MULTIPLE-INPUT MULTIPLE-OUTPUT (MIMO) COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140321565A1
• Filed: 02/16/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO 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 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system comprising:

a signal processor configured to;

i) receive an input signal desired for transmission, the input signal being non-diverse;

ii) multiplex the input signal into at least a first signal part, a second signal part, a third signal part and a fourth signal part;

iii) transmit the first signal part at a first frequency, the second signal part at a second frequency, the third signal part at a third frequency and the fourth signal part at a fourth frequency, each of the first, second, third and fourth frequencies being diverse.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor is further configured to combine the first, second, third and fourth signal parts for transmission over at least one of a wireline communication medium and an optical communication medium.

3. The communication system of claim 2 further comprising an end station configured to:

receive the first, second, third and fourth signal parts after being transmitted over the at least one of the wireline communication medium and the optical communication medium; and

correlate the first, second, third and fourth signal parts for spatially diverse radio frequency (RF) transmission.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the spatially diverse RF transmission is characterized by the first, second, third and fourth signal parts being correlated such that each signal part is transmitted at a common frequency.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the end station includes a converter configured to convert the first frequency of the first signal part to the common frequency, to convert the second frequency of the second signal part to the common frequency, to convert the third frequency of the third signal part to the common frequency and to convert the fourth frequency of the four signal part to the common frequency.

6. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the end station includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a third antenna and a fourth antenna to respectively transmit the first signal part, the second signal part, the third signal part and the fourth signal part, the first, second, third and fourth antennas being spatially diverse.

7. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the end station is configured to select the common frequency from a plurality of available frequencies, the plurality of available frequencies being selected according to an originator such that the common frequency is selected from at least one of the available frequencies associated with the originator of the input signal.

8. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the signal processor is further configured to delay at least one of the first signal part, the second signal part, the third signal part in the fourth signal part prior to transmission over the at least one of the wireline communication medium and the optical communication medium.

9. The communication system of claim 2 further comprising an end station configured to:

receive the first, second, third and fourth signal parts after being transmitted over the at least one of the wireline communication medium; and

process the first, second, third and fourth signal parts into an output signal representative of the input signal, the output signal being non-diverse.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor is configured to receive the input signal from a cellular communication system, the input signal being derived from a cellular signal transmitted over the cellular communication system.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor is configured to receive the input signal from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the input signal being derived from data transmitted through the ISP.

12. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor is configured to receive the input signal from a cable television service provider system, the input signal being derived from television transmissions carried over the cable television service provider system.

13. A method of facilitating signal transmissions comprising:

receiving an input signal desired for transmission;

multiplexing the input signal into at least a plurality of signal parts;

modulation mapping each of the plurality of signal parts after the multiplexing;

orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) processing each of the plurality of signal parts after the modulation mapping;

transmitting each of the plurality of signal parts for long-haul transmission over at least one of a wireline communication medium and an optical communication medium after the OFDM processing, including transmitting each of the plurality of signal parts at a different center frequency.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving the input signal in a non-diverse state.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving the input signal in a digital state and wherein the modulation mapping includes mapping the digital state of the input signal to a constellation symbol.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the OFDM processing includes relating each of the plurality of signal parts to actual spectrum.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising spatially multiplexing each of the plurality of signal parts after the modulation mapping and before the OFDM processing, the spatially multiplexing including delaying at least one of the plurality of signal parts relative to another one of the plurality of signal parts.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving each of the plurality of signal parts after being transmitted over the at least one of the wireline communication medium; and

correlating each of the plurality of signal parts for spatially diverse radio frequency (RF) transmission at a common frequency.

19. A method of facilitating a cellular phone call between an originating device and a destination device, the method comprising:

receiving an input signal representative of at least part of the cellular phone call;

multiplexing the input signal into at least a plurality of signal parts;

transmitting each of the plurality of signal parts for long-haul transmission over at least one of a wireline communication medium and a fiber optic communication medium, including transmitting each of the plurality of signal parts at a different center frequency receiving each of the plurality of signal parts after being transmitted over the at least one of the wireline communication medium and the fiber optic communication medium; and

correlating each of the plurality of signal parts for spatially diverse radio frequency (RF) transmission to the destination device, including transmitting each of the plurality of signal parts at a common frequency.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

identifying a service provider associated with the destination device; and

selecting the common frequency based on the identity of the service provider.