Rate-adaptive multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) systems

A method executed in a second station having M second station antennas, M>1, which communicates with a first station having a plurality of first station antennas, the method comprising:

• generating a plurality of frames, each frame including a training stream, a payload stream, and a control stream;
• and
• transmitting, on a frequency simultaneously, said plurality of frames through two or more of said second station antennas, respective control streams of said plurality of frames being identical streams and transmitted by transmission diversity through said two or more of said second station antennas.

A receive device communicating with a transmit device through a plurality of receive antennas, the transmit device communicating through M transmit antennas, M>1, the receive device comprising:

• circuitry configured to receive, from said transmit device on a frequency simultaneously, a plurality of frames through two or more of said plurality of receive antennas, each frame including a training stream, a payload stream, and a control stream, wherein
• respective control streams of said plurality of frames are identical streams and transmitted by transmission diversity through said two or more of said transmit antennas.