Patent ID: 6694147
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A communications method for use in a communications system including a first device, a second device, and a third device, the method comprising the steps of:operating the first device to receive first communications channel condition information regarding the condition of a first communications channel existing between the first device and the second device and to receive second communications channel condition information regarding the condition of a second communications channel existing between the first device and the third device; determining, as a function of the first communications channel condition information, when to transmit data from the first device to said second device; and determining, as a function of the second communications channel condition information, when to transmit data to said third device; transmitting, using a plurality of N antennas, the same data to the second device, N being a positive integer greater than one, the step of transmitting including: transmitting from a first antenna in said plurality of N antennas a first data signal including said data; transmitting from a second antenna in said plurality of N antennas a second data signal including the same data as said first data signal; and varying the relative amplitudes of the first and second data signals as a function of time while maintaining the combined average transmitted power of the first and second data signals at an almost constant value over the period in time during which the relative amplitudes of the first and second data signals are varied.