Antenna beam training and tracking protocol for 60 GHz operation
View Patent ↗A particular communications protocol is used for antenna training to accomplish directional communications in a wireless communications network. In some embodiments, pertinent information for various requests, responses, and status reports, is included in information elements.
1. A wireless device for a user station (STA) including a memory; and one or more processors configured to:
provide a request frame for antenna training the request frame having a physical layer convergence protocol (PLOP) header that includes an indication of the presence of antenna training sequences, the request frame to initiate antenna training for operation in a 60 GHz band;
process a response frame to the request frame, the response frame including an indication of an antenna training sequence on which a responding STA received a highest quality signal;
determine one or more directionality setting for antenna tracking using the response frame; and
generate a second frame for antenna tracking the second frame to include an indication of a number of training sequences requested for the antenna tracking.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the request is separated from a preceding response by at least a short interframe space (SIFS) interval.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the response includes an indication of a type of feedback provided with the response.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the response includes feedback, within a feedback information element, indicating a quality of a transmission measured in the antenna training sequence.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the request and the response repeat for a number of iterations to refine antenna beam weight values.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes an indication of a length of an antenna training sequence.
7. The device of claim 1 , further including at least one phased array antenna.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user station (STA) to perform operations comp rising:
provide a request frame for antenna training, the request frame having a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header that includes an indication of the presence of antenna training sequences, the request frame to initiate antenna training for operation in a 60 GHz band;
process a response frame to the request frame, the response frame including an indication of an antenna training sequence on which a responding STA received a highest quality signal, wherein the response frame includes an indication of a type of feedback provided with the response frame;
determine one or more directionality settings for antenna tracking using the response frame; and
generate a second frame for antenna tracking, the second frame to include an indication of a number of training sequences requested for the antenna tracking.
9. A user station (STA), comprising:
a wireless communication device including a radio, a processor, and a memory, the wireless communication device to operate in a 60 GHz or higher frequency band to:
provide a request frame for antenna training, the request frame having a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header that includes an indication of the presence of antenna training sequences, the request frame to initiate antenna training for operation in a 60 GHz band;
process a response frame to the request frame, the response frame including an indication of an antenna training sequence on which a responding STA received a highest quality signal and the response frame further including an indication of a type of feedback provided with the response;
determine one or more directionality settings for antenna tracking using the response frame; and
generate a second frame for antenna tracking the second frame to include an indication of a number of training sequences requested for the antenna tracking.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising at least two antennas.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the at least two antennas is a non-trainable antenna.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the request is separate from a preceding response by at least a short interframe space (SIFTS) interval.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the response includes feedback, within a feedback information element (IE), indicating a quality of a transmission measured in the antenna training sequence.
14. A device including a memory and one or more processors, the one or more processors including circuitry, the circuitry having logic to:
configure the device to receive a request frame for antenna training, the request frame having a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header that includes an indication of the presence of antenna training sequences, the request frame to initiate antenna training for operation in a 60 GHz band;
provide a response frame to the request frame, for determining one or more directionality settings for antenna tracking, within a short interframe space (SIFS) of receiving the request frame, wherein the response frame includes an indication of an antenna training sequence on which a responding STA received a highest quality signal; and
configure the device to receive a second frame for antenna tracking, the second frame to include an indication of a number of training sequences requested for the antenna tracking.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the indication is provided within a feedback information element (IE) that indicates a quality of a transmission measured in the antenna training sequence.