as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

weighting the second set of tones and adding the weighted second set of tones to one other weighted set of tones recovered from a signal received by a second antenna.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitting module configured to transmit a first data signal, using a first set of a plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a channel coupled to the transmitting module and during a first set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of a plurality of time intervals of a time division multiple access frame of the channel, wherein the transmitting module is configured to transmit a second data signal using a second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a second set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

17. The apparatus, as recited in claim 16,

wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same discrete frequency tones, the first and second frequency bands are the same frequency band, and the first and second sets of time intervals are the same time intervals,

wherein the first and second signals are transmitted to a first remote station in a first geographic location and a second remote station in a second geographic location distinct from the first geographic location, respectively, and

wherein the transmitting module is configured to spatially spread the first and second data signals and configured to transmit first and second data using the first and second data signals, respectively.

18. The apparatus, as recited in claim 16,

wherein the first and second sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are the same discrete frequency tones, the first and second frequency bands are the same frequency band, and the first and second sets of time intervals are the same time intervals,

wherein the first signal is polarized in a first direction and the second signal is polarized in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and

wherein the first and second signals are transmitted to a first remote station in a first geographic location and a second remote station in a second geographic location distinct from the first geographic location, respectively.

19. The apparatus, as recited in claim 16, wherein the transmitting module comprises:

an encoder configured to encode the first data signal to generate an encoded first data signal;

a tone mapping block configured to map the encoded first data signal to the first set of tones in a frequency domain signal;

an inverse discrete Fourier transform block configured to transform the frequency domain signal into a digital time domain signal;

a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert the digital time domain signal into an analog baseband signal; and

a radio frequency transmitter configured to convert the analog baseband signal into a radio frequency signal.

20. The apparatus, as recited in claim 19, wherein the transmitting module comprises:

a spreader configured to apply spatial spreading weights to a version of the data signal to generate weighted versions of the data signal;

a plurality of antennas configured to transmit corresponding radio frequency versions of the weighted versions of the data signal.

21. The apparatus, as recited in claim 16, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a receiving module configured to receive a third data signal, the third data signal being allocated to only a third set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a third frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a third set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

22. The apparatus, as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiving module comprises:

an antenna configured to receive a radio frequency signal;

a radio frequency receiver configured to convert the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal;

an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitally sample the baseband signal and generate a digital baseband signal;

a discrete Fourier transform block configured to transform the digital baseband signal from a time domain signal into a frequency domain signal;

a tone select block configured to select the third set of tones from the plurality of sets of tones in the frequency domain signal; and

a decoder configured to recover the third data signal from a signal at least partially based on the third set of tones.

23. The apparatus, as recited in claim 22, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

a second antenna; and

a despreader configured to weight the third set of tones and add the weighted third set of tones to another weighted set of tones recovered from a signal received by the second antenna.

24. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a communications unit, a signal including a first data signal, the first data signal being allocated to a first set of a plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a channel coupled to the communications unit, and during a first set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of a plurality of time intervals of a time division multiple access frame of the channel; and

recovering, by the communications unit, a second data signal from a received signal, the second data signal being recovered from a second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands and during a second set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the time division multiple access frame.

25. The method, as recited in claim 24, wherein the first and second frequency bands are different, the first and second sets of time intervals are different, and the first and second sets of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones are different.

26. The method, as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

encoding first data in the first data signal;

mapping the first data signal to the first set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a frequency domain signal;

transforming the frequency domain signal into a digital time domain signal;

converting the digital time domain signal into an analog baseband signal;

converting the analog baseband signal into a radio frequency signal; and

transmitting the radio frequency signal in the signal over the channel.

27. The method, as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

converting the received signal from a radio frequency signal to a baseband signal;

digitally sampling the baseband signal to generate a digital version of the baseband signal;

transforming the digital version of the baseband signal from a time domain signal into a frequency domain signal;

selecting the second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones from the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in the frequency domain signal; and

recovering the second data signal from a signal at least partially based on the second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones.

28. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a communications unit, a first data signal, using a first set of a plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a channel coupled to the communications unit and during a first set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of a plurality of time intervals of a frame of the channel; and

transmitting, by the communications unit, a second data signal, using a second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and during a second set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the frame.

29. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a communications unit, a signal including a first data signal, the first data signal being allocated to a first set of a plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a channel coupled to the communications unit, and during a first set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of a plurality of time intervals of a frame of the channel; and

recovering, by the communications unit, a second data signal from a received signal, the second data signal being recovered from a second set of the plurality of sets of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed discrete frequency tones in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands and during a second set of time intervals, fewer than all time intervals, of the plurality of time intervals of the frame.