DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION UTILIZING ONE OR MORE ANTENNA ARRAYS

• US 20140072078A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sergeyev, Vadim Sergeyevich, Maltsev, Alexander Alexandrovich, Davydov, Alexei Vladimirovich, Pudeyev, Andrey Vyacheslavovich
• Application Number:
  US13/976,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20140072078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication utilizing one or more antenna arrays. For example, a device may include a controller to control one or more antenna arrays for reception of a wireless transmission from a wireless communication device, the controller may be configured to control the one or more antenna arrays to form a beam directed in a first beam direction for receiving the wireless transmission, and to form a second beam to search for at least one second beam direction, different from the first beam direction, to compare the second beam direction to the first beam direction based on at least one predefined criterion, and, based on the comparison, to steer the first beam to the second beam direction for receiving the wireless transmission.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller to control one or more antenna arrays for reception of a wireless transmission from a wireless communication device, said controller is to control said one or more antenna arrays to form a first beam directed in a first beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission, and to form a second beam to search for at least one second beam direction, different from said first beam direction, to compare said second beam direction to said first beam direction based on at least one predefined criterion, and, based on said comparison, to steer said first beam to said second beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one criterion comprises a parameter related to a received signal of said wireless transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller is to steer said first beam to said second beam direction, if a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said second beam, when steered to said second beam direction, is greater than a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said first beam, when steered to said first beam direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to control said second beam for communicating with another wireless communication device, and wherein said controller is to steer said second beam to search for said second beam direction during one or more time periods when communication with the other wireless communication device is inactive.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to steer a direction of a transmit antenna array for transmitting to said wireless communication device based on said comparison.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to steer said second beam to said first beam direction and to steer said second beam from said first beam direction to search for said second beam direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to steer said first beam to said second beam direction if said first beam direction is blocked.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first beam direction comprises a line-of-sight (LoS) direction to said wireless communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless transmission comprises a millimeter-wave (mmwave) transmission.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an access point.

11. A method comprising:

steering a first beam to a first beam direction for receiving a wireless transmission from a wireless communication device;

steering a second beam to search for at least one second beam direction, different from said first beam direction;

comparing said second beam direction to said first beam direction based on at least one predefined criterion; and

based on said comparison, steering said first beam to said second beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one criterion comprises at least one parameter related to a received signal of said wireless transmission.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising steering said first beam to said second beam direction, if a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said second beam, when steered to said second beam direction, is greater than a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said first beam, when steered to said first beam direction.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising steering said second beam to said first beam direction and steering said second beam from said first beam direction to search for said second beam direction.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising steering said first beam to said second beam direction if said first beam direction is blocked.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first beam direction comprises a line-of-sight (LoS) direction to said wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 11 comprising communicating with another wireless communication device via said second beam, and steering said second beam to search for said second beam direction during one or more time periods when communication with the other wireless communication device is inactive.

18. The method of claim 11 comprising steering a direction of a transmit antenna array for transmitting to said wireless communication device based on said comparison.

19. A system comprising:

at least a first wireless communication device including;

one or more antenna arrays;

at least first and second Radio Frequency (RF) chains connected to said one or more antenna arrays; and

a controller to control the one or more antenna arrays for reception of a wireless transmission from a second wireless communication device, said controller is to control said one or more antenna arrays to form a first beam directed in a first beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission, and to form a second beam to search for at least one second beam direction, different from said first beam direction, to compare said second beam direction to said first beam direction based on at least one predefined criterion, and, based on said comparison, to steer said first beam to said second beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said at least one criterion comprises at least one parameter related to a received signal of said wireless transmission.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said controller is to steer said first beam to said second beam direction, if a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said second beam, when steered to said second beam direction, is greater than a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said first beam, when steered to said first beam direction.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said controller is to control said second beam for communicating with a third wireless communication device, and wherein said controller is to steer said second beam to search for said second beam direction during one or more time periods when communication with the third wireless communication device is inactive.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises at least one transmit antenna array, wherein said controller is to steer a direction of the transmit antenna array for transmitting to said second wireless communication device based on said comparison.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein said wireless transmission comprises a millimeter-wave (mmwave) transmission.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises an access point.

26. An article including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

steering a first beam to a first beam direction for receiving a wireless transmission from a wireless communication device;

steering a second beam to search for at least one second beam direction, different from said first beam direction;

comparing said second beam direction to said first beam direction based on at least one predefined criterion; and

based on said comparison, steering said first beam to said second beam direction for receiving said wireless transmission.

27. The article of claim 26, wherein said at least one criterion comprises at least one parameter related to a received signal of said wireless transmission.

28. The article of claim 27, wherein said instructions result in steering said first beam to said second beam direction, if a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said second beam, when steered to said second beam direction, is greater than a value of said parameter of said wireless transmission received via said first beam, when steered to said first beam direction.

29. The article of claim 26, wherein said instructions result in steering said second beam to said first beam direction and steering said second beam from said first beam direction to search for said second beam direction.

30. The article of claim 26, wherein said instructions result in steering said first beam to said second beam direction if said first beam direction is blocked.