Radio apparatus, and method and program for controlling spatial path

Abstract

A PDMA terminal establishes communication by forming a plurality of spatial paths to another single radio apparatus. A plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna are divided into a plurality of subarrays corresponding to the plurality of spatial paths respectively. An adaptive array processing unit can perform an adaptive array processing for each of the plurality of subarrays. A memory stores in advance information on the number of antennas associated with the number of spatial paths that can be formed by the array antenna. A control unit controls a processing to transmit possible multiplicity information to another radio apparatus at a prescribed timing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to a plurality of antennas, respectively;   a storage unit which stores beforehand a value indicating possible multiplicity associated with the number of spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit; and   a control unit which controls a processing of transmitting the value indicating possible multiplicity to the another radio apparatus at a predetermined timing.   
     
     
       2. A radio apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said control unit controls the processing of transmitting the value indicating possible multiplicity to the another radio apparatus in such a manner that the predetermined timing comes before a communication. 
     
     
       3. A radio apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said storage unit stores beforehand the number of spatial paths capable of attaining normal reception, as the value indicating possible multiplicity. 
     
     
       4. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna;   an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to the plurality of antennas, respectively;   a storage unit which stores beforehand a value indicating possible multiplicity associated with the number of spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit; and   a control unit which controls a processing of transmitting the value indicating possible multiplicity to the another radio apparatus at a predetermined timing.   
     
     
       5. A radio apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said control unit controls the processing of transmitting the value indicating possible multiplicity to the another radio apparatus in such a manner that the predetermined timing comes before a communication. 
     
     
       6. A radio apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said storage unit stores beforehand the number of spatial paths capable of attaining normal reception, as the value indicating possible multiplicity. 
     
     
       7. A radio apparatus capable of multiplex communication with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to a plurality of antennas, respectively, wherein said plurality of antennas comprise a plurality of antenna subarrays, and wherein the adaptive array unit is capable of changing a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the antenna subarrays;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel with the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel with said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       8. The radio apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas.  
     
     
       9. A radio apparatus capable of multiplex communication with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to a plurality of antennas, respectively;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel with the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel with said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each configuration of the plurality of antennas in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       10. The radio apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is based on one or more configurations of the plurality of antennas.  
     
     
       11. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of antennas constituting a plurality of antenna subarrays;   an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to the plurality of antenna subarrays, respectively, and wherein the adaptive array unit is capable of changing a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the antenna subarrays;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel being sent to the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel with said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       12. The radio apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas.  
     
     
       13. A radio apparatus capable of multiplex communication with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna;   an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to the plurality of antennas, respectively;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel being sent to the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel with said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each configuration of the plurality of antennas in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       14. The radio apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is based on one or more configurations of the plurality of antennas.  
     
     
       15. A radio apparatus capable of multiplex communication with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to a plurality of antennas, wherein the plurality of antennas are divided into a plurality of antenna subarrays;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel with the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel with said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       16. The radio apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is further configured, subsequent to allocating one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of available spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus, to allocate remaining antennas of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a prescribed order.  
     
     
       17. The radio apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each of the antenna sub-arrays correspond to one spatial path.  
     
     
       18. The radio apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive array unit is configured to change a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the antenna subarrays.  
     
     
       19. The radio apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the radio apparatus further comprises a monitor unit that monitors communication quality for each spatial path during communication, and the control unit is configured to change the number of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the sub-arrays in accordance with a detection result of the monitor unit.  
     
     
       20. The radio apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive array unit can change a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the antenna subarrays to perform said adaptive array processing, said radio apparatus further comprising a monitor unit for monitoring communication quality for each available spatial path during communication, and said control unit changing the number of said plurality of antennas allocated to each said antenna subarray in accordance with a detection result of said monitor unit.  
     
     
       21. The radio apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas.  
     
     
       22. A radio apparatus capable of multiplex communication with another radio apparatus by forming a plurality of spatial paths therebetween, the radio apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of antennas constituting an array antenna, wherein said array antenna comprises a plurality of antenna subarrays;   an adaptive array unit capable of performing adaptive array processing on signals corresponding to the plurality of antennas, respectively;   a storage unit which stores prior to a request to establish a link channel being sent to the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of available spatial paths formable by said adaptive array unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit which controls a process of transmitting the value to the another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel from said radio apparatus to said another radio apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to a number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.    
     
     
       23. The radio apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas.