METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIRECTIONAL CLEAR CHANNEL ASSESSMENT IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100118716A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lakkis, Ismail, Bracha, Vered Bar
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method of communication is provided. The method includes detecting at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; receiving and decoding a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device had transmitted the packet; and completing reception of the packet based on a second receive direction. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication comprising:

determining whether a logical channel is available for transmission by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; and

transmitting data if the logical channel is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises detecting an energy level higher than a defined level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises detecting a preamble.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise all receive directions of a device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise some of all receive directions of a device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of directions comprise a first receive direction of a destination for receiving the transmission and a second receive direction for a device that is equivalent to a transmit direction toward the destination.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:

means for determining whether a logical channel is available for transmission by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; and

means for transmitting data if the logical channel is available.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determination means comprises means for detecting an energy level higher than a defined level.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determination means comprises means for detecting a preamble.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise all receive directions of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise some of all receive directions of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of directions comprise a first receive direction of a destination for receiving the transmission and a second receive direction that is equivalent to a transmit direction from the apparatus toward the destination.

13. A computer-program product for wireless communications comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable to;

determine whether a logical channel is available for transmission by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; and

transmit data if the logical channel is available.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:

a processing system configured to;

determine whether a logical channel is available for transmission by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; and

transmit data if the logical channel is available.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing system is further configured to detect an energy level higher than a defined level.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the determination comprises detecting a preamble.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise all receive directions of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of receive directions comprise some of all receive directions of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of directions comprise a first receive direction of a destination for receiving the transmission and a second receive direction that is equivalent to a transmit direction from the apparatus toward the destination.

20. A wireless node comprising:

an antenna; and

a processing system configured to;

determine whether a logical channel is available for transmission by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; and

transmit data, via the antenna, upon determination that the logical channel is available.