Link adaptation in directional wireless networks

• US 20110274054A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cordeiro, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 8,374,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0033 arrangements specific to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/286 during data packet transmission, e.g. high speed packet access [HSPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

Embodiments of techniques to perform link adaptation in directional wireless networks are presented herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter to transmit packets over a beamformed wireless communication channel; and

a link adaptation module, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel to reestablish wireless communication.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the link adaptation module employs one or more of the following:

retransmission, changes to a modification coding setting (MCS), or changes to a transmission power to reestablish a communication link.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the transmitter does not transmits a contention free end (CF-End) frame during an allocation period.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the transmitter does not receive an acknowledgement (ACK) or block ACK packet from a receiving station in a predefined period of time (T).

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the transmitter does not receive an acknowledgement (ACK) or block ACK packet from a receiving station in a predefined period of time (T) that occurs before the end or after the start of an allocation period.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the transmitter does not receive an acknowledgement (ACK) or block ACK packet from a receiving station in a predefined period of time (T), wherein the predefined period of time (T) is defined as:

T=((max_PPDU_size/MCS_—

AB)+SIFS+ACK)

wherein max_PPDU_size is the maximum size of a PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure) protocol data unit (PHY PPDU), MCS_AB is the MCS used in the last successful frame exchange between the transmitting station and the receiving station, and ACK is the time taken to transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) frame.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive packets over a beamformed wireless communication channel; and

a link adaptation module, wherein the link adaptation module switches the receiver into omni-receive mode to reestablish the communication channel.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel to reestablish the communication channel.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the receiver does not receive a contention free end (CF-End) frame during an allocation period.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the link adaptation module initiates reforming the beamformed wireless communication channel if the receiver does not receive a frame from a transmitting station in a predefined period of time (T).

11. An apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the predefined period of time (T) occurs before the end or after the start of an allocation period.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the predefined period of time (T) is defined as:

T=((max_PPDU_size/MCS_—

AB)+SIFS+ACK)

wherein max_PPDU_size is the maximum size of a PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure) protocol data unit (PHY PPDU), MCS_AB is the MCS used in the last successful frame exchange between the transmitting station and the receiving station, and ACK is the time taken to transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) frame.

13. A method comprising:

establishing a beamformed wireless communication channel between a transmitter station and a receiver station; and

reestablishing the beamformed wireless communication channel between the transmitter station and the receiver station when communication is interrupted.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the receiver station enters an omni-receive mode after not receiving a frame for a predefined period of time (T).

15. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the transmitter station attempts to reestablish communication with the receiver station before reestablishing the beamformed wireless communication channel.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the transmitter station attempts to reestablish communication with the receiver station by retransmitting a frame.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the transmitter station attempts to reestablish communication with the receiver station by changing a modification and coding (MCS) setting

18. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the transmitter station attempts to reestablish communication with the receiver station by changing a transmission power level.

19. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the predefined period of time (T) occurs before the end or after the start of an allocation period.

20. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the predefined period of time (T) is defined as:

T=((max_PPDU_size/MCS_—

AB)+SIFS+ACK)

wherein max_PPDU_size is the maximum size of a PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure) protocol data unit (PHY PPDU) MCS_B is the MCS used in the last successful frame exchange between the transmitting station and the receiving station, and ACK is the time taken to transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) frame.