Allocation of sub channels of MIMO channels of a wireless network
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsFiona Wilson, Keith S. Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A base station for wireless network uses one or more MIMO channels having subchannels, to communicate with multiple user equipments, and allocates the sub channels to the user equipments. Different subchannels of a given one of the channels can be allocated to different user equipments. The ability to allocate sub channels individually rather than only allocating entire channels can enable higher data rates to be achieved. This is particularly useful for improving data rates at cell boundaries or sector boundaries, where the coverage is traditionally weakest. A user equipment can use subchannels from different MIMO channels from different sectors or from different base stations.
Claims26
A method for operating a user equipment (UE) device as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, the method comprising:
- receiving two or more subchannel data streams through two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- sending to the first transceiver indicators of signal quality of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel;
- sending to the second transceiver indicators of signal quality of two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel, wherein the second MIMO channel is a MIMO channel between the second transceiver and the UE device, wherein the wireless network stops transmitting via a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmitting via a given subchannel of the second MIMO channel in response to a determination that the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel has better signal quality than the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, performing operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
A user equipment (UE) device for operation as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, the UE device comprising:
- circuitry configured to:
- receive two or more subchannel data streams through two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- send to the first transceiver indicators of signal quality of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel;
- send to the second transceiver indicators of signal quality of two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel, wherein the second MIMO channel is a MIMO channel between the second transceiver and the UE device, wherein the wireless network stops transmitting via a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmitting via a given subchannel of the second MIMO channel in response to a determination that the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel has better signal quality than the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, perform operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions for operating a user equipment (UE) device as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
- receive two or more subchannel data streams through two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- send to the first transceiver indicators of signal quality of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel;
- send to the second transceiver indicators of signal quality of two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel, wherein the second MIMO channel is a MIMO channel between the second transceiver and the UE device, wherein the wireless network stops transmitting via a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmitting via a given subchannel of the second MIMO channel in response to a determination that the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel has better signal quality than the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, perform operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
A method for operating a user equipment (UE) device as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, the method comprising:
- receiving two or more subchannel data streams on two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- determining that signal quality of a given one of the two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel is better than signal quality of a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device;
- sending a message to the first transceiver requesting the first base station to stop transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- sending a message to the second transceiver requesting the second base station to start transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, performing operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
A user equipment (UE) device for operation as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, the UE device comprising:
- circuitry configured to:
- receive two or more subchannel data streams on two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- determine that signal quality of a given one of the two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel is better than signal quality of a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device;
- send a message to the first transceiver requesting the first base station to stop transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- send a message to the second transceiver requesting the second base station to start transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, perform operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions for operating a user equipment (UE) device as part of a wireless network including a base station, wherein the base station includes a first transceiver for a first sector and a second transceiver for a second sector, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement:
- receiving two or more subchannel data streams on two or more respective subchannels of a first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device, wherein the first transceiver includes two or more spatially separated first antennas, wherein the second transceiver includes two or more spatially separated second antennas, wherein the UE device includes two or more spatially separated UE antennas;
- determining that signal quality of a given one of the two or more subchannels of a second MIMO channel is better than signal quality of a given subchannel of the first MIMO channel between the first transceiver and the UE device;
- sending a message to the first transceiver requesting the first base station to stop transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- sending a message to the second transceiver requesting the second base station to start transmitting to the UE device via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel;
- after the wireless network stops transmission via the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel and starts transmission via the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, performing operations including:
- (a) receiving a subset of the two or more subchannel data streams via a subset of the two or more subchannels of the first MIMO channel, wherein the subset does not include the given subchannel of the first MIMO channel;
- and (b) receiving at least one new subchannel data stream from the second transceiver using at least the given subchannel of the second MIMO channel, wherein (a) and (b) are performed at least partially simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.