METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STATION-TO-STATION DIRECTIONAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20100110981A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shao, Huai-Rong, Ngo, Chiu
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Method and system for directional wireless communication, is provided. One implementation involves directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication between two wireless stations, and receiving a broadcast response indicating a time period during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication between two wireless stations;

receiving a broadcast response indicating a period during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a broadcast response further comprises:

receiving a broadcast response indicating a contention-based access period (CAP) during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

channel time is organized into multiple time frames, each time frame comprising a contention-based access period (CAP), each CAP comprising multiple sub-CAPs;

directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium further comprises;

during a sub-CAP in the selected CAP, a first wireless station directionally transmitting a request to a coordinator for directional communication with a second wireless station; and

receiving a broadcast response further comprises;

receiving a broadcast response indicating that during a next CAP the wireless stations may set their antenna directions to each other for directional communication therebetween via the wireless channel.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

directionally transmitting a request for directional communication with another wireless station further comprises;

during a sub-CAP in a selected CAP in a current time frame, the first wireless station directionally transmitting a request to a coordinator for directional communication with the second wireless station during a sub-CAP; and

the coordinator broadcasting an information element indicating that in a CAP the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other; and

receiving a broadcast response further comprises;

the first and second wireless stations receiving the broadcast from the coordinator in a subsequent time frame, the broadcast including an information element indicating that in a CAP the wireless stations may set their antenna directions to each other for directional communication therebetween via the wireless channel.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

during a sub-CAP, the second wireless station transmitting a relinquish request to the coordinator, rejecting communication with the first wireless station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

channel time is organized into multiple time frames, each time frame comprising a reservation period;

transmitting an allocation request for directional communication further comprises;

directionally transmitting an allocation request to a coordinator for directional communication n a wireless channel between two wireless stations during a reservation period; and

receiving a broadcast response further comprises;

receiving a broadcast from the coordinator, the broadcast including an information element indicating that during an allocated channel time period in a reservation period the wireless stations may set their antenna directions to each other for directional communication therebetween via the wireless channel.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein more than two wireless stations may share the channel during an allocated channel time period for directional communication through contention access or spatial re-use within the allocated channel time period.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the request indicates whether an allocated channel time period may overlap with another channel time period wherein spatial re-use is permitted in said allocated channel time period but contention channel access is not permitted.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the request indicates whether an allocated channel time period may overlap with another channel time period wherein spatial re-use and contention channel access are permitted in said allocated channel time period.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first and second wireless stations performing directional communication therebetween in the indicated period by setting their antenna directions to each other.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication comprises millimeter wave (mmW) radio frequency communication.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication comprises 60 GHz radio frequency communication.

13. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a transmitting wireless station configured for directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication with a receiving wireless station;

a coordinator configured for broadcasting a response indicating a time period during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other; and

wherein the transmitting and receiving wireless stations are further configured for receiving said broadcast response and performing directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium during the indicated period by setting their antenna directions to each other.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the coordinator is further configured for broadcasting a response indicating that in a contention-based access period (CAP) the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

each CAP is organized into multiple sub-CAPs;

the transmitting wireless station is further configured for directionally transmitting a request to the coordinator during a sub-CAP for directional communication with the receiver wireless station;

the coordinator broadcasting an information element specifying that in a CAP the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other; and

the transmitter and receiver wireless stations are further configured for receiving the broadcast from the coordinator in a subsequent time frame, and setting their antenna directions to each other for directional communication therebetween via the wireless channel during the specified CAP.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein:

channel time is organized into multiple time frames, each time frame comprising a reservation period;

the transmitter wireless stations is further configured for directionally transmitting an allocation request to a coordinator for directional communication on a wireless channel between two wireless stations during a reservation period; and

the coordinator is further configured for broadcasting a response including an information element indicating that during an allocated channel time period in a reservation period the wireless stations may set their antenna directions to each other for directional communication therebetween via the wireless channel.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein more than two wireless stations may share the channel during an allocated channel time period for directional communication through contention access or spatial re-use within the allocated channel time period.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the request indicates whether an allocated channel time period may overlap with another channel time period wherein spatial re-use is permitted in said allocated channel time period but contention channel access is not permitted.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the request indicates whether an allocated channel time period may overlap with another channel time period wherein spatial re-use and contention channel access are permitted in said allocated channel time period.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the wireless communication comprises millimeter wave (mmW) radio frequency communication.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the wireless communication comprises 60 GHz radio frequency communication.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the wireless transmitting station comprises a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer, the MAC layer configured for station-to-station directional wireless communication by directionally transmitting a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication with a receiving wireless station;

the coordinator comprises a MAC layer and a PHY layer, the MAC layer configured for station-to-station directional wireless communication by broadcasting a response indicating a time period during which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other; and

the wireless receiving station comprises a MAC layer and a PHY layer, wherein the MAC layers of the wireless transmitting and receiving stations are configured for station-to-station directional wireless communication by performing directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium during the indicated period by setting their antenna directions to each other.

23. A wireless station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor;

a computer usable medium having a processor readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the processor readable program code when executed on the processor causes the processor in conjunction with the transceiver to;

directionally transmit a request for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication with another wireless station;

receive a broadcast response indicating a period in which the wireless stations may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other; and

perform directional communication with said other wireless station via the wireless communication medium during the indicated period by setting its antenna direction to the other wireless station.

24. A wireless station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor;

a computer usable medium having a processor readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the processor readable program code when executed on the processor causes the processor in conjunction with the transceiver to;

receive a directional transmission comprising a request from wireless transmitter for access to a shared wireless communication medium, for directional communication with a wireless receiver;

broadcast a response indicating a time period during which the transmitter and receiver may perform directional communication therebetween via the wireless communication medium by setting their antenna directions to each other.

25. A wireless station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor;

a computer usable medium having a processor readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the processor readable program code when executed on the processor causes the processor in conjunction with the transceiver to;

receive a broadcast indicating a time period during which the wireless station may perform directional communication with a wireless transmitter via a wireless communication medium, by setting its antenna direction to the wireless transmitter; and

perform directional communication with said wireless transmitter via the wireless communication medium during the indicated period by setting its antenna direction to the wireless transmitter.