Disadvantaged node discovery

1. A method for discovering the presence of a communication node which seeks participation in a radio communication network, comprising:

using a first directional antenna associated with a first network node to facilitate a radio network communication session (RNCS) with at least a second network node;

concurrent with the RNCS, receiving at the first directional antenna a first signal comprising a digital data sequence transmitted from a late entrant node (LEN) which seeks participation in the radio communication network;

applying digital data processing gain to the first signal received by the first directional antenna to facilitate detection of the digital data sequence at receive signal strength levels which are below a noise floor of a receiver associated with the first network node;

performing a time difference of arrival (TDOA) analysis if the digital data sequence transmitted from the late entrant node is also detected in a second signal contemporaneously received at a second directional antenna;

accessing dynamically variable state information which specifies first and second antenna gain patterns for the first and second directional antennas at a time which corresponds to the detection time of the digital data sequence in at least the first signal;

determining location information associated with the LEN based on the TDOA analysis; and

using the location information to estimate at least one beam-steering vector necessary for electronically steering a boresight of a transmit and receive antenna beams toward the LEN.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the first and second antenna gain patterns to determine exclusionary arrival angles from which the first signal cannot have originated under conditions where the digital data sequence transmitted from the late entrant node is only detected in the first signal.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising using a received signal strength (RSS) information for the first signal to facilitate the determination of the exclusionary arrival angles in accordance with the first and second antenna gain patterns.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising using the exclusionary arrival angles and the location information to estimate the at least one beam-steering vector.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising repeating for subsequent transmissions of the digital data sequence at least one of the TDOA analysis, and the comparing of first and second antenna gain patterns, to refine the estimate of the at least one beam-steering vector.

6. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising scheduling the occurrence of the transmit antenna beam in accordance with the at least one beam steering vector after a number of possible estimates for the beam steering vector have been reduced to less than a predetermined value.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the transmit antenna beam directed toward the LEN is generated by one of the first and second directional antennas.

8. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising receiving the second signal at the second directional antenna concurrent with a second RNCS with a third network node, wherein the second RNCS is facilitated by the second directional antenna.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second directional antennas are situated at the same antenna site.

10. A radio communication network, comprising:

a first network node comprising a first directional antenna configured to facilitate a radio network communication session (RNCS) with at least a second network node; and

a node discovery module (NDM) comprised of at least one electronic processing element configured to:

concurrent with the RNCS, receive from the first directional antenna a first signal comprising a digital data sequence transmitted from a late entrant node (LEN) which seeks participation in the radio communication network;

apply digital data processing gain to the first signal received by the first directional antenna to facilitate detection of the digital data sequence at receive signal strength levels which are below a noise floor of a receiver associated with the first network node;

perform a time difference of arrival (TDOA) analysis if the digital data sequence transmitted from the late entrant node is also detected in a second signal contemporaneously received at a second directional antenna;

access dynamically variable state information which specifies first and second antenna gain patterns for the first and second directional antennas at a time which corresponds to the detection time of the digital data sequence in at least the first signal;

determine location information associated with the LEN based on the TDOA analysis; and

use the location information to estimate at least one beam-steering vector necessary for electronically steering a boresight of a transmit and receive antenna beams toward the LEN.

11. The radio communication network according to claim 10 , wherein the NDM is further configured to compare the first and second antenna gain patterns to determine exclusionary arrival angles from which the first signal cannot have originated under conditions where the digital data sequence transmitted from the late entrant node is only detected in the first signal.

12. The radio communication network according to claim 11 , wherein the NDM is further configured to use a received signal strength (RSS) information for the first signal to facilitate the determination of the exclusionary arrival angles in accordance with the first and second antenna gain patterns.

13. The radio communication network according to claim 11 , wherein the NDM is further configured to use the exclusionary arrival angles and the location information to estimate the at least one beam-steering vector.

14. The radio communication network according to claim 13 , wherein the NDM is further configured to repeat for subsequent transmissions of the digital data sequence at least one of the TDOA analysis, and the comparing of first and second antenna gain patterns, to refine the estimate of the at least one beam-steering vector.

15. The radio communication network according to claim 13 , wherein the NDM is further configured to trigger an occurrence of the transmit antenna beam in accordance with the at least one beam steering vector after a number of possible estimates for the beam steering vector have been reduced to less than a predetermined value.

16. The radio communication network according to claim 11 , wherein the transmit antenna beam directed toward the LEN is generated by one of the first and second directional antennas.

17. The radio communication network according to claim 11 , wherein the NDM is further configured to receive the second signal from the second directional antenna concurrent with an occurrence of a second RNCS with a third network node, wherein the second RNCS is facilitated by the second directional antenna.

18. The radio communication network according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second directional antennas are situated at the same antenna site.