Multi-transceiver system with MIMO and beam-forming capability

• US 7,890,143 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez; Julio
• Application Number:
  US12/250,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20090042614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 455/532, 455/562.1, 455/561, 455/556.1, 370/334, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with a second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise determining whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas in a first configuration, which comprises a beam-forming configuration, is preferable to utilizing a plurality of antennas in a second configuration, which comprises a MIMO or MISO configuration. If it is determined that the first configuration is preferable to the second configuration, the communication system may be configured to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing at least a portion of the plurality of antennas in the first configuration. If it is determined that the second configuration is preferable to the first configuration, then the communication system may be configured to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing at least a portion of the plurality of antennas in the second configuration.

Claims

1. In a communication system comprising a plurality of antennas, a method of communicating with at least a second communication system, the method comprising:

determining, based at least in part on communication channel conditions, whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a beam-forming configuration is preferable to utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in a MIMO or MISO configuration;

if it is determined that the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration, then configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the beam-forming configuration to form a directional signal; and

if it is determined that the MIMO or MISO configuration is preferable to the beam-forming configuration, then configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the MIMO or MISO configuration to communicate using MIMO or MISO signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the beam-forming configuration and energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the MIMO or MISO configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on secure communication needs of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on dimensional characteristics of a communication cell that is associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on geographical position of the second communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on determined multi-path aspects of a communication environment between the communication system and the second communication system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on input received from a user of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on a predetermined communication profile associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on predicted channel performance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the beam-forming configuration to form a directional signal comprises determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam comprises determining geographical position of the second communication system and determining directional characteristics of the desired communication beam based, at least in part, on the geographical position of the second communication system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system to communicate MIMO or MISO training information to the second communication system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a portable communication system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system is a communication network access point.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises noise level.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises at least one of energy and power availability.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises data rate.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises error rate.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises geographical position.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises user input.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises data type.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on communication quality level.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on desired data rate.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on signal quality.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration comprises determining whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on a need for a hand-off.

26. A communication system capable of communicating with a second communication system, the communication system comprising:

a plurality of antennas; and

at least one module that operates to, at least;

determine, based at least in part on communication channel conditions, whether communicating with the second communication system utilizing a plurality of the plurality of antennas of the communication system in a beam-forming configuration is preferable to utilizing a plurality of the plurality of antennas of the communication system in a MIMO or MISO configuration;

if it is determined that the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration, configure the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of the plurality of antennas of the communication system in the beam-forming configuration to form a directional signal; and

if it is determined that the MIMO or MISO configuration is preferable to the beam-forming configuration, configure the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of the plurality of antennas of the communication system in the MIMO or MISO configuration to communicate using MIMO or MISO signals.

27. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the beam-forming configuration and energy or power consumption associated with utilizing the MIMO or MISO configuration.

28. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on secure communication needs of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

29. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on dimensional characteristics of a communication cell that is associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

30. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on geographical position of the second communication system.

31. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on determined multi-path aspects of a communication environment between the communication system and the second communication system.

32. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on input received from a user of the communication system and/or the second communication system.

33. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on a predetermined communication profile associated with the communication system and/or the second communication system.

34. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on predicted channel performance.

35. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module configures the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the beam-forming configuration to form a directional signal by, at least in part, determining directional characteristics of a desired communication beam.

36. The communication system of claim 35, wherein the at least one module determines directional characteristics of a desired communication beam by, at least in part, determining geographical position of the second communication system and determining directional characteristics of the desired communication beam based, at least in part, on the geographical position of the second communication system.

37. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module configures the communication system to communicate with the second communication system by utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system in the MIMO or MISO configuration by, at least in part, utilizing a plurality of antennas of the communication system to communicate MIMO training information to the second communication system.

38. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication system is a portable communication system.

39. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication system is a communication network access point.

40. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises noise level.

41. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises energy and/or power availability.

42. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises data rate.

43. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises error rate.

44. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises geographical position.

45. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises user input.

46. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the communication channel conditions comprises data type.

47. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on communication quality level.

48. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on desired data rate.

49. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on signal quality.

50. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module determines whether the beam-forming configuration is preferable to the MIMO or MISO configuration based, at least in part, on a need for a hand-off.

51. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module comprises a processor that operates to execute software instructions stored in a memory.

52. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the at least one module comprises a configuration module.