US 7,733,974 B2 · Method and apparatus for multi-sector transmission in a wireless communication network

Abstract

According to transmission control as taught herein, a transmission control system is configured for controlling the transmission of data via two or more data streams to a subscriber in a wireless communication network. In one or more embodiments, the transmission control system comprises a first control circuit to evaluate performance requirements associated with the data and prevailing network conditions, and a second control circuit to determine the number of per-sector data streams to be used for transmitting the data to the subscriber, and to determine whether the per-sector data streams provide spatial multiplexing, spatial diversity, or some mix thereof, based on the evaluation. Such operations may be applied to a variety of network types, including those that use per-sector shared packet data channels. In such cases, multi-sector transmission control may include transmission scheduling coordination across the involved shared channels.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for transmitting data to a subscriber in a wireless communication network comprising:

evaluating performance requirements associated with the data and prevailing network conditions;
determining the number of per-sector data streams to be used for transmitting the data to the subscriber, and whether said per-sector data streams provide spatial multiplexing, spatial diversity, or some mix thereof, based on said evaluation;
identifying a set of candidate sectors, including a primary sector and one or more secondary sectors, for serving the subscriber by selecting one or more sectors from the subscriber's active set of sectors as the set of candidate sectors, and designating the primary and secondary sectors from the set of candidate sectors as a function of per-sector signal quality relative to the subscriber;
and
controlling transmission of the data to the subscriber via one or more data streams from the primary sector and one or more data streams from one or more of the secondary sectors, as said determined number of per-sector data streams.

2 more elements

A transmission control system for controlling transmission of data to a subscriber in a wireless communication network, the transmission control system comprising:

a first control circuit to identify a set of candidate sectors, including a primary sector and one or more secondary sectors, for serving the subscriber by selecting one or more sectors from the subscriber's active set of sectors as the set of candidate sectors and designating the primary and secondary sectors from the set of candidate sectors as a function of per-sector loading and per-sector signal quality relative to the subscriber;
a second control circuit to control transmission of the data to the subscriber via one or more data streams from the primary sector and one or more data streams from one or more of the secondary sectors.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for multi-sector transmission in a wireless communication network

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for multi-sector transmission in a wireless communication network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21