Method for multi-antenna signal processing at an antenna element arrangement, corresponding transceiver and corresponding antenna element arrangement

2/ The method according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver comprises at least two horizontally arranged sets of vertically stacked antenna elements adapted to generate a beam in predefined azimuth and elevation directions, said azimuth direction being reached by applying first complex antenna weights to said at least two sets of vertically stacked antenna elements, said elevation direction being reached by applying in addition second complex antenna weights to said antenna elements in said sets of vertically stacked antenna elements.

3/ The method according to claim 2, wherein said beam is adapted to be calculated to reach a terminal having a predefined azimuth and/or elevation seen from said transceiver of said radio communication network.

4/ (canceled)

5/ The method according to claim 1, to be used in conjunction with coordinated multi-site transmission, a terminal receiving signals from at least two transceivers, said method further comprising the steps of:

• Selecting a first set of complex antenna weights for each antenna element of a first transceiver depending on the azimuth and elevation of said terminal seen from said first transceiver;
• Selecting a second set of complex antenna weights for each antenna element of a second transceiver depending on the azimuth and elevation of said terminal seen from said second transceiver.

6/ The method according to claim 1, to be used in conjunction with inter-cell interference coordination algorithms in a cellular communication network comprising at least two adjacent base stations and a plurality of terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

• building at least two groups of terminals served by each base station, said group of terminals being dependent of the elevation angle with which said terminals are seen from said respective base stations, one of said group corresponding to an elevation below a first threshold, another of said group corresponding to an elevation above a second threshold,
• scheduling a group of terminals served by a first base station and having an elevation below a first threshold using the same resources as a group of terminals served by a second base station and having an elevation above a second threshold.

7/ A transceiver adapted to perform multi-antenna signal processing in a radio communication network, said transceiver comprising an antenna element arrangement with antenna elements in horizontal and in vertical direction, said transceiver comprising means for applying complex antenna weights to said antenna elements, said transceiver being characterized in that it further comprises at least two processing chains controlling individually two vertically stacked antenna elements, each chain receiving as input an input signal to which at least one of said complex antenna weights has been applied.

8/ (canceled)

9/ An antenna element arrangement adapted to generate a beam at a transceiver of a radio communication network, said antenna element arrangement comprising antenna elements in horizontal and in vertical direction, said antenna element arrangement comprising means for applying complex antenna weights to said antenna elements, said antenna element arrangement being characterized in that said at least two vertically stacked antenna elements are adapted to be controlled by a corresponding baseband signal processing chain.

10/ (canceled)

11/ The antenna element arrangement according to claim 9, comprising at least two horizontally arranged sets of vertically stacked antenna elements adapted to generate a beam in a predefined azimuth and elevation direction, said azimuth direction being reached by applying first complex antenna weights to said at least two sets of vertically stacked antenna elements, said elevation direction being reached by applying second complex antenna weights to said antenna elements in said sets of vertically stacked antenna elements.

12/ The antenna element arrangement according to claim 9, being a planar array of antenna elements arranged vertically and horizontally.