NATIVE MEDIUM ACCESS CONTROL SUPPORT FOR BEAMFORMING

• US 20110149842A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cordeiro, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods that enable native MAC support of beamforming are contemplated. An embodiment may comprise a mobile computing device, such as a laptop, with wireless communications capabilities, such as an integrated wireless networking card. The networking card of the laptop may transmit and receive various types of frame data using one or more beamforming techniques. Upon establishing a link with another wireless device, the laptop may sense that the link quality is degrading. Instead of having to reestablish a new link using dedicated BF frames and the conventional BF protocol, embodiments described herein may instead transmit beamforming information in various types of frames which enable the wireless communication devices to adjust the beamforming parameters in a more efficient manner. For example, the devices may include beamforming information in control frames and data frames and transmit the frames in a sweeping sector fashion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a first station, a countdown value related to a number of frames to be transmitted from a plurality of antennas, wherein transmission of the number of frames enables adjustment of a beamforming parameter of the first station and a second station of a wireless network;

assembling, by the first station, a plurality of values of a beamforming field of a frame, wherein the plurality of values is related to the adjustment and comprises the countdown value; and

transmitting the frame from the first station, wherein the first station is configured to transmit the plurality of values of the beamforming field when bits of a frame control field of the frame define the type of the frame as a control frame or a data frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sector value related to a sector of an antenna array of the first station, wherein the assembling the plurality of values comprises assembling the sector value.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a beam tracking value to be included in the plurality of values, wherein the beam tracking value is related to a determination to perform the beamforming.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first station, the number of data frames as part of a sweep of sectors for the beamforming via a plurality of antennas of an antenna array of the first station.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first station, the number of management frames as part of a sweep of sectors for the beamforming via an antenna array of the first station, wherein the transmitting the number of management frames comprises transmitting the number of probe response frames.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting, by the second station, the sector value based on the reception strength of the signal of the frame relative to the reception strengths of the other frames of the number of frame transmissions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting, by the second station, an acknowledgement frame which includes the selected sector value in a sector feedback field of the beamforming field of the acknowledgement frame.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first station, the number of request to send (RTS) frames as part of a sweep of sectors for the beamforming via a plurality of antennas of an antenna array of the first station.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting, by the second station, a number of clear to send (CTS) frames as part of a second sweep of sectors for the beamforming via a plurality of antennas of an antenna array of the second station.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter coupled to an antenna array, wherein the antenna array is configured to selectively transmit control frames in a plurality of sectors about the periphery of the apparatus, wherein frames transmitted from the transmitter are designated as control frames based on at least two bits of the frame control field of the frames; and

a frame generation module communicatively coupled to the transmitter, wherein the frame generation module generates the control frames, wherein further each of the control frames comprises a beamforming field comprising beamforming values which enable the apparatus to perform beamforming activities.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter transmits the control frames in the 60 gigahertz (GHz) band.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a receiver coupled to the antenna array, wherein the frame generation module is configured to generate an acknowledgment frame comprising one value of a plurality of sector identification values transmitted as part of an associated plurality of probe responses, the associated plurality of probe responses constituting a sector sweep for a wireless communication device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the frame generation module generates at least one of management frames, data frames, and extension frames, wherein further the at least one of the management frames, the data frames, and the extension frames each comprise a beamforming field.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the beamforming values comprise a countdown value, a sector identification (ID) value, a sector feedback value, a beam tracking value, a length of receive-training value, and a length of transmit-training value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the beamforming field is 32 bits in length, wherein the sector ID value and the sector feedback value are each 6 bits in length, and the beam tracking value consists of a single bit.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements configured to transmit data, via beamforming, to a plurality of sectors about the apparatus;

a beamforming module coupled to the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the beamforming module manipulates the plurality of antenna elements in a manner which selectively transmits data through individual sectors of the plurality of sectors; and

a frame generation module which generates frames of type data, management, and control which form the data to be transmitted, wherein the frame generation module is configured to include a beamforming field in a plurality of frames of the control type.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the beamforming module is configured to manipulate numerous elements of the plurality of antenna elements in a manner to receive transmitted signals in a uni-directional manner of operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the beamforming module is configured to manipulate a single antenna element in a manner to receive transmitted signals in an omni-directional manner of operation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beamforming module is configured to switch from the uni-directional to the omni-directional manner of operation upon the apparatus detecting a loss of a previously established communication link with another communication apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the beamforming module is configured to enable the apparatus to receive one frame of a plurality of request to send (RTS) frames while operating in the omni-directional manner, wherein the frames of the plurality of RTS frames comprise different sector identification (ID) numbers in the beamforming field, wherein further the frame generation module is configured to generate a plurality of clear to send (CTS) response frames, with each frame of the plurality of CTS response frames comprising a different sector ID number as well as the sector ID number of the one received RTS frame in a sector feedback field.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprise a switched-beam antenna.

22. A system, comprising:

an antenna array;

a beamforming module coupled to the antenna array, wherein the beamforming module manipulates the antenna array to transmit control frames to a plurality of sectors about the system, wherein further the beamforming module is configured manipulate the antenna array to transmit control frames to a single sector of the plurality;

a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the beamforming module; and

a processor coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to receive frames transmitted to at least one antenna of the antenna array, wherein further the processor is configured to send the control frames to the transmitter for transmission, wherein further the processor comprises a frame generation module which generates the control frames, wherein further the frame generation module includes beamforming values in fields of the control frames, with the beamforming values enabling a device which receives the control frames to perform training activities related to beamforming.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising random access memory (RAM) coupled to the processor, wherein the RAM enables buffering of data received via the receiver.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a flat panel display device coupled to processor, wherein the processor is configured to decode multimedia data of the received data and generate a video stream for display via the flat panel display device.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising an optical decoding device coupled to the processor, wherein the optical device is configured to read data from a Blu-ray disc, wherein further the processor is configured to create decoded data from the read data and transmit the decoded data via the transmitter.