Method for communicating by means of a plurality of network-side transmission antennas
A method communicates through a radio communications system having network side devices and radio stations. A message from the radio station is received by the network side antennas. Subsequently, a useful data message is transmitted to the radio station by transmitting network side antennas. The transmitting network side antennas received the message from the radio station.
1 - 8 . (canceled)
9 . A method for communication in a radio communication system comprising mobile stations and network-side devices, the network-side devices comprising network-side antennas distributed over a plurality of positions within a radio cell, the method comprising:
transmitting a signaling message which requests a mobile station to transmit a response message, the signaling message being transmitted via at least one network-side antenna, the signaling message being transmitted to the mobile station and being used exclusively for requesting the response message;
receiving the response message from the mobile station, the response message being received by at least some of the network-side antennas; and
after receiving the response message, transmitting a user data message to the mobile station via a plurality of transmitting network-side antennas, the transmitting network-side antennas being selected from the plurality of network-side antennas based on which network-side antennas received the response message from the mobile station.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the signaling message is sent at regular time intervals.
11 . The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the signaling message is transmitted only when a certain period of time elapsed since the last transmission of a message of the same type as the signaling message.
12 . The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the signaling message is transmitted via all network-side antennas of the radio cell.
13 . The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the radio communication system has a plurality of cells, each with a plurality of network-side antennas distributed therein, and
the signaling message is transmitted via all network-side antennas of all radio cells.
14 . The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the signaling message is transmitted from a plurality of network-side antennas, and
the plurality of network-side antennas used to transmit the signaling message all belong to a same radio cell.
15 . The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein
the signaling message is transmitted from a plurality of network-side antennas,
the radio communication system has a plurality of cells, each with a plurality of network-side antennas distributed therein, and
the plurality of network-side antennas used to transmit the signaling message reside in at least two different radio cells.
16 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein
the signaling message identifies the radio cell in which the network-side antenna resides, and
the response message identifies the radio cell or radio cells from which the mobile station received the signaling message.
17 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein
the signaling message is transmitted via all network-side antennas of the radio cell.
18 . A network-side device in a radio communications system, which comprises network-side antennas distributed over a plurality of positions within a radio cell, the network-side device comprising:
means for receiving via at least some of the network-side antennas a response message from a mobile station or for receiving information about receipt of the response message from the mobile station, which response message was received via at least some of the network-side antennas, the response message being received in response to a signaling message sent to and received at the mobile station via at least one network-side antenna, the signaling message being transmitted exclusively for the purpose of requesting the response message;
means for choosing transmitting network-side antennas from the plurality of network-side antennas, the transmitting network-side antennas being chosen based on which network-side antennas received the response message from the mobile station; and
means for causing a user data message to be transmitted to the mobile station via the transmitting network-side antennas.
19 . A computer readable medium storing a computer program for a network-side device in a radio communications system, which comprises network-side antennas distributed over a plurality of positions within a radio cell, the computer program comprising:
means for receiving information about receipt of a response message from a mobile station, the response message being received via at least some of the network-side antennas, the response message being received in response to a signaling message sent to and received at the mobile station via at least one network-side antenna, the signaling message being transmitted exclusively for the purpose of requesting the response message;
means for choosing transmitting network-side antennas from the plurality of network-side antennas, the transmitting network-side antennas being chosen based on which network-side antennas received the response message from the mobile station; and
means for causing a user data message to be transmitted to the mobile station via the transmitting network-side antennas.