Abstract: Broadly speaking, the invention comprises systems and methods that use the number of mobile stations, denoted by N, communicating with a base station, as a variable that determines the optimum induced change rate, R, and the antenna beam width, W, of a time-varying base station antenna gain pattern used in conjunction with a forward power modulation (FPM) or a similar scheme to maximize the overall data throughput from the base station by taking advantage of multi-user diversity. In one embodiment, the FPM scheme is turned off if N is below a lower threshold. If N is above this threshold, the FPM scheme is turned on with R and W set to appropriate values. Generally, higher values of N correspond to higher values of R and lower values of W.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptively forming a transmission beam to optimize data transmissions to one or more receivers (mobile stations). In one embodiment, a method comprises varying a transmission beam pattern by controlling a parameter such as the phase shift between a primary transmission signal and a secondary transmission signal. As the beam pattern is varied, data is collected on the performance of communications using the beam. The data is then examined to identify values of the control parameter for which performance is maximized. The control parameter is then maintained at these values for longer periods of time than those values for which performance is lower. Data throughput can thereby be increased for situations in which there are relatively few mobile stations in the sector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) of the signal to be received by a mobile station transmitted from a base station in a wireless data communications system, for the purpose of forward link data rate control in the presence of partly periodic SINR fluctuations. The invention involves determination of a periodic mean SINR component in the received SINR process, and upon such determination the activation of a method which comprises a periodic mean SINR estimator, a subtractor which subtracts the periodic component from the received SINR process to produce an intermediate SINR process, a generic predictor which may be used to perform predictions on the intermediate SINR process, an adder which adds back an appropriate mean value to the intermediate SINR prediction. The resulting final SINR prediction is then used for rate selection.