Combined omni- and directional- communications in high-frequency wireless networks

• US 8,027,702 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Soffer, Menashe, Niu, Huaning, Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae; Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsvey; Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US12/286,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20090232023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 455/562.1
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0682 using phase diversity (e.g. phase sweeping)
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

In a wireless communication network, specific portions of the communication may combine directional transmission with omnidirectional reception. In particular, sector-level directional transmission may be established through sector sweeps, followed by antenna training for more directionality. In some embodiments, collisions during the exchange may be reduced by having different network devices use different sub-channels or different time slots. In some embodiments, each network may restrict its network communications to a single sub-channel that is different than the sub-channels used by adjacent networks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising

performing operations in a first wireless network device, the operations comprising:

omnidirectionally receiving a discovery beacon including a first sector number identifying a first sector within which the discovery beacon was transmitted by a second wireless network device;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a second sector, a response including a second sector number identifying the second sector;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a third sector, the response including a third sector number identifying the third sector; and

omnidirectionally receiving, from the second wireless network device, information containing a particular one of the second and third sector numbers; and

directionally transmitting additional information to the second wireless network device, within the sector identified by the particular one of the second and third sector numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising performing antenna training with the second wireless network device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the additional information comprises transmitting over one of multiple available sub-channels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the additional information comprises transmitting during one of multiple available time slots.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing the operations comprises performing the operations within a piconet network.

6. An apparatus, comprising

a first wireless network device containing a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a processor, the first wireless network device to:

omnidirectionally receive a discovery beacon including a first sector number identifying a first sector within which the discovery beacon was transmitted by a second wireless network device;

directionally transmit to the second wireless network device, within a second sector, a response including a second sector number identifying the second sector;

directionally transmit to the second wireless network device, within a third sector, the response including a third sector number identifying the third sector;

omnidirectionally receive, from the second wireless network device, information containing a particular one of the second and third sector numbers; and

directionally transmit additional information to the second wireless network device, within the sector identified by the particular one of the second and third sector numbers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless network device is to perform antenna training with the second wireless network device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless network device is to transmit the additional information over one of multiple available sub-channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless network device is to transmit the additional information during one of multiple available time slots.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first and second wireless network devices are to operate within a piconet network.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless network device comprises multiple antennas in a phased array antenna system.

12. An article comprising

a tangible machine-readable medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

omnidirectionally receiving a discovery beacon including a first sector number identifying a first sector within which the discovery beacon was transmitted by a second wireless network device;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a second sector, a response including a second sector number identifying the second sector;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a third sector, the response including a third sector number identifying the third sector;

omnidirectionally receiving, from the second wireless network device, information containing a particular one of the second and third sector numbers; and

directionally transmitting additional information to the second wireless network device, within the sector identified by the particular one of the second and third sector numbers.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise performing antenna training with the second wireless network device.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein the operation of transmitting the additional information comprises transmitting over one of multiple available sub-channels.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the operation of transmitting the additional information comprises transmitting during one of multiple time slots available for the additional information.