Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system

• US 9,923,621 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• 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, MacMillan, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Cassandra
• Application Number:
  US14/768,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20160013855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,493 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems

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 method comprising:

determining a first signal desired for transport to a first device;

separating the first signal into at least a first part and a second part;

adding delay to one or more of the at least first and second parts according to related angular positions of a first remote antenna device and second remote antenna device and prior to transmission over a wireline communication medium to facilitate spatially separating the at least first and second parts when transmitted over a wireless communication medium; and

facilitating transmission of the at least first and second parts over the wireline communication medium such that at least one of the at least first and second parts are received at the first remote antenna device and at least one of the at least first and second parts other than the at least one of the at least first and second parts received at the first remote antenna device are received at the second remote antenna device, the first and second remote antenna devices being configured to wirelessly transmit the respectively received one or more of the at least first and second parts to the first device over the wireless communication medium.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising separating the first signal such that each of the at least first and second parts include a different portion of the first signal, thereby requiring the first device to combine the at least first and second parts in order to reconstruct the first signal.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireline communication medium in a non-spatially diverse manner; and

subsequently simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireless communication medium in a spatially diverse manner.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireline communication medium in a non-spatially diverse manner by transmitting each at a different center frequency; and

subsequently simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireless communication medium in a spatially diverse manner by transmitting each at a common frequency from geographically spaced apart locations associated with the first and second remote antenna devices.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining the first signal as a non-diverse signal;

simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireline communication medium as frequency diverse and non-spatially diverse signals; and

subsequently simultaneously transmitting each of the at least first and second parts over the wireless communication medium as non-frequency diverse and spatially diverse signals.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the first and second parts over the wireline communication medium at different frequencies.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

instructing the first and second remote antenna devices to transmit the at least first and second parts at a first frequency, the first frequency being different than the different frequencies used for transmitting the first and second parts over the wireline communication medium;

determining a second signal desired for wireless receipt at a second device;

separating the second signal into at least a third part and a fourth part; and

facilitating transmission of the at least third and fourth parts over the wireline communication medium such that at least one of the at least third and fourth parts are received at the first remote antenna device and at least one of the at least third and fourth parts other than the at least one of the at least third and fourth parts received at the first remote antenna device are received at the second remote antenna device, the first and second remote antenna devices being configured to wirelessly transmit the respectively received one or more of the at least third and fourth parts to the second device over the wireless communication medium at a second frequency, the second frequency being different from the first frequency used to wirelessly transmit the at least first and second parts.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first location of the first device;

determining three or more remote antenna devices available within the first location to facilitate wirelessly transmitting the first and second parts to the first device; and

selecting the first and second remote antenna devices from the three or more remote antenna devices to facilitate wirelessly transmitting the at least first and second parts to the first device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining spatial diversity for each of the three or more remote antenna devices relative to the first location of the first device and wherein the selecting of the first and second remote antenna devices from the three or more remote antenna devices is based at least in part on the spatial diversity.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining the spatial diversity by calculating the angular position of each of the three or more remote antenna devices relative to the first location; and

wherein the selecting of the first and second remote antenna devices from the three or more remote antenna devices is based at least in part on having the related angular positions greater than an angular threshold.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining beamforming capabilities for each of the three or more remote antenna devices relative to the first location; and

wherein the selecting of the first and second remote antenna devices from the three or more remote antenna devices is based at least in part on the beamforming capabilities being sufficient to facilitate directing wireless signaling emitted therefrom toward the first location.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing beamforming instructions to each of the first and second remote antenna devices, the beamforming instructions controlling amplitude and phase or delay of wireless signaling emitted therefrom in a manner sufficient to facilitate directing the wireless signaling toward a first location of the first device, the wireless signaling wirelessly transmitting the correspondingly received one or more of the at least first and second parts to the first device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing updated beamforming instructions to each of the first and second remote antenna devices in order to adjust the amplitude and phase or delay of the wireless signaling based upon movement of the first device from the first location to a second location such that the wireless signaling becomes directed toward the second location more so than the first location.

14. A system comprising:

a plurality of remote antenna devices configured to wirelessly transmit signaling received over a wireline communications medium; and

a signal processor configured to transmit the signaling over the wireline communication medium to the plurality of remote antenna devices, the signal processor being associated with a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions executable with a processor associated with the signal processor to facilitate controlling the operation thereof, the non-transitory instructions being sufficient for;

determining a first signal desired for transport to a device;

separating the first signal into at least a first part and a second part such that each of the at least first and second parts are different portions of the first signal;

determining a first remote antenna device and second remote antenna device of the plurality of remote antenna devices having capabilities sufficient to facilitate wireless communications with the device;

adding delay to one or more of the at least first and second parts according to related angular positions of the first remote antenna device and the second remote antenna device and prior to transmission over the wireline communication medium to facilitate spatially separating the at least first and second parts when transmitted over a wireless communication medium; and

transmitting the at least first and second parts at different frequencies over the wireline communication medium for receipt at the first and second remote antenna devices respectively.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for transmitting wireless instructions to each of the first and second remote antenna devices respectively receiving the at least first and second signal parts, the wireless instructions instructing the corresponding remote antenna devices to wirelessly transmit the received at least first and second parts to the device at a common frequency.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for:

determining angular position relative to the device for each of the plurality of remote antenna devices;

selecting the first and second remote antenna devices based at least in part on having related angular positions greater than an angular threshold.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the non-transitory instructions are sufficient for:

determining beamforming capabilities for each of the plurality of remote antenna devices;

selecting the first and second remote antenna devices based at least in part on having beamforming capabilities sufficient for wirelessly directing the signaling toward the device;

providing beamforming instructions to each of the first and second remote antenna devices, the beamforming instructions controlling amplitude and phase or delay of the signaling wirelessly emitted therefrom in a manner sufficient to facilitate wirelessly directing the signaling toward a first location determined for the device at a first instance in time; and

providing updated beamforming instructions to each of the first and second remote antenna devices in order to adjust the amplitude and phase or delay of the signaling wirelessly emitted therefrom based upon movement of the device from the first location to a second location at a second instance in time occurring after the first instance, the updated beamforming instructions wirelessly directing the signaling toward the second location more so than the first location.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory instructions operable with a processor, the non-transitory instructions being sufficient to facilitate:

determining a plurality of signaling paths within a wireline communication medium sufficient to facilitate wireline signaling between a signal processor and one or more of a plurality of remote antenna devices;

determining a signal intended for transmission from the signal processor to a wireless device;

determining wireless communication capabilities for the plurality of remote antenna devices, the wireless communication capabilities reflecting capabilities to facilitate wirelessly communicating with the wireless device;

selecting at least a first remote antenna device and a second remote antenna device of the plurality of remote antenna devices to wirelessly communicate with the wireless device based on the wireless communications capabilities;

separating the first signal into at least a first part and a second part such that each of the at least first and second parts includes a different portion of the first signal;

adding delay to one or more of the at least first and second parts according to related angular positions of the first remote antenna device and the second remote antenna device and prior to transmission over the wireline communication medium to facilitate spatially separating the at least first and second parts when transmitted over a wireless communication medium; and

transmitting the first part at a first frequency to the first remote antenna device over a corresponding one of the paths and with instructions sufficient for controlling the first remote antenna device to thereafter wirelessly transmit the first part to the device at a second frequency;

transmitting the second part simultaneously with the first part to the second remote antenna device over a different one of the paths at a third frequency different than the first frequency and with instructions sufficient for controlling the second remote antenna device to thereafter wirelessly transmit the second part to the device at the second frequency.