METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100118802A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lakkis, Ismail, Bracha, Vered Bar
• Application Number:
  US12/484,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100118802A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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 wireless communications is provided. The method includes transmitting, from the first device to the second device, at least one association request having a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction; detecting an association response from the second device; and determining a preferred first device to second device direction of transmission based on the association response. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for associating a first device with a second device comprising:

transmitting, from the first device to the second device, at least one association request comprising a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction;

detecting an association response from the second device; and

determining a preferred first device to second device direction of transmission based on the association response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the second device to receive association requests from other devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one association request comprises a preferred second device to first device transmission direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection comprises attempting to detect the association response from the second device after the transmission of each packet in the plurality of packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises transmitting all packets in the plurality of packets within the at least one association request before attempting to detect the association response from the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the association response comprises the preferred first device to second device transmission direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each packet comprises a packet sequence indicator.

10. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

means for transmitting to a device at least one association request comprising a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction;

means for detecting an association response from the device; and

means for determining a preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission based on the association response.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one association request comprises a preferred device to apparatus transmission direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detecting means is configured to attempt to detect the association response from the device after the transmission of each packet in the plurality of packets.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitting means is configured to transmit all packets in the plurality if packets within the at least one association request before attempting to detect the association response from the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the association response comprises the preferred apparatus to device transmission direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each packet comprises a packet sequence indicator.

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

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable to;

transmit, from the first device to the second device, at least one association request comprising a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction;

detect an association response from the second device; and

determine a preferred first device to second device direction of transmission based on the association response.

20. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

a processing system configured to;

transmit to a device, at least one association request comprising a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction;

detect an association response from the device; and

determine a preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission based on the association response.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one association request comprises a preferred device to apparatus transmission direction.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing system is further configured to attempt to detect the association response from the device after the transmission of each packet in the plurality of packets.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processing system is further configured to transmit all packets in the plurality if packets within the at least one association request before attempting to detect the association response from the device.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the association response comprises the preferred apparatus to device transmission direction.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each packet comprises a packet sequence indicator.

29. An access terminal comprising:

an antenna; and

a processing system configured to;

transmit to a device, via the antenna, at least one association request comprising a plurality of packets, each packet being respectively transmitted in a different direction;

detect an association response from the device; and

determine a preferred access terminal to device direction of transmission based on the association response.

30. A method for associating a first device with a second device comprising:

acquiring a preferred second device to first device transmission direction;

determining a preferred first device to second device direction of transmission based on the acquisition of the preferred second device to first device transmission direction; and

transmitting to the second device at least one association request comprising at least one packet from a plurality of packets generated by the first device, each packet being respectively transmittable in a different direction;

wherein the at least one packet comprises information related to the determined preferred first device to second device direction of transmission.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the acquisition comprises sweeping a set of receive directions by the first device to detect a transmission from the second device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmission from the second device comprises a beacon.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the beacon was transmitted using a plurality of packets, at least two packets being transmitted in different directions.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the second device to receive association requests from other devices.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the second device to receive association requests from other devices.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted using the determined preferred first device to second device transmission direction.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising determining whether an association response has been sent from the second device after the transmission of each of the packets in the plurality of packets.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

40. An apparatus for wireless communications with another device comprising:

means for acquiring a preferred device to apparatus transmission direction;

means for determining a preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission based on the acquisition of the preferred device to apparatus transmission direction; and

means for transmitting to the device at least one association request comprising at least one packet from a plurality of packets generated by the apparatus, each packet being respectively transmittable in a different direction;

wherein the at least one packet comprises information related to the determined preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the acquisition comprises sweeping a set of receive directions to detect a transmission from the device.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmission from the device comprises a beacon.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the beacon was transmitted using a plurality of packets, at least two packets being transmitted in different directions.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

45. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

46. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted using the determined preferred apparatus to device transmission direction.

47. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising means for determining whether an association response has been received from the device after the transmission of each of the packets in the plurality of packets.

48. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

50. A computer-program product for wireless communications for associating a first device with a second device comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable to;

acquire a preferred second device to first device transmission direction;

determine a preferred first device to second device direction of transmission based on the acquisition of the preferred second device to first device transmission direction; and

transmit to the second device at least one association request comprising at least one packet from a plurality of packets generated by the first device, each packet being respectively transmittable in a different direction;

wherein the at least one packet comprises information related to the determined preferred first device to second device direction of transmission.

51. An apparatus for wireless communications with another device comprising:

a processing system configured to;

acquire a preferred device to apparatus transmission direction;

determine a preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission based on the acquisition of the preferred device to apparatus transmission direction; and

transmit to the device at least one association request comprising at least one packet from a plurality of packets generated by the apparatus, each packet being respectively transmittable in a different direction;

wherein the at least one packet comprises information related to the determined preferred apparatus to device direction of transmission.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the acquisition comprises sweeping a set of receive directions to detect a transmission from the device.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the transmission from the device comprises a beacon.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the beacon was transmitted using a plurality of packets, at least two packets being transmitted in different directions.

55. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

56. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted during a specific period of time allocated by the device to receive association requests from other devices.

57. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein a first packet from the plurality of packets from the at least one association request is transmitted using the determined preferred apparatus to device transmission direction.

58. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine whether an association response has been received from the device by the apparatus after the transmission of each of the packets in the plurality of packets.

59. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein each packet comprises a length of transmission indicator.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the length of transmission indicator comprises a count.

61. An access terminal for wireless communications with another device comprising:

an antenna; and

a processing system configured to;

acquire a preferred device to access terminal transmission direction;

determine a preferred wireless node to device direction of transmission based on the acquisition of the preferred device to access terminal transmission direction; and

transmit to the device, via the antenna, at least one association request comprising at least one packet from a plurality of packets generated by the access terminal, each packet being respectively transmittable in a different direction;

wherein the at least one packet comprises information related to the determined preferred access terminal to device direction of transmission.