Method and apparatus for directional channel access in a wireless communications system

• US 9,787,371 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lakkis, Ismail, Bracha, Vered Bar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cehic, Kenan
• Application Number:
  US12/483,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20100118749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,042 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method of wireless communications is provided. The method includes detecting at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions; receiving and decoding a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device had transmitted the packet; and completing reception of the packet based on a second receive direction. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications comprising:

detecting at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions;

receiving and decoding a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device transmitted the packet, wherein a second receive direction is incorporated in the header; and

completing reception of the packet based on the second receive direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first receive direction comprises one of:

(1) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (2) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second receive direction further comprises one of (a) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (b) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the header comprises a device address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet was transmitted by the first device in a transmit direction determined during a training process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of sweep directions is associated with devices that were previously trained.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of receive directions is less than a number of total receive directions.

12. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

means for detecting at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions of the apparatus;

means for receiving and decoding a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device transmitted the packet, wherein a second receive direction is incorporated in the header; and

means for completing reception of the packet based on the second receive direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first receive direction comprises one of:

(1) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (2) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second receive direction further comprises one of (a) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (b) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the header comprises a device address.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the packet was transmitted by the first device in a transmit direction determined during a training process.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a number of the plurality of sweep directions is associated with devices that were previously trained by the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a number of the plurality of receive directions is less than a number of total receive directions of the apparatus.

23. A computer readable storage device for wireless communications encoded with a computer program executed by an apparatus,

the computer readable storage device comprising instructions executable to:

detect at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions;

receive and decode a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device transmitted the packet, wherein a second receive direction is incorporated in the header; and

complete reception of the packet based on the second receive direction.

24. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

a processing system configured to;

detect at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions of the apparatus;

receive and decode a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device transmitted the packet, wherein a second receive direction is incorporated in the header; and

complete reception of the packet based on the second receive direction.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first receive direction comprises one of:

(1) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (2) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second receive direction further comprises one of (a) a working direction determined during the sweep, and (b) a best direction determined during the sweep, the sweep being over all receive directions.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the best direction is a direction determined based on a link quality indicator.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the working direction is a direction with sufficient link quality to allow the completion of the reception of the packet.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the header comprises a device address.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the packet was transmitted by the first device in a transmit direction determined during a training process.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the plurality of sweep directions are associated with devices that were previously trained by the apparatus.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a number of the plurality of receive directions is less than a number of total receive directions of the apparatus.

35. A wireless node comprising:

an antenna; and

a processing system configured to;

detect at least a portion of a preamble of a packet transmitted by a first device by sweeping over a plurality of receive directions;

receive via the antenna and decode a header of the packet based on a first receive direction to identify that the first device transmitted the packet, wherein a second receive direction is incorporated in the header; and

complete reception of the packet via the antenna based on the second receive direction.