Communication within a wireless network using multiple frequency bands

• US 20070099668A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Maltsev, Alexander, Khoryaev, Alexey, Maslennikov, Roman, Sadri, Ali, Sergeyev, Vadim
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Communication using a first and a second frequency band in a wireless network is described herein. The first frequency band may be associated with a first beamwidth while the second frequency band may be associated with a second beamwidth, the first beamwidth being wider than the second beamwidth.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting by a device, control information signals using a first frequency band, the first frequency band being associated with a first beamwidth to facilitate establishment of communication between the device and at least one other device of a wireless network using a second frequency band associated with a second beamwidth, the first beamwidth being greater than the second beamwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting or receiving data signals by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band, the transmitting or receiving of the data signals to be facilitated at least in part by the control information signals transmitted using the first frequency band associated with the first beamwidth.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting or receiving data signals by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band comprises transmitting or receiving data signals by the device using a frequency band centered at a frequency greater than 20 GHz.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said transmitting or receiving data signals by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band comprises transmitting or receiving data signals by the device using a frequency band centered substantially between 59 and 62 GHz.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting by a device, of control information signals using a first frequency band, comprises transmitting by the device, control information signals using an omnidirectional antenna, and said transmitting or receiving data by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band comprises transmitting or receiving data signals by the device using a directional antenna.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting or receiving data signals by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band comprises transmitting or receiving data signals by the device using a second frequency band in accordance with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting by a device, of control information signals using a first frequency band, comprises transmitting by the device, control information signals using a 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) band or a 5.0 GHz Universal Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting by a device, of control information signals using a first frequency band, comprises transmitting by the device, control information signals to facilitate the at least one other device in determining the location, at least in part, of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting by a device, of control information signals using a first frequency band, comprises transmitting by the device, control information signals including medium access mechanism data signals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting by a device, of control information signals using a first frequency band, comprises transmitting by the device, control information signals including signals providing beam forming parameters to facilitate the establishment of communication between the device and the at least one other device of a wireless network using the second frequency band associated with the second beamwidth.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the device with the wireless network using the first frequency band and/or exiting the network by the device using the first frequency band.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting or receiving data signals by the device to or from the other device using the first frequency band if the second frequency band is unavailable for communication.

13. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a physical storage medium;

a plurality of executable instructions stored in the physical storage medium designed to program a device to enable the device to;

receive control information signals using a first frequency band, the first frequency band being associated with a first beamwidth, and the control information signals to facilitate establishment of communication between the device and another device of a wireless network using a second frequency band associated with a second beamwidth, the first beamwidth being greater than the second beamwidth.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform transmit or receive data signals by the device to or from the other device using the second frequency band, the transmit or receive of data signals to be facilitated at least in part by the control information signals transmitted using the first frequency band associated with the first beamwidth.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform said transmit or receive of data signals to or from the other device using a frequency band centered at a frequency greater than 20 GHz.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform said transmit or receive of data signals to or from the other device using a frequency band centered substantially between 59 and 62 GHz.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform said receive of control information signals using an omnidirectional antenna and to perform said transmit or receive of data signals to or from the other device using a directional antenna.

18. The article of claim 13, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform said receiving of control information signals using a 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) band or a 5.0 GHz Universal Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.

19. The article of claim 13, wherein said instructions are adapted to enable said device to perform said receive of control information signals to facilitate the device in determining the location, at least in part, of the other device.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a physical (PHY) layer adapted to transmit or receive signals to or from at least one other device of a wireless network using a first and a second frequency band associated with a first and a second beamwidth, respectively, the first beamwidth being greater than the second beamwidth; and

a medium access control (MAC) layer coupled to the PHY layer to selectively employ the PHY layer to transmit or receive control information signals using the first frequency band, and transmit or receive data signals using the second frequency band.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a first and a second antenna coupled to the PHY layer, the first antenna to be employed by the PHY layer to transmit or receive signals in the first frequency band, and the second antenna to be employed by the PHY layer to transmit or receive signals in the second frequency band.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive the data signals in the second frequency band in accordance with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive the control information signals using a 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) band or a 5.0 GHz Universal Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive the data signals using a frequency band centered at a frequency greater than 20 GHz.

25. A system, comprising:

a physical (PHY) layer adapted to transmit or receive signals to or from at least one other device of a wireless network using a first and a second frequency band associated with a first and a second beamwidth, respectively, the first beamwidth being greater than the second beamwidth;

a medium access control (MAC) layer coupled to the PHY layer to selectively employ the PHY layer to transmit or receive control information signals using the first frequency band, and transmit or receive data signals using the second frequency band; and

an omnidirectional antenna coupled to the PHY layer to transmit or receive signals through the first frequency band.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a second antenna coupled to the PHY layer to be employed to transmit or receive signals through the second frequency band.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive signals in accordance with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

28. The system of claim 25, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive signals using a 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) band or a 5.0 GHz Universal Information Infrastructure (UNII) band.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein said PHY layer is adapted to transmit or receive signals using a frequency band centered at a frequency greater than 20 GHz.