IP Library Granted Patent US 7,515,877
Granted Patent B2
US 7,515,877 · App. 10/983,292 · Granted Apr 7, 2009

Communicating signals according to a quality indicator and a time boundary indicator

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,515,877
App. No.
10/983,292
Granted
Apr 7, 2009
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. A time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period is received. At least some of a set of signals are modulated in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator, 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 (34)

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, wherein said plurality of modulations features include at least one modulation feature selected from the group consisting of power ratio and phase difference;

receiving a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period;

modulating at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator, each of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements; and

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

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period further comprises receiving the time boundary indicator from a baseband system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period further comprises receiving a time boundary signal comprising the time boundary indicator.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period further comprises a power control group.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator further comprises modulating in accordance with the time boundary indicator to synchronize the modulation of the signal with one or more next quality indicators, the one or more next quality indicators indicating the quality of the one or more communication links in response to the modulation.

6. 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, wherein said plurality of modulations features include at least one feature selected from the group consisting of power ratio and phase difference;

receive a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period;

modulate at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator, each of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements; and

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

7. The system of claim 6 , the signal modifier operable to receive a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period by receiving the time boundary indicator from a baseband system.

8. The system of claim 6 , the signal modifier operable to receive a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period by receiving a time boundary signal comprising the time boundary indicator.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the time period further comprises a power control group.

10. The system of claim 6 , the signal modifier operable to modulate at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator to synchronize the modulation of the signal with one or more next quality indicators, the one or more next quality indicators indicating the quality of the one or more communication links in response to the modulation.

11. A system for communicating a signal, comprising:

means for 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;

means for 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, wherein said plurality of modulations features include at least one feature selected from the group consisting of power ratio and phase difference;

means for receiving a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period;

means for modulating at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator, each of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements; and

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

12. 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, wherein said plurality of modulations features include at least one feature selected from the group consisting of power ratio and phase difference;

receiving a time boundary indicator indicating a boundary of a time period, the time boundary indicator received by receiving a time boundary signal comprising the time boundary indicator from a baseband system;

modulating at least a first of a plurality of signals relative to a second of said plurality of signals in accordance with the modification and in response to the time boundary indicator, each of the plurality of signals associated with an antenna element of the plurality antenna elements, at least the first of said signals modulated relative to the second of said plurality of signals in response to the time boundary indicator in order to synchronize the modulation of the signal with one or more next quality indicators, the one or more next quality indicators indicating the quality of the one or more communication links in response to the modulation; and

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

Assignments (8)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 2, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044101/0610 →
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 →
CHANGE OF ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS Recorded Feb 23, 2009
From: MAGNOLLA BROADBAND INC.
To: MAGNOLLA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 022296/0124 →
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 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 25, 2006
From: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND, INC.
To: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING IV, INC.
Reel/Frame 018235/0083 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2004
From: CHEN, PHIL F.; LI, YINGXUE
To: MAGNOLIA BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 015987/0156 →