Remote unit for providing multiple-mode spatial processing

• US 8,326,374 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Barratt, Craig H., Kasapi, Athanasios A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US13/205,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20110294554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 455/273, 455/522, 455/574, 455/140, 455/277.2, 455/343.3, 455/562.1, 455/575.7, 455/101, 455/132, 455/132.4
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/084 Equal gain combining, only phase adjustments antenna beam scanning or forming by phase or amplitude control H01Q3/26, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0851 using training sequences or error signal minimizing error signal H04B7/0854
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0868 Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0877 switching off a diversity branch, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

Methods and apparatus implementing spatial processing in a remote unit. In general, in one aspect, a remote unit in accordance with the invention includes a spatial processing unit to process signals received by a plurality of antennas.

Claims

1. A remote unit, comprising:

spatial processing hardware elements including;

receive paths, and

a spatial processing unit coupled with the receive paths,

the spatial processing hardware to cause the remote unit to variously operate in a spatial processing mode to spatially process received signals, and a non-spatial processing mode, wherein to spatially process received signals includes spatially combining selectively weighted versions of signals received on antennas;

means for selectively enabling or disabling the spatial processing hardware elements;

means for determining a number of receive paths to enable for performing spatial processing, including means for periodically enabling all receive paths and means for evaluating whether power conserved by disabling an enabled receive path for performing spatial processing is preferable to a resulting loss in performance of spatial processing from disabling the enabled receive path; and

means for selectively disabling one or more receive paths responsive to the means for evaluating.

2. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the means for determining the number of receive paths to enable includes means for estimating a performance level of the remote unit and means for using the performance level to determine the number of receive paths to enable.

3. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein:

the remote unit supports one or more service types; and

means for determining the number of receive paths to enable includes means for determining a service type of a requested service and means for using the determined service type to determine the number of receive paths to enable.

4. The remote unit of claim 2, further comprising:

means for determining whether the estimated performance level satisfies a first set of conditions and whether the estimated performance level satisfies a second set of conditions, wherein the means for selectively enabling or disabling one or more receive paths includes means for enabling an additional receive path where the estimated level of performance satisfies the first set of conditions and means for disabling an enabled receive path where the estimated performance level satisfies the second set of conditions.

5. The remote unit of claim 4, wherein:

the first set of conditions include a condition that the estimated performance level is less than a first threshold performance level; and

the second set of conditions include a condition that the estimated performance level is not less than the first threshold performance level.

6. The remote unit of claim 2, wherein the means for estimating performance level includes means for calculating metrics of signal quality.

7. The remote unit of claim 2, wherein the means for estimating performance levels includes means for calculating frame error rate.

8. The remote unit of claim 2, wherein the means for estimating performance level includes means for calculating bit error rate.

9. The remote unit of claim 2, wherein the means for estimating performance level includes means for measuring received signal strength.

10. The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the means for enabling the spatial processing hardware includes means for providing power to the spatial processing hardware, and wherein the means for disabling the spatial processing hardware includes means for preventing a delivery of power to the spatial processing hardware.

11. A remote unit comprising:

a spatial processing apparatus including;

receive paths each to couple to a respective antenna of a plurality of antennas having diversity, and

at least one spatial processing unit to combine weighted versions of a signal received via the plurality of antennas; and

means for determining performance of the remote unit;

means for selectively changing, based on the determined performance, an amount of power that the spatial processing apparatus consumes in performing spatial processing, including means for selectively enabling and disabling one or more receive paths, including means for enabling an additional receive path for performing spatial processing when the determined performance satisfies a first set of conditions and means for disabling an enabled receive path for performing spatial processing when the determined performance level satisfies a second set of conditions.

12. The remote unit of claim 11, wherein the means for determining performance includes:

means for periodically causing the remote unit to operate in a non spatial processing mode; and

means for measuring a performance level of the remote unit while the remote unit is operating in a non spatial processing mode.

13. The remote unit of claim 11, wherein the means for selectively changing an amount of power that the spatial processing apparatus consumes includes:

means for selectively enabling and disabling the spatial processing unit.

14. The remote unit of claim 11, wherein operations of the spatial processing unit include a first and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation consuming less power than the second mode of operation, and wherein the means for selectively changing an amount of power that the spatial processing apparatus consumes includes:

means for selectively causing the spatial processing unit to switch between the first and second mode of operations.