Midamble allocations for MIMO transmissions

1. A method of communicating with mobile terminal from a network element of a mobile radio network, the network element and the mobile terminal each including a first antenna and a second antenna, the method comprising:

receiving an indication for a MIMO downlink channel for communicating with the mobile terminal;

selecting at least one first training sequence from a set of training sequences for allocation to the first antenna of the network element;

preparing at least one data payload;

generating a first signal including the prepared at least one data payload and the at least one training sequence;

transmitting the first signal as a MIMO transmission forming the downlink channel from the first antenna of the network element to the mobile terminal; and

in response to the indication for the MIMO downlink channel for communicating with the mobile terminal, selecting at least one second training sequence from the set of training sequences for allocation to the second antenna of the network element, wherein each of the selected training sequences of the at least one second training sequence is different from each of the selected training sequences of the at least one first training sequence;

preparing at least one second data payload;

generating a second signal including the prepared at least one second data payload and the at least one second training sequence;

transmitting to the mobile terminal the second signal in the downlink MIMO channel from the second antenna of the network element simultaneously with the transmission of the first signal to form the MIMO transmission; and

for corresponding MIMO transmissions in a same position in subsequent frames to that of the MIMO transmission using each of the at least one first training sequence only for transmissions from the first antenna of the network element, and using each of the at least one second training sequence only for transmissions from the second antenna of the network element.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a third training sequence, wherein the third training sequence is different from the at least one second training sequence; and

preparing a third data payload;

wherein the generating of the first signal further includes the prepared third data payload and the third training sequence.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

preparing a fourth data payload;

wherein the generating of the second signal further includes the prepared fourth data payload and the third training sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the at least one first training sequence includes selecting of the at least one first training sequence based on a total number of data payloads included in the first signal.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting of the at least one second training sequence includes selecting of the at least one second training sequence based on a total number of data payloads included in the second signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a first channelization code for the at least one first data payload;

wherein the preparing at least one first data payload includes applying the selected first channelization code; and

wherein the selecting of the at least one first training sequence includes selecting of the at least one first training sequence based on the selected first channelization code.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a burst type;

wherein the selecting of the at least one first training sequence is based on the determined burst type.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the at least one first training sequence is based on a total number of transmit antennas NT.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first training sequence comprises at least one midamble sequence.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first training sequence comprises at least one post-amble sequence.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first training sequence comprises at least one post-amble sequence.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element is a base station.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element is another mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the preparing of the at least one first data payload includes:

channelizing the at least one first data payload with a channelization code; and

puncturing the channelized at least one first data payload with a first puncturing scheme;

the preparing of the at least one second data payload includes:

channelizing the at least one second data payload with the channelization code; and

puncturing the channelized at least one second data payload with a second puncturing scheme, wherein the second puncturing scheme differs from the first puncturing scheme; and

the at least one second data payload is the same as the at least one first data payload.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and the at least one second training sequences are selected further based on the first antenna and the second antenna, respectively, and a first and second channelization code, respectively.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and the at least one second training sequences are selected based on a predetermined training sequence allocation scheme.

17. The method of claim 1 , comprising

providing the mobile terminal with an indication the first training sequence and the allocation to the first antenna and an indication of the second training sequence and the allocation to the second antenna, in response to an allocation by the network element of the up-link channel.

18. A network element of a mobile radio network for communicating with a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal including a first and a second antenna, the network element comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an indication for a MIMO downlink channel for communicating with the mobile terminal;

a first antenna;

a second antenna; and

a transmitter operably coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna and configured

to select at least one first training sequence from a set of training sequences for allocation to the first antenna of the network element;

to prepare at least one data payload;

to generate a first signal including the prepared at least one data payload and the at least one first training sequence;

to transmit the first signal as a MIMO transmission forming the downlink channel from the first antenna of the network element to the mobile terminal;

in response to the indication for the MIMO downlink channel for communicating with the mobile terminal, to select at least one second training sequence from the set of training sequences for allocation to the second antenna of the network element, wherein each of the selected training sequences of the at least one second training sequence is different from each of the selected training sequences of the at least one first training sequence;

to prepare at least one second data payload;

to generate a second signal including the prepared at least one second data payload and the at least one second training sequence; and

to transmit to the mobile terminal the second signal in the downlink channel from the second antenna of the network element simultaneously with the transmission of the first signal to form the MIMO transmission, wherein the transmitter is further configured for corresponding MIMO transmissions in a same position in subsequent frames to that of the MIMO transmission to use each of the at least one first training sequence only for the transmissions from the first antenna and each of the at least one second training sequence only for transmissions from the second antenna.

19. The network element of claim 18 , wherein the transmitter comprises a base-station transmitter.

20. The network element of claim 18 , wherein the transmitter is configured to provide the mobile terminal with a first indication of the selected first training sequence and the allocation to the first antenna and the selected second training sequence and the allocation to the second antenna in response to an allocation by the network element of the up-link channel.