Partial Handoff in MIMO-OFDM Cellular Systems

Background MIMO technology allows high data-rate transmission to a single user using spatial multiplexing techniques, space-time coding, and other methods known in the art. In a wireless cellular network, when the mobile receiver is moving from one cell to another, multiple transmit antennas provide a unique opportunity to increase system performance during handoff by using antennas from both base stations of the adjacent cells. The problem addressed has to do with the optimization of these handoff mechanisms.

Invention Description To achieve optimal performance during handoff, the mobile receiver can be linked to antennas from both the base stations of the adjacent cells (partial handoff). Unlike conventional systems that use soft handoff, potentially different data streams are transmitted to obtain the gains of MIMO communication. This method, with its provision for partial handoffs in MIMO cell systems, allows for optimal performance; its strengths come from many areas, including the measurement process, the antenna selection process, and the handoff execution process.

Benefits

Unique opportunity to increase system performance during handoff In addition to general MIMO systems benefits (including substantial capacity, quality, and performance improvements), support of more antennas and larger bandwidths can be achieved. Effect of transmit antenna correlation is reduced by separating transmit antennas as far as possible.

Features

Uses antennas from both the base stations of adjacent cells Composed of: mobile stations, base station, base controller station, data backbone, gateway, external network Partial handoff works by making a tradeoff between large-scale path loss and spatial correlation.

Market Potential/Applications Wireless networking and communication systems. Developed jointly with the Samsung Applied Institute of Technology

Development Stage Proof of concept

IP Status One foreign patent application filed

UT Researcher Robert W. Heath, Jr., Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin Sunghyun Cho, i-Networking Lab, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology Chwan-ming Wang, Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Type of Offer: Licensing



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