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

• US 8,798,681 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Niu, Huaning, Li, Qinghua, Soffer, Menashe
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US13/768,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 370/254
• 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;

directionally transmitting, within a first sector, a first transmission including an identifier of the first sector;

directionally transmitting, within a second sector, a second transmission including an identifier of the second sector;

omnidirectionally receiving a response transmission from a second wireless network device, the response including an identifier of a particular one of the first and second sectors, the response further including an identifier of a third sector, the third sector used by the second wireless network device to transmit the response transmission; and

directionally transmitting, within the particular one of the first and second sectors, information to the second wireless network device, the information including an identifier of the third sector.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more operations to achieve finer directionality with the second wireless network device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein directionally transmitting the first transmission and directionally transmitting the second transmission are included in a sector sweep operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second transmissions is a beacon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network device is a wireless network controller.

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission, the second transmission, and the response transmission are each millimeter wave wireless transmissions.

8. An apparatus, comprising a first wireless network device containing a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a processor, the first wireless network device to:

directionally transmit, within a first sector, a first transmission including an identifier of the first sector;

directionally transmit, within a second sector, a second transmission including an identifier of the second sector;

omnidirectionally receive a millimeter wave response transmission from a second wireless network device, the response including an identifier of a particular one of the first and second sectors, the response further including an identifier of a third sector, the third sector used by the second wireless network device to transmit the response transmission; and

directionally transmit, within the particular one of the first and second sectors, information to the second wireless network device, the information including an identifier of the third sector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device is to perform one or more operations to achieve finer directionality with the second wireless network device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device is to perform antenna training with the second wireless network device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first transmission and the second transmission are included in a sector sweep operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second transmissions is a beacon.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device is a wireless network controller.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device comprises multiple antennas in a phased array antenna system.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device is to receive the response during one of multiple available time slots.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network device is to receive the response over one of multiple available sub-channels.

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

directionally transmitting, within a first sector, a first transmission including an identifier of the first sector;

directionally transmitting, within a second sector, a second transmission including an identifier of the second sector;

omnidirectionally receiving a millimeter wave response transmission from a second wireless network device, the response including an identifier of a particular one of the first and second sectors, the response further including an identifier of a third sector, the third sector used by the second wireless network device to transmit the response transmission; and

directionally transmitting, within the particular one of the first and second sectors, information to the second wireless network device, the information including an identifier of the third sector.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise one or more operations to achieve finer directionality with the second wireless network device.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein directionally transmitting the first transmission and directionally transmitting the second transmission are included in a sector sweep operation.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second transmissions is a beacon.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the article is a wireless network controller.

22. The article of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise performing antenna training with the second wireless network device.

23. The article of claim 17, wherein the first transmission, the second transmission, and the response transmission are each millimeter wave wireless transmissions.

24. An apparatus, comprising a first wireless network device having a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a processor, the first wireless network device to:

omnidirectionally receive a first transmission including an identifier of a first sector within which the first transmission was transmitted by a second wireless network device;

directionally transmit to the second wireless network device, within a second sector, a first response including an identifier of the second sector;

directionally transmit to the second wireless network device, within a third sector, a second response including an identifier of the third sector;

omnidirectionally receive, from the second wireless network device, information containing an identifier of a particular one of the second and third sectors; and

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

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first wireless network device is to perform one or more operations to achieve finer directionality with the second wireless network device.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first wireless network device is to perform antenna training with the second wireless network device.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first wireless network device comprises multiple antennas in a phased array antenna system.

28. 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 first transmission including an identifier of a first sector within which the first transmission was transmitted by a second wireless network device;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a second sector, a first response including an identifier of the second sector;

directionally transmitting to the second wireless network device, within a third sector, a second response including an identifier of the third sector;

omnidirectionally receiving, from the second wireless network device, information containing an identifier of a particular one of the second and third sectors; and

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

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the operations comprise one or more operations to achieve finer directionality with the second wireless network device.

30. The article of claim 28, wherein the operations comprise performing antenna training with the second wireless network device.