Techniques for mmWave WPAN communications with high-directional steerable antennas combining omni-directional transmissions with beamforming training

• US 8,340,579 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Maltsev, Alexander, Kesselman, Alex, Maslennikov, Roman, Maltsev, Alexander Jr., Khoryaev, Alexey, Shilov, Mikhail
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/348,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.4
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 7/0617 for beam forming
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for communicating in a millimeter wave (MMWAVE) wireless personal area network (WPAN) system using a reliable low-rate omni-directional communications mode implemented as TX-RX space scanning using directional antennas; and using a high-rate directional communications mode with beamformed directional antennas.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more transceivers operable to communicate in a wireless network by using a low-rate omni directional mode and a high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode with beamformed antennas, wherein the wireless network is a wireless personal area network (WPAN) and wherein the WPAN is a piconet that includes a central station, and other station devices; and

wherein said one or more transceivers use the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to send an omni directional beacon frame, and a message indicating a loss of a connection in the high rate directional communications mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more transceivers use the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to repeatedly send omni directional beacon frames.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low rate omni directional mode is implemented with one antenna element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low rate omni directional mode is implemented as TX-RX space scanning using directional antennas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless network employs consecutive in time super frames for said high rate directional communications mode.

6. A method, comprising:

communicating in a wireless network using a low-rate omni directional mode and a high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode, wherein the wireless network is a wireless personal area network (WPAN) and wherein the WPAN is a piconet that includes a central station and other station devices;

using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to send an omni directional beacon frame; and

using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to send a message indicating a loss of a connection in the high rate directional communications mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said wireless network employs consecutive in time super frames for said high rate directional communications mode.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to repeatedly send omni directional beacon frames.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising implementing the low rate omni directional mode is implemented with one antenna element.

10. The method of claim 6, comprising implementing the low rate omni directional mode as TX-RX space scanning with directional antennas.

11. A non-transitory machine-accessible medium that provides instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

communicating in a wireless network using a low-rate omni directional mode and a high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode, wherein the wireless network is a wireless personal area network (WPAN) and wherein the WPAN is a piconet that includes a central station and other station devices;

using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to send an omni directional beacon frame; and

using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to send a message indicating a loss of a connection in the high rate directional communications mode.

12. The non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein said wireless network employs consecutive in time super frames for said high rate directional communications mode.

13. The non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to repeatedly send omni directional beacon frames.

14. The non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise implementing the low rate omni directional mode is implemented with one antenna element.

15. The non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise implementing the low rate omni directional mode as TX-RX space scanning with directional antennas.