Patent ID: 7382832

Claim:
A time-switched preamble supplement generator for use with a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) transmitter employing N transmit antennas, N being at least two, comprising: an initial preamble supplement formatter configured to provide a first permutation of a set of preamble supplements to said N transmit antennas during an initial time interval, said first permutation including a single first preamble supplement and at least one second preamble supplement; and a subsequent preamble supplement formatter coupled to said initial preamble supplement formatter and configured to provide (N−1) mutually exclusive further permutations of said set to said N transmit antennas during (N−1) subsequent time intervals, wherein said initial preamble supplement formatter and said subsequent preamble supplement formatter repeatedly provide said first permutation and said mutually exclusive further permutations during an additional period of time.