Apparatus and method for wireless communication via at least one of directional and omni-direction antennas

• US 8,335,475 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nanda, Sanjiv, Nandagopalan, Saishankar, Abraham, Santosh P., Walton, Jay Rodney, Ozaki, Ernest Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US12/711,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 455/19, 455/25, 455/63.4, 455/279.1, 455/506, 455/500, 342/403, 342/405, 342/423, 342/432, 342/434, 342/437, 342/445, 370/334, 375345-349, 375/267, 375/316, 375147-150, 375/260, 375/285, 375/340
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0615 of weighted versions of same signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

Techniques for using at least one of omni-directional and directional antennas for communication are described. A station may be equipped antenna elements selectable for use as an omni-directional antenna or one or more directional antennas. The station may select the omni-directional antenna or a directional antenna for use for communication based on various factors such as, e.g., whether the location or direction of a target station for communication is known, whether control frames or data frames are being exchanged, etc.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one integrated circuit configured to communicate with a first station on a first link via an omnidirectional antenna, to estimate interference for a directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from a second station, to determine a data rate based in part on the estimated interference, and to communicate with the second station on a second link via the directional antenna at the determined data rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first link is for a wireless medium shared by stations in a wireless network, and wherein the second link is for a backhaul.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated circuit is configured to communicate with the first station on frequencies of a first frequency band via the omni-directional antenna, and to communicate with the second station on frequencies of a second frequency band via the directional antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first and second frequency bands overlap at least partially.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second stations are the same station.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated circuit is configured to exchange control frames with the first station on the first link via the omni-directional antenna, and to exchange data frames with the second station on the second link via the directional antenna.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one integrated circuit is configured to estimate interference for the directional antenna by measuring received power for the directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from the second station.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the communicating with the first station comprises communicating with the first station on a first frequency band via the omni-directional antenna, and wherein the communicating with the second station comprises communicating with the second station on a second frequency band via the directional antenna.

8. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

communicating with a first station on a first link via an omni-directional antenna;

estimating interference for a directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from a second station;

determining a data rate based in part on the estimated interference; and

communicating with the second station on a second link via the directional antenna at the determined data rate.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second stations are the same station.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the communicating with the first station comprises exchanging control frames with the first station on the first link via the omni-directional antenna, and wherein the communicating with the second station comprises exchanging data frames with the second station on the second link via the directional antenna.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for communicating with a first station on a first link via an omni-directional antenna;

means for estimating interference for a directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from a second station;

means for determining a data rate based in part on the estimated interference; and

means for communicating with the second station on a second link via the directional antenna at the determined data rate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for communicating with the first station comprises means for communicating with the first station on u first frequency band via the omni-directional antenna, and wherein the means for communicating with the second station comprises means for communicating with the second station on a second frequency band via the directional antenna.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second stations are the same station.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for communicating with the first station comprises means for exchanging control frames with the first station on the first link via the omi-directional antenna, and wherein the means for communicating with the second station comprises means for exchanging data frames with the second station on the second link via the directional antenna.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions executable by at least one computer to:

communicate with a first station on a first link via an omi-directional antenna;

estimate interference for a directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from a second station;

determine a data rate based in part on the estimated interference; and

communicate with the second station on a second link via a directional antenna at the determined data rate.

17. A station for wireless communication, comprising:

an omi-directional antenna;

a directional antenna; and

at least one integrated circuit configured to communicate with a first station on a first link via the omni-directional antenna, to estimate interference for a directional antenna when no packet is received by the directional antenna from a second station, to determine a data rate based in part on the estimated interference, and to communicate with the second station on a second link via the directional antenna at the determined data rate.