1. A method for enhancing capacity in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless system, said method comprising:
intentionally creating a multi-path distortion in signals broadcast from a base station in an otherwise flat fading environment;
allocating a first plurality of subcarriers to a first subscriber station and a second plurality of subcarriers to a second subscriber station based upon a determination of diversity gains of said first and second subscriber stations, said determination being based, at least in part, on said intentionally created multi-path distortion;
receiving a notification that a retraining is needed for said first subscriber station based on a measured channel deterioration for said first subscriber station; and
after said receiving said notification:
broadcasting new signals with a new intentionally created multi-path distortion;
redetermining said diversity gains of at least said first subscriber station; and
allocating a new first plurality of subcarriers to said first subscriber station based on said redetermined diversity gains, at least one subcarrier of said new first plurality of subcarriers being different from at least one subcarrier of said first plurality of subcarriers.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said intentionally created multi-path distortion is created by broadcasting a signal and at least one time-delayed version of said broadcast signal.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said diversity gains are determined by resolving said intentionally created multi-path distortion created by said at least one time-delayed version of said broadcast signal.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein said base station utilizes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said broadcast signal comprises pilot OFDM symbols.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one time-delayed version of said broadcast signal is broadcast according to a pattern.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said pattern changes over time.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
notifying said first subscriber station and said second subscriber station of results of said allocating, wherein said notifying uses at least one downlink common control channel.
9. A method for enhancing multi-user diversity in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless system, said method comprising:
selecting a first plurality of subcarriers for a first subscriber station upon a determination of a diversity gain of said first subscriber station, said first subscriber station diversity gain determination based on an intentional multi-path distortion created by transmission of a first pilot signal and a time-delayed version of said first pilot signal from a base station;
selecting a second plurality of subcarriers for a second subscriber station upon a determination of a diversity gain of said second subscriber station, said second subscriber station diversity gain determination based on said created intentional multi-path distortion;
allocating a communication channel to said first subscriber station based, at least in part, on said selection of said first plurality of subcarriers;
allocating a different communication channel to said second subscriber station based, at least in part, on said selection of said second plurality of subcarriers;
receiving a notification that a retraining is needed for said first subscriber station based on a measured channel deterioration; and
after said receiving said notification, selecting a new first plurality of subcarriers for said first subscriber station based upon a newly determined diversity gain of said first subscriber station, said newly determined diversity gain based on a new intentional multi-path distortion created by transmission of a new pilot signal and at least one time-delayed version of said new pilot signal from said base station, and at least one subcarrier of said new first plurality of subcarriers being different from at least one subcarrier of said first plurality of subcarriers.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining if said retraining is necessary for said first subscriber station; and
if said retraining is necessary, re-allocating another communication channel to said first subscriber station to compensate for movement of said first subscriber station.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein said allocating said different communication channel is based, at least in part, on said allocating said communication channel.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said allocating said different communication channel is performed when said second subscriber station is added to said OFDMA wireless system.
13. A subscriber station in a wireless system, said subscriber station comprising:
an orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) demodulator configured to:
receive a signal and an intentionally delayed version of said signal, where said intentionally delayed version of said signal intentionally creates multi-user diversity in said wireless system;
send a selection of at least one channel to a base station; and
receive an allocation of a channel based, at least in part, on said sent selection of said at least one channel; and
a processor configured to:
resolve multi-path distortion created by said received intentionally delayed version of said signal to determine a diversity gain of said subscriber station; and
select said at least one channel based on said determined diversity gain of said subscriber station.
14. The subscriber station of claim 13, wherein said processor is further configured to:
update said selection of said at least one channel, performed periodically to compensate for movement of said subscriber station within said wireless system.
15. The subscriber station of claim 13, wherein said processor is further configured to:
update said selection of said at least one channel, performed periodically to compensate for changes in said determined diversity gain of said subscriber station.
16. A method for enhancing multi-user diversity in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless system, said method comprising:
selecting a first plurality of subchannels for a first subscriber station based upon a first determination of diversity gain based on a intentional multi-path distortion of a signal broadcast from a base station in an otherwise flat-fading environment;
selecting a second plurality of subchannels for a second subscriber station based upon a second determination of diversity gain based on said intentional multi-path distortion of said broadcast signal;
allocating one or more subcarriers to a plurality of subscriber stations in an OFDMA network based on said first and second determined diversity gains, wherein said first and second determined diversity gains are obtained by resolving said intentional multi-path distortion;
receiving a notification that retraining is needed for said first subscriber station based on a measured channel deterioration; and
after said receiving said notification, selecting a new first plurality of subchannels for said first subscriber station based upon a new determination of diversity gain based on a new intentional multi-path distortion of a new signal broadcast from said base station, at least one subchannel of said new first plurality of subchannels being different from at least one subchannel of said first plurality of subchannels.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said allocating further comprises a dynamic resource allocation scheme, said dynamic resource allocation scheme comprising assigning a particular subcarrier to said plurality of subscriber stations based on said obtained first and second determined diversity gains.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
from time to time modifying a channel allocation between said base station and one or more subscriber stations of said plurality of subscriber stations to optimize network capacity.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein said intentional multi-path distortion is created by broadcasting a pilot signal and at least one time-delayed version of said pilot signal.
20. A subscriber station within a wireless system, said subscriber station comprising:
an orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) demodulator configured to:
receive a signal and an intentionally delayed version of said signal, where said intentionally delayed version of said signal intentionally creates multi-user diversity in said wireless system; and
receive allocation of a channel, wherein said channel allocation is based, at least in part, on a selection of at least one channel; and
a processor configured to:
resolve multi-path distortion created by said received intentionally delayed version of said signal to determine a diversity gain of said subscriber station;
select said at least one channel based on said determined diversity gain of said subscriber station; and
update said selection of said at least one channel, said updating being performed periodically to compensate for changes in said determined diversity gain of said subscriber station.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for renting a peripheral storage entity from a remote site, the method comprising:
transceiving negotiation signals between a first client and a remote service provider, via a network link;
using the negotiation signals, the first client agreeing to rent a peripheral storage entity from a remote site; and,
without taking physical possession of the peripheral storage entity, the first client receiving digital content from the peripheral storage entity via the network link.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving digital content from the peripheral storage entity includes receiving content from a first peripheral storage entity assigned to the first client.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving content from the peripheral storage entity includes preventing a second client from receiving content from the peripheral storage entity unless the first client rental is subject to an operation selected from a group consisting of suspension and termination.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein agreeing to rent the peripheral storage entity from the remote site includes agreeing to rent a peripheral storage entity from a library distributed over a plurality of remote sites.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein agreeing to rent the peripheral storage entity includes accepting legal rights to the peripheral storage entity.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving content from the peripheral storage entity includes receiving content via a network path selected from a group consisting of from a remote second client, from the service provider, and from both the second client and the service provider.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving content from the peripheral storage entity includes taking virtual possession of the peripheral storage entity.
8. A method for renting a peripheral storage entity to a remote client, the method comprising:
transceiving negotiation signals between a remote first client and a service provider, via a network link;
using the negotiation signals, the service provider agreeing to rent a peripheral storage entity to the first client; and,
sending digital content from the peripheral storage entity via the network link to the remote first client.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein sending digital content from the peripheral storage entity includes sending content from a first peripheral storage entity assigned to the first client.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein sending content from the peripheral storage entity includes preventing a remote second client from receiving content from the peripheral storage entity unless the first client rental is subject to an operation selected from a group consisting of suspension and termination.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein agreeing to rent the peripheral storage entity includes agreeing to rent a peripheral storage entity from a library distributed over a plurality of remote sites.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein agreeing to rent the peripheral storage entity includes extending the first client legal rights to the peripheral storage entity.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein sending content from the peripheral storage entity includes sending content via a network path selected from a group consisting of from a remote second client, from the service provider, and from both the second client and the service provider.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein sending content from the peripheral storage entity includes extending virtual possession of the peripheral storage entity to the first client.
15. A method for renting a peripheral storage entity to a remote client, the method comprising:
transceiving negotiation signals between a second client and a remote service provider, via a network link;
using the negotiation signals, agreeing to rent the use of a peripheral storage entity; and,
the second client sending digital content from the peripheral storage entity, destined to a remote first client, via the network.
16. A client device system for receiving rented content from a peripheral storage entity located at a remote location, the system comprising:
a first client device transceiver having a network interface for transceiving negotiation signals with a remote service provider;
a first client device content manager having an interface connected to the transceiver for originating negotiation signals selecting digital content and creating agreements to rent a peripheral storage entity located at a remote site; and,
a first client device virtual console having an interface connected to the transceiver for receiving the selected content from the peripheral storage entity via a network link.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the content manager accepts legal rights to the peripheral storage entity under terms of the rental agreement.
18. A service provider system for supplying content from a rented peripheral storage entity to a remotely located client, the system comprising:
a service provider transceiver having a network interface for transceiving negotiation signals between a service provider and a remote first client;
a peripheral storage entity with digital content;
a service provider broker module having an interface connected to the transceiver for accepting commands selecting digital content, and creating an agreement for the rental of the peripheral storage entity to the first client; and,
a digital content playing console supplying the selected content from the peripheral storage entity to the first client via a network.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the broker module extends the first client legal rights to the peripheral storage entity under terms of the rental agreement.
20. The system of claim 18 wherein content is sent from the peripheral storage entity by a source selected from a group consisting of a service provider console, a second client console that is remote from the service provider and the first client, and from both the second client console and the service provider console.