Reuse of a matrix equalizer for the purpose of transmit beamforming in a wireless MIMO communication system

A wireless transmitter for transmitting an information signal to a plurality of receiver antennas associated with one or more receivers, the wireless transmitter comprising:

• a signal modulator configured to modulate the information signal to produce a modulated signal;
• a multiplicity of transmission antennas;
• a beamforming network coupled between the signal modulator and the multiplicity of transmission antennas;
• a controller coupled to the beamforming network, the controller configured to control the beamforming network using a steering matrix so as to produce a transmit gain pattern having one or more high gain lobes when the modulated signal is transmitted via the multiplicity of transmission antennas;
• a matrix equalizer having a matrix equalizer coefficient generator;
• and
• a steering matrix calculation unit configured to develop the steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator.

A wireless communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter having a plurality of transmission antennas;
• one or more receivers;
• a multiplicity of receiver antennas associated with the one or more receivers;
• a signal modulator disposed within the transmitter and adapted to modulate an information signal to produce a modulated signal;
• a beamforming network coupled between the signal modulator and the plurality of transmission antennas;
• a controller coupled to the beamforming network, the controller configured to control the beamforming network using a steering matrix so as to produce a transmit gain pattern based on the steering matrix when the modulated signal is transmitted via the plurality of transmission antennas;
• a matrix equalizer disposed in the transmitter or one of the receivers, the matrix equalizer configured to perform matrix equalization on a received signal, the matrix equalizer having a matrix equalizer coefficient generator;
• and
• a steering matrix calculation unit configured to develop the steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator.