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

• US 9,125,204 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudolf, Marian, Cave, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US14/511,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 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: 1/1
• 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 base station comprising:

first circuitry configured to transmit information to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) indicating an assignment of periodic time slots to transmit sounding signals;

second circuitry configured to receive sounding signals from the WTRU in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the transmitted information, wherein the base station does not receive any data from the WTRU at a same time that the base station receives the sounding signals from the WTRU, wherein a timing of reception of the sounding signals in response to the transmitted information in a time division duplex (TDD) mode differs from a timing of reception of the sounding signals in response to the transmitted information in a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, and the received sounding signals of the WTRU are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs; and

third circuitry configured to transmit beamformed downlink transmissions to the WTRU based on the received sounding signals.

2. The base station according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

3. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the second circuitry receives the sounding signals in the FDD mode.

4. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the second circuitry receives the sounding signals in the TDD mode.

5. A method performed by a base station, comprising:

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

receiving sounding signals at the base station from the WTRU in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the transmitted information, wherein the base station does not receive any data from the WTRU at a same time that the base station receives the sounding signals from the WTRU, wherein a timing of reception of the sounding signals in response to the transmitted information in a time division duplex (TDD) mode differs from a timing of reception of the sounding signals in response to the transmitted information in a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, and the received sounding signals of the WTRU are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs; and

transmitting a beamformed downlink transmission from the base station to the WTRU based on the transmitted sounding signals.

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

transmitting by the base station beamformed downlink transmissions simultaneously with a plurality of beamformed downlink transmissions from a plurality of cells.

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

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