Dynamic allocation of transceivers and frequency channels in mimo systems

Abstract

A communication system is provided that switches the communication of multi-antenna transmitter and receiver terminals between MIMO and frequency-bundle modes. In MIMO mode all transmitter and receiver antennas operate in the same frequency channel while in frequency-bundle mode each pair of one transmitter antenna and one receiver antenna is tuned to a different frequency channel. The communication system includes one or more control modules that collect, analyze, and apply configurations to the terminals and switch the operation of one or more transmit/receive terminal pairs between the MIMO and frequency-bundle modes based on the collected information and metrics. The monitored information and metrics include the availability of idle frequency channels in the available frequency band, propagation channel conditions, peak throughput demand by different users, power consumption budget and battery lives of different terminals, distance between transmitter and receiver antennas in each communicating transmitter/receiver pair, and overall traffic demand by terminals.

1 . A method of configuring a communication system operating on a frequency band divided into a plurality of frequency channels, the communication system comprising a transmitter terminal comprising a plurality of antennas and a receiver terminal comprising a plurality of antennas, the method comprising:
 monitoring a set of metrics for the communication system;   configuring the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in a first mode of operation when the set of metrics meet a first set of criteria, wherein in the first mode of operation all antennas of the transmitter terminal and all antennas of the receiver terminal operate over a first frequency channel in the plurality of frequency channels; and   configuring the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in a second mode of operation when the set of metrics meet a second set of criteria, wherein in the second mode of operation (i) at least one antenna of the transmitter terminal and at least one antenna of the receiver terminal to communicate with each other over the first frequency channel and (ii) at least one antenna of the transmitter terminal and at least one antenna of the receiver terminal communicate with each other over a second frequency channel in the plurality of frequency channels, wherein the first frequency channel is different than the second frequency channel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of metrics comprises a number of idle frequency channels in the plurality of frequency channels, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to communicate in the first mode of operation when the number of idle frequency channels are below a threshold, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to communicate in the second first mode of operation when the number of idle frequency channels is not below said threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a particular frequency channel is idle when a signal power over the particular frequency channel is below a threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of metrics comprises a capacity of a plurality of propagation channels between communicating antennas of the transmitter and receiver terminals, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to communicate in the first mode of operation when the capacity of the plurality of propagation channels is below a threshold, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to communicate in the second mode of operation when the capacity of the plurality of propagation channels is not below the threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said capacity depends on whether a line-of-sight exits between one or more antennas of the transmitter terminal and one or antennas of the receiver terminal. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said capacity depends on whether said plurality of propagation channels are correlated, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to operate in the second mode of operation when said correlation is over a threshold, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to operate in the first mode of operation when said correlation is not over the threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein monitoring the capacity comprises:
 transmitting training signals by the transmitter terminal when operating in the first mode of operation; 
 measuring a response of a propagation channel in first frequency channel; and 
 utilizing said measured response to determine the capacity of the propagation channel in the first frequency channel, wherein configuring the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in the first mode of operation comprises utilizing the measured capacity to configure the terminals, wherein configuring the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in the second mode of operation comprises utilizing the measured capacity to configure the terminals. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of terminals comprising said transmitter terminal and said receiver terminal operate over the plurality of frequency channels, wherein the set of monitored metrics comprises a battery life of each terminal in the plurality of terminals, the method further comprising:
 assigning priorities to terminals based on the battery life of each terminal, wherein a terminal with a lower battery life is assigned a higher priority; and   configuring higher priority terminals to operate in the second mode of operation when idle frequency channels become available.   
     
     
         9 . The method  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of terminals comprising said transmitter terminal and said receiver terminal operate over said plurality of frequency channels, wherein the set of monitored metrics comprises a power consumption of each terminal in the plurality of terminals, the method further comprising:
 assigning priorities to terminals based on the power consumption and source of power of each terminal, wherein terminals without permanent sources of power are assigned higher priorities than terminals with permanent sources of power, wherein a terminal operated without a permanent source of power and with a higher power consumption is assigned a higher priority than a terminal operated without a permanent source of power and with a higher power consumption; and   configuring higher priority terminals to operate in the second mode of operation when idle frequency channels become available.   
     
     
         10 . The method  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of terminals comprising said transmitter terminal and said receiver terminal operate over said plurality of frequency channels, wherein the set of monitored metrics comprises throughput demands by each terminal in the plurality of terminals, the method further comprising:
 assigning higher priorities to terminals with higher throughputs than terminal with lower throughputs, and   configuring higher priority terminals to operate in the second mode of operation when idle frequency channels become available.   
     
     
         11 . The method  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of terminals comprising said transmitter terminal and said receiver terminal operate over said plurality of frequency channels, wherein the set of monitored metrics comprises a distance between a pair of transmitter and receiver terminals that communicate with each other, the method further comprising:
 assigning higher priorities to pairs of terminals that are closer to each other than pairs of terminals that are farther from each other, and   configuring higher priority pairs of communicating terminals to operate in the second mode of operation when idle frequency channels become available.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter terminal utilizes a same set of hardware resources when operating in the first mode of operation and when operating in the second mode of operation, wherein the receiver terminal utilizes a same set of hardware resource when operating in the first mode of operation and when operating in the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the set of hardware resource utilized by the transmitter terminal comprises a set of low noise amplifiers, a set of power amplifiers, a set of digital to analog converters, and a set of analog to digital converters, wherein the set of hardware resource utilized by the receiver terminal comprises a set of low noise amplifiers, a set of power amplifiers, a set of digital to analog converters, and a set of analog to digital converters. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the set of hardware resource utilized by the transmitter terminal comprises an encoder engine, a plurality of transmitters, a plurality of up-converters, and said plurality of transmitter terminal antennas, wherein the set of hardware resource utilized by the receiver terminal comprises a decoder engine, a plurality of receivers, a plurality of down-converters, and said plurality of receiver terminal antennas. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 when operating in the second mode of operation:
 a) encoding information bits to be transmitted by the transmitter terminal; and 
 b) splitting the encoded information bits into separate streams for transmission over the first and second frequency channels. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frequency band operated by the communication system is one a licensed frequency band and an unlicensed frequency band. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication system is one of a third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), long term evolution (LTE), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) networks, wireless broadband, wireless local area network (LAN), and millimeter wave (mmWave) communication systems. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to share the second frequency channel with a plurality of other terminals, wherein the transmitter and receiver terminals are configured to dynamically switch operating in the first and second modes of operation, wherein said dynamically switching comprises (i) operating in the first mode of operation in a plurality of time-slots when the second frequency channel is not available and (ii) operating in the second mode of operation in a plurality of time-slots when the second frequency channel is available. 
     
     
         19 . A communication system operating on a frequency band divided into a plurality of frequency channels, the communication system comprising:
 a transmitter terminal comprising a plurality of antennas;   a receiver terminal comprising a plurality of antennas; and   a set of control modules to:
 (a) monitor a set of metrics for the communication system, 
 (b) configure the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in a first mode of operation when the set of metrics meet a first set of criteria, wherein in the first mode of operation all antennas of the transmitter terminal and all antennas of the receiver terminal operate over a first frequency channel in the plurality of frequency channels, and 
 (c) configure the transmitter and receiver terminals to communicate with each other in a second mode of operation when the set of metrics meet a second set of criteria, wherein in the second mode of operation (i) at least one antenna of the transmitter terminal and at least one antenna of the receiver terminal to communicate with each other over the first frequency channel and (ii) at least one antenna of the transmitter terminal and at least one antenna of the receiver terminal communicate with each other over a second frequency channel in the plurality of frequency channels, wherein the first frequency channel is different than the second frequency channel. 
   
     
     
         20 . The communication system of  claim 19 , wherein the set of control modules comprises a control module at the transmitter terminal to configure the transmitter terminal to operate in one of the first and second modes of operation, wherein the set of control module comprises a control module at the receiver terminal to configure the receiver terminal to operate in one of the first and second modes of operation. 
     
     
         21 - 31 . (canceled)