Method And System For Explicit Feedback With Sounding Packet For Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)

• US 20080014870A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Joonsuk
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0634 Antenna weights or vector/matrix coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0643 Feedback on request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03426 transmission using multiple-input and multiple-output channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03802 Signalling on the reverse channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0204 of multiple channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0228 with direct estimation from sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for explicit feedback with a sounding packet for wireless local area networks (WLAN). Aspects of the system may include a beamforming block that may enable generation of a plurality of RF chain signals based on a current steering matrix, where the current steering matrix may be a non-identity matrix. A processor may enable transmission of a request for feedback information via the plurality of RF chain signals. The request may contain medium access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (PDU) data and channel sounding information, which may be encapsulated in a physical (PHY) layer PDU.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chain signals based on a current steering matrix, wherein said current steering matrix is a non-identity matrix; and

requesting feedback information via said plurality of RF chain signals, said request comprising medium access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (PDU) data and channel sounding information, which are encapsulated in a physical (PHY) layer PDU.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving said feedback information.

3. The method according to 2, comprising computing a subsequent steering matrix based on said received feedback information.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising transmitting subsequent MAC layer PDU data based on said subsequent steering matrix.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said received feedback information comprises at least one of:

a channel estimate matrix, and a feedback steering matrix when computing said subsequent steering matrix.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said subsequent steering matrix is said feedback steering matrix.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said feedback steering matrix comprises Nss rows and Nss columns, where Nss is a variable representing a number of streams transmitted via said plurality of RF chain signals.

8. The method according to claim 5, comprising computing said subsequent steering matrix from said channel estimate matrix by a singular value decomposition (SVD) method.

9. A system for communicating information in a wireless communication system, the system comprising:

at least one circuit that enables generation of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chain signals based on a current steering matrix, wherein said current steering matrix is a non-identity matrix; and

said at least one circuit enables transmission of a request for feedback information via said plurality of RF chain signals, said request comprising medium access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (PDU) data and channel sounding information, which are encapsulated in a physical (PHY) layer PDU.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said at least one circuit enables reception of said feedback information.

11. The system according to 10, wherein said at least one circuit enables computation of a subsequent steering matrix based on said received feedback information.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one circuit enables transmission of subsequent MAC layer PDU data based on said subsequent steering matrix.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said received feedback information comprises at least one of:

a channel estimate matrix, and a feedback steering matrix when computing said subsequent steering matrix.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said subsequent steering matrix is said feedback steering matrix.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said feedback steering matrix comprises Nss rows and Nss columns, where Nss is a variable representing a number of streams transmitted via said plurality of RF chain signals.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one circuit enables computation of said subsequent steering matrix from said channel estimate matrix by a singular value decomposition (SVD) method.

17. A system for communicating information in a wireless communication system, the system comprising:

at least one circuit that enables generation of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chain signals based on a current steering matrix, wherein said current steering matrix is a non-identity matrix; and

said at least one circuit enables transmission of a request for feedback information via said plurality of RF chain signals.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one circuit enables reception of said feedback information.

19. The system according to 18, wherein said at least one circuit enables computation of a subsequent steering matrix based on said received feedback information.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said received feedback information comprises at least one of:

a channel estimate matrix, and a feedback steering matrix when computing said subsequent steering matrix.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said subsequent steering matrix is said feedback steering matrix.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said feedback steering matrix comprises Nss rows and Nss columns, where Nss is a variable representing a number of streams transmitted via said plurality of RF chain signals.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein said at least one circuit enables computation of said subsequent steering matrix from said channel estimate matrix by a singular value decomposition (SVD) method.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said at least one circuit enables transmission of a request for at least one of:

modulation type information and coding type information via a subsequent plurality of RF chain signals generated based on said subsequent steering matrix, said request comprising at least one of;

MAC layer PDU data and a modulation and coding request, which are encapsulated in a PHY layer PDU.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said at least one circuit enables reception of an acknowledgement PHY PDU comprising said at least one of:

said modulation type information and said coding type information.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said at least one circuit enables transmission of subsequent data based on said received acknowledgement PHY PDU.