Cooperative techniques between lower-frequency carriers and millimeter-wave channels for discovery and synchronization and beamforming

• US 10,097,321 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Subramanian, Sundar, Li, Junyi, Sampath, Ashwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KAI J
• Application Number:
  US14/273,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 Diversity capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives first information from a base station, determines, based on the first information, a position of resources for receiving a signal transmitted from a connection point, detects the signal via at least one beam receiving direction based on the resources, determines a beam transmitting direction of the connection point and a beam receiving direction of the UE based on the signal, identifies a beam receiving direction of the connection point based on the beam transmitting direction of the connection point, and provides the connection point with second information based on the beam receiving direction of the connection point, wherein the second information may comprise an intent to establish a millimeter-wave (mmW) link with the connection point, the beam receiving direction of the UE, and/or the beam transmitting direction of the connection point.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication of a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, via a first network, first information from a base station of the first network;

determining, based on the first information received via the first network, a position of resources for receiving a signal transmitted from a connection point of a second network via the second network, the connection point being an access point of the second network, the second network having a higher frequency than the first network;

detecting the signal via at least one beam receiving direction based on the resources;

determining a beam transmitting direction of the connection point and a beam receiving direction of the UE based on the signal;

identifying a beam receiving direction of the connection point based on the beam transmitting direction of the connection point; and

providing, from the UE to the connection point, second information based on the beam receiving direction of the connection point, the second information comprising at least two of;

an intent to establish a millimeter-wave (mmW) link with the connection point,

the beam receiving direction of the UE, or

the beam transmitting direction of the connection point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the mmW link with the connection point based on the second information; and

communicating data with the connection point over the established mmW link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first information from the base station is received via a low-frequency channel; and

the signal is transmitted from the connection point via a high-frequency channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first information comprises timing information for receiving the signal from the connection point via the high-frequency channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the timing information comprises an offset with respect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system timing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information is provided to the connection point via at least one of a low-frequency channel or a high-frequency channel, and

wherein the first information comprises frequency information for providing the second information to the connection point via the low-frequency channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises:

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a low-frequency channel; and

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a high-frequency channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises:

information related to an order of the beam transmitting direction and the beam receiving direction of the connection point, or

information related to a capability of the connection point for transmission and reception.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information further comprises at least one of:

a beam response indicating a link quality;

or

UE capability information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing from the UE to the connection point second information based on the beam receiving direction of the connection point comprises:

determining a time slot during which the connection point is expected to perform a receive sweep in the beam transmitting direction of the connection point; and

transmitting the second information during the determined timeslot.

11. A method of wireless communication of a connection point, comprising:

receiving, via a first network, first information from a base station of a first network;

determining, based on the first information received via the first network, a position of resources for transmitting a signal from the connection point via a second network, the connection point being an access point of the second network, the second network having a higher frequency than the first network;

transmitting the signal via at least one beam transmitting direction based on the resources; and

receiving second information from a user equipment (UE) in response to the signal, the second information comprising at least two of;

an intent of the UE to establish a millimeter-wave (mmW) link with the connection point,

a beam receiving direction of the UE, or

a beam transmitting direction of the connection point determined by the UE.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing the mmW link with the UE based on the second information; and

communicating data with the UE over the established mmW link.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first information from the base station is received via a low-frequency channel; and

the signal is transmitted via a high-frequency channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information comprises timing information for transmitting the signal via the high-frequency channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the timing information comprises an offset with respect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system timing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second information is received from the UE via at least one of a low-frequency channel or a high-frequency channel, and

wherein the first information comprises frequency information for receiving the second information from the UE via the low-frequency channel.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal comprises:

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a low-frequency channel; and

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a high-frequency channel.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second information is received from the UE along a direction based on a beam transmitting direction of the signal.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first information comprises:

information related to an order of a beam transmitting direction and the beam receiving direction of the UE, or

information related to a capability of the UE for transmission and reception.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the second information further comprises at least one of:

a beam response indicating a link quality;

or

UE capability information.

21. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, via a first network, first information from a base station of the first network;

means for determining, based on the first information received via the first network, a position of resources for receiving a signal transmitted from a connection point of a second network via the second network, the connection point being an access point of the second network, the second network having a higher frequency than the first network;

means for detecting the signal via at least one beam receiving direction based on the resources;

means for determining a beam transmitting direction of the connection point and a beam receiving direction of the UE based on the signal;

means for identifying a beam receiving direction of the connection point based on the beam transmitting direction of the connection point;

means for providing the connection point with second information based on the beam receiving direction of the connection point, the second information comprising at least two of;

an intent to establish a millimeter-wave (mmW) link with the connection point,

the beam receiving direction of the UE, or

a beam response indicating a link quality;

means for establishing the mmW link with the connection point based on the second information; and

means for communicating data with the connection point over the established mmW link.

22. The UE of claim 21, wherein:

the first information from the base station is received via a low-frequency channel;

the signal is transmitted from the connection point via a high-frequency channel;

the first information comprises timing information for receiving the signal from the connection point via the high-frequency channel; and

the timing information comprises an offset with respect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system timing.

23. The UE of claim 21, wherein the second information is provided to the connection point via at least one of a low-frequency channel or a high-frequency channel, and

wherein the first information comprises frequency information for providing the second information to the connection point via the low-frequency channel.

24. The UE of claim 21, wherein the signal comprises:

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a low-frequency channel; and

timing information for communicating with the connection point via a high-frequency channel.

25. The UE of claim 21, wherein the first information comprises:

information related to an order of the beam transmitting direction and the beam receiving direction of the connection point, or

information related to a capability of the connection point for transmission and reception.

26. A connection point for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, via a first network, first information from a base station of a first network;

means for determining, based on the first information received via the first network, a position of resources for transmitting a signal from the connection point via a second network, the connection point being an access point of the second network, the second network having a higher frequency than the first network;

means for transmitting the signal via at least one beam transmitting direction based on the resources;

means for receiving second information from a user equipment (UE) in response to the signal, the second information comprising at least two of;

an intent of the UE to establish a millimeter-wave (mmW) link with the connection point,

a beam receiving direction of the UE, or

a beam response indicating a link quality;

means for establishing the mmW link with the UE based on the second information; and

means for communicating data with the UE over the established mmW link.

27. The connection point of claim 26, wherein:

the first information from the base station is received via a low-frequency channel;

the signal is transmitted via a high-frequency channel;

the first information comprises timing information for transmitting the signal via the high-frequency channel; and

the timing information comprises an offset with respect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system timing.

28. The connection point of claim 26, wherein the second information is received from the UE via at least one of a low-frequency channel or a high-frequency channel, and

wherein the first information comprises frequency information for receiving the second information from the UE via the low-frequency channel.

29. The connection point of claim 26, wherein the second information is received from the UE along a direction based on a beam transmitting direction of the signal.

30. The connection point of claim 26, wherein the first information comprises:

information related to an order of a beam transmitting direction and the beam receiving direction of the UE, or

information related to a capability of the UE for transmission and reception.