Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system

• US 9,287,956 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• 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): Le, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US14/181,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 759 Days
• Field of Search: 455/501, 455/504, 455/505, 455/507, 455/78, 455/82, 455/83, 455/550.1, 455/562.1, 455/101, 375/267, 375/295, 398/77, 398/79, 398/115
• 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) remote antenna unit comprising:

a splitter configured to separate an input signal into at least a first signal part, a second signal part, a third signal part and a fourth signal part, the first signal part being at a first frequency, the second signal part being at a second frequency, the third signal part being at a third frequency and the fourth signal part being at a fourth frequency, each of the first, second, third and fourth frequencies being different;

a first converter, a second converter, a third converter and a fourth converter, each of the first, second, third and fourth converters being configured to convert a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to a fifth frequency for subsequent wireless transport; and

an engine configured to determine the fifth frequency as a function of frequency information transmitted over a wired communication medium carrying the input signal, the engine instructing each of the first, second, third and fourth converters to respectively convert the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to the fifth frequency.

2. The remote antenna unit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, third and fourth converters include one of a first oscillator, a second oscillator, a third oscillator and a fourth oscillator, each oscillator being independently controllable by the engine to operate at multiple frequencies.

3. The remote antenna unit of claim 2 wherein the engine controls each of the first, second, third and fourth oscillators to respectively operate at a sixth, seventh, eight and ninth frequency in order to facilitate converting the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to the fifth frequency.

4. The remote antenna unit of claim 1 further comprising a gain mechanism operable to amplify the first, second, third and fourth signal parts following conversion to the fifth frequency.

5. The remote antenna unit of claim 4 wherein the gain mechanism includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, a third amplifier and a fourth amplifier for respectively amplifying the first, second, third and fourth signal parts, each amplifier being independently controllable to provide multiple amounts of amplification.

6. The remote antenna unit of claim 5 wherein the engine controls the amount of amplification provided by the first, second, third and fourth amplifiers such that the amplification provided by the first, second, third and fourth amplifiers periodically varies depending on instructions received from the engine.

7. The remote antenna of claim 1 further comprising a beamforming mechanism operable to facilitate steering a first beam, second beam, third beam and fourth beam transmitted from a respective one of a first antenna port, a second antenna port, a third antenna port and a fourth antenna port, each antenna port facilitating wireless transmission of a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts following conversion to the fifth frequency.

8. The remote antenna unit of claim 1 further comprising a first duplexer, a second duplexer, a third duplexer and a fourth duplexer respectively associated with one of the first, second, third and fourth antenna ports, each duplexer being configured to separate uplink and downlink traffic, the first, second, third and fourth signal parts being downlink traffic.

9. The remote antenna of claim 8 further comprising a fifth converter, a sixth converter, a seventh converter and an eighth converter, each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth converters being configured to convert a respective one of a fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth signal part to one of a tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth frequency, the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth signal parts being uplink traffic transported through a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth duplexers.

10. The remote antenna unit of claim 9 wherein the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth converters include one of a fifth oscillator, a sixth oscillator, a seventh oscillator and a eighth oscillator, each oscillator being independently controllable by the engine to operate at multiple frequencies.

11. The remote antenna unit of claim 10 wherein the engine controls each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth oscillators to respectively operate at the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth frequencies in order to facilitate converting the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to a fourteenth frequency.

12. The remote antenna unit of claim 11 further comprising a fifth amplifier, a sixth amplifier, a seventh amplifier and a eighth amplifier for respectively amplifying the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth signal parts following conversion to the fourteenth frequency, each amplifier being independently controllable by the engine to provide multiple amounts of amplification.

13. The remote antenna unit of claim 11 further comprising a combiner configured for combining the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth signal parts following conversion to the fourteenth frequency.

14. The remote antenna unit of claim 1 wherein the engine sniffs a transmission MAP transmitted over the wired communication medium carrying the input signal, the transmission MAP including the frequency information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions operable with a processor to facilitate controlling a remote antenna unit to facilitate multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless signaling, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions sufficient for:

determining a transmission MAP being transmitted over a wired communication medium to facilitate transporting an input signal, the input signaling being carried over the wired communication as at least a first signal part, a second signal part, a third signal part and a fourth signal part, the first signal part being at a first frequency, the second signal part being at a second frequency, the third signal part being at a third frequency and the fourth signal part being at a fourth frequency, each of the first, second, third and fourth frequencies being different; and

controlling a first converter, a second converter, a third converter and a fourth converter included as part of the remote antenna unit to convert a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to a fifth frequency for subsequent MIMO wireless transport over a wireless communication medium according to parameters specified within the transmission MAP.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions sufficient for independently controlling each of a first, a second, a third and a fourth oscillator to respectively operate at a sixth, seventh, eight and ninth frequency in order to facilitate converting the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to the fifth frequency according to the parameters specified in the transmission MAP.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions sufficient for independently controlling amplification provided by each of a first, a second, a third and a fourth amplifier to respectively adjust gain of a corresponding one of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts following conversion to the fifth frequency according to parameters specified within the transmission MAP.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions sufficient for controlling a beamforming mechanism operable to facilitate steering a first beam, second beam, third beam and fourth beam transmitted from a respective one of a first antenna port, a second antenna port, a third antenna port and a fourth antenna port, each antenna port facilitating wireless transmission of a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth signal parts following conversion to the fifth frequency.

19. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system comprising:

a signal processor configured to separate an input signal into at least a first signal part and a second signal part for transport over a wired communication medium, the first signal part being at a first frequency and the second signal part being at a second frequency different than the first frequency; and

a remote antenna unit configure to wireless transmit the at least first and second signal parts to a device over a wireless communication medium, the remote antenna unit including an engine configured to control a first converter and a second converter configured to convert a respective one of the first and second signal parts to a fifth frequency prior to transmission over the wireless communication medium according to parameters specified within a transmission MAP carried over the wired communication medium.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first and second converters include one of a first oscillator and a second oscillator, wherein the engine controls each of the first, second, third and fourth oscillators to respectively operate at a sixth, seventh, eight and ninth frequency in order to facilitate converting the first, second, third and fourth signal parts to the fifth frequency.