Forced beam switching in wireless communication systems having smart antennas
DC CAFCFirst Claim
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1. A method for use in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
- configuring a first device having a smart antenna to selectively allow a second device to operatively associate with a beam downlink transmittable to said second device using said smart antenna;
configuring said first device to determine information from at least one uplink transmission receivable from said second device through said smart antenna;
configuring said first device to determine if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam downlink transmittable using said smart antenna based on said determined information; and
if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam, then configuring said first device to allow said second device to operatively associate with said different beam by at least one of configuring said first device to identify that said second device is allowed to operatively associate with said different beam, or configuring said first device to identify that said second device is not allowed to operatively associate with said beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses are proved which allow a wireless communication system using a smart antenna(s) to selectively cause a receiving device to switch its operative association from one transmitted beam to another available transmitted beam.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for use in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
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configuring a first device having a smart antenna to selectively allow a second device to operatively associate with a beam downlink transmittable to said second device using said smart antenna; configuring said first device to determine information from at least one uplink transmission receivable from said second device through said smart antenna; configuring said first device to determine if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam downlink transmittable using said smart antenna based on said determined information; and if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam, then configuring said first device to allow said second device to operatively associate with said different beam by at least one of configuring said first device to identify that said second device is allowed to operatively associate with said different beam, or configuring said first device to identify that said second device is not allowed to operatively associate with said beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for use in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
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determining if a client device that is currently operatively associated with a beam that is being downlink transmitted to said client device from an access point device using a smart antenna should instead be operatively associated with a different beam downlink transmitted from said smart antenna based on information determined from at least one uplink transmission received from said client device through said smart antenna; and if determined that said associated client device should be operatively associated with a different beam, then causing said access point device to force said client device to operatively associate with said different beam by causing said access point device to temporarily stop transmitting to said client device using said beam. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for causing logic to perform acts comprising:
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configuring a first device having a smart antenna to selectively allow a second device to operatively associate with a beam downlink transmittable to said second device using said smart antenna; configuring said first device to determine information from at least one uplink transmission receivable from said second device through said smart antenna; configuring said first device to determine if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam downlink transmittable using said smart antenna based on said determined information; and if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam, then configuring said first device to allow said second device to operatively associate with said different beam by at least one of configuring said first device to identify that said second device is allowed to operatively associate with said different beam, or configuring said first device to identify that said second device is not allowed to operatively associate with said beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for use in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:
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means for transmitting a plurality of smart antenna beams; means for determining if a client device that is currently operatively associated with a first smart antenna beam should instead be operatively associated with a second smart antenna beam based on information determined from at least one transmission received from said client device; means for forcing said client device to operatively associate with said second smart antenna beam when it is determined that said client device should be operatively associated with second smart antenna beam; and means for causing an access point device to temporarily stop transmitting to said client device using said first smart antenna beam. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for use in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one smart antenna; at least one transceiver operatively coupled to said smart antenna and configured to send and receive electromagnetic signals using said smart antenna; and logic operatively coupled to said transceiver and configured to selectively allow a second device to operatively associate with a beam downlink transmittable to said second device using said smart antenna, determine information from at least one uplink transmission receivable from said second device through said smart antenna, determine if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam downlink transmittable using said smart antenna based on said determined information, and if said associated second device should operatively associate with a different beam then allow said second device to operatively associate with said different beam and selectively identify that said second device is not allowed to operatively associate with said beam. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A wireless communication system comprising:
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at least one client device; and at least one access point device operatively coupled to said client device over a wireless link and therein capable of transmitting a plurality of smart antenna beams, determining if said client device that is currently operatively associated with a first smart antenna beam should instead be operatively associated with a second smart antenna beam based on information determined from at least one transmission received from said client device, causing said client device to operatively associate with said second smart antenna beam when it is determined that said client device should be operatively associated with second smart antenna beam, and temporarily stopping transmission to said client device using said first smart antenna beam. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification