IP Library Granted Patent US 7,272,359
Granted Patent B2
US 7,272,359 · App. 10/766,244 · Granted Sep 18, 2007

Communicating signals according to a quality indicator using multiple antenna elements

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,272,359
App. No.
10/766,244
Granted
Sep 18, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

One or more quality indicators are established at a first communication device having antenna elements. The quality indicators indicate a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices. A modification is determined according to the quality indicators, where the modification describes at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features. At least some of a set of signals are modulated in accordance with the modification, where a signal is associated with an antenna element. The set of signals is sent from the antenna elements to yield a transmitted signal.

Claims (142)

1. A method for communicating a signal, comprising:

establishing one or more quality indicators at a first communication device, the first communication device comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the one or more quality indicators indicating a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices;

determining a modification according to the one or more quality indicators, the modification describing, at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features of a plurality of modulation features for a frequency subband;

modulating at least a subset of a plurality of signals in accordance with the modification, a signal of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements, a signal of the plurality of signals having the frequency subband; and

sending the plurality of signals from the plurality of antenna elements to yield a transmitted signal,

wherein establishing the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device further comprises receiving one or more quality indication signals comprising a plurality of power control groups corresponding to the one or more quality indicators, and

wherein determining the modification according to the one or more quality indicators further comprises:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features, if a first bit value for a power-control bit at a first time period corresponds to a second bit value for a power-control bit at a second time period; and

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, if the first bit value differs from the second bit value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device further comprises:

establishing the one or more quality indicators according to the one or more quality indication signals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device further comprises:

detecting the quality of the communication link; and

calculating the one or more quality indicators according to the quality.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more second communication devices comprises a plurality of second antenna elements.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more communication links is configured according to a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communications protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication links are configured according to at least one of a hybrid multiple access protocol, an 802.xx protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, and a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification is associated with an improvement of the transmitted signal, the improvement comprising at least one of the following: reduced medium contention, reduced probability of detection, reduced probability of interception, more balanced network load, and reduced RF interference.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification describes the at least one adjustment of the one or more modulation features for a signal of the subset of signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modulation features comprise a total power of the transmitted signal, a phase rotation associated with an antenna element, a power ratio associated with an antenna element, an amplitude associated with an antenna element, a time delay associated with an antenna element, and a frequency shift associated with an antenna element.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the modification according to the one or more quality indicators further comprises:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features until a first steady state is obtained,

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, and

adjusting the first set while maintaining the second set until a second steady state is obtained.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more base stations.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a base station; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more subscriber communication devices.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first base station; and the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second base stations.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second subscriber communication devices.

15. A system for communicating a signal, comprising:

a first communication device operable to establish one or more quality indicators, the one or more quality indicators indicating a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, the first communication device comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements; and

a signal modifier operable to:

determine a modification according to the one or more quality indicators, the modification describing at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features of a plurality of modulation features for a frequency subband;

modulate at least a subset of a plurality of signals in accordance with the modification, a signal of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements, a signal of the plurality of signals having the frequency subband; and

send the plurality of signals to the plurality of antenna elements to yield a transmitted signal,

wherein the first communication device is operable to establish the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device by receiving one or more quality indication signals comprising a plurality of power control groups corresponding to the one or more quality indicators, and

wherein the signal modifier is operable to determine the modification according to the one or more quality indicators by:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features, if a first bit value for a power-control bit at a first time period corresponds to a second bit value for a power-control bit at a second time period; and

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, if the first bit value differs from the second bit value.

16. The system of claim 15 , the first communication device further operable to establish the one or more quality indicators by:

establishing the one or more quality indicators according to the one or more quality indication signals.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a quality indicator generator operable to establish the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device by:

detecting the quality of the communication link; and

calculating the one or more quality indicators according to the quality.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more second communication devices comprises a plurality of second antenna elements.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more communication links is configured according to a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communications protocol.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more communication links are configured according to at least one-of a hybrid multiple access protocol, an 802.xx protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, and a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the modification is associated with an improvement of the transmitted signal, the improvement comprising at least one of the following: reduced medium contention, reduced probability of detection, reduced probability of interception, more balanced network load, and reduced RF interference.

22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the modification describes the at least one adjustment of the one or more modulation features for a signal of the subset of signals.

23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of modulation features comprise a total power of the transmitted signal, a phase rotation associated with an antenna element, a power ratio associated with an antenna element, an amplitude associated with an antenna element, a time delay associated with an antenna element, and a frequency shift associated with an antenna element.

24. The system of claim 15 , the signal modifier operable to determine the modification according to the one or more quality indicators by:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features until a first steady state is obtained;

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set; and

adjusting the first set while maintaining the second set until a second steady state is obtained.

25. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more base stations.

26. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a base station; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more subscriber communication devices.

27. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first base station; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second base stations.

28. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second subscriber communication devices.

29. Logic for communicating a signal, the logic embodied in a medium and operable to:

establish one or more quality indicators at a first communication device, the first communication device comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the one or more quality indicators indicating a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices;

determine a modification according to the one or more quality indicators, the modification describing at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features of a plurality of modulation features for a frequency subband;

modulate at least a subset of a plurality of signals in accordance with the modification, a signal of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements, a signal of the plurality of signals having the frequency subband; and

send the plurality of signals from the plurality of antenna elements to yield a transmitted signals,

wherein said logic is operable to:

establish the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device by receiving one or more quality indication signals comprising a plurality of power control groups corresponding to the one or more quality indicators;

determine the modification according to the one or more quality indicators by:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features, if a first bit value for a power-control bit at a first time period corresponds to a second bit value for a power-control bit at a second time period; and

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, if the first bit value differs from the second bit value.

30. The logic of claim 29 , operable to establish the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device by:

establishing the one or more quality indicators according to the one or more quality indication signals.

31. The logic of claim 29 , operable to establish the one or more quality indicators at the first communication device by:

detecting the quality of the communication link; and

calculating the one or more quality indicators according to the quality.

32. The logic of claim 29 , wherein at least one of the one or more second communication devices comprises a plurality of second antenna elements.

33. The logic of claim 29 , wherein at least one of the one or more communication links is configured according to a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communications protocol.

34. The logic of claim 29 , wherein the one or more communication links are configured according to at least one of a hybrid multiple access protocol, an 802.xx protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, and a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol.

35. The logic of claim 29 , wherein the modification is associated with an improvement of the transmitted signal, the improvement comprising at least one of the following: reduced medium contention, reduced probability of detection, reduced probability of interception, more balanced network load, and reduced RF interference.

36. The logic of claim 29 , wherein the modification describes the at least one adjustment of the one or more modulation features for a signal of the subset of signals.

37. The logic of claim 29 , wherein the plurality of modulation features comprise a total power of the transmitted signal, a phase rotation associated with an antenna element, a power ratio associated with an antenna element, an amplitude associated with an antenna element, a time delay associated with an antenna element, and a frequency shift associated with an antenna element.

38. The logic of claim 29 , operable to:

determine the modification according to the one or more quality indicators by:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features until a first steady state is obtained;

adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set; and

adjusting the first set while maintaining the second set until a second steady state is obtained.

39. The logic of claim 29 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more base stations.

40. The logic of claim 29 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a base station; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more subscriber communication devices.

41. The logic of claim 29 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first base station; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second base stations.

42. The logic of claim 29 , wherein: the first communication device comprises a first subscriber communication device; and

the one or more second communication devices comprise one or more second subscriber communication devices.

43. A method for communicating a signal, comprising:

establishing one or more quality indicators at a first communication device, the first communication device comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the one or more quality indicators indicating a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, at least one of the one or more communication links configured according to at least one of a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communications protocol, a hybrid multiple access protocol, an 802.xx protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, and a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol, at least one of the one or more second communication devices comprising a plurality of second antenna elements, the first communication device comprising at least one of a first subscriber communication device and a first base station, the one or more second communication devices comprising at least one of a second subscriber communication device and a second base station, the one or more quality indicators established at the first communication device by performing at least one of the following:

receiving at the first communication device one or more quality indication signals comprising a plurality of power control groups corresponding to the one or more quality indicators, and establishing the one or more quality indicators according to the one or more quality indication signals; and

detecting the quality of the communication link, and calculating the one or more quality indicators according to the quality;

determining a modification according to the one or more quality indicators, the modification describing at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features of a plurality of modulation features for a frequency subband, the plurality of modulation features comprising a total power of the transmitted signal, a phase rotation associated with an antenna element, a power ratio associated with an antenna element, an amplitude associated with an antenna element, a time delay associated with an antenna element, and a frequency shift associated with an antenna element, the modification associated with an improvement of the transmitted signal, the improvement comprising at least one of the following: reduced medium contention, reduced probability of detection, reduced probability of interception, more balanced network load, and reduced RF interference, the modification describing the at least one adjustment of the one or more modulation features for a signal of the subset of signals, the modification determined according to the one or more quality indicators by performing at least one of the following:

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features until a first steady state is obtained, adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, and adjusting the first set while maintaining the second set until a second steady state is obtained; and

adjusting a first set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features while maintaining a second set of modulation features of the plurality of modulation features, if a first bit value for a power-control bit at a first time period corresponds to a second bit value for a power-control bit at a second time period, and adjusting the second set while maintaining the first set, if the first bit value differs from the second bit value;

modulating at least a subset of a plurality of signals in accordance with the modification, a signal of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements, a signal of the plurality of signals having the frequency subband; and

sending the plurality of signals from the plurality of antenna elements to yield a transmitted signal.

44. A method for communicating a signal from a first communication device having first and second antenna elements to a second communication device, comprising:

establishing an initial quality indicator at said first communication device, the initial quality indicator indicating a quality of a communication link between the first communication device and the second communication device based on an initial transmission from the first communication device, wherein signals transmitted on the first and second antenna elements have an initial phase modulation;

establishing an adjusted quality indicator at said first communication device, the adjusted quality indicator indicating a quality of a communication link between the first communication device and said second communication device based on an adjusted transmission from said first communication device, wherein signals transmitted on said first and second antenna elements have an adjusted phase modulation, said adjusted phase modulation comprising phase modulation adjusted from said initial phase modulation in a first direction;

determining a phase modification according to a comparison of the initial quality indicator and the adjusted quality indicator, wherein:

if said adjusted quality indicator demonstrates degradation of quality relative to said initial quality indicator, then said phase modification is in the direction opposite to said first direction, and

if said adjusted quality indicator demonstrates improvement of quality relative to said initial quality indicator, then said phase modification is enhanced in the direction of said first direction; and

modulating phase of a signal on the second antenna relative to a signal on the first antenna in accordance with the phase modification.

45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the communication link is configured according to at least one of a hybrid multiple access protocol, an 802.xx protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, and a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol.

46. The method of claim 44 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a subscriber communication device; and

the second communication device comprises one or more base stations.

47. The method of claim 44 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a base station; and

the second communication device comprises one or more subscriber communication devices.

48. The method of claim 44 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first base station; and

the second communication device comprises one or more second base stations.

49. The method of claim 44 , wherein:

the first communication device comprises a first subscriber communication device; and

the second communication device comprises one or more second subscriber communication devices.

50. The method of claim 44 , wherein the received power control bits correspond to different modulation parameters of the signal modifier in the first communication device.

51. The method of claim 50 , wherein the different modulation parameters correspond to different phase differences between the signals transmitted by the first communication device.

52. The method of claim 50 , further comprising comparing multiple received power control bits, said power control bits corresponding to respective different modulation parameters of the signal modifier, to determine a next signal modification.

Assignments (9)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044695/0115 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2012
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND, INC.
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 028251/0856 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2012
From: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING IV, INC.
To: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 027953/0375 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2012
From: ECENTURY CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.; SCP PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS II, L.P.; SELWAY PARTNERS, LLC; GROSVENOR SPECIAL VENTURES IV, LP; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM INVESTMENTS, LLC; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM VENTURE FUND, L.P.
To: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 027946/0357 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 13, 2008
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND, INC.
To: ECENTURY CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.; SCP PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS II, L.P.; SELWAY PARTNERS, LLC; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM VENTURE FUND, L.P.; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM INVESTMENT, LLC; GROSVENOR SPECIAL VENTURES IV, LP
Reel/Frame 020497/0912 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS OF THE ASSIGNEE Recorded Jul 30, 2007
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
To: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 019624/0706 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 25, 2006
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND, INC.
To: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING IV, INC.
Reel/Frame 018235/0083 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2004
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND, INC.
To: ECENTURY CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.; SCP PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS II, L.P.; SELWAY PARTNERS, LLC; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM VENTURE FUND, L.P.; DRAPER FISHER JURVETSON GOTHAM INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 014603/0337 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2004
From: LI, YINGXUE; KAHN, MARK F.; HAREL, HAIM
To: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 014944/0895 →