WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS MULTIPLE MODES OF OPERATION

• US 20160262134A1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Heath, Robert W. Jr., Krishnamoorthy, Rajeev, Sebastian, Peroor K., Paulraj, Arogyaswami J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless communications adapts its mode of operation between spatial multiplexing and non-spatial multiplexing in response to transmission-specific variables. An embodiment of a wireless communications system for transmitting information between a base transceiver station and a subscriber unit includes mode determination logic. The mode determination logic is in communication with the base transceiver station and the subscriber unit. The mode determination logic determines, in response to a received signal, if a subscriber datastream should be transmitted between the base transceiver station and the subscriber unit utilizing spatial multiplexing or non-spatial multiplexing in an embodiment, the mode determination logic has an input for receiving a measure of a transmission characteristic related to the received signal. In an embodiment, the mode determination logic includes logic for comparing the measured transmission characteristic to a transmission characteristic threshold and for selecting one of spatial multiplexing and non-spatial multiplexing in response to the comparison of the measured transmission characteristic to the transmission characteristic threshold. In an embodiment, the transmission characteristic includes at least one of delay spread, post-processing signal-to-noise ratio, cyclical redundancy check (CRC) failure, residual inter-symbol interference, mean square error, coherence time, and path loss. By adapting the mode of operation in response to transmission-specific variables, the use of spatial multiplexing can be discontinued in unfavorable conditions. Additionally, because the wireless communications system can adapt its mode of operation between spatial multiplexing and non-spatial multiplexing, the communications system is compatible with both subscriber units that support spatial multiplexing and subscriber units that do not support spatial multiplexing.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system for transmitting information between a base transceiver station and a subscriber unit comprising:

mode determination logic, in communication with said base transceiver station and said subscriber unit, for determining in response to a received signal, if a subscriber datastream should be transmitted between said base transceiver station and said subscriber unit utilizing spatial multiplexing or non-spatial multiplexing.

2. The wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein said mode determination logic has an input for receiving a measure of a transmission characteristic related to said received signal.

3. The wireless communications system of claim 2 wherein said mode determination logic includes logic for:

comparing said measured transmission characteristic to a transmission characteristic threshold; and

selecting one of spatial multiplexing and non-spatial multiplexing in response to said comparison of said measured transmission characteristic to said transmission characteristic threshold.

4. The wireless communications system of claim 3 wherein said transmission characteristic threshold varies in response to system conditions.