WIDE TRANSMIT SECTOR LEVEL SWEEP (SLS) SECTORS

• US 20180198505A1
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Published: 07/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: EITAN, Alecsander Petru, SANDEROVICH, Amichai, KASHER, Assaf Yaakov
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• 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: H04B 7/063 Parameters other than those covered in groups H04B7/0623 - H04B7/0634, e.g. channel matrix rank or transmit mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for using wide transmit sector level sweep (SLS) sectors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to generate one or more first frames to be output for transmission to a wireless device during a transmit sector sweep using first transmit beamforming sectors that are wider than one or more second transmit beamforming sectors to be used for transmitting data frames to the wireless device; and

a first interface configured to output the one or more first frames for transmission using the first transmit beamforming sectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the processing system is further configured to generate an indication that the first transmit beamforming sectors are wider than the second transmit beamforming sectors; and

the first interface is configured to output the indication for transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the processing system is configured to generate a sector sweep feedback frame with the indication therein; and

the first interface is configured to output the sector sweep feedback frame for transmission.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a second interface configured to obtain an indication, from the wireless device, of at least one of the first transmit beamforming sectors;

the processing system is further configured to generate one or more second frames to be output for transmission to the wireless device during a transmit beam refinement phase (BRP-TX) using one or more of the second transmit beamforming sectors that overlap with the indicated first transmit beamforming sector; and

the first interface is further configured to output the one or more second frames for transmission using the one or more of the second transmit beamforming sectors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the second interface is configured to obtain, from the wireless device, an indication of one of the second transmit beamforming sectors;

the processing system is further configured to generate one or more data frames to be output for transmission to the wireless device using the indicated second transmit beamforming sector; and

the first interface is further configured to output the data frames for transmission using the indicated second transmit beamforming sector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to perform the transmit sector sweep using the first transmit beamforming sectors for only certain wireless devices based on service needs.

35. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one antenna via which the one or more first frames are output for transmission, wherein the apparatus is configured as a wireless station.

7. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a first interface configured to obtain one or more first frames from a wireless device during a transmit sector sweep; and

a processing system configured to determine that the one or more first frames were transmitted using first transmit beamforming sectors that are wider than one or more second transmit beamforming sectors to be used by the wireless device for transmitting data frames to the apparatus and, in response to the determination, initiate a beam refinement phase (BRP).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the first interface is configured to obtain, from the wireless device, an indication that the first transmit beamforming sectors are wider than the one or more second transmit beamforming sectors; and

the determination is based on the indication.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first interface is further configured to obtain, from the wireless device, a sector sweep feedback frame having the indication therein.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a second interface configured to output for transmission, to the wireless device, an indication of at least one of the first transmit beamforming sectors;

the first interface is further configured to obtain one or more second frames from the wireless device during a transmit beam refinement phase (BRP-TX), wherein the one or more second frames were transmitted by the wireless device using one or more of the second transmit beamforming sectors that overlap with the indicated first transmit beamforming sector;

the processing system is further configured to select one of the one or more of the second transmit beamforming sectors; and

the second interface is configured to output for transmission, to the wireless device, an indication of the selected second transmit beamforming sector.

11-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A wireless station, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more first frames from a wireless device during a transmit sector sweep; and

a processing system configured to determine that the one or more first frames were transmitted using first transmit beamforming sectors that are wider than one or more second transmit beamforming sectors to be used by the wireless device for transmitting data frames to the wireless station and, in response to the determination, initiate a beam refinement phase (BRP).

33-34. -34. (canceled)