Wireless device with directional antennas for use in millimeter-wave peer-to-peer networks and methods for adaptive beam steering

• US 20070287384A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sadri, Ali S., Kitchin, Duncan, Casas, Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.400
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments of wireless device and method for communicating in a wireless network are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a wireless device establishes a link using a directional antenna in an initially selected direction with another wireless device. If the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates, the link may be reestablished in a previously identified alternate direction. In some embodiments, the initially selected direction and the alternate direction are jointly selected by both the first and second wireless devices.

Claims

1. A method of communicating comprising:

establishing, by a first wireless device, a link with a directional antenna in an initially selected direction with a second wireless device; and

reestablishing the link in a previously identified alternate direction if the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates,

wherein the initially selected direction and the alternate direction are selected by both the first and second wireless devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein when reestablishing the link in the alternate direction, the first and second wireless devices concurrently switch to communicating in the alternate direction.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying two or more directions for communicating with the second wireless device based on receipt of beacon signals from the second wireless device through the directional antenna, the two or more directions including the initially selected direction and the alternate direction; and

transmitting a beacon signal for receipt by one or more other wireless devices including the second wireless device for use by the one or more other wireless devices in identifying the two or more directions for communicating with the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising notifying the second wireless device to reestablish the link in the alternate direction when the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the initially selected direction and the alternate direction are identified based on one or more link parameters, and

wherein the method further comprises:

agreeing with the second wireless device on the initially selected direction and the alternate direction to initially establish the link and to reestablish the link respectively; and

coordinating the switching to the alternate direction when the link deteriorates in the initially established direction.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising retransmitting a beacon signal to the second wireless device and re-receiving a beacon signal from the second wireless device when the link fails;

and

wherein the first and second wireless devices re-identify two or more directions for communicating based on receipt of the beacon signals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the link comprises a data channel at millimeter-wave frequencies, and

wherein notifying comprises notifying the second wireless device using a control channel at a microwave frequency.

8. A wireless device comprising:

a directional antenna configurable to communicate signals within each of a plurality of directions; and

processing circuitry to identify two or more directions for communicating with a second wireless device, the processing circuitry to select an alternate one of the directions for communicating with the second wireless device after a link established in an initially selected direction deteriorates.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the wireless device is a first wireless device,

wherein the second wireless device also identifies the two or more directions for communicating with the first wireless device and selects the alternate direction for communicating with the first wireless device when the link established in the initially selected direction with the first wireless device deteriorates.

10. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the first and second wireless devices:

agree on the initially selected direction to establish the link,

further agree on the alternate direction to reestablish the link, and

coordinate the switching to communicating in the alternate direction when the link established in the initially selected direction deteriorates.

11. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the link is established over a high-throughput data channel at millimeter-wave frequencies, and

wherein the first and second wireless devices coordinate the switching using a control channel at a microwave frequency.

12. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry of the first wireless device and processing circuitry of the second wireless device select directions for communicating based on one or more link parameters.

13. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the first and second wireless devices switch to communicating in the alternate direction substantially concurrently, and

wherein the first wireless device identifies the two or more directions for communicating with the second wireless device based on signal levels of signals received from the second wireless device through the directional antenna, and

wherein the second wireless device identifies the two or more directions for communicating with the first wireless device based on signal levels of signals received from the first wireless device.

14. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the first wireless device notifies the second wireless device to select the alternate direction, and

wherein the second wireless device responsively selects the alternate direction for communicating with the first wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry of the first wireless device identifies the two or more directions based on a beacon signal received from the second wireless device,

wherein the first wireless device further transmits the beacon signal for receipt by the second wireless device for use by the second wireless device in identifying the initially selected and alternate directions, and

wherein subsequent beacon signals are transmitted as part of a background activity after the link is established to re-identify one or more directions for communicating.

16. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the directional antenna comprises a sectorized antenna for communicating within a plurality of sectors, wherein the two or more directions correspond to two or more sectors of the directional antenna,

wherein the directional antenna is responsive to control signals provided by the processing circuitry to communicate in a selected one or more of the sectors corresponding to one of the directions.

17. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the directional antenna is an electronically steerable antenna responsive to control signals provided by the processing circuitry to communicate in a selected one of the directions.

18. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the directional antenna is a mechanically steerable antenna responsive to control signals provided by the processing circuitry to communicate in a selected one of the directions.

19. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry determines that the link established in the initially selected direction has deteriorated based on a signal level of signals received through the directional antenna in the initially selected direction from a second wireless communication, and

wherein the signal level comprises at least one of a power level, signal-to-noise ratio, a signal-to-noise and interference ratio, a packet-error rate or a throughput level.

20. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the signals comprise multicarrier signals having a plurality of substantially orthogonal subcarriers comprising millimeter-wave frequencies between approximately 57 and 90 Gigahertz.

21. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the first and the second wireless devices operate as peer devices in a peer-to-peer wireless network.

22. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the first and the second wireless devices operate as nodes within a mesh network, and

wherein communications between the first and second wireless device in the initially selected and alternate directions include packets routed on behalf of other wireless devices of the mesh network.

23. Network interface circuitry for coupling a directional antenna with a first communication device, the network interface circuitry comprising:

processing circuitry to identify two or more directions for communicating with a second communication device and to select an alternate one of the directions for communicating with the second communication device when a link established in an initially selected one of the directions deteriorates; and

a transceiver to generate millimeter-wave signals to communicate with the second communication device over the link.

24. The network interface circuitry of claim 23 wherein the transceiver establishes the link with the directional antenna in the initially selected direction with the second wireless device, and reestablishes the link in a previously identified alternate direction when the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates,

wherein the initially selected direction and the alternate direction are selected jointly by the first and second wireless devices.

25. The network interface circuitry of claim 24 wherein when the transceiver reestablishes the link in the alternate direction, the first and second wireless devices concurrently switch to communicating in the alternate direction.

26. The network interface circuitry of claim 24 wherein the processing circuitry identifies the two or more directions for communicating with the second wireless device based on receipt of beacon signals from the second wireless device through the directional antenna,

wherein the transceiver transmits a beacon signal for receipt by one or more other wireless devices including the second wireless device for use by the one or more wireless devices in identifying the two or more directions for communicating with the first wireless device, and

wherein the transceiver transmits a signal to notify the second wireless device to reestablish the link in the alternate direction when the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates.

27. The wireless device of claim 25 wherein the link is established over a high-throughput data channel at millimeter-wave frequencies, and

wherein the first and second wireless devices coordinate the concurrent switching in the alternate direction using a control channel at a microwave frequency.

28. A kit for configuring a peer-to-peer network comprising:

first network interface circuitry for coupling a first directional antenna with a first communication device, the first network interface circuitry comprising circuitry to identify two or more directions for communicating with a second communication device and circuitry to select an alternate one of the directions for communicating with the second communication device when a link established in an initially selected one of the directions deteriorates; and

second network interface circuitry for coupling a second directional antenna with the second communication device, the second network interface circuitry comprising circuitry to identify the two or more directions for communicating with the first communication device and circuitry to select the alternate direction for communicating with the first communication device when the link established in the initially selected direction with the first communication device deteriorates.

29. The kit of claim 28 wherein the first and second network interface circuitry are configurable to:

agree on the initially selected direction to establish the link,

further agree on the alternate direction to reestablish the link, and

coordinate the switching to communicating in the alternate direction after the link established in the initially selected direction deteriorates.

30. The kit of claim 28 wherein the first and second network interface circuitry are configurable to select directions for communicating based on one or more link parameters,

wherein the first and second network interface circuitry establish the link over a high-throughput data channel at millimeter-wave frequencies, and

wherein the first and second network interface circuitry coordinate the switching to communicating in the alternate direction using a control channel at a microwave frequency.

31. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations to:

establish, by a first wireless device, a link with a directional antenna in an initially selected direction with second wireless device; and

reestablish the link in a previously identified alternate direction when the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates,

wherein the initially selected direction and the alternate direction are selected by both the first and second wireless devices.

32. The machine-accessible medium of claim 31 wherein the instructions, when further accessed cause the first and second wireless devices to concurrently switch to communicate in the previously identified alternate direction to reestablish the link.

33. The machine-accessible medium of claim 32 wherein the instructions, when further accessed, cause the machine to:

identify two or more directions for communicating with the second wireless device based on receipt of a beacon signal from the second wireless device through the directional antenna, the two or more directions including the initially selected direction and the previously identified alternate direction,

transmit a beacon signal for receipt by one or more other wireless devices including the second wireless device for use by the one or more devices in identifying the two or more directions for communicating with the first wireless device, and

notify the second wireless device to reestablish the link in the previously identified alternate direction when the link in the initially selected direction deteriorates.