Systems/methods of dual polarization transmission in cellular communications

1 . A first device that is configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting to a second device a first signal on a first polarization; and

transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization;

wherein said transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization comprises transmitting co-frequency, and concurrently in time, with said transmitting to a second device a first signal on a first polarization;

wherein the first signal comprises a plurality of first signals that are transmitted by a respective plurality of antennas over the first polarization; the plurality of first signals comprising a respective plurality of first amplitudes and phases so as to direct a total power being radiated substantially towards an antenna of the second device while reducing power being radiated toward locations other than that associated with the antenna of the second device; wherein said respective plurality of first amplitudes and phases are based on information, comprising an identity, received at the first device from the second device; and wherein the first signal further comprises a component of the second signal; and

wherein the second signal comprises a plurality of second signals that are transmitted by a respective plurality of antennas over the second polarization; the plurality of second signals comprising a respective plurality of second amplitudes and phases so as to direct a total power being radiated substantially towards the antenna of the second device while reducing power being radiated toward locations other than that associated with the antenna of the second device; wherein said respective plurality of second amplitudes and phases are based on information, comprising an identity, received at the first device from the second device; and wherein the second signal further comprises a component of the first signal.

2 . The first device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first polarization comprises a linear polarization and the second polarization comprises a linear polarization;

wherein a spatial discrimination between the first polarization and the second polarization comprises an angle of at least 45 degrees; and

wherein said transmitting to a second device a first signal on a first polarization and said transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization comprises wirelessly transmitting using frequencies that are near but less than 60 GHz, include 60 GHz or are near but greater than 60 GHz and further comprises wirelessly transmitting using licensed and/or unlicensed frequencies.

3 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using a plurality of directional antenna beams concurrently with one another responsive to second device-initiated reporting.

4 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using the first polarization and the second polarization and receiving, respectively, a first receive signal and a second receive signal co-frequency with one another and concurrently in time with one another;

jointly processing the first receive signal and the second receive signal using at least one complex valued coefficient; and

forming a third receive signal and a fourth receive signal responsive to said jointly processing;

wherein the first receive signal that is received on the first polarization comprises a first dependency on first and second waveforms that are radiated by an antenna system of said second device;

wherein the second receive signal that is received on the second polarization comprises a second dependency on the first and second waveforms that are radiated by the antenna system of said second device;

wherein the third receive signal that is formed responsive to said jointly processing comprises a level of the second waveform that is less than a level of the second waveform that is included in the first receive signal; and

wherein the fourth receive signal that is formed responsive to said jointly processing comprises a level of the first waveform that is less than a level of the first waveform that is included in the second receive signal.

5 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using a plurality of antenna elements, forming a plurality of directional antenna beam patterns, using said plurality of directional antenna beam patterns to derive information regarding a respective plurality of signal strengths associated with a respective plurality of directions and deriving information regarding a directional antenna beam pattern of said plurality of directional antenna beam patterns that provides a maximum signal strength;

wherein said plurality of antenna elements comprises a first dual-polarized antenna configuration, a second dual-polarized antenna configuration and a third dual-polarized antenna configuration;

wherein the first device and the second device comprise a smartphone and a base station, respectively; or

wherein the first device and the second device comprise a base station and a smartphone, respectively.

6 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

using a plurality of propagation paths, at least two of which comprise a heterogeneous difference between one another;

transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths;

transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths;

wherein the first propagation path is physically distinct and heterogeneously different from the second propagation path;

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path comprises wirelessly transmitting/receiving information using frequencies authorized for use in cellular communications;

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path comprises using unlicensed frequencies and further comprises wirelessly transmitting/receiving the second data to/from an intermediary device, wherein the intermediary device is configured to transmit/receive the second data to/from the second device; and

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path; and said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path occur concurrently in time with one another; or sequentially in time with one another.

7 . The first device of claim 6 ,

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths comprises:

directly and wirelessly transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device.

8 . The first device of claim 6 ,

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths comprises:

indirectly transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving the second data to/from an access point, wherein the access point is configured to transmit/receive the second data to/from the second device.

9 . A method of using a first device to transmit/receive information to/from a second device; the method comprising:

transmitting to the second device a first signal on a first polarization; and

transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization;

wherein said transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization comprises transmitting co-frequency, and concurrently in time, with said transmitting to the second device a first signal on a first polarization;

wherein the first signal comprises a plurality of first signals that are transmitted by a respective plurality of antennas over the first polarization; the plurality of first signals comprising a respective plurality of first amplitudes and phases so as to direct a total power being radiated substantially towards an antenna of the second device while reducing power being radiated toward locations other than that associated with the antenna of the second device; wherein said respective plurality of first amplitudes and phases are based on information, comprising an identity, received at the first device from the second device; and wherein the first signal further comprises a component of the second signal; and

wherein the second signal comprises a plurality of second signals that are transmitted by a respective plurality of antennas over the second polarization; the plurality of second signals comprising a respective plurality of second amplitudes and phases so as to direct a total power being radiated substantially towards the antenna of the second device while reducing power being radiated toward locations other than that associated with the antenna of the second device; wherein said respective plurality of second amplitudes and phases are based on information, comprising an identity, received at the first device from the second device; and wherein the second signal further comprises a component of the first signal.

10 . The method of claim 9 ,

wherein the first polarization comprises a linear polarization and the second polarization comprises a linear polarization;

wherein a spatial discrimination between the first polarization and the second polarization comprises an angle of at least 45 degrees; and

wherein said transmitting to a second device a first signal on a first polarization and said transmitting to the second device a second signal on a second polarization comprises wirelessly transmitting using frequencies that are near but less than 60 GHZ, include 60 GHz or are near but greater than 60 GHz and further comprises wirelessly transmitting using licensed and/or unlicensed frequencies.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

using a plurality of directional antenna beams concurrently with one another responsive to second device-initiated reporting.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

using the first polarization and the second polarization and receiving, respectively, a first receive signal and a second receive signal co-frequency with one another and concurrently in time with one another;

jointly processing the first receive signal and the second receive signal using at least one complex valued coefficient; and

forming a third receive signal and a fourth receive signal responsive to said jointly processing;

wherein the first receive signal that is received on the first polarization comprises a first dependency on first and second waveforms that are radiated by an antenna system of said second device;

wherein the second receive signal that is received on the second polarization comprises a second dependency on the first and second waveforms that are radiated by the antenna system of said second device;

wherein the third receive signal that is formed responsive to said jointly processing comprises a level of the second waveform that is less than a level of the second waveform that is included in the first receive signal; and

wherein the fourth receive signal that is formed responsive to said jointly processing comprises a level of the first waveform that is less than a level of the first waveform that is included in the second receive signal.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

using a plurality of antenna elements, forming a plurality of directional antenna beam patterns, using said plurality of directional antenna beam patterns to derive information regarding a respective plurality of signal strengths associated with a respective plurality of directions and deriving information regarding a directional antenna beam pattern of said plurality of directional antenna beam patterns that provides a maximum signal strength;

wherein said plurality of antenna elements comprises a first dual-polarized antenna configuration, a second dual-polarized antenna configuration and a third dual-polarized antenna configuration;

wherein the first device and the second device comprise a smartphone and a base station, respectively; or

wherein the first device and the second device comprise a base station and a smartphone, respectively.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

using a plurality of propagation paths, at least two of which comprise a heterogeneous difference between one another;

transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths;

transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths;

wherein the first propagation path is physically distinct and heterogeneously different from the second propagation path;

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path comprises wirelessly transmitting/receiving information using frequencies authorized for use in cellular communications;

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path comprises using unlicensed frequencies and further comprises wirelessly transmitting/receiving the second data to/from an intermediary device, wherein the intermediary device is configured to transmit/receive the second data to/from the second device; and

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path; and said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path occur concurrently in time with one another; or sequentially in time with one another.

15 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving first data over a first propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths comprises:

directly and wirelessly transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device.

16 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein said transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving second data over a second propagation path of the plurality of propagation paths comprises:

indirectly transmitting/receiving information to/from the second device by transmitting/receiving the second data to/from an access point, wherein the access point is configured to transmit/receive the second data to/from the second device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the access point comprises a Wi-Fi® access point.