Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system

• US 9,065,523 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2014
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Campos, Luis Alberto, Andreoli-Fang, Jennifer, Padden, Joey
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US14/181,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 493 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/223, 375/229, 375/257, 375/259, 375/286, 375/295, 375/316, 375/349, 375/359, 375/377
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/068 using space frequency diversity space-frequency coding H04L1/0606
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capable system is contemplated. The communication system may include a signal processor configured to separate an input stream into multiple signal paths to facilitate simultaneous transport through a communication medium. The capability to simultaneously transmit multiples signal paths may be beneficial in order to maximize throughput and/or minimize expense.

Claims

1. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) user equipment (UE) comprising:

a front end configured to process at least a first signal part, a second signal part, a third signal part and a fourth signal part;

a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to convert the first signal part at a first frequency, the second signal part at a second frequency, the third signal part at a third frequency and the fourth signal part at a fourth frequency to a common fifth frequency;

a baseband processor configured to combine the first, second, third and fourth signal parts into an output signal;

wherein the front end includes a wired interface for receiving the first, second, third and fourth signal parts as frequency diverse signals when carried over a wired communication medium;

wherein the front end includes a plurality of wireless ports, including a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port for receiving the first, second, third and fourth signal parts as spatially diverse signals when carried over a wireless communication medium; and

wherein the front end includes one or more switches operable to switch signal paths through the front end from wireline paths to wireless paths depending on whether the first, second, third and fourth signal parts are received at the wired interface or the wireless ports.

2. The UE of claim 1 wherein the switches are automatically operable to switch to the wireline paths when connection to a cradle is determined and to switch to the wireless paths when connection to cradle is not determined.

3. The UE of claim 1 wherein the front end includes an output to the RFIC for each of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts.

4. The UE of claim 3 wherein the RFIC includes a frequency conversion unit for each of the outputs, each of the frequency conversion units including an independently controllable local oscillator to facilitate frequency conversion of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to the fifth frequency.

5. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) user equipment (UE) operable with a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network to facilitate wireless and wireline signaling, the UE comprising:

a front end having a wireline interface for interfacing wireline signals with the HFC network and a wireless interface for interfacing wireless signals with the HFC network, the front end including wireless and wireline signal paths for the interfaced wireless and wireline signals;

a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to generated frequency converted signals for the wireline and wireless signal paths;

a baseband processor configured to interface the frequency converted signals with a device connected thereto;

wherein the wireless interface includes a plurality of wireless ports; and

wherein the front end includes a frequency band switch for each of the wireless ports, each frequency band switch being operable between at least a first and second frequency band to facilitate interfacing wireless signals within the corresponding frequency band.

6. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) user equipment (UE) operable with a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network to facilitate wireless and wireline signaling, the UE comprising:

a front end having a wireline interface for interfacing wireline signals with the HFC network and a wireless interface for interfacing wireless signals with the HFC network, the front end including wireless and wireline signal paths for the interfaced wireless and wireline signals;

a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to generated frequency converted signals for the wireline and wireless signal paths;

a baseband processor configured to interface the frequency converted signals with a device connected thereto;

wherein the front end includes at least one uplink port and at least one downlink port for respectively interfacing uplink and downlink signals traversing the wireline and wireless signaling paths; and

wherein the font end includes a switch associated with each uplink port and each downlink port, the switches operable between a wireless position and a wireline position, the wireless position connecting the corresponding one of the uplink and downlink ports to one of the wireless paths and the wireline position connecting the corresponding one of the uplink and downlink ports to one of the wireline paths.

7. The UE of claim 6 wherein the front end is operable to automatically set the switches to the wireline position when connection to a cradle is determine and to automatically set the switches to the wireless position when connection to the cradle is not determined.

8. The UE of claim 6 wherein the RFIC includes a frequency conversion unit for each of the ports, each of the frequency conversion units including an independently controllable local oscillator to facilitate frequency conversion.

9. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) user equipment (UE) operable with a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network to facilitate processing downlink spatial diverse wireless signaling generated from frequency diverse wireline signal transmitted over a wired communication medium of the HFC network, the UE comprising:

a front end having a plurality of wireless ports for receiving the spatially diverse wireless signals;

a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to frequency convert signals output from the front end as a function of the received wireless signals to a common frequency;

a baseband processor configured to interface the frequency converted signal with a device connected thereto; and

wherein the front end includes a frequency band switch for each of the wireless ports, each frequency band switch being operable between at least a first and second frequency band to facilitate interfacing wireless signals within the corresponding frequency band.

10. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) user equipment (UE) operable with a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network to facilitate processing downlink spatial diverse wireless signaling generated from frequency diverse wireline signal transmitted over a wired communication medium of the HFC network, the UE comprising:

a front end having a plurality of wireless ports for receiving the spatially diverse wireless signals;

a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) configured to frequency convert signals output from the front end as a function of the received wireless signals to a common frequency;

a baseband processor configured to interface the frequency converted signal with a device connected thereto;

wherein the front end includes at least one output for respectively interfacing signals associated with each of the wireless ports with the RFIC;

wherein the RFIC includes a frequency conversion unit for each of the outputs, each of the frequency conversion units including an independently controllable local oscillator to facilitate frequency conversion; and

wherein the front end includes a diplex filter for each of the wireless ports, the diplex filter enabling the received wireless signals to be directed toward the RFIC and to direct uplink wireless signals received from the RFIC to be transmitted from the corresponding port.