Method and system for supporting use of a smart antenna in a wireless local area network

• US 20060056345A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marinier, Paul, Chandra, Arty, Cha, Inhyok, Roy, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US11/025,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A method for supporting use of a smart antenna in a wireless local area network (WLAN) including an access point (AP) and a station (STA) begins by selecting an antenna beam by the AP to use for communication with the STA. The selected beam information is sent from the AP to the STA. A packet is transmitted from the STA to the AP, the packet including the selected beam information, whereby the AP uses the selected beam to receive at least a part of the packet.

Claims

1. A method for supporting use of a smart antenna in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including an access point (AP) and a station (STA), the method comprising the steps of:

selecting an antenna beam by the AP to use for communication with the STA;

sending the selected beam information from the AP to the STA; and

transmitting a packet from the STA to the AP, the packet including the selected beam information, whereby the AP uses the selected beam to receive at least a part of the packet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes selecting an antenna beam with a maximum signal level.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes selecting an antenna beam with a maximum signal to interference ratio.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step includes sending a beam indicator, the AP'"'"'s medium access control (MAC) address, and the STA'"'"'s MAC address.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sending step further includes sending an age limit for the beam indicator, wherein the selected beam will only be used if the age limit has not expired.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step includes sending the selected beam information in a separate message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step includes sending the selected beam information as part of an existing frame type.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the sending step further includes sending a beam indicator information flag, to indicate the presence of selected beam information in the frame.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step includes switching the antenna of the AP to the selected beam prior to sending the selected beam information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sending step further includes switching the antenna of the AP to an omni-directional pattern after sending the selected beam information on the selected beam.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending an acknowledgement from the STA to the AP upon successful receipt of the selected beam information.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first part of the packet at the AP via an omni-directional beam, the first part of the packet including the selected beam information;

switching the antenna of the AP to the selected beam as specified in the selected beam information; and

receiving a second part of the packet at the AP via the selected beam.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the switching step includes decoding the first part of the packet to determine the selected beam.

14. A system for supporting use of a smart antenna in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the WLAN including an access point (AP) and a station (STA), the system comprising:

a first packet, sent from the AP to the STA, said first packet including a selected beam indicator, a medium access control (MAC) address of the AP, and a MAC address of the STA, said selected beam indicator identifying an antenna beam selected by the AP to use for communication with the STA; and

a second packet, sent from the STA to the AP, said second packet including said selected beam indicator, whereby the AP receives at least a part of said second packet via the selected beam.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said first packet is sent as a separate message from the AP to the STA.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said first packet is part of an existing frame type.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said first packet further includes an age limit for said selected beam indicator, wherein the selected beam will only be used if said age limit has not expired.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said first packet further includes a beam indicator information flag, to indicate the presence of said selected beam indicator in said packet.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein:

a first part of said second packet is received at the AP via an omni-directional beam, said first part of said second packet including said selected beam indicator;

the AP switches its antenna to the selected beam as specified in said selected beam indicator; and

a second part of said second packet is received at the AP via the selected beam.