Systems and methods for introducing time diversity in WiFi transmissions

1. A method for introducing time diversity in a transmitter, the method comprising:

receiving, at the transmitter, a request from a receiver to retransmit data, wherein the data was initially transmitted at a first instance in time from a first set of serially-connected transmitter blocks that are arranged in a first order and are coupled to a first transmitter block;

in response to receiving the request, receiving an input of signals at the first transmitter block corresponding to the data requested for retransmission;

determining a second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks at a second instance in time for retransmission, wherein the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks are coupled to the first transmitter block;

applying a time-varying function to order the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks in a second order, by shifting an ordering of the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks, or by reversing the ordering of the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks;

sending the input of signals to the second set of serially-connected transmission blocks in the second order; and

generating, in response to the request, an output of signals from the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks after applying the time-varying function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input of signals comprises at least one of a grouping of bits and a grouping of symbols.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmitter block is selectively operable in multiple combinations of modes including a first mode and a second mode and wherein operating the first transmitter block in the first mode comprises:

re-ordering of the signals according to the time-varying function; and

sending the signals to a second transmitter block.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein re-ordering of the signals according to the time-varying function further comprises:

determining a plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of sending signals to the first transmitter block;

ordering the plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of sending signals to the first transmitter block according to the time-varying function; and

in response to the ordering of the plurality of the transmitter blocks, ordering the signals based on the order of the corresponding transmitter block in the ordering of the plurality of the transmitter blocks.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the first transmitter block in the second mode comprises:

determining a third transmitter block for receiving the signals according to the time-varying function; and

sending the signals to the third transmitter block.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the third transmitter block for receiving the signals according to the time-varying function further comprises:

determining a plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of receiving the signals;

ordering the plurality of transmitter blocks capable of receiving the signals according to the time-varying function, wherein the time-varying function operates by determining an initial ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at a third instance of time and at least one of: shifting the ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at a fourth instance of time, and reversing the ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at the fourth instance of time; and

in response to the ordering, selecting a transmitter block from the ordered plurality of transmitter blocks.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmitter block comprises at least one of a stream parser, encoder parser, a frequency segment parser, a BCC bit interleaver, a subcarrier mapper, and a CSD block.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmitter block is a BCC bit interleaver, and wherein operating on the signals is performed using at least one of: a bit-to-subcarrier permutation layer, a bit-to-modulation permutation layer, a bit-to-frequency rotation layer, and a time-varying interleaver layer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmitter block is a subcarrier mapper, and wherein operating on the signals is performed using at least one of: a time-varying permutation of symbol-to-subcarrier mapping block and a time-varying frequency domain interleaver block.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time-varying function introduces a time dependence using at least one of a transmission count, a retransmission count, an OFDM symbol count, a configuration by a higher layer, and by using signaling.

11. A system for introducing time diversity in a transmitter, the system comprising:

a transmitter configured to receive a request from a receiver to retransmit data to the receiver, wherein the data was initially transmitted at a first instance in time from a first set of serially-connected transmitter blocks that are arranged in a first order and are coupled to a first transmitter block; and

control circuitry configured to

in response to receiving the request, receive an input of signals at the first transmitter block corresponding to the data requested for retransmission, and

determine a second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks at a second instance in time for retransmission, wherein the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks are coupled to the first transmitter block;

apply a time-varying function to order the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks in a second order, by shifting an ordering of the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks, or reversing the ordering of the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks;

send the input of signals to the second set of serially-connected transmission blocks in the second order; and

generate, in response to the request, an output of signals from the second set of serially-connected transmitter blocks after applying the time-varying function.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the input of signals comprises at least one of a grouping of bits and a grouping of symbols.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the first transmitter block selectively in multiple combinations of modes including a first mode and a second mode and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when operating the first transmitter block in the first mode, to:

re-order of the signals according to the time-varying function; and

send the signals to a second transmitter block.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when re-ordering of the signals according to the time-varying function, to:

determine a plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of sending signals to the first transmitter block;

order the plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of sending signals to the first transmitter block according to the time-varying function; and

in response to the ordering of the plurality of the transmitter blocks, order the signals based on the order of the corresponding transmitter block in the ordering of the plurality of the transmitter blocks.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when operating the first transmitter block in the second mode is further configured to:

determine a third transmitter block for receiving the signals according to the time-varying function; and

send the signals to the third transmitter block.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the third transmitter block for receiving the signals according to the time-varying function, to:

determine a plurality of transmitter blocks that are capable of receiving the signals;

order the plurality of transmitter blocks capable of receiving the signals according to the time-varying function, wherein the time-varying function operates by determining an initial ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at a third instance of time and at least one of:

shifting the ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at a fourth instance of time, and reversing the ordering of the plurality of transmitter blocks at fourth second instance of time; and

in response to the ordering, select a transmitter block from the ordered plurality of transmitter blocks.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first transmitter block comprises at least one of a stream parser, encoder parser, a frequency segment parser, a BCC bit interleaver, a subcarrier mapper, and a CSD block.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first transmitter block is a BCC bit interleaver, and wherein the control circuitry configured to operate on the signals is configured to operate using at least one of: a bit-to-subcarrier permutation layer, a bit-to-modulation permutation layer, a bit-to-frequency rotation layer, and a time-varying interleaver layer.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first transmitter block is a subcarrier mapper, and wherein the control circuitry configured to operate on the signals is configured to operate using at least one of: a time-varying permutation of symbol-to-subcarrier mapping block and a time-varying frequency domain interleaver block.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the time-varying function introduces a time dependence using at least one of a transmission count, a retransmission count, an OFDM symbol count, a configuration by a higher layer, and by using signaling.