Patent ID: 8570982

Claim:
A method for transmitting data in a cellular communications system with transmit spatial diversity, the method comprising: selecting at least one antenna from each sector of a plurality of sectors to form a transmit antenna set of a plurality of L transmit antenna sets, wherein L is an integer greater than one; assigning for a first period, each of a plurality of L data streams to a first different transmit antenna set of the plurality of L transmit antenna sets, resulting in a first distribution of data streams among transmit antenna sets; concurrently transmitting to a plurality of receivers during the first period, each of the plurality of L data streams through transmit antennae of the plurality of L transmit antenna sets according to the first distribution so that transmit antennae of said each transmit antenna set transmit during the first period the data stream assigned to said each transmit antenna set for the at least one first period; assigning for a second period, each of the plurality of L data streams to a second different transmit antenna set of the plurality of L transmit antenna sets, resulting in a second distribution of data streams among transmit antenna sets, wherein the second distribution is different from the first distribution; and concurrently transmitting to the plurality of receivers during the second period, each of the plurality of L data streams through the transmit antennae of the plurality of L transmit antenna sets according to the second distribution so that transmit antennae of said each transmit antenna set transmit during the second period the data stream assigned to said each transmit antenna set for the second period.