Patent ID: 8068877

Claim:
A method of communicating with a wireless communication station, the method comprising the acts of: transmitting, by a base station to the wireless communication station, communication signals in a first communication mode, wherein the base station transmits the communication signals over multiple antennas in the first communication mode; determining a signal quality measure of the communications with the wireless communication station in the first communication mode; determining a distance between the base station and the wireless communication station; and transmitting, by the base station to the wireless communication station, communication signals in a second communication mode when the determined signal quality measure is less than a predetermined signal quality measure and when there is a predetermined distance between the base station and the wireless communication station, wherein the base station transmits the communication signals over a single one of the plurality of antennas in the second communication mode, wherein the base station transmits the communication signals at a same power level over each of the multiple antennas in the first communication mode and the base station transmits the communication signals over the single antenna at a power level equal to a sum of the power levels used for transmission over the multiple antennas in the second communication mode.