Apparatus, system and method of beamforming training

• US 10,181,886 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2018
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Soffer, Menashe, Kasher, Assaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US15/863,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 373 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to transmit and receive signals via one or more quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit, via each quasi-omnidirectional antenna assembly, a plurality of first transmissions, to receive, in response to the first transmissions, a plurality of second transmissions from another device via one or more of the quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, and, based on the second transmissions, to select at least one selected transmit antenna assembly for transmitting to the other device and a selected receive antenna assembly for receiving transmissions from the other device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to cause an initiator station (STA) of a Beamforming (BF) training to;

transmit to a responder STA a plurality of initiator BF training frames during one or more repetitions of a Transmit (Tx) Sector Sweep (TxSS) over a plurality of antennas of the initiator STA, a count of the one or more repetitions of the TxSS is based on a count of antennas of the responder STA, an initiator BF training frame of the plurality of initiator BF training frames comprising an antenna identifier to identify an antenna of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame, and a sector identifier to identify a sector of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame;

after the one or more repetitions of the TxSS, receive at least one responder BF training frame from the responder STA, the responder BF training frame comprising an indication of a responder-identified antenna of the initiator STA and a responder-identified sector of the initiator STA; and

based on the at least one responder BF frame, determine an antenna setting to communicate with the responder STA.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the initiator STA to determine a transmit antenna to transmit to the responder STA based on the responder-identified antenna, and to determine a transmit sector to transmit to the responder STA based on the responder-identified sector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the initiator STA to transmit a feedback frame to the responder STA, the feedback frame comprising an initiator-identified antenna of the responder STA and an initiator-identified sector of the responder STA.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 configured to cause the initiator STA to identify a best received responder BF training frame of the at least one responder BF training frame, and to determine the initiator-identified antenna and the initiator-identified sector according to the best received responder BF training frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 configured to cause the initiator STA to transmit the feedback frame via the responder-identified antenna and the responder-identified sector.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 configured to cause the initiator STA to receive an acknowledgement from the responder STA following the feedback frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the initiator BF training frame comprises an indication of a remaining number of initiator BF training frames to be transmitted.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one responder BF training frame comprises a plurality of responder BF training frames, each of the plurality of responder BF training frames comprising a same indication of the responder-identified sector and the responder-identified antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the responder BF training frame comprises a responder antenna identifier to identify an antenna of the responder STA to transmit the responder BF training frame, and a responder sector identifier to identify a sector of the responder STA to transmit the responder BF training frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the initiator STA to operate an antenna of the plurality of antennas of the initiator STA at a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern to receive the at least one responder BF training frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the initiator STA to switch between the plurality of antennas of the initiator STA to receive the at least one responder BF training frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a radio.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising the plurality of antennas of the initiator STA.

14. A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to cause an initiator station (STA) of a Beamforming (BF) training to:

transmit to a responder STA a plurality of initiator BF training frames during one or more repetitions of a Transmit (Tx) Sector Sweep (TxSS) over a plurality of antennas of the initiator STA, a count of the one or more repetitions of the TxSS is based on a count of antennas of the responder STA, an initiator BF training frame of the plurality of initiator BF training frames comprising an antenna identifier to identify an antenna of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame, and a sector identifier to identify a sector of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame;

after the one or more repetitions of the TxSS, receive at least one responder BF training frame from the responder STA, the responder BF training frame comprising an indication of a responder-identified antenna of the initiator STA and a responder-identified sector of the initiator STA; and

based on the at least one responder BF frame, determine an antenna setting to communicate with the responder STA.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the initiator STA to determine a transmit antenna to transmit to the responder STA based on the responder-identified antenna, and to determine a transmit sector to transmit to the responder STA based on the responder-identified sector.

16. The product of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause initiator STA to transmit a feedback frame to the responder STA, the feedback frame comprising an initiator-identified antenna of the responder STA and an initiator-identified sector of the responder STA.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the initiator STA to transmit the feedback frame via the responder-identified antenna and the responder-identified sector.

18. The product of claim 14, wherein the initiator BF training frame comprises an indication of a remaining number of initiator BF training frames to be transmitted.

19. The product of claim 14, wherein the at least one responder BF training frame comprises a plurality of responder BF training frames, each of the plurality of responder BF training frames comprising a same indication of the responder-identified sector and the responder-identified antenna.

20. The product of claim 14, wherein the responder BF training frame comprises a responder antenna identifier to identify an antenna of the responder STA to transmit the responder BF training frame, and a responder sector identifier to identify a sector of the responder STA to transmit the responder BF training frame.

21. The product of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the initiator STA to operate an antenna of the plurality of antennas of the initiator STA at a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern to receive the at least one responder BF training frame.

22. The product of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the initiator STA to switch between the plurality of antennas of the initiator STA to receive the at least one responder BF training frame.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for causing an initiator station (STA) of a Beamforming (BF) training to transmit to a responder STA a plurality of initiator BF training frames during one or more repetitions of a Transmit (Tx) Sector Sweep (TxSS) over a plurality of antennas of the initiator STA, a count of the one or more repetitions of the TxSS is based on a count of antennas of the responder STA, an initiator BF training frame of the plurality of initiator BF training frames comprising an antenna identifier to identify an antenna of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame, and a sector identifier to identify a sector of the initiator STA to transmit the initiator BF training frame;

means for causing the initiator STA to, after the one or more repetitions of the TxSS, receive at least one responder BF training frame from the responder STA, the responder BF training frame comprising an indication of a responder-identified antenna of the initiator STA and a responder-identified sector of the initiator STA; and

means for causing the initiator STA to, based on the at least one responder BF frame, determine an antenna setting to communicate with the responder STA.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 comprising means for causing the initiator STA to transmit a feedback frame to the responder STA, the feedback frame comprising an initiator-identified antenna of the responder STA and an initiator-identified sector of the responder STA.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the initiator BF training frame comprises an indication of a remaining number of initiator BF training frames to be transmitted.