Pilots for MIMO communication systems

In an access point including a plurality of antennas for use in a wireless communications system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, a method comprising:

• generating a plurality of pilots, said plurality of pilots including:
• a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition, and
• a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said access point and at least one user terminal;
• and
• transmitting said plurality of pilots to said at least one user terminal,
• wherein the first pilot is neither beamformed nor spatially multiplexed and the second pilot is one of beamformed using signal processing or spatially multiplexed, and
• wherein the second pilot includes a steered pilot transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

A user terminal for use in a wireless communication system supporting multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) communications, comprising:

• a receiver;
• a processor operative to:
• process a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition received from an access point including a plurality of antennas,
• process a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said user terminal and the access point, and
• generate a channel estimate from information in said second pilot,
• wherein the first pilot is neither beamformed nor spatially multiplexed and the second pilot is one of beamformed using signal processing or spatially multiplexed, and
• wherein the second pilot includes a steered pilot transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

In a user terminal for use in a wireless communication system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, a method comprising:

• receiving a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition from an access point including a plurality of antennas;
• receiving a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said user terminal and the access point;
• and
• generating a channel estimate from information in said second pilot,
• wherein the second pilot comprises a steered pilot, and wherein the steered pilot includes a pilot that was transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

In a user terminal for use in a wireless communication system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, a method comprising:

• receiving a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition from an access point including a plurality of antennas;
• receiving a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said user terminal and the access point;
• and
• generating a channel estimate from information in said second pilot,
• wherein the information to facilitate channel estimation at least includes a steering vector and a pilot signal, and
• wherein the second pilot includes a steered pilot transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

An access point for use in a wireless communications system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, comprising:

• a plurality of antennas;
• a processor operative to:
• generate a plurality of pilots, said plurality of pilots including:
• a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition, and
• a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said access point and at least one user terminal;
• and
• transmit said plurality of pilots to said at least one user terminal,
• wherein the first pilot is neither beamformed nor spatially multiplexed and the second pilot is one of beamformed using signal processing or spatially multiplexed, and
• wherein the second pilot includes a steered pilot transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

A user terminal for use in a wireless communication system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, comprising:

• a receiver;
• a processor operative to:
• receive a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition from an access point including a plurality of antennas;
• receive a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said user terminal and the access point;
• and
• generate a channel estimate from information in said second pilot,
• wherein the second pilot comprises a steered pilot, and wherein the steered pilot includes a pilot that was transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.

A user terminal for use in a wireless communication system supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, comprising:

• a receiver;
• a processor operative to:
• receive a first pilot of a first type including information to facilitate system timing and frequency acquisition from an access point including a plurality of antennas;
• receive a second pilot of a second type different from the first type including information to facilitate channel estimation between said user terminal and the access point;
• and
• generate a channel estimate from information in said second pilot,
• wherein the information to facilitate channel estimation at least includes a steering vector and a pilot signal, and
• wherein the second pilot includes a steered pilot transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel for a specific user terminal.