Increasing capacity in wireless broadcast systems using distributed transmission/directional reception (DTDR)

A wireless broadcast system for transmission of a plurality of source signals from a plurality of spatially separated transmitters on a common frequency channel to at least one receiver located in a service area, said system comprising in combination

• combining means for joining said source signals into a composite source signal,
• demultiplexing means for splitting said composite source signal into a plurality of transmitted signals, one for each of said transmitters,
• conveying means for sending said transmitted signals one each to said transmitters,
• transmitting means including said transmitters for broadcasting said transmitted signals into said service area in said frequency channel so as to reach said receiver,
• receiving means including said receiver and plural receiving antennas for making measurements of signals received by said receiver, said received signals resulting from signals transmitted by said transmitters, said measurements being composed of different combinations of said transmitted signals,
• processing means for obtaining estimates of said transmitted signals from said measurements, reducing interference to acceptable levels,
• multiplexing means for combining said estimates of said transmitted signals so as to estimate said composite source signal, reducing interference to acceptable levels,
• separating means for decomposing said estimated composite source signal into said source signals,
• whereby a plurality of independent source signals can be transmitted in the same frequency channel.

Apparatus for transmitting an information signal and for receiving said information signal in a frequency channel having a bandwidth less than the bandwidth of said information signal, said apparatus comprising:

• means for splitting said information signal into a plurality of information sub-signals, each sub-signal having a bandwidth no greater than said bandwidth of said frequency channel,
• transmitting means for transmitting in said frequency channel each of said sub-signals to a receiver, said transmitting means including a plurality of physically dispersed transmitters each transmitting one of said sub-signals,
• receiving means for receiving and processing said information sub-signals wherein said information sub-signals are retrieved, and
• means for combining said information sub-signals to reconstruct said information signal.

A method of transmitting an information signal to a receiver in a frequency channel having a bandwidth less than the bandwidth of said information signal and receiving said information signal at said receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

• splitting said information signal into a plurality of information sub-signals, each sub-signal having a bandwidth no greater than said bandwidth of said frequency channel,
• transmitting in said frequency channel each of said information sub-signals to said receiver from a plurality of dispersed transmitters with each transmitter transmitting one of said information sub-signals,
• receiving and processing said information sub-signals with receiving means wherein said information sub-signals are retrieved, and
• combining said information sub-signals to reconstruct said information signal.