Beamforming protocol for wireless communications

• US 20100111215A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Matthew James, Nandagopalan, Saishankar
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 Diversity capabilities

Abstract

Beamforming protocol for wireless communications. Various communications are made between an originating communication device and a remote communication device to effectuate steered communications there between. The beamforming approach presented herein is applicable and adaptable to communication devices having any combination of omni-directional and directional transmit and receive functionality (e.g., the transmit functionality and the receive functionality both being omni-directional; the transmit functionality being directional and the receive functionality being omni-directional; or the transmit functionality and the receive functionality both being are directional). The beamforming protocol presented herein allows for all combinations of communication device types and also provides collision rules as may be performed in accordance with the beamforming configuration.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio circuitry, coupled to the antenna, that is operative to transmit a first signal to at least one additional communication device via the antenna, wherein;

the first signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

an antenna weight vector circuitry, coupled radio circuitry, that is operative to calculate an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on a second signal received from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the second signal is received in response to the first signal; and

wherein;

a configuration of the antenna is modified based on the AWV; and

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit data to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna that is configured based on the AWV.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit the first signal via the antenna in a first direction; and

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit a third signal via the antenna in a second direction;

the radio circuitry is operative to receive a fourth signal from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the fourth signal is received in response to the third signal; and

the antenna weight vector circuitry is operative to updated the AWV based on the fourth signal.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the communication device are omni-directional;

the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device is directional and the receive functionality of the communication device is omni-directional;

or

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the communication device are directional.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the second signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

the antenna weight vector circuitry is operative to calculate the AWV based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device.

5. The communication device of claim 4, wherein:

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device are omni-directional;

the transmit functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device is directional and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device is omni-directional;

or

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device are directional.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the second signal includes a steered or unsteered sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU).

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the first signal includes a sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU); and

the second signal includes a plurality of training sequence symbols (TSS).

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the first signal includes a sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU); and

the second signal includes a channel state information as calculated by at least one additional communication device based on the sounding PHY PPDU.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the communication device is a wireless station (STA); and

the at least one additional communication device is a personal independent basis services set coordinator point (PCP).

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the communication device is a personal independent basis services set coordinator point (PCP);

the at least one additional communication device is a wireless station (STA);

the second signal indicates a beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

the communication device, being a PCP, is operative selectively to admit the at least one additional communication device into communications with the communication device based on the beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device.

11. A communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio circuitry, coupled to the antenna, that is operative to transmit a first signal, that includes a sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU), to at least one additional communication device via the antenna, wherein;

the first signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

an antenna weight vector circuitry, coupled to the radio circuitry, that is operative to calculate an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on a second signal received from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the second signal is received in response to the first signal and the second signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

wherein;

the second signal includes a plurality of training sequence symbols (TSS) and channel state information as calculated by at least one additional communication device based on the sounding PHY PPDU;

a configuration of the antenna is modified based on the AWV; and

the antenna weight vector circuitry is operative to calculate the AWV based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit data to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna that is configured based on the AWV.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit the first signal via the antenna in a first direction; and

the radio circuitry is operative to transmit a third signal via the antenna in a second direction;

the radio circuitry is operative to receive a fourth signal from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the fourth signal is received in response to the third signal; and

the antenna weight vector circuitry is operative to update the AWV based on at least one of the second signal and the fourth signal.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the communication device are omni-directional;

the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device is directional and the receive functionality of the communication device is omni-directional;

or

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the communication device are directional.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein:

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device are omni-directional;

the transmit functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device is directional and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device is omni-directional;

or

the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device are directional.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the communication device is a personal independent basis services set coordinator point (PCP);

the at least one additional communication device is a wireless station (STA);

the second signal indicates a beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

the communication device, being a PCP, is operative selectively to admit the at least one additional communication device into communications with the communication device based on the beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device.

16. A method for operating a communication device, the method comprising:

employing a radio circuitry to transmit a first signal to at least one additional communication device via an antenna, wherein;

the first signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and

calculating an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on a second signal received from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the second signal is received in response to the first signal;

modifying a configuration of the antenna based on the AWV; and

transmitting data from the communication device to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna that is configured based on the AWV.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

employing the radio circuitry to transmit the first signal via the antenna in a first direction;

employing the radio circuitry to transmit a third signal via the antenna in a second direction;

employing the radio circuitry to receive a fourth signal from the at least one additional communication device, wherein the fourth signal is received in response to the third signal; and

updating the AWV based on at least one of the second signal and the fourth signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the second signal indicates a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

further comprising;

calculating the AWV based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first signal includes a sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU); and

the second signal includes a plurality of training sequence symbols (TSS).

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the communication device is a personal independent basis services set coordinator point (PCP);

the at least one additional communication device is a wireless station (STA);

the second signal indicates a beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and

further comprising;

using the communication device, being a PCP, selectively to admit the at least one additional communication device into communications with the communication device based on the beamforming capability corresponding to the at least one additional communication device.