Beam wobbling for increased downlink coverage and capacity
First Claim
1. A method of operating a base station of a cellular radio system to serve a coverage area, the method comprising:
- moving a downlink beam to one or more angular positions in a sector of a cell in the coverage area, wherein the downlink beam comprises at least two directional beams of similar beam widths, and the downlink beam is coupled to a base station of a cellular radio system in a coverage area;
associating the angular positions of the two directional beams with a time interval of a plurality of successive time intervals such that the two directional beams move in a cyclic repeated pattern and a portion of the two beams overlap; and
during a first time interval of the successive time intervals, transmitting one or more signals in one of the directional beams to a first user terminal located in a first beam of the directional beams;
changing the angular position during a second time interval of the successive time intervals such that a second user terminal is located near the center of the first beam; and
during a second time interval, transmitting one or more signals in the first beam to the second user terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing signal interference within a cellular radio system to increase both coverage and capacity. The method and apparatus include altering the direction of beams within cell sectors is among discrete angular positions according to a predetermined, cyclic pattern. The predetermined, cyclic pattern varies in a group of adjacent cell sectors such that inter-cell interference is significantly reduced or eliminated by rotating at a different cycle the beams in adjacent cells. This discrete, angular movement of beams provides for downlink transmissions to be timed in such a way (i.e., scheduled) such that transmission to a user will occur in accordance with the beam and time slot having the best carrier to interference (C/I) ratio for that user.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a base station of a cellular radio system to serve a coverage area, the method comprising:
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moving a downlink beam to one or more angular positions in a sector of a cell in the coverage area, wherein the downlink beam comprises at least two directional beams of similar beam widths, and the downlink beam is coupled to a base station of a cellular radio system in a coverage area; associating the angular positions of the two directional beams with a time interval of a plurality of successive time intervals such that the two directional beams move in a cyclic repeated pattern and a portion of the two beams overlap; and during a first time interval of the successive time intervals, transmitting one or more signals in one of the directional beams to a first user terminal located in a first beam of the directional beams; changing the angular position during a second time interval of the successive time intervals such that a second user terminal is located near the center of the first beam; and during a second time interval, transmitting one or more signals in the first beam to the second user terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A base station of a cellular radio system, the base station comprising:
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at least one transmitter coupled to a base station of a cellular radio system, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit one or more signals of the cellular radio system; and at least one antenna system coupled to the transmitter;
wherein at least one of the transmitters and at least one of the antenna systems are operable to allow;moving a downlink beam to one or more angular positions in a sector of a cell in the coverage area, wherein the downlink beam comprises at least two directional beams of similar beam widths, wherein a portion of the beams overlap, the angular positions of the two directional beams being associated with a time interval of a plurality of successive time intervals such that the downlink beam moves in a cyclic repeated pattern; during at least one of the successive time intervals, transmitting of at least one of the signals in one of the two directional beams to at least one user terminal located in the directional beam; changing of the angular position during a second time interval of the successive time intervals such that a second user terminal is located near the center of the first beam; and during a second time interval, transmitting of one or more signals in the first beam to the second user terminal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification