Cooperative beam-forming in wireless networks

• US 8,670,390 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genghiscomm Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Genghiscomm Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Shattil, Steve J
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US11/187,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.2, 455/436, 455/447, 455/453, 455/454, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/7, 455/13.1, 455/509, 455/561, 455/562.1, 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 370/315, 370/329, 370/334, 370/431
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0003 Code application, i.e. aspects relating to how codes are applied to form multiplexed channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/004 Orthogonal
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/12 Generation of orthogonal codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/01 Equalisers baseband equalizers at the transmitter end H04L25/03343; in analogue transmission systems H04B3/04, H04B7/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/148 using filters, including PLL-type filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2614 Peak power aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2636 with FFT or DFT modulators, e.g. standard single-carrier frequency-division multiple access [SC-FDMA] transmitter or DFT spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [DFT-SOFDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26526 with inverse FFT [IFFT] or inverse DFT [IDFT] demodulators, e.g. standard single-carrier frequency-division multiple access [SC-FDMA] receiver or DFT spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [DFT-SOFDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26534 Pulse-shaped multi-carrier, i.e. not using rectangular window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 : the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0021 : in which codes are applied as a frequency-domain sequences, e.g. MC-CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 : Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 : Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 : Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 : the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A beam-forming system comprises a cooperative array of wireless terminals coupled to at least one wireless wide area network (WWAN) and communicatively coupled to a wireless local area network (WLAN) configured to provide information exchanges between the wireless terminals. A cooperative beam-forming system employing the WLAN provides antenna-array processing benefits (such as frequency reuse, interference rejection, array-processing gain, antenna-switching diversity) to the individual wireless terminals. A network access operator facilitates network control functionality between the WWAN and the cooperative array of wireless terminals.

Claims

1. A spatial multiplexing method comprising:

selecting a plurality of mobile wireless terminals to cooperatively communicate in a wireless wide area network (WWAN);

providing for wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity for communicatively coupling together the plurality of mobile wireless terminals;

communicating WWAN access information to the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to enable the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to access a WWAN channel;

coordinating the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to communicate in the WWAN channel; and

employing the WLAN for coordinating the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to cooperatively process a plurality of spatial sub-channels in the WWAN channel.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein coordinating the plurality of mobile wireless terminals includes providing for at least one of OFDM-MIMO processing, Rake processing, eigenvalue decomposition, successive interference cancellation, optimal combining, antenna selection, multi-user detection, space-time processing, space-frequency processing, phased-array processing, load balancing, and blind source separation.

3. A digital computer system programmed to perform the method recited in claim 1.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program implementing the method of claim 1.

5. A wireless terminal configured to perform the method recited in claim 1.

6. A first mobile wireless terminal, comprising:

a first wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface for communicatively coupling the first mobile wireless terminal to at least one WWAN;

a first wireless local area network (WLAN) interface for communicatively coupling the first mobile wireless terminal to a second mobile wireless terminal, the second mobile wireless terminal comprising a second WLAN interface and a second WWAN interface; and

a cooperative spatial-multiplexing processor for

selecting at least one of the first mobile wireless terminal and the second mobile wireless terminal to cooperatively communicate in a WWAN channel;

providing WWAN access information to the first mobile wireless terminal and the second mobile wireless terminal to enable access to the WWAN channel; and

coordinating the first mobile wireless terminal and the second mobile wireless terminal to cooperatively process a plurality of spatial sub-channels in the WWAN channel.

7. The wireless terminal recited in claim 6, wherein the spatial-multiplexing processor is configured for performing at least one of OFDM-MIMO processing, Rake processing, eigenvalue decomposition, successive interference cancellation, optimal combining, antenna selection, multi-user detection, space-time processing, space-frequency processing, phased-array processing, load balancing, and blind source separation.

8. The wireless terminal recited in claim 6, wherein the spatial-multiplexing processor resides in at least one of a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals comprising the first mobile wireless terminal, the second mobile wireless terminal, and at least one wireless terminal communicatively coupled to the WLAN but not communicatively coupled to the WWAN.

9. The wireless terminal recited in claim 6, wherein the spatial-multiplexing processor is further configured for performing at least one of a set of functions, the set comprising allocating network resources among the first wireless terminal and the second mobile wireless terminal, load balancing, distributed computing, providing for antenna-switching diversity, providing for WWAN diversity, performing interference mitigation, participating in WWAN hand-off operations for at least one wireless terminal, participating in WWAN power control processes, participating in WWAN user authentication, providing for session management, performing ad-hoc network control, providing for error correction coding, and providing for error-correction decoding.

10. A cooperative-MIMO processing system, comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) comprising a plurality of mobile wireless terminals (WTs);

a wireless local area network (WLAN) communicatively coupling the plurality of WTs together; and

a cooperative-MIMO processor configured for;

selecting a plurality of WTs to communicate in a WWAN channel;

communicating WWAN access information to the plurality of WTs to enable the plurality of WTs to access the WWAN channel; and

coordinating the plurality of WTs to cooperatively perform spatial subspace processing of WWAN signals allocated to a common signal space in the WWAN channel.

11. The system recited in claim 10, further comprising a network-management operator configured to handle WWAN-control operations for the plurality of WTs, the network-management operator comprising at least one of a target wireless terminal (WT), a network controller, a WT having a preferred WWAN channel, a WT selected for load balancing, a plurality of WTs including the target WT, a plurality of WTs including the network controller, a plurality of WTs not including the network controller, and a plurality of WTs not including the target WT.

12. The system recited in claim 11, wherein the WWAN-control operations include at least one of a set, the set comprising power control, data-rate control, session control, authentication, key exchange, paging, control-channel monitoring, traffic channel request, channel assignment, error detection, acknowledgement, request for retransmission, identification, reconnects, synchronization, flow control, request for service from a particular sector or access point, and hand-off.

13. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the WWAN includes at least one of a set of system configurations, the set comprising:

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a base station a signal intended for at least one wireless terminal (WT),

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a base station a plurality of signals modulated on interfering (e.g., common) channels and intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a base station a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a plurality of base stations a signal modulated on a common channel intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a plurality of base stations a signal redundantly modulated on a plurality of different channels intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels and intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to receive from a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and intended for at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a base station a signal originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a base station a plurality of signals modulated on interfering (e.g., common) channels originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a base station a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a plurality of base stations a signal modulated on a common channel originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a plurality of base stations a signal redundantly modulated on a plurality of different channels originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs configured to transmit to a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and originating from at least one WT,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to receive from a second local group a signal intended for at least one WT in the first local group,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to receive from a second local group a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels and intended for at least one WT in the first local group,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to receive from a second local group a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and intended for at least one WT in the first local group,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to transmit to a second local group a signal originating from at least one WT in the first local group,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to transmit to a second local group a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels and originating from at least one WT in the first local group,

the plurality of WTs in a first local group configured to transmit to a second local group a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and originating from at least one WT in the first local group,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to transmit a signal intended for at least one subscriber WT not in the base station local group,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to transmit a plurality of signals modulated on interfering (e.g., common) channels and intended for at least one subscriber WT not in the base station local group,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to transmit a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and intended for at least one subscriber WT not in the base station local group,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to transmit a signal modulated on a common channel intended for at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to transmit to a plurality of WTs a signal redundantly modulated on a plurality of different channels intended for at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to transmit to a plurality of WTs a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels and intended for at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to transmit to a plurality of WTs a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and intended for at least one WT,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to receive a signal originating from at least one WT,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to receive a plurality of signals originating from at least one WT and modulated on interfering channels,

a base station comprising the plurality of WTs in a base station local group configured to receive a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and originating from at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to receive a signal modulated on a common channel originating from at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to receive a signal redundantly modulated on a plurality of different channels originating from at least one WT,

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to receive a plurality of signals modulated on interfering channels and originating from at least one WT, and

multiple base stations comprising at least one base station local group configured to receive a plurality of signals modulated on different non-interfering channels and originating from at least one WT.

14. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the cooperative-MIMO processor is configured for performing at least one of OFDM-MIMO processing, Rake processing, eigenvalue decomposition, successive interference cancellation, optimal combining, antenna selection, multi-user detection, space-time processing, space-frequency processing, phased-array processing, load balancing, and blind source separation.

15. A cooperative-MIMO receiver system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile wireless terminals, each of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals comprising;

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to receive and process WWAN signals for generating a plurality of baseband WWAN signals therefrom; and

a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface for communicatively coupling together the plurality of mobile wireless terminals in a WLAN; and

at least one cooperative multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) combiner configured for;

selecting the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to communicate in a WWAN channel;

coordinating the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to receive WWAN signals transmitted in the WWAN channel;

employing the WLAN for receiving the baseband WWAN signals from at least one of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals; and

performing MIMO subspace combining of the baseband WWAN signals received by the plurality of mobile wireless terminals.

16. The receiver recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one cooperative-MIMO combiner resides on at least one of the plurality of wireless terminals.

17. The receiver recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one cooperative-MIMO combiner is configured to provide for at least one of centralized computing and distributed computing.

18. The receiver recited in claim 15, further comprising at least one of a set of network controllers, the set comprising a centralized network controller for controlling at least one WWAN network access function for the plurality of mobile wireless terminals, and a plurality of network controllers, wherein each of the plurality of network controllers resides on one of the plurality of wireless terminals and is configured for controlling at least one WWAN network access function.

19. The receiver recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one of a set of network controllers is further configured for performing at least one of a set of functions, the set comprising allocating network resources among the mobile wireless terminals, load balancing, distributed computing, providing for antenna-switching diversity, providing for WWAN diversity, performing interference mitigation, participating in WWAN hand-off operations for at least one wireless terminal, participating in WWAN power control processes, participating in WWAN user authentication, providing for session management, performing ad-hoc network control, providing for error correction coding, and providing for error-correction decoding.

20. A transmitter system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile wireless terminals, wherein each of the mobile wireless terminals comprises a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) interface for transmitting at least one WWAN signal into at least one WWAN;

at least one data source configured to generate at least one data signal for transmission into the at least one WWAN;

at least one WLAN communicatively coupled to the plurality of mobile wireless terminals and configured to couple the at least one data signal to the plurality of mobile wireless terminals for generating a plurality of WWAN data signals; and

at least one cooperative-MIMO processor coupled to the WLAN and configured for;

selecting the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to communicate in a WWAN channel;

communicating WWAN access information to the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to enable the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to access the WWAN channel; and

coordinating the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to transmit in at least one predetermined MIMO subspace in the WWAN channel, wherein coordinating comprises generating a plurality of complex weights for weighting the plurality of WWAN data signals.

21. The transmitter recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one cooperative-MIMO processor resides on at least one of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals.

22. The transmitter recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one cooperative-MIMO processor is configured to provide for at least one of centralized computing and distributed computing.

23. The transmitter recited in claim 20, further comprising at least one of a set of network controllers, the set comprising a centralized network controller for controlling at least one WWAN network access function for the plurality of mobile wireless terminals, and a plurality of network controllers, wherein each of the plurality of network controllers resides on one of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals and is configured for controlling at least one WWAN network access function.

24. The transmitter recited in claim 20, wherein the at least one of a set of network controllers is further configured for performing at least one of a set of functions, the set comprising allocating network resources among the mobile wireless terminals, load balancing, distributed computing, providing for antenna-switching diversity, providing for WWAN diversity, performing interference mitigation, participating in WWAN hand-off operations for at least one mobile wireless terminal, participating in WWAN power control processes, participating in WWAN user authentication, providing for session management, performing ad-hoc network control, providing for error correction coding, and providing for error-correction decoding.