Asymmetric beam steering protocol

1. A method, comprising:

activating a beam determination operation in an apparatus, wherein the apparatus enters a mode for receiving one or more beam training sequences from an access point with which the apparatus is associated;

receiving the one or more beam training sequences in the apparatus;

determining a signal quality metric corresponding to each of the one or more beam training sequences based on an algorithm supported in the apparatus; and

selecting a beam direction, wherein selecting a beam direction comprises:

transmitting a signaling message, the signaling message including an identifier corresponding to the beam direction that was determined to have the highest signal quality metric; and

receiving an acknowledgement or response message from the direction corresponding to the beam direction identifier;

wherein the apparatus activates the beam determination operation by sending an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer to the access point, and subsequently receiving an unscheduled beam training response from the access point, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam determination operation is activated by the reception of a beacon signal containing a beam training information element.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the beam training information element comprises the scheduling information for the receiving of training sequence and number of beam training packets per sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus activates the beam determination operation by sending a beam training request message to the access point, and subsequently receiving a response message indicating support for such request.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein signal quality comprises determining the strength of a received signal in an antenna system including a plurality of antennas.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting a beam direction is based on receiving at least a predetermined minimum number of beam training packets per training sequence for each supported beam.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling message and acknowledgement or response message are not sent in the same transmission opportunity period or service period in which the one or more beam training sequences was received.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling message is transmitted in an omni-directional manner and the signaling message is sent as a request to initiate directional transmission when the apparatus has data to be transmitted in a directional mode.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising requesting a link to the access point by sending a signaling request in the direction of the selected beam.

10. A method, comprising:

activating a beam training support operation in an access point, wherein the access point enters a mode for transmitting one or more beam training sequences;

selecting predetermined beam directions towards which the one or more beam training sequences will be transmitted;

transmitting the one or more beam training sequences in the selected beam directions;

receiving one or more signaling messages, each message comprising at least a receiving apparatus identifier and a selected beam direction identifier;

transmitting a response message or an acknowledgement message corresponding to the one or more received signaling messages; and

associating each receiving apparatus identifier with each corresponding selected beam direction identifier for directional communications with a corresponding apparatus associated with the access point;

wherein the beam training support operation is activated in response to receiving an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer and the access point responds by transmitting an unscheduled beam training response, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the beam training support operation is activated by transmitting a beacon signal containing a beam training information element.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the beam training information element comprises at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence is selected based on at least one of a minimum value defined in the access point and values transmitted to the access point by other apparatuses prior to the activation of the beam training support operation.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving messages from, and transmitting messages to, the apparatus associated with the access point, corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the direction corresponding to the selected beam direction identifier.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor, the processor being configured to:

activate a beam determination operation in the apparatus, wherein the apparatus enters a mode for receiving one or more beam training sequences from an access point with which the apparatus is associated;

receive the one or more beam training sequences in the apparatus;

determine a signal quality metric corresponding to each of the one or more beam training sequences based on an algorithm supported in the apparatus; and

select a beam direction, wherein selecting a beam direction comprises:

transmitting a signaling message, the signaling message including an identifier corresponding to the beam direction that was determined to have the highest signal quality metric; and

receiving an acknowledgement or response message from the direction corresponding to the beam direction identifier;

wherein the apparatus activates the beam determination operation by sending an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer to the access point, and subsequently receives an unscheduled beam training response from the access point, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further configured to form a directional communication beam based on the beam direction that was determined to have the highest signal quality.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor, the processor being configured to:

activate a beam training support operation in the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is an access point and enters a mode for transmitting one or more beam training sequences;

select predetermined beam directions towards which the one or more beam training sequences will be transmitted;

transmit the one or more beam training sequences in the selected beam directions;

receive one or more signaling messages, each message comprising at least a receiving apparatus identifier and a selected beam direction identifier;

transmit a response message or an acknowledgement message corresponding to the one or more received signaling messages; and

associate each receiving apparatus identifier with each corresponding selected beam direction identifier for directional communications with a corresponding apparatus associated with the access point;

wherein the beam training support operation is activated in response to receiving an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer and the access point responds by transmitting an unscheduled beam training response, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the one or more beam training sequences comprises an indication of a training period length that comprises the one or more transmitted beam training sequences.

19. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer readable program code is executed by a processing section of the apparatus, the computer readable program code comprising:

code configured to cause an apparatus to activate a beam determination operation, wherein the apparatus enters a mode for receiving one or more beam training sequences from an access point with which the apparatus is associated;

second code configured to cause the apparatus to receive the one or more beam training sequences;

third code configured to cause the apparatus to determine a signal quality metric corresponding to each of the one or more beam training sequences based on an algorithm supported in the apparatus; and

fourth code configured to cause the apparatus to select a beam direction, wherein selecting a beam direction comprises:

transmitting a signaling message, the signaling message including an identifier corresponding to the beam direction that was determined to have the highest signal quality metric; and

receiving an acknowledgement or response message from the direction corresponding to the beam direction identifier;

wherein the apparatus activates the beam determination operation by sending an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer to the access point, and subsequently receives an unscheduled beam training response from the access point, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.

20. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer readable program code is executed by a processing section of the apparatus, the computer readable program code comprising:

code configured to cause an apparatus to activate a beam training support operation, wherein the apparatus is an access point and enters a mode for transmitting one or more beam training sequences;

second code configured to cause the apparatus to select predetermined beam directions towards which the one or more beam training sequences will be transmitted;

third code configured to cause the apparatus to transmit the one or more beam training sequences in the selected beam directions;

fourth code configured to cause the apparatus to receive one or more signaling messages, each message comprising at least a receiving apparatus identifier and a selected beam direction identifier;

fifth code configured to cause the apparatus to transmit a response message or an acknowledgement message corresponding to the one or more received signaling messages; and

sixth code configured to cause the apparatus to associate each receiving apparatus identifier with each corresponding selected beam direction identifier for directional communications with a corresponding apparatus associated with the access point;

wherein the beam training support operation is activated in response to receiving an unscheduled beam training request message over a robust omni-directional signal bearer and the access point responds by transmitting an unscheduled beam training response, the unscheduled beam training response comprising at least a beam training schedule and a number of beam training packets to be transmitted per beam training sequence.