Wireless base station that staggers the transmission of symbols to spatially multiplexed mobile stations by a predetermined time that is shorter than the symbol period

• US 6,771,985 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iinuma, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Application Number:
  US09/714,284
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562, 455/446, 455/447, 455/13.2, 455/25, 455/63.4, 455/422, 455/502, 455/526, 370/280, 370/330, 370/337, 370/336, 370/342, 370/347, 370/350, 370/441, 370/442, 370/503, 370/512, 370/514, 370/517, 370/534-541, 375/356, 375/362-368, 375/145, 375/219, 375/220, 375/295
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0851 using training sequences or error signal minimizing error signal H04B7/0854
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others

Abstract

When signals for two mobile stations PS-A and PS-B are multiplexed using path division, a clock generating unit 52 generates a clock signal so as to delay the timing for transmitting symbols to the mobile station PS-B by 0.5 symbol periods relative to the transmission of symbols to the mobile station PS-A. If the transmission timing is adjusted in this way, a mobile station that picks up symbols which are spatially multiplexed with the signal for the present mobile station but are intended for another mobile station will not be synchronized with the symbols for the other mobile station. The mobile station will not be able to properly demodulate the symbols for the other mobile station, and so can be prevented from outputtin

Claims

1. A wireless base station that uses an adaptive array antenna, comprising:

timing adjustment means for adjusting a timing at which symbols are transmitted to at least one mobile station, out of a plurality of mobile stations, so that transmissions of symbols to different mobile stations are separated by a period that is shorter than one symbol period; and

multiplexing means for spatially multiplexing symbols that are transmitted to the plurality of mobile stations using the adjusted timing, the symbols for each mobile station being transmitted using a different directivity pattern to symbols for other mobile stations.

2. A wireless base station according to claim 1,

wherein the timing adjustment means adjust the timing for transmitting symbols to n mobile stations so that a symbol for a k^th mobile station is delayed with respect to a predetermined point in a timeslot by a time equal to (k/n)· T, where k=0,1,2, . . . ,n−

1 and T is a length of a symbol period.

3. A wireless base station according to claim 1, further comprising:

multiplexed number judging means for judging whether a number of mobile stations for which signals are spatially multiplexed is equal to or greater than a predetermined number,

wherein when the number of mobile stations is equal to or above the predetermined number, the timing adjustment means adjusts a timing at which symbols are transmitted to certain mobile stations, out of the mobile stations for which signals are spatially multiplexed, so that transmissions of symbols to the certain mobile stations are separated by a period that is shorter than one symbol period, and when the number of mobile stations is below the predetermined number, the timing adjustment means adjusts a timing at which symbols are transmitted to all the mobile stations for which signals are spatially multiplexed so that transmissions of symbols are separated by a period that is shorter than one symbol period.

4. A wireless base station according to claim 3, further comprising:

direction vector calculating means for calculating a direction vector from a signal received from a mobile station, the direction vector relating to a direction in which the wireless base station receives a signal from the mobile station,

wherein the timing adjustment means selects, as the certain mobile stations, mobile stations whose direction vectors, which have been calculated by the direction vector calculating means, are similar.

5. A wireless base station that uses an adaptive array antenna, comprising:

direction vector calculating means for calculating, based on a signal received from a mobile station, a direction vector showing a position of the mobile station relative to the wireless base station;

timing adjustment means for adjusting a timing for transmitting symbols to a plurality of mobile stations that have similar directions vectors so that transmission of symbols to different mobile stations with similar direction vectors are separated by a period that is shorter than one symbol period; and

multiplexing means for spatially multiplexing symbols that are transmitted to the plurality of mobile stations using the adjusted timing, the symbols for each mobile station being transmitted using a different directivity pattern to symbols for other mobile stations.