Quasi-omni training in channel time allocation period

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, at a device from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of the device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

transmitting, from the device as a response to the received request for the training, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are transmitted in every cycle using a different transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

receiving, at the device using its preferred receive quasi-omni direction, feedback information about at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, from the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, an acknowledgement message to the PNC.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

switching, at the device, to a new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction if a link quality factor (LQF) that corresponds to the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction is greater than an LQF that corresponds to the preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to a preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device is chosen from the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

6. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a circuit configured to receive, at a device from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of the device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the device as a response to the received request for the training, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are transmitted in every cycle using a different transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

a receiver configured to receive, at the device using its preferred receive quasi-omni direction, feedback information about at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a circuit configured to transmit, from the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, an acknowledgement message to the PNC.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:

a circuit configured to switch, at the device, to a new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction if a link quality factor (LQF) that corresponds to the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction is greater than an LQF that corresponds to the preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to a preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device is chosen from the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

11. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving, at a device from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of the device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

means for transmitting, from the device as a response to the received request for the training, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are transmitted in every cycle using a different transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

means for receiving, at the device using its preferred receive quasi-omni direction, feedback information about at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for transmitting, from the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, an acknowledgement message to the PNC.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for switching, at the device, to a new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction if a link quality factor (LQF) that corresponds to the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction is greater than an LQF that corresponds to the preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to a preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the new preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device is chosen from the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

16. A computer-program product for wireless communications, comprising a computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

receive, at a device from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of the device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

transmit, from the device as a response to the received request for the training, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are transmitted in every cycle using a different transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

receive, at the device using its preferred receive quasi-omni direction, feedback information about at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device.

17. An access terminal, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a circuit configured to receive, at the access terminal via the at least one antenna, a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of the access terminal, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the access terminal as a response to the received request for the training via the at least one antenna, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are transmitted in every cycle using a different transmit quasi-omni direction of the access terminal; and

a receiver configured to receive, at the access terminal using its preferred receive quasi-omni direction via the at least one antenna, feedback information about at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the access terminal.

18. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting, from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of a device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

receiving, at the PNC, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are received in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using all receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC, and wherein the repetitions of the training packet were transmitted from the device in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using a unique transmit quasi-omni direction of the device;

evaluating a link quality factor (LQF) for each pair of the used receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC and of the used transmit quasi-omni directions of the device;

determining, at the PNC based on the evaluated LQFs, at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

transmitting, from the PNC, feedback information about the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving, at the PNC using a preferred receive quasi-omni direction chosen from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC, an acknowledgement message transmitted from the device in response to the feedback information.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

monitoring, at the PNC in a periodically allocated tracking channel time allocation period, a first link quality information (LQI) value that corresponds to the preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and to a preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, and a second LQI value that corresponds to another transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to another receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC; and

switching, at the PNC, to the other receive quasi-omni direction if the second LQF value is greater than the first LQF value.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the other receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC is selected from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

23. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a first circuit configured to transmit, from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of a device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

a receiver configured to receive, at the PNC, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are received in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using all receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC, and wherein the repetitions of the training packet were transmitted from the device in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using a unique transmit quasi-omni direction of the device;

an evaluating circuit configured to evaluate a link quality factor (LQF) for each pair of the used receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC and of the used transmit quasi-omni directions of the device;

a second circuit configured to determine, at the PNC based on the evaluated LQFs, at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the PNC, feedback information about the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:

a circuit configured to receive, at the PNC using a preferred receive quasi-omni direction chosen from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC, an acknowledgement message transmitted from the device in response to the feedback information.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:

a monitoring circuit configured to monitor, at the PNC in a periodically allocated tracking channel time allocation period, a first link quality information (LQI) value that corresponds to the preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and to a preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, and a second LQI value that corresponds to another transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to another receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC; and

a switching circuit configured to switch, at the PNC, to the other receive quasi-omni direction if the second LQF value is greater than the first LQF value.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the other receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC is selected from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

28. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for transmitting, from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of a device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

means for receiving, at the PNC, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are received in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using all receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC, and wherein the repetitions of the training packet were transmitted from the device in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using a unique transmit quasi-omni direction of the device;

means for evaluating a link quality factor (LQF) for each pair of the used receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC and of the used transmit quasi-omni directions of the device;

means for determining, at the PNC based on the evaluated LQFs, at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

means for transmitting, from the PNC, feedback information about the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 , further comprising:

means for receiving, at the PNC using a preferred receive quasi-omni direction chosen from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC, an acknowledgement message transmitted from the device in response to the feedback information.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 , further comprising:

means for monitoring, at the PNC in a periodically allocated tracking channel time allocation period, a first link quality information (LQI) value that corresponds to the preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and to a preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device, and a second LQI value that corresponds to another transmit quasi-omni direction of the device and to another receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC; and

means for switching, at the PNC, to the other receive quasi-omni direction if the second LQF value is greater than the first LQF value.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the other receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC is selected from the at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the LQF comprises at least one of following: a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-noise plus interference ratio (SNIR), a bit error rate (BER), and a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI).

33. A computer-program product for wireless communications, comprising a computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

transmit, from a piconet controller (PNC), a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of a device, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

receive, at the PNC, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are received in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using all receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC, and wherein the repetitions of the training packet were transmitted from the device in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using a unique transmit quasi-omni direction of the device;

evaluate a link quality factor (LQF) for each pair of the used receive quasi-omni directions of the PNC and of the used transmit quasi-omni directions of the device;

determine, at the PNC based on the evaluated LQFs, at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the PNC and at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device; and

transmit, from the PNC, feedback information about the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the device using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the PNC.

34. An access point, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a first circuit configured to transmit, from the access point via the at least one antenna, a request for training of transmit quasi-omni directions of an access terminal, wherein the training will be performed during a channel time allocation period (CTAP);

a receiver configured to receive, at the access point via the at least one antenna, repetitions of a training packet in a plurality of cycles, wherein the repetitions of the training packet are received in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using all receive quasi-omni directions of the access point, and wherein the repetitions of the training packet were transmitted from the access terminal in each cycle of the plurality of cycles using a unique transmit quasi-omni direction of the access terminal;

an evaluating circuit configured to evaluate a link quality factor (LQF) for each pair of the used receive quasi-omni directions of the access point and of the used transmit quasi-omni directions of the access terminal;

a second circuit configured to determine, at the access point based on the evaluated LQFs, at least one preferred receive quasi-omni direction of the access point and at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the access terminal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the access point via the at least one antenna, feedback information about the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the access terminal using one of the at least one preferred transmit quasi-omni direction of the access point.