Arrangements for beam refinement in a wireless network

• US 8,068,844 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Niu, Huaning, Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LONG T
• Application Number:
  US12/317,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.1
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

In some embodiments a beamforming method is disclosed. The method can include transmitting a beam having a channel defined by a maximum ration transmission vector (MRT) and receiving a first response from a receiver, where the first response has first information such as parameters related to the transmitted beam. Using the parameters and the initial MRT another directional transmission can be made. A similar process can determine a maximum combining ratio for a receiver. Set up communications between the transmitter and the receiver can be reduced by omitting data from transmission that can be acquired by other means such as from memory or calculations. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A beamforming method comprising:

determining at least part of a maximum ratio combining (MRC) vector;

determining at least part of a first maximum ratio transmission (MRT) vector;

transmitting a sounding vector based on the first MRT vector;

receiving the sounding vector utilizing the MRC vector;

determine a parameter of the received sounding vector;

transmitting the parameter back to a source;

performing a directional transmission based on the parameter and the first MRT vector; and

terminating the beamforming method when a predetermined condition is met.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is beamformed channel gain.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is a quantitized MRT vector based on the first MRT vector.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is a computed component that is transmitted back as part of a MRT vector that is orthogonal to the first MRT vector such that the information exchanged between a transmitter and a receiver can be reduced.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second vector is complimentary to a current and previous MRT vector.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a receiver computes a MRT vector and sends the MRT vector to the transmitter.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a receiver only transmits a synthesized result and a transmitter computes a MRT vector based on the synthesized result.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the directional transmission comprises vectors determined from one of a MRT or MRC vector that was utilized a previous transmission or calculation.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising conducting a sector sweep.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition is a convergence of transmit weight vector and a receive weight vector.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating the method after one of a predetermined number of steps or a signal to noise ratio.

12. A system comprising:

a beam controller to adjust a beam during the beam training sequence;

a sensor to sense at least one channel parameter during the beam training sequence and to acquired data in response to beam training sequences

a configuration module to control a plurality of beam training sequences; and

a configuration module to configure a subsequent training transmission that will provide information related to convergence of transmit weights and receive weights, the configuration module to create a beam training sequence to be tested utilize data acquired from more than one past training transmission.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a transceiver and an antenna array coupled to the beam controller.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the sensor is a signal to noise sensor or a signal to interference plus noise sensor.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the beam training sequence comprises sending and receiving vectors tailored to converge the transmit and receive weights.

16. A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor cause the computer to:

determine at least part of a maximum ratio combining (MRC) vector;

determine at least part of a first maximum ratio transmission (MRT) vector;

transmit a sounding vector based on the first MRT vector;

receive the sounding vector utilizing the MRC vector;

determine a parameter of the received sounding vector;

transmit the parameter back to a source;

perform a directional transmission based on the parameter and the first MRT vector; and

terminate the beamforming method when a predetermined condition is met.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 that, when executed by a processor, causes the computer to compute the parameter which is a transmitted back as part of a MRT vector that is orthogonal to the first MRT vector such that the information exchanged between a transmitter and a receiver can be reduced.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 that, when executed by a processor, causes the computer to conduct a sector sweep.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 that, when executed by a processor, causes the computer to synthesize the first and second response at the receiver.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 that, when executed by a processor, causes the computer to terminate the method in response to the detection of a predefined condition.