Device, system and method of indicating station-specific information within a wireless communication

• US 8,873,531 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Prime LLC (Daedalus Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Trainin, Solomon, Kasher, Assaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US12/772,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of indicating station-specific information within a wireless communication. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless communication frame to a plurality of stations using a respective plurality of beamforming configurations, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit to the stations beamforming configuration information including station-specific information corresponding to the plurality of beamforming configurations, respectively.

Claims

1. A device including:

a wireless communication unit to transmit a beamformed portion of a wireless communication frame to a plurality of stations using a respective plurality of beamforming configurations,

wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit to the stations beamforming configuration information as part of a non-beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame prior to transmitting the beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame, the beamforming configuration information including a plurality of station identifiers identifying the plurality of stations, respectively, and a plurality of information fields including station-specific information corresponding to the plurality of beamforming configurations, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information fields are arranged according to an order of the station identifiers.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein an information field of the plurality of information fields indicates one or more training fields to a respective station of the plurality of stations.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein an information field of the plurality of information fields indicates a number of transmission streams of a beamformed configuration corresponding to a respective station of the plurality of stations.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the beamforming configuration information as part of a signaling field of the non-beamformed portion.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the beamforming configuration information after a signaling field of the non-beamformed portion, wherein the signaling field includes one or more transmission parameters indicating one or more transmission characteristics of the configuration information.

7. A system including:

a wireless communication device including;

one or more antennas; and

a wireless communication unit to transmit a wireless communication frame to a plurality of stations, wherein the wireless communication frame includes a beamformed portion, which is to be transmitted to the plurality of stations according to a respective plurality of beamforming configurations,

wherein, prior to transmitting the beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame, the wireless communication unit is to transmit to the stations beamforming configuration information defining the plurality of beamforming configurations, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the beamforming configuration information as part of a non-beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the beamforming configuration information includes a plurality of station identifiers identifying the plurality of stations, respectively, and a plurality of information fields including station-specific configuration information corresponding to the plurality of beamforming configurations, respectively.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of information fields are arranged according to an order of the station identifiers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein an information field of the plurality of information fields indicates a number of training fields to a respective station of the plurality of stations.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein an information field of the plurality of information fields indicates a number of transmission streams of a beamformed configuration corresponding to a respective station of the plurality of stations.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the beamforming configuration information a Reduced Inter-Frame Spacing (RIFS) prior to transmitting the beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame.

13. A method including:

transmitting to a plurality of stations beamforming configuration information as part of a non-beamformed portion of a wireless communication frame prior to transmitting a beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame, the beamforming configuration information corresponding to a plurality of beamforming configurations for transmitting the beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame to the plurality of stations,

wherein the beamforming configuration information includes a plurality of station identifiers identifying the plurality of stations, respectively, and a plurality of information fields including station-specific configuration information corresponding to the plurality of beamforming configurations, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of information fields are arranged according to an order of the station identifiers.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein an information field of the plurality of information fields indicates one or more training fields to a respective station of the plurality of stations.

16. An article including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

transmitting beamforming configuration information to a plurality of stations, prior to transmitting a beamformed portion of a wireless communication frame to the plurality of stations using a plurality of respective beamforming configurations, wherein the beamforming configuration information defines the plurality of beamforming configurations, and wherein transmitting the beamforming configuration information comprises transmitting the beamforming configuration information as part of a non-beamformed portion of said wireless communication frame.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the beamforming configuration information includes a plurality of station identifiers identifying the plurality of stations, respectively, and a plurality of information fields including station-specific configuration information corresponding to the plurality of beamforming configurations, respectively.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the plurality of information fields are arranged according to an order of the station identifiers.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the instructions result in transmitting the beamforming configuration information a Reduced Inter-Frame Spacing (RIFS) prior to transmitting the beamformed portion of the wireless communication frame.