Method of multiple-antenna communication having improved utilization of channel correlations

A communication method in which two complex-valued input symbols s1 and s2 having respective real and imaginary parts Re(s1), Im(s1), Re(s2) and Im(s2) are mapped to a block-code matrix S for subsequent transmission, the communication method comprising:

• constructing the block-code matrix S as a weighed sum of dispersion matrices A1, B1, A2, and B2, wherein the weights of A1 and B1 are respectively derived from Re(s1) and Im(s1) and the weights of A2 and B2 are respectively derived from Re(s2) and Im(s2);
• and
• transmitting the block-code matrix S as a space-time signal matrix from an array of two or more antennas during two transmit symbol intervals;
• wherein the dispersion matrices are defined by
• A
• 1
• =
• [
• 1
• ⅇ
• jφ
• ⁢
• α
• 0
• ⅇ
• jφ
• ⁢
• 1
• -
• α
• ]
• A
• 2
• =
• [
• α
• ⅇ
• jφ
• -
• 1
• -
• α
• 0
• ]
• B
• 1
• =
• [
• 1
• -
• α
• 0
• -
• α
• -
• ⅇ
• jφ
• ]
• B
• 2
• =
• [
• 0
• ⅇ
• jφ
• ⁢
• 1
• -
• α
• 1
• ⅇ
• jφ
• ⁢
• α
• ]
• ;
• and wherein the constructing of the block-code matrix S comprises selecting a value for α such that 0<α<1 to control a degree of beam-forming behavior by the antenna array, and further comprises selecting a value for φ based on an angular position of one of a user and a base station relative to the user to control a phase shift between two or more antennas of the array.