Method and apparatus for closed loop transmit diversity in a wireless communications system

A method for controlling, by a mobile station, wireless transmissions from a base station having a plurality of antennas to the mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving one or more signals from the base station;
• generating antenna control information and channel quality information based on the one or more received signals;
• and
• transmitting the antenna control information and channel quality information to the base station over a common feedback channel.

A method for controlling transmissions from one or more antennas of a base station to a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting one or more signals to the mobile station with the one or more antennas;
• receiving, from the mobile station, a feedback information field including antenna control information or channel quality information generated by the mobile station based on the one or more transmitted signals, as received by the mobile station;
• determining whether the feedback information field includes antenna control information or channel quality information;
• and
• in response to determining the feedback information field includes antenna control information, generating a set of antenna weights based on the antenna control information and transmitting a signal to the mobile station using the generated antenna weights.

A base station comprising:

• a plurality of antennas;
• an antenna weight generator for generating a set of antenna weights, based on a set of antenna control bits, for use in transmitting signals to a mobile station with the plurality of antennas;
• and
• a feedback message decoder configured to receive, from the mobile station, an encoded feedback message including the set of antenna control bits, decode the encoded feedback message to extract the set of antenna control bits, and output the antenna control bits to the antenna weight generator.