Measuring signal strength in a multiple-input multiple-output antenna environment
View Patent ↗A wireless communication device is operated in a M by N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode. M is the number of antennas transmitting to the communication device from a first base station. N the number of receiving antennas and receivers. M and N are integers greater than one. The wireless communication device is operated in an M by N−1 MIMO mode while a first one of the N receiving antennas and a first one of the N receivers receives wireless communication from a second base station.
1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising:
operating the wireless communication device in a M by N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode, wherein M is a number of antennas transmitting to the communication device from a first base station, and wherein N is a number of receiving antennas and receivers, and wherein M is an integer greater than zero and N is an integer greater than one; and,
operating the wireless communication device in a M by N−1 MIMO mode while a first one of the N receiving antennas and a first one of the N receivers receives wireless communication from a second base station.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein M=2 and N=2.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the wireless communication device in a diversity coding MIMO mode.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving M streams of data on a single frequency channel; and,
receiving a single stream of data on the single frequency channel.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a control message from the first base station to switch the wireless communication device from spatial multiplexing MIMO mode to space-time coding MIMO mode.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
sending a request to the first base station to switch the wireless communication device from spatial multiplexing MIMO mode to space-time coding MIMO mode.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the wireless communication device begins scanning after the request to the first base station is granted.
8. A wireless communication device, comprising:
N antennas, wherein N is an integer higher than 1; and
N receivers, wherein each of the N receivers is coupled to an antenna of the N antennas,
wherein the wireless communication device is configured to:
communicate with a first base station in an M by N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode, wherein M is an integer higher than 0; and
switch communication with the first base station from the M by N MIMO mode to an M by N−1 MIMO mode such that a first antenna of the N antennas and a corresponding first receiver of the N receivers do not communicate with the first base station, and receive signals from a second base station through the first antenna and the first receiver.
9. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein M=2 and N=2.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein communicating with the first base station in a MIMO mode comprises communicating in a diversity coding MIMO mode.
11. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein:
communicating with the first base station in the M by N MIMO mode comprises communicating in a spatial multiplexing MIMO mode, and
switching communication with the first base station from the M by N MIMO mode to the M by N−1 MIMO mode comprises:
sending a request to the first base station to switch the wireless communication device from spatial multiplexing MIMO mode to a diversity coding MIMO mode; and
configuring the wireless communication device to communicate in a diversity coding MIMO mode, when the base station responds to confirm the switch to a diversity coding MIMO mode.