Split diversity data combining

• US 9,252,837 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Li, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet
• Application Number:
  US14/453,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7115 Constructive combining of multi-path signals, i.e. RAKE receivers
• 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 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a wireless communications system, communications device related methods, and automotive and other vehicles including: an antenna group comprising at least one antenna; a receiver circuit configured to receive a first instance of a data symbol via the antenna group; a first swap component configured to: receive a first portion of a second instance of the data symbol from the second communications device, provide a second portion of the first instance of the data symbol to a second communications device; and a buffer configured to store a first portion of the first instance of the data symbol and the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol; and a combining processor configured to create a first portion of a combined symbol by combining the first portion of the first instance and the first portion of the second instance.

Claims

1. A communications device comprising:

a first antenna group comprising at least one antenna;

a first receiver circuit configured to receive a first instance of a data symbol via the first antenna group;

a first swap component of the first communications device configured to;

receive a first portion of a second instance of the data symbol from a second communications device,

provide a second portion of the first instance of the data symbol to the second communications device; and

a first buffer configured to store a first portion of the first instance of the data symbol and the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol; and

a first combining processor configured to create a first portion of a combined symbol by combining the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol and the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol.

2. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the swap component comprises:

a transmitter circuit configured to transmit the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol via the first antenna group, and

the first receiver circuit, wherein the first receiver circuit is configured to receive the first portion of a second instance of the data symbol via the first antenna group.

3. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the swap component comprises a wired connection to the second communications device.

4. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the data symbol is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

5. The communications device of claim 1, wherein:

the first swap component is further configured to;

provide a third portion of the first instance of the data symbol to a third communications device, and

receive a first portion of a third instance of the data symbol from the third communications device;

the first buffer is further configured to store the first portion of the third instance of the data symbol; and

in creating the first portion of a combined symbol, the first combining processor is configured to combine the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol, the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol, and the first portion of the third instance of the data symbol.

6. The communications device of claim 1, wherein:

the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol, and

the second portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol.

7. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the combining processor is further configured to transmit a control message to the second communications device, wherein the control message indicates that the communications device will transmit the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol to the second communications device and will process the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol.

8. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the swap component is further configured to receive a second portion of the combined symbol from the second communications device, the communications device further comprising:

a decoder configured to decode the first and second portions of the combined symbol.

9. A communications system comprising:

the communications device of claim 1; and

the second communications device, wherein the second communications device comprises;

a second antenna group comprising at least one antenna;

a second receiver circuit configured to receive the instance of the data symbol via the second antenna group;

a second swap component configured to;

provide the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol to the communications device, and

receive the second portion of a first instance of the data symbol from the communications device;

a second buffer configured to store a second portion of the second instance of the data symbol and the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol; and

a second combining processor configured to create a second portion of the combined symbol by combining the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol and the second portion of the second instance of the data symbol.

10. The communications system of claim 9, further comprising a third communications device configured to receive a third instance of the data symbol and a fourth communications device configured to receive a fourth instance of the data symbol, wherein:

the first portion of the combined symbol is a first portion of a first intermediate combined symbol, wherein the first portion of the first intermediate combined symbol includes a first sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol and a second sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol;

the second portion of the combined symbol is a second portion of the first intermediate combined symbol wherein the second portion of the first intermediate combined symbol includes a third sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol and a fourth sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol;

the first swap component of the first communications device is further configured to;

provide the second sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol to the third communications device, and

receive a first sub-portion of a second intermediate combined symbol from the third communications device;

the second swap component of the second communications device is further configured to;

provide the fourth sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol to the fourth communications device, and

receive a third sub-portion of the second intermediate combined symbol from the fourth communications device;

the first combining processor is further configured to create a first sub-portion of a fully combined symbol by combining the first sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol and the first sub-portion of the second intermediate combined symbol; and

the second combining processor is further configured to create a third sub-portion of the fully combined symbol by combining the third sub-portion of the first intermediate combined symbol and the third sub-portion of the second intermediate combined symbol.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a first communications device for receiving a wireless signal, the method comprising:

instructions for receiving, at the first communications device via a wireless communication medium, a first instance of a data symbol, the first instance including a first portion and a second portion;

instructions for providing, by the first communications device to a second communications device, the second portion of the first instance;

instructions for receiving, by the first communications device from the second communications device, a first portion of a second instance of the data symbol;

instructions for combining the first portion of the first instance with the first portion of the second instance to create a first portion of a combined symbol.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for receiving and providing comprise instructions for receiving and providing via the wireless communication medium.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for receiving and providing comprise instructions for receiving and providing via a wired connection to the second communications device.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the data symbol is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for providing, by the first communications device to a third communications device, a third portion of the first instance;

instructions for receiving, at the first communications device from the third communications device, a first portion of a third instance of the data symbol;

wherein the instructions for combining the first portion of the first instance with the first portion of the second instance to create a first portion of a combined symbol comprise instructions for combining the first portion of the first instance, the first portion of the second instance, and the first portion of the third instance.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein,

the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol, and

the second portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for transmitting, by the first communications device to the second communications device, a control message that indicates that the first communications device will transmit the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol to the second communications device and will process the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for receiving, by the first communications device from the second communications device, a second portion of the combined symbol from the second communications device; and

instructions for decoding the first and second portions of the combined symbol.

19. A method for receiving a wireless signal, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first communications device via a wireless communication medium, a first instance of a data symbol, the first instance including a first portion and a second portion;

providing, by the first communications device to a second communications device, the second portion of the first instance;

receiving, by the first communications device from the second communications device, a first portion of a second instance of the data symbol;

combining the first portion of the first instance with the first portion of the second instance to create a first portion of a combined symbol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

the first portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the second portion of the first instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the first instance of the data symbol,

the first portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a first subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol, and

the second portion of the second instance of the data symbol comprises at least a second subcarrier of the second instance of the data symbol.