Methods and apparatuses for transmitting an allocation of time in a wireless system

• US 9,961,701 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jain, Avinash, Taghavi Nasrabadi, Mohammad Hossein, Sampath, Hemanth
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US13/018,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access

Abstract

Various methods and apparatuses for transmitting an allocation of time in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In one aspect, an allocation of time for receiving communications via a receive beam direction is transmitted. The allocation of time may be based on information regarding an apparatus known to be located in the receive beam direction. A unique time for receiving communications from each known apparatus may be allocated, or a duration of time for receiving communications from the known apparatuses may vary based on a number of apparatuses known to located in a receive beam direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive communications via a plurality of receive beam directions; and

a transmitter configured to communicate an allocation of time for one or more of the receive beam directions, wherein;

the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

the information regarding one or more apparatuses comprises a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to a contention access period.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver is configured to receive request messages from the one or more known apparatuses during at least a portion of the contention access period, the request messages requesting a time for transmitting data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a circuit configured to allocate a sticky assignment to one of the one or more known apparatuses based at least in part on a quantity of the request messages received from the one known apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an apparatus is known to be located in a first receive beam direction if signals transmitted from the apparatus are received via the first receive beam direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to one or more scheduled access periods.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the receiver is configured to receive request or control messages from a single apparatus during each of the one or more scheduled access periods.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an access period is scheduled for each known apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit configured to determine a length of the time allocated for at least one of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to periodically transmit a beacon comprising an indication of the allocation of time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the beacon further comprises information indicating each direction from which the receiver will receive the communications.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is configured to successively transmit the beacon in a plurality of directions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the beacon comprises information identifying the one or more apparatuses.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a data structure storing information correlating the one or more of the receive beam directions and a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in the one or more of the receive beam directions.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit configured to perform beam tracking utilizing the transmitter and receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a single apparatus is known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions differs from the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation of time is contiguous.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive communications via a plurality of receive beam directions; and

a transmitter configured to communicate an allocation of time for one or more of the receive beam directions, wherein the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions comprises a first quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, wherein the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions comprises a second quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, and wherein the first quantity differs from the second quantity.

21. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

transmitting an allocation of time for one or more of a plurality of receive beam directions, wherein;

the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

the information regarding one or more apparatuses comprises a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

receiving a communication from at least one of the one or more apparatuses via the receive beam direction in which the at least one apparatus is known to be located.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to a contention access period.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving comprises receiving request messages from the one or more known apparatuses during at least a portion of the contention access period, the request messages requesting a time for transmitting data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising allocating a sticky assignment to an apparatus based at least in part on a quantity of the request messages received from the apparatus.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein an apparatus is known to be located in a first receive beam direction when signals transmitted from the apparatus are received via the first receive beam direction.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to one or more scheduled access periods.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising perceiving a signal transmit from a first apparatus during one of the scheduled access periods, and disregarding the signal, wherein the apparatus is not scheduled to transmit communications during the one of the scheduled access periods.

28. The method of claim 26, comprising scheduling an access period for each known apparatus.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining a length of the time allocated for at least one of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmitting comprises periodically transmitting a beacon comprising an indication of the allocation of time.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the beacon further comprises information indicating each direction from which communications will be received.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the transmitting comprises successively transmitting the beacon in a plurality of directions.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the beacon comprises information identifying the one or more apparatuses.

34. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing information in a data structure correlating the one or more of the receive beam directions and a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in the one or more of the receive beam directions.

35. The method of claim 21, further comprising performing beam tracking before the transmitting.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein a single apparatus is known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions differs from the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions.

38. The method of claim 21, wherein the allocation of time is contiguous.

39. The method of claim 21, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous.

40. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

transmitting an allocation of time for one or more of a plurality of receive beam directions, wherein the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

receiving a communication from at least one of the one or more apparatuses via the receive beam direction in which the at least one apparatus is known to be located, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions comprises a first quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, wherein the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions comprises a second quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, and wherein the first quantity differs from the second quantity.

41. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting an allocation of time for one or more of a plurality of receive beam directions, wherein;

the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

the information regarding one or more apparatuses comprises a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

means for receiving a communication from at least one of the one or more apparatuses via the receive beam direction in which the at least one apparatus is known to be located.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to a contention access period.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the receiving means comprises means for receiving request messages from the one or more known apparatuses during at least a portion of the contention access period, the request messages requesting a time for transmitting data.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising means for allocating a sticky assignment to an apparatus based at least in part on a quantity of the request messages received from the apparatus.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein an apparatus is known to be located in a first receive beam direction when signals transmitted from the apparatus are received via the first receive beam direction.

46. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the allocation of time corresponds to one or more scheduled access periods.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, comprising means for perceiving a signal transmit from a first apparatus during one of the scheduled access periods, and means for disregarding the signal if the apparatus is not scheduled to transmit communications during the one of the scheduled access periods.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, comprising means for scheduling an access period for each known apparatus.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for determining a length of the time allocated for at least one of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmitting means comprises means for periodically transmitting a beacon comprising an indication of the allocation of time.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the beacon further comprises information indicating each direction from which communications will be received.

52. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the transmitting means comprises means for successively transmitting the beacon in a plurality of directions.

53. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the beacon comprises information identifying the one or more apparatuses.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for storing information in a data structure correlating the one or more of the receive beam directions and a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in the one or more of the receive beam directions.

55. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for performing beam tracking before the transmission.

56. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a single apparatus is known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions.

57. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions differs from the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions.

58. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the allocation of time is contiguous.

59. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous.

60. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting an allocation of time for one or more of a plurality of receive beam directions, wherein the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

means for receiving a communication from at least one of the one or more apparatuses via the receive beam direction in which the at least one apparatus is known to be located, wherein the allocation of time is noncontiguous, wherein the allocation of time for a first one of the receive beam directions comprises a first quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, wherein the allocation of time for a second one of the receive beam directions comprises a second quantity of noncontiguous sub-periods, and wherein the first quantity differs from the second quantity.

61. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that when executed cause an apparatus to:

transmit an allocation of time for one or more of a plurality of receive beam directions;

wherein;

the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

the information regarding one or more apparatuses comprises a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

receive a communication from at least one of the one or more apparatuses via the receive beam direction in which the at least one apparatus is known to be located.

62. A wireless node comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver configured to receive, via the antenna, communications via a plurality of receive beam directions; and

a transmitter configured to communicate an allocation of time for one or more of the receive beam directions, wherein;

the allocation of time for each of the one or more receive beam directions is based at least in part on information regarding one or more apparatuses known to be located in each respective receive beam direction of the one or more of the receive beam directions; and

the information regarding one or more apparatuses comprises a quantity of apparatuses known to be located in each of the one or more of the receive beam directions.