Directed wireless communication

• US 10,715,235 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: XR Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: XR Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Da Silva, Marcus, Tarokh, Vahid, Mehrotra, Praveen, Crilly, Jr., William J., Brennan, James, Conley, Robert J., Alamouti, Siavash, Casas, Eduardo, Yin, Hujun, Jose, Bobby, Choi, Yang-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKie, Gina M
• Application Number:
  US15/495,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0621 Feedback content
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses configured to direct wireless communication. In some embodiments, a network apparatus is configured to: receive a first signal transmission from a remote station via a first antenna element of an antenna and a second signal transmission from the remote station via a second antenna element of the antenna simultaneously; determine first signal information for the first transmission; determine second signal information for the second transmission, wherein the second signal information is different than the first signal information; determine a set of weighting values based on the first signal information and the second signal information, wherein the set of weighting values is configured to construct one or more beam-formed transmission signals; and generate the one or more beam-formed transmission signals based on the set of weighting values for transmission to the remote station.

Claims

1. A receiver for use in a wireless communications system, the receiver comprising:

an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a first antenna element and a second antenna element;

a transceiver operatively coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals using the antenna; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to;

receive a first signal transmission from a remote station via the first antenna element and a second signal transmission from the remote station via the second antenna element simultaneously;

determine first signal information for the first signal transmission;

determine second signal information for the second signal transmission, wherein the second signal information is different than the first signal information;

determine a set of weighting values based on the first signal information and the second signal information, wherein the set of weighting values is configured to be used by the transceiver to construct one or more beam-formed transmission signals;

cause the transceiver to transmit a third signal to the remote station via the antenna, the third signal comprising content based on the set of weighting values.

2. The receiver as recited in claim 1, wherein the first signal transmission and the second signal transmission comprise electromagnetic signals comprising one or more transmission peaks and one or more transmission nulls.

3. The receiver as recited in claim 2, wherein the first signal transmission and the second signal transmission are directional transmissions.

4. The receiver as recited in claim 1, wherein the content comprises data configured to be used by the remote station to modify the placement of one or more transmission peaks and one or more transmission nulls in a subsequent signal transmission.

5. The receiver as recited in claim 4, wherein the set of weighting values is further based on one or more of:

a transmit power level, a data transmit rate, an antenna direction, quality of service data, or timing data.

6. A receiver for use in a wireless communications system, the receiver comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver operatively coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals using the antenna; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to;

receive a first signal transmission from a remote station via the antenna and a second signal transmission from the remote station via the antenna simultaneously;

determine first signal information for the first signal transmission;

determine second signal information for the second signal transmission, wherein the second signal information is different than the first signal information;

determine a set of weighting values based on the first signal information and the second signal information, wherein the set of weighting values is configured to be used by the transceiver construct one or more beam-formed transmission signals;

cause the transceiver to generate a third signal comprising content based on the set of weighting values;

determine a plurality of signal strength indications for the first signal transmission;

determine a first signal strength average based on the plurality of signal strength indications for the first signal transmission;

determine a plurality of signal strength indications for the second signal transmission;

determine a second signal strength average based on the plurality of signal strength indications for the second signal transmission; and

cause the transceiver to generate a fourth signal based on the first signal strength average and the second signal strength average.

7. The receiver as recited in claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the transceiver to transmit the fourth signal to the remote station via the antenna.

8. A method in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal transmission from a remote station via a first antenna element of an antenna and a second signal transmission from the remote station via a second antenna element of the antenna simultaneously, wherein the first signal transmission and the second signal transmission comprise electromagnetic signals comprising one or more transmission peaks and one or more transmission nulls;

determining first signal information for the first signal transmission;

determining second signal information for the second signal transmission, wherein the second signal information is different than the first signal information;

determining a set of weighting values based on the first signal information and the second signal information, wherein the set of weighting values is configured to be used by the remote station to construct one or more beam-formed transmission signals; and

transmitting to the remote station a third signal comprising content based on the set of weighting values.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the third signal to the remote station via the antenna.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the first signal transmission and the second signal transmission are directional transmissions.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the set of weighting values is further based on one or more of:

a transmit power level, a data transmit rate, an antenna direction, quality of service data, or timing data.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content comprises data configured to be used by the remote station to modify the placement of one or more transmission peaks and one or more transmission nulls in a subsequent signal transmission.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

determining a plurality of signal strength indications for the first signal transmission;

determining a first signal strength average based on the plurality of signal strength indications for the first signal transmission;

determining a plurality of signal strength indications for the second signal transmission;

determining a second signal strength average based on the plurality of signal strength indications for the second signal transmission; and

generating a fourth signal based on the first signal strength average and the second signal strength average.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

causing the transceiver to transmit the fourth signal to the remote station via the antenna.

15. An apparatus for use in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver operatively coupled to the antenna; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to;

receive a first signal transmission from a remote station via the antenna,

the first signal transmission comprising first signal information, wherein the first signal information comprises one or more of;

a transmit power level, a data transmit rate, an antenna direction, quality of service data, or timing data;

receive a second signal transmission from the remote station via the antenna, the second signal transmission comprising second signal information;

determine a set of weighting values based on the first signal information and the second signal information, wherein the set of weighting values is configured to be used by the transceiver to construct one or more beam-formed transmission signals;

cause the transceiver to generate a third signal comprising content based on the set of weighting values.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the first signal transmission and the second signal transmission comprise electromagnetic signals comprising one or more transmission peaks and one or more transmission nulls.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to receive a fourth signal transmission from an interferer source, the fourth signal transmission being undesired, and the processor is configured to store identifying information concerning the undesired interferer source and the remote station.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to identify a further interferer signal transmission from the interferer source, and to identify a further desired signal transmission from the remote station, wherein the processor is further configured to prevent the transceiver from transmitting a fifth signal transmission via the antenna during reception of the further desired signal transmission but to allow the transceiver to transmit a sixth signal transmission via the antenna during reception of the further interferer signal transmission.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the set of weighting values are applied to the third signal, and wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a fourth signal transmitted from the remote station, and the processor is configured to apply the set of weighting values to the fourth signal.