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US 7,804,762 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for implementing downlink SDMA in a wireless network
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsAdrian P. Stephens, Qinghua Li, Minnie Ho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and structures are disclosed for use in implementing downlink spatial division multiple access (SDMA) in a wireless network. In at least one embodiment, a number of orthogonal sets of user devices are first identified within a coverage area. One of the identified orthogonal sets may then be selected based on a predetermined selection criterion. An SDMA exchange may then be initiated for the selected orthogonal set.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- identifying a plurality of orthogonal sets of user devices in a cell of a wireless network, wherein each orthogonal set in said plurality of orthogonal sets includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently by an access point using different antenna beams in a spatial division multiple access (SDMA) mode of operation;
- selecting an orthogonal set from the plurality of orthogonal sets for use in transmitting data to the corresponding user devices based on a predetermined selection criterion;
- and
- initiating, after selecting, an SDMA exchange for the selected orthogonal set;
- wherein initiating an SDMA exchange includes:
- simultaneously transmitting data to user devices in said selected orthogonal set using corresponding antenna beams;
- and
- transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) request to each user device in said selected orthogonal set after said data has been transmitted, wherein transmitting an ACK request includes transmitting a single multi-user ACK request using an antenna beam that encompasses all of said user devices in said selected orthogonal set, said single multi-user ACK request including time information indicative of a time at which each user device in said selected orthogonal set is to respond to said single multi-user ACK request, wherein said time information is determined based upon a predicted resolvability of signals received from said user devices within said selected orthogonal set.
5 more elements
An access point (AP) for use in a wireless network implementing spatial division multiple access (SDMA), comprising:
- a plurality of antenna elements;
- a multi-user wireless transceiver, in communication with said plurality of antenna elements, to support wireless communication with multiple users within a coverage area of the AP using spatial division multiple access (SDMA);
- and
- a controller, coupled to said multi-user wireless transceiver, to identify a number of orthogonal sets of user devices within the coverage area, to select one of the identified orthogonal sets for use in transmitting data to the corresponding user devices based on a predetermined selection criterion, and to initiate, after an orthogonal set has been selected, an SDMA exchange for the selected orthogonal set, wherein an orthogonal set is a set that includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently by the access point using SDMA;
- wherein said controller initiates said SDMA exchange by causing said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit data to each of the user devices in said selected orthogonal set using a separate antenna beam for each user device;
- wherein said controller causes said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit an acknowledgement request to each of the user devices in said selected orthogonal set, using a separate antenna beam for each user device, after said data has been transmitted, wherein said controller causes said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit acknowledgement requests to user devices in said selected orthogonal set at different times, wherein said different times are based upon a predicted resolvability of the resulting acknowledgement signals.
3 more elements
A non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon to be executed by a processor, for:
- identifying a plurality of orthogonal sets of user devices in a cell of a wireless network, wherein each orthogonal set in said plurality of orthogonal sets includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently by an access point using spatial division multiple access (SDMA);
- selecting an orthogonal set from the plurality of orthogonal sets for use in transmitting data to the corresponding user devices based on a predetermined selection criterion;
- and initiating, after selecting, an SDMA exchange for the selected orthogonal set;
- wherein initiating an SDMA exchange includes:
- simultaneously transmitting data to user devices in said selected orthogonal set using corresponding antenna beams;
- and transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) request to each user device in said selected orthogonal set after said data has been transmitted, wherein transmitting an ACK request includes transmitting a separate ACK request to each user device in said selected orthogonal set using a corresponding antenna beam, said separate ACK requests being transmitted to corresponding user devices at different times, wherein said different times are selected based upon a predicted resolvability of signals received from said user devices within said selected orthogonal set.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of antenna elements that includes at least one dipole antenna element;
- a multi-user wireless transceiver, in communication with said plurality of antenna elements, to support wireless communication with multiple users within a network coverage area using spatial division multiple access (SDMA);
- and
- a controller, coupled to said multi-user wireless transceiver, to identify a number of orthogonal sets of user devices within the network coverage area, to select one of the identified orthogonal sets for use in transmitting data to the corresponding user devices based on a predetermined selection criterion, and to initiate, after an orthogonal set has been selected, an SDMA exchange for the selected orthogonal set, wherein an orthogonal set is a set that includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently using SDMA;
- wherein said controller initiates said SDMA exchange by causing said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit data to each of the user devices in said selected orthogonal set using a separate antenna beam for each user device;
- wherein said controller causes said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit an acknowledgement request to each of the user devices in said selected orthogonal set, using a separate antenna beam for each user device, after said data has been transmitted, wherein said controller causes said multi-user wireless transceiver to transmit acknowledgement requests to user devices in said selected orthogonal set at different times, wherein said different times are based upon a predicted resolvability of the resulting acknowledgement signals.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- identifying a plurality of sets of user devices in a wireless network, wherein each set in said plurality of sets includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently using different antenna beams in a spatial division multiple access (SDMA) mode of operation;
- and
- initiating an SDMA exchange for a selected set in said plurality of sets, wherein initiating an SDMA exchange includes:
- simultaneously transmitting data to user devices in said selected set using corresponding antenna beams;
- and
- transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) request to each user device in said selected set after said data has been transmitted, wherein transmitting an ACK request includes transmitting a separate ACK request to each user device in said selected set using a corresponding antenna beam, said separate ACK requests being transmitted to corresponding user devices at different times, wherein said different times are selected based upon a predicted resolvability of signals received from said user devices within said selected set.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- identifying a plurality of orthogonal sets of user devices in a cell of a wireless network, wherein each orthogonal set in said plurality of orthogonal sets includes multiple user devices that can be transmitted to concurrently by an access point using different antenna beams in a spatial division multiple access (SDMA) mode of operation;
- and
- initiating an SDMA exchange for a selected orthogonal set, wherein initiating an SDMA exchange includes:
- simultaneously transmitting data to user devices in said selected orthogonal set using corresponding antenna beams;
- and
- transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) request to each user device in said selected orthogonal set after said data has been transmitted, wherein transmitting an ACK request includes transmitting a single multi-user ACK request using an antenna beam that encompasses all of said user devices in said selected set, said single multi-user ACK request including time information indicative of a time at which each user device in said selected set is to respond to said single multi-user ACK request, wherein said time information is determined based upon a predicted resolvability of signals received from said user devices within said selected orthogonal set.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.