Multipoint transmission and reception in a radio communication network

1. A method for determining signals to be transmitted from a plurality of directional antennas in a radio communication network, wherein the plurality of directional antennas are provided for a cell area and each directional antenna provides a directional radio path along which the directional antenna is configured to send and receive radio communications, wherein the plurality of directional antennas are arranged such that directional radio paths overlap, the method comprising:

determining signals to be transmitted from the plurality of directional antenna from user signals associated with respective ones of a plurality of sub-cells associated with each antenna;

controlling the signals transmitted from the plurality of directional antennas in accordance with the determined signals and to define a plurality of sub-cells within the cell area by an overlap of a plurality of directional radio paths;

wherein the directional antennas send radio communications to, and receive radio communications from, user equipment in the sub-cell;

wherein a subset of the plurality of directional radio paths intersect in the sub-cell and each directional antenna is associated with a set of sub-cells in which transmissions from the directional antenna are received;

at each antenna, transmitting the signal determined for that antenna during a transmission period; and

applying a periodic phase modulation to the transmitted signal, the periodic phase modulation having a period shorter than the transmission period, wherein the period of the phase modulations applied to each of the plurality of transmitted signals is different.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a signal to be transmitted from one of the plurality of directional antennas associated with a plurality of sub-cells based on a signal to be transmitted from another antenna associated with at least one of the plurality of sub-cells.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

dividing a user signal for each of the sub-cells associated with the directional antenna into a plurality of user signal components; and

allocating each user signal component to a respective antenna associated with the sub-cell.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the user signals are symbol values encoding a symbol for the user in a symbol period.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnitude of the or each periodic phase modulation applied in respect of a source modulation change by 360 degrees within one period of the periodic phase modulation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the or each periodic phase modulation applied in respect of a source modulation has a period which is an integer sub-multiple of the symbol period.

7. An apparatus for a radio communication network for determining signals to be transmitted from a plurality of directional antennas in a radio communication network, wherein the plurality of directional antennas are provided for a cell area and each directional antenna provides a directional radio path along which the directional antenna is configured to send and receive radio communications, wherein the plurality of directional antennas are arranged such that directional radio paths overlap, the apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry;

memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the apparatus is operative to:

determine signals to be transmitted from the plurality of directional antenna from user signals associated with respective ones of a plurality of sub-cells associated with each antenna;

control the signals transmitted from the plurality of directional antennas in accordance with the determined signals and to define a plurality of sub-cells within the cell area by an overlap of a plurality of directional radio paths;

wherein the directional antennas send radio communications to, and receive radio communications from, user equipment in the sub-cell;

wherein a subset of the plurality of directional radio paths intersect in the sub-cell and each directional antenna is associated with a set of sub-cells in which transmissions from the directional antenna are received;

at each antenna, transmit the signal determined for that antenna during a transmission period; and

apply a periodic phase modulation to the transmitted signal, the periodic phase modulation having a period shorter than the transmission period, wherein the period of the phase modulations applied to each of the plurality of transmitted signals is different.