Beamforming protocol for wireless communications
First Claim
1. A communication device, comprising:
- an antenna;
a radio circuitry, coupled to the antenna, that is operative to transmit a first signal to establish beamforming during a period initiated under at least one of a contention access period and a channel time allocation period to at least one additional communication device via the antenna using a beamforming training protocol based on a device class of the communication device and/or the at least one additional communication device, the first signal indicating a beamforming capability that declares a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device, the first signal for establishing a configuration of the antenna based at least in part on a common beamforming capability with the at least one additional communication device; and
the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and
an antenna weight vector circuitry, coupled to the radio circuitry, that is operative to calculate an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and on a second signal, responsive to the first signal, received from the at least one additional communication device, the second signal indicating a beamforming capability that includes a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device;
the configuration of the antenna modified based on the AWV; and
the radio circuitry is operative to transmit data to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna modified based on the AWV.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Beamforming protocol for wireless communications. Various communications are made between an originating communication device and a remote communication device to effectuate steered communications there between. The beamforming approach presented herein is applicable and adaptable to communication devices having any combination of omni-directional and directional transmit and receive functionality (e.g., the transmit functionality and the receive functionality both being omni-directional; the transmit functionality being directional and the receive functionality being omni-directional; or the transmit functionality and the receive functionality both being are directional). The beamforming protocol presented herein allows for all combinations of communication device types and also provides collision rules as may be performed in accordance with the beamforming configuration.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A communication device, comprising:
- an antenna;
a radio circuitry, coupled to the antenna, that is operative to transmit a first signal to establish beamforming during a period initiated under at least one of a contention access period and a channel time allocation period to at least one additional communication device via the antenna using a beamforming training protocol based on a device class of the communication device and/or the at least one additional communication device, the first signal indicating a beamforming capability that declares a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device, the first signal for establishing a configuration of the antenna based at least in part on a common beamforming capability with the at least one additional communication device; and
the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and
an antenna weight vector circuitry, coupled to the radio circuitry, that is operative to calculate an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and on a second signal, responsive to the first signal, received from the at least one additional communication device, the second signal indicating a beamforming capability that includes a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device;
the configuration of the antenna modified based on the AWV; and
the radio circuitry is operative to transmit data to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna modified based on the AWV. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- an antenna;
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10. A communication device, comprising:
- an antenna;
a radio circuitry, coupled to the antenna, that is operative to transmit a first signal, that includes a sounding physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU), the first signal to establish beamforming during a period initiated under at least one of a contention access period and a channel time allocation period to at least one additional communication device via the antenna using a beamforming training protocol based on a device class of the communication device and/or the at least one additional communication device, the first signal declaring a beamforming capability that includes a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device, wherein;
the first signal for establishing a configuration of the antenna based at least in part on a common beamforming capability with the at least one additional communication device; and
the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and
an antenna weight vector circuitry, coupled to the radio circuitry, that is operative to calculate an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and on a second signal, responsive to the first signal, received from the at least one additional communication device, the second signal indicating a beamforming capability that includes the transmit functionality and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and
wherein;
the second signal includes a plurality of training sequence symbols (TSS) and channel state information as calculated by at least one additional communication device based on the sounding PHY PPDU;
the configuration of the antenna modified based on the AWV; and
the antenna weight vector circuitry is operative to calculate the AWV based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and the receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device; and
the radio circuitry is operative to transmit data to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna modified based on the AWV. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- an antenna;
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16. A method for operating a communication device, the method comprising:
- employing a radio circuitry to transmit a first signal to establish beamforming during a period initiated under at least one of a contention access period and a channel time allocation period to at least one additional communication device via an antenna using a beamforming training protocol based on a device class of the communication device and/or the at least one additional communication device, the first signal indicating a beamforming capability that declares a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device, wherein;
the first signal for establishing a configuration of the antenna based at least in part on a common beamforming capability with the at least one additional communication device; and
the first signal is transmitted in accordance with the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device; and
calculating an antenna weight vector (AWV) based on the transmit functionality corresponding to the communication device and on a second signal, responsive to the first signal, received from the at least one additional communication device, the second signal indicating a beamforming capability that includes a receive functionality corresponding to the at least one additional communication device;
modifying the configuration of the antenna based on the AWV; and
transmitting data from the communication device to the at least one additional communication device via the antenna modified based on the AWV. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
- employing a radio circuitry to transmit a first signal to establish beamforming during a period initiated under at least one of a contention access period and a channel time allocation period to at least one additional communication device via an antenna using a beamforming training protocol based on a device class of the communication device and/or the at least one additional communication device, the first signal indicating a beamforming capability that declares a transmit functionality and a receive functionality corresponding to the communication device, wherein;
Specification