Mobile communication system and method for providing common channel coverage using beamforming antennas

• US 8,861,466 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cave, Christopher, Rudolf, Marian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US13/539,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/338, 370/333, 370/330, 370/331, 455/436, 455/67.11, 455/525, 455/337, 455/437, 455/562.1, 455/443, 455/450, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1462 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14689 MOS based technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• 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: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1415 using control lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes circuitry configured to receive information from a base station indicating an assignment of periodic time slots to transmit sounding signals and circuitry configured to transmit sounding signals to the base station in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the received information, wherein a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information differs between a time division duplex mode and a frequency division duplex mode, and wherein the transmitted sounding signals are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising:

first circuitry configured to receive information from a base station indicating an assignment of periodic time slots to transmit sounding signals;

second circuitry configured to transmit sounding signals to the base station in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the received information, wherein the WTRU does not transmit any data at a same time that the WTRU transmits the sounding signals, wherein;

a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information in a time division duplex (TDD) mode differs from a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information in a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, and

the transmitted sounding signals of the WTRU are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs; and

third circuitry configured to receive beamformed downlink transmissions from the base station based on the transmitted sounding signals.

2. The WTRU according to claim 1, further comprising:

fourth circuitry configured to simultaneously receive a plurality of beamformed downlink transmissions from a plurality of cells.

3. The WTRU according to claim 1, wherein the second circuitry transmits the sounding signals in the FDD mode.

4. The WTRU according to claim 1, wherein the second circuitry transmits the sounding signals in the TDD mode.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving information from a base station by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the information indicating an assignment of periodic time slots to transmit sounding signals;

transmitting sounding signals by the WTRU to the base station in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the received information, wherein the WTRU does not transmit any data at a same time that the WTRU transmits the sounding signals, wherein;

a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information in a time division duplex (TDD) mode differs from a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information in a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, and

the transmitted sounding signals are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs; and

receiving a beamformed downlink transmission by the WTRU from the base station based on the transmitted sounding signals.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

simultaneously receiving a plurality of beamformed downlink transmissions from a plurality of cells.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitted sounding signals are transmitted in an FDD mode.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitted sounding signals are transmitted in a TDD mode.