Device, system and method of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies

• US 8,897,712 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sofer, Menashe, Kasher, Assaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US14/027,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20140018005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 436 Days
• Field of Search: 455/25, 455 631- 634, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/67.14, 455/68, 455/69, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.7, 455/101, 342/350, 342/354, 342/359, 342/360, 342/367, 342/368
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0805 with single receiver and antenna switching H04B7/0822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to transmit and receive signals via one or more quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit, via each quasi-omnidirectional antenna assembly, a plurality of first transmissions, to receive, in response to the first transmissions, a plurality of second transmissions from another device via one or more of the quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, and, based on the second transmissions, to select at least one selected transmit antenna assembly for transmitting to the other device and a selected receive antenna assembly for receiving transmissions from the other device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session, wherein said transmitter is to include in all of said responder training packets a common initiator transmit sector identifier to identify a common transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

2. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication unit is to determine the common initiator transmit sector based on said initiator training packets.

3. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session, wherein said transmitter is to include in the one or more responder training packets an initiator antenna assembly identifier to identify an initiator antenna assembly of said initiator wireless communication device,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

4. The wireless communication unit of claim 3, said wireless communication unit to select at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device and at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

5. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, wherein an initiator training packet of said one or more initiator training packets includes an indication of an initiator antenna assembly and an initiator transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

6. The wireless communication unit of claim 5, wherein the at least one antenna assembly includes at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device and at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

7. The wireless communication unit of claim 5, wherein said transmitter is to further include, in at least one responder training packet of said one or more responder training packets, —

an indication of one or more transmit sectors of at least one transmit antenna assembly of the initiator wireless communication device.

8. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive a plurality of initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, all of said plurality of initiator training packets including an indication of a common initiator transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

9. The wireless communication unit of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication unit is to select at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device, said transmitter to include, in at least one responder training packet of said one or more responder training packets, an indication of the at least one transmit antenna assembly.

10. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive a plurality of initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, each of the initiator training packets including an indication of a different initiator antenna assembly of said initiator wireless communication device; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication unit of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication unit is to select at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device, the transmitter to include, in at least one responder training packet of said one or more responder training packets, an indication of one or more transmit sectors of the at least one transmit antenna assembly.

12. A wireless communication unit including:

a receiver to receive one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, wherein said wireless communication unit is to sequentially switch a plurality of antenna assemblies to receive said initiator training packets; and

a transmitter to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session,

said wireless communication unit is to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

13. The wireless communication unit of claim 12, wherein said wireless communication unit is to select at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device based on feedback from the initiator wireless communication device.

14. The wireless communication unit of claim 13, wherein said wireless communication unit is to select one or more transmit sectors of the at least one transmit antenna assembly to include one or more transmit sectors indicated by said feedback.

15. The wireless communication unit of claim 12, wherein said wireless communication unit is to select at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device based on the initiator training packets.

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

receiving one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session;

transmitting, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session, wherein the instructions result in including in all of said responder training packets a common initiator transmit sector identifier to identify a common transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device; and

selecting, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the at least one antenna assembly includes at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device and at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

18. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

receiving one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session;

transmitting, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session, wherein the instructions result in including in the one or more responder training packets an initiator antenna assembly identifier to identify an initiator antenna assembly of said initiator wireless communication device; and

selecting, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein selecting the at least one antenna assembly includes selecting at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device and at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

20. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

receiving a plurality of initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, all of said plurality of initiator training packets including an indication of a common initiator transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device;

transmitting, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session; and

selecting, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the instructions result in selecting at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device based on feedback from the initiator wireless communication device.

22. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

receiving one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, wherein said instructions result in sequentially switching a plurality of antenna assemblies to receive said initiator training packets;

transmitting, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session; and

selecting, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the instructions result in selecting at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device based on the initiator training packets.

24. The product of claim 22, wherein the instructions result in including, in at least one responder training packet of said one or more responder training packets, an indication of one or more transmit sectors of at least one transmit antenna assembly of the initiator wireless communication device.

25. A system comprising:

a responder wireless communication device including;

a processor;

a storage;

an input unit;

an output unit;

one or more antenna assemblies; and

a wireless communication unit to receive one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, wherein an initiator training packet of said one or more initiator training packets includes an indication of an initiator antenna assembly and an initiator transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device, the wireless communication unit to transmit, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session, and to select, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said wireless communication unit is to select at least one transmit antenna assembly to transmit to said initiator wireless communication device and at least one receive antenna assembly to receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication unit is to select the at least one transmit antenna assembly based on feedback from the initiator wireless communication device.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication unit is to select said at least one receive antenna assembly based on the initiator training packets.

29. A method comprising:

receiving one or more initiator training packets from an initiator wireless communication device during a beamforming training session, wherein an initiator training packet of said one or more initiator training packets includes an indication of an initiator antenna assembly and an initiator transmit sector of said initiator wireless communication device;

transmitting, in response to said one or more initiator training packets, one or more responder training packets during the beamforming training session; and

selecting, during the beamforming training session, at least one antenna assembly to transmit to and/or receive from said initiator wireless communication device.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising including, in at least one responder training packet of said one or more responder training packets, an indication of one or more transmit sectors of at least one transmit antenna assembly of the initiator wireless communication device.