Method and apparatus for combining space-frequency block coding, spatial multiplexing and beamforming in a MIMO-OFDM system

A communication system comprising:

• at least one receive antenna;
• and
• a receiver configured to receive data in a signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbol time period transmitted using both frequency diversity and space frequency block coding, wherein for the frequency diversity at least one first data element was repeated producing at least two data elements and the at least two data elements were transmitted using different subcarriers on a same antenna, wherein for the space frequency block coding, the at last one first data element was space frequency block coded with another data element producing four data elements, wherein the signal includes the four data elements and the four data elements were transmitted using two subcarriers and only two of four antennas.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, by a transmitter, a signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbol time period using both frequency diversity and space frequency block coding using four antennas, wherein for the frequency diversity at least one first data element is repeated producing at least two data elements and the at least two data elements are transmitted using different subcarriers on a same antenna, wherein for the space frequency block coding, the at least one first data element is space frequency block coded with another data element producing four data elements, wherein the signal includes the four data elements and the four data elements are transmitted using two subcarriers and only two of four antennas.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a receiver, data in a signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbol time period transmitted using both frequency diversity and space frequency block coding, wherein for the frequency diversity at least one first data element was repeated producing at least two data elements and the two data elements were transmitted using different subcarriers on a same antenna, wherein for the space frequency block coding, the at least one first data element was space frequency block coded with another data element producing four data elements, wherein the signal includes the four data elements and the four data elements were transmitted using two subcarriers and only two of four antennas.