Pseudo-omni-directional beamforming with multiple narrow-band beams

• US 9,749,889 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lee, Jungwon, Lou, Hui-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Wen
• Application Number:
  US14/159,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20140134956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455 69, 455126
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

In a technique for communication with a station on a wireless network, the technique includes forming a plurality of narrow-band beams, each having a different angular direction from an antenna of a base station and collectively distributed over a beamspace to form a pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern. That beamspace may span an entire spherical region or a portion thereof, for example, when the narrow-band beams are broadcast over a sector of an entire spherical region. The technique may assign each of the plurality of narrow-band beams to a different frequency band (such as a different channel band or sub-channel) on the wireless network. The technique may simultaneously broadcast the plurality of narrow-band beams in a time-varying manner such that the angular direction of each of the plurality of narrow-band beams varies with time, where that variation may be random or ordered.

Claims

1. A mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station comprising:

an antenna to receive a pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern, the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern containing a plurality of narrow-band beams, each having a different angular direction that varies with time, and each being assigned to a different frequency band of the wireless network; and

a controller to

determine, based on the plurality of narrow-band beams received in the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern, a feedback signal indicating a characteristic property for each of the narrow-band beams received in the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern, and

transmit, to a base station, the feedback signal indicating the characteristic property for each narrow-band beam in the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern, wherein the characteristic property for each narrow-band beam in the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern is useable by the base station for scheduling communications between the base station and the mobile station.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern varies in a time-varying manner.

3. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams are collectively distributed over a beamspace to form the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern.

4. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams vary in a random time-varying manner.

5. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams vary in an ordered time-varying manner.

6. The mobile station of claim 5, wherein the ordered time-varying manner is a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the narrow-band beams about a central null of an antenna at the base station.

7. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the feedback signal is a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) signal determined for each of the plurality of narrow-band beams.

8. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the feedback signal contains modulation and coding set (MCS) data.

9. A method of communication between a base station and a plurality of mobile stations in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, at each of the plurality of mobile stations, a pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern broadcast from the base station, the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern containing a plurality of narrow-band beams, each having a different angular direction that varies with time, and each being assigned to a different sub-carrier of the wireless network;

each mobile station respectively determining, based on the plurality of narrow-band beams received in the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern from the base station, a feedback signal indicating a characteristic property for each of the plurality of narrow-band beams received from the base station; and

each mobile station transmitting the feedback signal respectively determined by the mobile station for receipt at the base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern varies in a time-varying manner.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams vary in a random time-varying manner.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams vary in an ordered time-varying manner.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ordered time-varying manner is a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the narrow-band beams about a central null of an antenna at the base station.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of narrow-band beams are collectively distributed over a beamspace to form the pseudo-omni-directional beam pattern.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the feedback signal is a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) signal determined for each of the plurality of narrow-band beams.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the feedback signal contains modulation and coding set (MCS) data.