Communications systems
First Claim
1. Transmitting apparatus which transmits a data signal to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
- an antenna array;
a transmitter array connected to the antenna array; and
a plurality of beamformers connected to the transmitter array, each beam former being operable to receive a transmission signal and to modify the transmission signal, such that the antenna array produces a plurality of directional transmission beams carrying respective transmission signals which are transmitted via different transmission paths to the receiving apparatus; and
a space-time encoder which applies space-time coding to the data signal thereby to produce space-time encoded transmission signals for transmission by the respective transmission beams.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Communications systems are disclosed having a transmitting apparatus for transmitting a signal to a receiving apparatus, the transmitting apparatus comprising transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of directional transmission beams to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths, each transmission beam carrying a transmission signal. The transmitting apparatus may include coding means (58) for coding the transmission signals carried by the transmission beams, the coding means (58) being arranged to code the transmission signal carried by one transmission beam differently from the transmission signal carried by another transmission beam. The transmitting apparatus may receive a feedback signal (122) indicating the quality of the various transmission beams and transmit a data signal only in selected transmission beams. A time advance may be selectively applied to some of the transmission signals so that the transmission signals arrive at a receiving apparatus in time synchronism. (FIG. 4)
154 Citations
45 Claims
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1. Transmitting apparatus which transmits a data signal to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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an antenna array;
a transmitter array connected to the antenna array; and
a plurality of beamformers connected to the transmitter array, each beam former being operable to receive a transmission signal and to modify the transmission signal, such that the antenna array produces a plurality of directional transmission beams carrying respective transmission signals which are transmitted via different transmission paths to the receiving apparatus; and
a space-time encoder which applies space-time coding to the data signal thereby to produce space-time encoded transmission signals for transmission by the respective transmission beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Receiving apparatus which receives a plurality of transmission signals and outputs a combined signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive a plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths, and to separate the plurality of transmission signals; and
a space-time decoder which is operable to decode the transmission signals which have been space-time coded. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. Transmitting apparatus which transmits a data signal to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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an antenna array;
a transmitter array connected to the antenna array;
a plurality of beamformers connected to the transmitter array, each beam former being operable to receive a transmission signal and to modify the transmission signal, such that the antenna array produces a plurality of directional transmission beams carrying respective transmission signals which are transmitted via different transmission paths to the receiving apparatus; and
a plurality of channel encoders, each channel encoder being operable to encode the data signal according to a different channel code, thereby to produce the transmission signals for transmission by the respective transmission beams. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. Receiving apparatus which receives a plurality of transmission signals and outputs a combined signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive a plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths, and to separate the plurality of transmission signals;
a plurality of channel decoders each of which decodes one of the transmission signals which has been channel encoded differently from the other transmission signals; and
a combiner which combines signals decoded by the channel decoders to yield the output signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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14. Transmitting apparatus which transmits a data signal to a receiving apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna array;
a transmitter array connected to the antenna array;
a plurality of beam formers connected to the transmitter array, each beam former being operable to receive a transmission signal and to modify the transmission signal, such that the antenna array produces a plurality of directional transmission beams carrying respective transmission signals which are transmitted via different transmission paths to the receiving apparatus;
a receiver operable to receive from the receiving apparatus a feedback signal indicating a quality of the transmission beams; and
a processor programmed to select at least one of the plurality of transmission beams based on the feedback signal and to insert the data signal only in those transmission signals which correspond to the selected transmission beams.
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23. Transmitting apparatus which transmits a plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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an antenna array;
a transmitter array connected to the antenna array;
a plurality of beam formers connected to the transmitter array, each beam former being operable to receive a transmission signal and to modify the transmission signal, such that the antenna array produces a plurality of directional transmission beams carrying respective transmission signals; and
a processor programmed to adjust the relative timing of at least two transmission signals such that, when the corresponding transmission beams are received at a receiving apparatus via different transmission paths the two transmission signals are substantially in time synchronism.
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32. Receiving apparatus which receives signals transmitted by a transmitting apparatus, comprising:
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a receiver which receives a plurality of directional transmission beams transmitted from the transmitting apparatus via different transmission paths, each transmission beam carrying a transmission signal;
a processor programmed to measure a relative propagation delay of the transmission signals and to produce a feedback signal based on a measure of the relative propagation delay; and
a transmitter which transmits the feedback signal from the receiving apparatus to the transmitting apparatus.
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33. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting a data signal to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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space-time encoding means for applying space-time encoding to the data signal thereby to produce a plurality of space-time encoded transmission signals; and
transmitting means for transmitting the plurality of space-time encoded transmission signals to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths in respective directional transmission beams.
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34. Receiving apparatus for receiving a plurality of space-time encoded transmission signals and outputting a combined signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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receiving means for receiving the plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths; and
decoding means for space-time decoding the plurality of transmission signals which have been space-time encoded.
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35. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting a data signal to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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channel encoding means for encoding the data signal according to a plurality of different channel codes, thereby to produce a plurality of transmission signals each comprising the data signal encoded according to a different channel code; and
transmitting means for transmitting the plurality of transmission signals to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths in respective directional transmission beams.
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36. Receiving apparatus for receiving a plurality of transmission signals and outputting a data signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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receiving means for receiving the plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths;
decoding means for decoding the transmission signals, each of the transmission signals having been encoded according to a different channel code; and
combining means for combining signals decoded by the decoding means to yield the data signal.
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37. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting a data signal to a receiving apparatus, comprising:
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transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of directional transmission beams to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths;
receiving means for receiving from the receiving apparatus a feedback signal indicating a quality of the transmission beams; and
selecting means for selecting at least one of the plurality of transmission beams based on the feedback signal;
wherein transmitting means is arranged to transmit the data signal only in those transmission beams selected by the selecting means.
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38. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting a plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of directional transmission beams, each transmission beam carrying a transmission signal; and
time adjusting means for adjusting the relative timing of at least two transmission signals such that, when the corresponding transmission beams are received at a receiving apparatus via different transmission paths the two transmission signals are substantially in time synchronism.
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39. Receiving apparatus for receiving signals transmitted by a transmitting apparatus, comprising:
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receiving means for receiving a plurality of directional transmission beams transmitted from the transmitting apparatus via different transmission paths, each transmission beam carrying a transmission signal;
means for measuring a relative propagation delay of the transmission signals;
means for producing a feedback signal based on a measure of the relative propagation delay; and
means for transmitting the feedback signal from the receiving apparatus to the transmitting apparatus.
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40. A method of transmitting a data signal from a transmitting apparatus to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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applying space-time encoding to the data signal thereby to produce a plurality of space-time encoded transmission signals; and
transmitting the plurality of space-time encoded transmission signals to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths in respective directional transmission beams.
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41. A method of receiving a plurality of space- time encoded transmission signals and outputting a combined signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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receiving the plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths; and
space-time decoding the plurality of transmission signals which have been space-time encoded.
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42. A method of transmitting a data signal from a transmitting apparatus to a receiving apparatus via at least two different transmission paths, comprising:
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encoding the data signal according to a plurality of different channel codes, thereby to produce a plurality of transmission signals each comprising a data signal encoded according to a different channel code; and
transmitting the plurality of transmission signals to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths in respective directional transmission beams.
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43. A method of receiving a plurality of transmission signals and outputting a data signal based on the plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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receiving the plurality of transmission signals carried in respective directional transmission beams via respective transmission paths;
decoding the transmission signals, each of the transmission signals having been encoded according to a different channel code; and
combining the thus decoded signals to yield the data signal.
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44. A method of transmitting a data signal from a transmitting apparatus to a receiving apparatus, comprising:
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transmitting a plurality of directional transmission beams from the transmitting apparatus to the receiving apparatus via different transmission paths;
receiving the plurality of directional transmission beams;
producing measures of a quality of the transmission beams;
producing a feedback signal based on the measures of the quality of the transmission beams;
transmitting the feedback signal from the receiving apparatus to the transmitting apparatus;
receiving the feedback signal;
selecting at least one of the plurality of transmission beams based on the feedback signal; and
transmitting the data signal only in the selected transmission beams.
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45. A method of transmitting a plurality of transmission signals, comprising:
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adjusting the relative timing of at least two transmission signals; and
transmitting a plurality of directional transmission beams, each transmission beam carrying a transmission signal;
wherein the relative timing of the at least two transmission signals is adjusted such that, when the corresponding transmission beams are received at a receiving apparatus via different transmission paths the two transmission signals are substantially in time synchronism.
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Specification