Reuse of a matrix equalizer for the purpose of transmit beamforming in a wireless MIMO communication system

1. A method of wirelessly transmitting an information signal within a communication system having a transmitter with a plurality of transmission antennas and one or more receivers, the method comprising:

developing, using a matrix equalizer coefficient generator, equalizer coefficients for processing received signals;

modulating the information signal to produce a modulated signal;

providing the modulated signal to the plurality of transmission antennas for transmission to the one or more receivers;

developing a steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator; and

controlling the transmission of the modulated signal via the transmission antennas using the steering matrix.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the matrix equalizer coefficient generator is disposed at the transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the matrix equalizer coefficient generator is disposed at one of the one or more receivers;

the method further comprises receiving, at the transmitter, equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator disposed at the one receiver; and

developing the steering matrix is performed at the transmitter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the matrix equalizer coefficient generator is disposed at one of the one or more receivers;

developing the steering matrix is performed at the one receiver; and

the method further comprises receiving, at the transmitter, the steering matrix sent from the one receiver.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the method further comprises receiving, at the transmitter, equalizer coefficients developed by multiple matrix equalizer coefficient generators disposed at multiple ones of the one or more receivers and sent from the multiple ones of the one or more receivers; and

developing the steering matrix is performed at the transmitter.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

developing respective steering matrices at least by transposing respective matrices having respective sets of equalizer coefficients developed using respective matrix equalizer coefficient generators of respective multiple ones of the one or more receivers; and

wherein controlling the transmission of the modulated signal comprises using the respective steering matrices at different times or in different channels to beamform to the multiple ones of the one or more receivers.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the matrix having equalizer coefficients includes equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generators of each of the multiple ones of the one or more receivers; and

controlling the transmission of the modulated signal comprises using the single steering matrix to simultaneously beamform to the multiple ones of the one or more receivers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steering matrix is developed to produce a beam pattern having one or more high gain lobes in the direction of the one or more receivers.

9. A wireless transmitter for transmitting an information signal to a plurality of receiver antennas associated with one or more receivers, the wireless transmitter comprising:

a signal modulator configured to modulate the information signal to produce a modulated signal;

a multiplicity of transmission antennas;

a beamforming network coupled between the signal modulator and the multiplicity of transmission antennas;

a controller coupled to the beamforming network, the controller configured to control the beamforming network using a steering matrix so as to produce a transmit gain pattern having one or more high gain lobes when the modulated signal is transmitted via the multiplicity of transmission antennas;

a matrix equalizer having a matrix equalizer coefficient generator; and

a steering matrix calculation unit configured to develop the steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator.

10. The wireless transmitter of claim 9 , further including a housing and wherein the steering matrix calculation unit, the controller, the signal modulator and the matrix equalizer are disposed within the housing.

11. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a transmitter having a plurality of transmission antennas;

one or more receivers;

a multiplicity of receiver antennas associated with the one or more receivers;

a signal modulator disposed within the transmitter and adapted to modulate an information signal to produce a modulated signal;

a beamforming network coupled between the signal modulator and the plurality of transmission antennas;

a controller coupled to the beamforming network, the controller configured to control the beamforming network using a steering matrix so as to produce a transmit gain pattern based on the steering matrix when the modulated signal is transmitted via the plurality of transmission antennas;

a matrix equalizer disposed in the transmitter or one of the receivers, the matrix equalizer configured to perform matrix equalization on a received signal, the matrix equalizer having a matrix equalizer coefficient generator; and

a steering matrix calculation unit configured to develop the steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using the matrix equalizer coefficient generator.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11 , wherein the steering matrix calculation unit and the matrix equalizer are disposed within the transmitter.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 11 , wherein the steering matrix calculation unit and the matrix equalizer are disposed within one of the one or more receivers.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 11 , wherein the steering matrix calculation unit is disposed within the transmitter and the matrix equalizer is disposed within one of the one or more receivers.

15. A beamforming system for use in a wireless communication system having a transmitter with multiple transmission antennas and one or more receivers having a plurality of receiver antennas, the beamforming system comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a routine stored on the computer readable memory for execution on a processor (i) to determine a steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed using a matrix equalizer coefficient generator, and (ii) to apply the steering matrix to a signal to be transmitted via the multiple transmission antennas, wherein the matrix equalizer coefficient generator is disposed within the transmitter or one of the receivers.

16. The beamforming system of claim 15 , wherein the routine determines the steering matrix using equalizer coefficients developed by matrix equalizer coefficient generators of multiple ones of the receivers.

17. The beamforming system of claim 16 , wherein the routine (i) develops respective steering matrices at least by transposing respective matrices having respective sets of equalizer coefficients developed by each of multiple ones of the matrix equalizer coefficient generators and (ii) uses the respective steering matrixes at different times or in different channels to beamform to the multiple ones of the receivers.

18. The beamforming system of claim 16 , wherein the routine (i) develops a single steering matrix at least by transposing a matrix having equalizer coefficients developed by the matrix coefficient generators and (ii) uses the single steering matrix to simultaneously beamform to the multiple ones of the receivers.