METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SIMPLIFIED BEAMFORMING

• US 20140010319A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vermani, Sameer, Baik, Eugene Jong-Hyon
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for simplified beamforming are provided. In one aspect, a plurality of signals from a signal transmitter are received over a wireless network on one or more receive antennas. One or more phase differences are then determined that maximize a signal to noise ratio of the plurality of received signals. Data representing the one or more phase differences is then transmitted to the signal transmitter.

Claims

1. A method of providing simplified beamforming data to a signal transmitter, comprising:

receiving a plurality of signals that have been transmitted from at least two antenna of a signal transmitter over a wireless network;

determining one or more phase differences that maximize a signal to noise ratio of the plurality of received signals;

transmitting data representing the one or more phase differences to the signal transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the phase differences are selected from zero (0) and π

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the phase differences are selected from zero (0), π

/2, π

, and 3π

/2.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a beamforming report to the signal transmitter, wherein the beamforming report indicates a format of sounding feedback included in the report.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the beamforming report indicates a simplified beamforming report.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the simplified beamforming report does not include amplitude information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the simplified beamforming report includes only phase difference information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of signals are received on one receive antenna.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter is an access point.

10. An apparatus for providing simplified beamforming data to a signal transmitter, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of signals transmitted from at least two antennas of a signal transmitter over a wireless network;

a processor configured to determine one or more phase differences that maximize a signal to noise ratio of the plurality of received signals; and

a transmitter configured to transmit data representing the one or more phase differences to the signal transmitter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to select each of the phase differences from zero (0) and π

.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to select each of the phase differences from zero (0), π

/2, π

, and 3π

/2.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a beamforming report to the signal transmitter, wherein the beamforming report indicates a format of sounding feedback included in the report.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the beamforming report indicates a simplified beamforming report.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a simplified beamforming report that does not include amplitude information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a simplified beamforming report that includes only phase difference information.

17. An apparatus for providing simplified beamforming data to a signal transmitter, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of signals that have been transmitted from at least two antennas of a signal transmitter over a wireless network;

means for determining one or more phase differences that maximize a signal to noise ratio of the plurality of received signals; and

means for transmitting data representing the one or more phase differences to the signal transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for determining is configured to select each of the phase differences from zero (0) and π

.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for determining is configured to select each of the phase differences from zero (0), π

/2, π

, and 3π

/2.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a means for transmitting a beamforming report to the signal transmitter, wherein the beamforming report indicates a format of sounding feedback included in the report.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the beamforming report indicates a simplified beamforming report.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit a simplified beamforming report that does not include amplitude information.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit a simplified beamforming report that includes only phase difference information.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a method of:

receiving a plurality of signals that have been transmitted from at least two antennas of a signal transmitter over a wireless network;

determining one or more phase differences that maximize a signal to noise ratio of the plurality of received signals; and

transmitting data representing the one or more phase differences to the signal transmitter.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of the phase differences are selected from zero (0) and π

.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of the phase differences are selected from zero (0), π

/2, π

, and 3π

/2.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising transmitting a beamforming report to the signal transmitter, wherein the beamforming report indicates a format of sounding feedback included in the report.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the beamforming report indicates a simplified beamforming report.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the simplified beamforming report does not include amplitude information.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the simplified beamforming report includes only phase difference information.