Signaling MIMO allocations

• US 7,684,372 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sisvel International S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: IPWireless Inc. (NVIDIA Corporation)
• Inventors: Ponnampalam, Vishakan, Beale, Martin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Huy Q
• Application Number:
  US10/838,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335, 370/330, 370/332, 370/338, 370/328, 370/329, 370/334, 370/342, 455/517, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/562.1, 455/561, 455/101, 455/102, 455/103, 455/91, 455/575.7, 455/132, 455/137
• US Class Current: 370/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to demodulation of radio signals from a base station having collocated transmit antennas, and more particularly to signaling allocation information from a base station to a mobile terminal. The allocation information may include timeslot and code information of allocation to other mobile terminals. Some embodiments of the present invention facilitate a mobile terminal'"'"'s ability to receive and demodulate a signal containing multiple interfering signals by communicating codes allocated to other mobile terminals.

Claims

1. A method of communicating code allocations by a base station in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) cellular radio system, the base station comprising a plurality of antennas, the method comprising:

determining, by the base station, a first set of codes in a timeslot to allocate to a first mobile terminal for communication with the base station, the allocation including an allocation of an antenna of the plurality to each code of the first set;

determining, by the base station, a second set of codes in the timeslot to allocate to a second mobile terminal for communication with the base station, the allocation including an allocation of an antenna of the plurality to each code of the second set;

generating an allocation table, by the base station, describing the allocation of the first set of codes and the second set of codes, including the respective antenna allocations; and

transmitting the allocation table, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation table during a period prior to the timeslot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation table after a change is made to the allocation table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation once per frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes:

encoding the allocation table with an error correcting code; and

transmitting the encoded allocation table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the allocation table includes transmitting the allocation once per MIMO timeslot in a frame.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the timeslot is a MIMO timeslot, and transmitting the allocation table once per MIMO timeslot includes:

encoding the allocation table; and

transmitting the encoded allocation table during a period in which a training sequence is transmitted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation table includes a bit map.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bit map indicates which codes of which timeslots are allocated in a frame.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes:

determining a transmit power level that allows all mobile terminals having one or more allocated codes in the timeslot to receive the message, wherein the power level is less than a maximum transmitter power level; and

transmitting the allocation table at the determined power level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting the allocation table includes:

determining a transmit power level that allows at least one mobile terminals having one or more allocated codes in the timeslot to receive the message, wherein the power level is less than a maximum transmitter power level; and

transmitting the allocation table at the determined power level.