Patent ID: 7483406

Claim:
For use in a wireless network comprising a first base station capable of transmitting a plurality of user data streams in a forward channel using a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system, a first mobile station capable of implementing a virtual MIMO antenna system to receive MIMO data signals transmitted by said first base station, said first mobile station comprising: a first transceiver capable of receiving and down-converting said MIMO data signals transmitted by said first base station and storing a first plurality of samples of said MIMO data signals in a memory of said first mobile station; and a second transceiver capable of communicating directly with a second mobile station and receiving from said second mobile station a second plurality of samples of MIMO data signals received by said second mobile station from said first base station, wherein said first mobile station stores said second plurality of samples of MIMO data signals in said memory, wherein the first plurality of samples of said MIMO data signals and the second plurality of samples of MIMO data signals can be combined in the first mobile station as though they were received directly from the first base station as a single MIMO transmission.