Radio apparatus, and method and program for controlling spatial path

Abstract

A PDMA terminal ( 1000 ) 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 (USP) can perform an adaptive array processing for each of the plurality of subarrays. A memory (MMU) 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 (CNP) 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, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using an antenna; and   a reception unit configured to receive, from said another radio apparatus, a value indicating possible multiplicity associated with the number of spatial paths that can be formed by said another radio apparatus, at a predetermined timing.   
     
     
       2. The radio apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said reception unit receive the value indicating possible multiplicity from said 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 reception unit receives the number of spatial paths that the said another radio apparatus is capable of receiving, as the value indicating possible multiplicity. 
     
     
       4. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using a plurality of antennas;   a storage unit configured to store beforehand a value indicating possible multiplicity associated with the number of spatial paths formable by said communication unit; and   a control unit configured to control a processing of transmitting the value indicating possible multiplicity to said 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 said another 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 that the said radio apparatus is capable of receiving, as the value indicating possible multiplicity. 
     
     
       7. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using a plurality of antennas; and   a reception unit configured to receive, from said another radio apparatus, a value indicating possible multiplicity associated with the number of spatial paths that can be formed by said another radio apparatus, at a predetermined timing.   
     
     
       8. A radio apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said reception unit receives the value indicating possible multiplicity from said another radio apparatus in such a manner that the predetermined timing comes before a communication. 
     
     
       9. A radio apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said reception unit receives the number of spatial paths that the said another radio apparatus is capable of receiving, as the value indicating possible multiplicity. 
     
     
       10. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using an antenna array, wherein said antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna subarrays; and   a reception unit configured to receive, from said another radio apparatus, a value indicating a number of available spatial paths that can be formed by said another radio apparatus for multiplex communication in a request to establish a link channel, and wherein at least one antenna of the antenna array is allocated to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of available spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.   
     
     
       11. The radio apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas. 
     
     
       12. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using an antenna array, wherein said antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna subarrays;   a storage unit configured to store prior to a request to establish a link channel from the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of spatial paths formable by said communication unit for multiplex communication; and   a control unit configured to control a process of transmitting the value to said another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the antenna array to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.   
     
     
       13. The radio apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the value indicating the number of available spatial paths is less than a number of the plurality of antennas. 
     
     
       14. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using a plurality of antennas constituting a plurality of antenna subarrays; and   a reception unit configured to receive, from said another radio apparatus, a value indicating a number of spatial paths that can be formed by said another radio apparatus for multiplex communication in a request to establish a link channel, wherein at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas is allocated to each of the antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.   
     
     
       15. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, subsequent to allocating at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays in a number corresponding to the number of available spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus, the remaining antennas of the plurality of antennas are allocated to each of the antenna subarrays in a prescribed order. 
     
     
       16. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of antenna subarrays correspond to one spatial path. 
     
     
       17. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the radio apparatus further comprises an adaptive array unit that is configured to change a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays. 
     
     
       18. The radio apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the radio apparatus further comprises a monitor unit that monitors communication quality for each spatial path during communication, and a control unit that is configured to change the number of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays in accordance with a detection result of the monitor unit. 
     
     
       19. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the radio apparatus further comprises an adaptive array unit that is configured to change a combination of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays to perform adaptive array processing, said radio apparatus further comprising a monitor unit for monitoring communication quality for each available spatial path during communication, and said radio apparatus further comprising a control unit for changing the number of said plurality of antennas allocated to each said antenna subarray in accordance with a detection result of said monitor unit. 
     
     
       20. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, during communication, the number of the plurality of antennas allocated to each of the plurality of antenna subarrays is changed in accordance with a communication quality of each available spatial path in use for communication. 
     
     
       21. The radio apparatus according to claim 14, 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 communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas;   a storage unit configured to store prior to a request to establish a link channel from the another radio apparatus a value indicating a number of spatial paths formable by said communication unit for multiplex communication wherein said value is based on one or more subarray configurations of the plurality of antennas; and   a control unit configured to control a process of transmitting the value to said another radio apparatus in the request to establish the link channel, wherein the control unit is configured to allocate at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas to each subarray configuration of the plurality of antennas in a number corresponding to the number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.   
     
     
       23. A radio apparatus capable of communicating with another radio apparatus, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to communicate using a plurality of antennas; and   a reception unit configured to receive, from said another radio apparatus, a value indicating a number of spatial paths that can be formed by said another radio apparatus for multiplex communication in a request to establish a link channel, wherein said value is based on one or more subarray configurations of the plurality of antennas, and wherein at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas is allocated to each subarray configuration of the plurality of antennas in a number corresponding to the number of spatial paths notified by the another radio apparatus.