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

• US 8,626,068 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• 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:
  US13/722,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 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 and a transmission is done using consecutive in time superframes divided into functional periods with the functional period intervals set by a piconet controller (PNC), 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 (DEVs);

wherein one superframe includes the following functional periods;

Omni-Beacon Period, Omni-Contention Access Period (Omni-CAP), Directional Beacons Period, Announcement Period, Directional Channel Time Allocation Period (Directional CTAP) and Beamforming Period;

wherein when a request is received from a device for a Beamforming Period to perform beamforming training between different DEVs the piconet controller places the Beamforming Period after the Announcement Period or at the end of the superframe after the Directional CTAP;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is placed after the Announcement Period then a pair of devices are able to perform the beamforming training and to transmit during the Directional CTAP within the same superframe;

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional CTAP then the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period or after the Directional Beacon Period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein during the functional period a transceiver can transition between the low-rate omni directional mode and the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period then the transceiver transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode only once during the superframe; and

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional Beacon Period then the there are two transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode during the superframe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low rate omni directional mode is implemented with one antenna element and wherein the one or more transceivers use the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to repeatedly send omni directional beacon frames.

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 using one or more transceivers in a wireless network using a low-rate omni directional mode and a high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode and a transmission is done using consecutive in time superframes divided into functional periods with the functional period intervals set by a piconet controller (PNC), 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 (DEVs);

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;

wherein one superframe includes the following functional periods;

Omni-Beacon Period, Omni-Contention Access Period (Omni-CAP), Directional Beacons Period, Announcement Period, Directional Channel Time Allocation Period (Directional CTAP) and Beamforming Period;

wherein when a request is received from a device for a Beamforming Period to perform beamforming training between different DEVs the piconet controller places the Beamforming Period after the Announcement Period or at the end of the superframe after the Directional CTAP;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is placed after the Announcement Period then a pair of devices are able to perform the beamforming training and to transmit during the Directional CTAP within the same superframe;

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional CTAP then the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period or after the Directional Beacon Period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein during the functional period a transceiver can transition between the low-rate omni directional mode and the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period then the transceiver transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode only once during the superframe; and

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional Beacon Period then the there are two transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode during the superframe.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising using the low-rate omni-directional communications mode to repeatedly send omni directional beacon frames and wherein said wireless network employs consecutive in time super frames for said high rate directional communications mode.

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 and a transmission is done using consecutive in time superframes divided into functional periods with the functional period intervals set by a piconet controller (PNC), 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 (DEVs);

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;

wherein one superframe includes the following functional periods;

Omni-Beacon Period, Omni-Contention Access Period (Omni-CAP), Directional Beacons Period, Announcement Period, Directional Channel Time Allocation Period (Directional CTAP) and Beamforming Period;

wherein when a request is received from a device for a Beamforming Period to perform beamforming training between different DEVs the piconet controller places the Beamforming Period after the Announcement Period or at the end of the superframe after the Directional CTAP;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is placed after the Announcement Period then a pair of devices are able to perform the beamforming training and to transmit during the Directional CTAP within the same superframe;

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional CTAP then the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period or after the Directional Beacon Period.

12. The non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 11, wherein during the functional period a transceiver can transition between the low-rate omni directional mode and the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode;

wherein if the Beamforming Period is adjacent to the Omni-Beacon Period then the transceiver transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode only once during the superframe;

wherein if the beamforming period is placed after the Directional Beacon Period then the there are two transitions from the low-rate omni directional mode to the high rate directional millimeter wave (mm wave) communications mode during the superframe; and

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 12, 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.