Method and apparatus for transmit power modulation in a wireless communications system
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsRashid A. Attar, Charles E. Wheatley III
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Abstract
An apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes a transmitter. The transmitter receives an RF signal and produces at least two modulated signals based on the RF signal. Each of the modulated signals is coupled to a respective antenna. The combined radiation pattern of the antennas varies in an angular direction over time. In a system according to one embodiment of the invention, a base station including such an apparatus receives channel quality indications from mobile units and schedules data transmissions to the mobile units accordingly.
Claims42
A transmitter comprising:
- a first gain element configured and arranged to modulate a radio-frequency signal according to a first gain factor to produce a first output signal;
- and
- a second gain element configured and arranged to modulate the radio-frequency signal according to a second gain factor to produce a second output signal,
- wherein a magnitude of the first gain factor varies over time, and
- wherein a magnitude of the second gain factor varies over time with respect to the magnitude of the first gain factor.
A transmitter comprising:
- a first gain element configured and arranged to modulate a radio-frequency signal according to a first gain factor to produce a first output signal;
- and
- a second gain element configured and arranged to modulate the first output signal according to a second gain factor to produce a second output signal,
- wherein a magnitude of the first gain factor varies over time, and
- wherein a magnitude of the second gain factor varies over time with respect to the magnitude of the first gain factor.
An apparatus for data transmission, said apparatus comprising:
- a transmitter including an RF unit configured and arranged to output a radio-frequency signal, a first power amplifier configured and arranged to output a first amplified signal based on the radio-frequency signal, and a second power amplifier configured and arranged to output a second amplified signal based on the radio-frequency signal, and
- an antenna array including a first antenna configured and arranged to receive and radiate the first amplified signal and a second antenna configured and arranged to receive and radiate the second amplified signal,
- wherein a distance between the first and second antennas is a few wavelengths of a carrier signal of the radio-frequency signal, and
- wherein a magnitude of the power of the first amplified signal varies over time, and
- wherein a magnitude of the power of the second amplified signal varies over time with respect to the magnitude of the power of the first signal.
A method for data transmission, said method comprising:
- applying a first gain factor to a radio-frequency signal to produce a first output signal;
- and
- applying a second gain factor to one among the radio-frequency signal and the first output signal to produce a second output signal,
- wherein said applying a first gain factor includes varying a magnitude of the first gain factor over time, and
- wherein said applying a second gain factor includes varying a magnitude of the second gain factor over time with respect to the magnitude of the first gain factor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.