Predictive beamforming and subarray selection

1. A method of wireless communication for a wireless device, comprising:

performing a beamforming procedure with each of a plurality of nodes before entering an operational mode to begin communicating with at least one of the plurality of nodes;

maintaining first information associated with a correlation between

each of a plurality of wireless device orientations and

the plurality of nodes, at least one subarray, and a corresponding beamforming direction based on the beamforming procedure performed with each of the plurality of nodes;

communicating, after entering the operational mode, with a first node using a first beamforming direction selected from the first information, the first beamforming direction being correlated with a first orientation of a first subarray at the wireless device and the first node; and

when a position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to a second orientation, performing a handoff procedure from the first node to a second node of the plurality of nodes based on the first information maintained by the wireless device and without performing an additional scanning procedure to discover the second node while in the operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a second beamforming direction for use in communicating with the second node from the first information based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray; and

communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining a first signal strength associated with the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction;

determining a second signal strength associated with a second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction;

determining to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray, the first signal strength, and the second signal strength,

wherein the communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction comprises communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction and the second subarray.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining a first correlation between the first orientation of the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information; and

determining a second correlation between the second orientation of the first subarray, the second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information,

wherein the determining to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction is further based on the second correlation.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining that the position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to the second orientation based at least in part on second information obtained from one or more sensors at the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second information indicates a change in an angle between the first subarray and the first node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second beamforming direction is selected based at least in part on the first information and the second information.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second information indicates an elevation change of the first subarray or an azimuthal change of the first subarray.

10. An apparatus for wireless communication for a wireless device, comprising:

means for performing a beamforming procedure with each of a plurality of nodes before entering an operational mode to begin communicating with at least one of the plurality of nodes;

means for maintaining first information associated with a correlation between

each of a plurality of wireless device orientations and

the plurality of nodes, at least one subarray, and a corresponding beamforming direction based on the beamforming procedure performed with each of the plurality of nodes;

means for communicating, after entering the operational mode, with a first node using a first beamforming direction selected from the first information, the first beamforming direction being correlated with a first orientation of a first subarray at the wireless device and the first node; and

means for performing a handoff procedure from the first node to a second node of the plurality of nodes based on the first information maintained by the wireless device and without performing an additional scanning procedure to discover the second node, the performing of the handoff procedure from the first node to the second node when a position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to a second orientation while in the operational mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

means for selecting a second beamforming direction for use in communicating with the second node from the first information based at least in part on the second orientation of the first sub array; and

means for communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for determining a first signal strength associated with the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction;

means for determining a second signal strength associated with a second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction;

means for determining to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray, the first signal strength, and the second signal strength,

wherein the means for communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction is configured to communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction and the second subarray.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

means for determining a first correlation between the first orientation of the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information; and

means for determining a second correlation between the second orientation of the first subarray, the second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information,

wherein the means for determining to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction is further configured to determine to communicate with the second node based on the second correlation.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for determining that the position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to the second orientation based at least in part on second information obtained from one or more sensors at the wireless device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one gyroscope.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second information indicates a change in an angle between the first subarray and the first node.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second beamforming direction is selected based at least in part on the first information and the second information.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second information indicates an elevation change of the first subarray or an azimuthal change of the first subarray.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication for a wireless device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

perform a beamforming procedure with each of a plurality of nodes before entering an operational mode to begin communicating with at least one of the plurality of nodes;

maintain first information associated with a correlation between

each of a plurality of wireless device orientations and

the plurality of nodes, at least one subarray, and a corresponding beamforming direction based on the beamforming procedure performed with each of the plurality nodes;

communicate, after entering the operational mode, with a first node using a first beamforming direction selected from the first information, the first beamforming direction being correlated with a first orientation of a first subarray at the wireless device and the first node; and

when a position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to a second orientation, perform a handoff procedure from the first node to a second node of the plurality of nodes based on the first information maintained by the wireless device and without performing an additional scanning procedure to discover the second node while in the operational mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select a second beamforming direction for use in communicating with the second node from the first information based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray; and

communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a first signal strength associated with the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction;

determine a second signal strength associated with a second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction;

determine to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray, the first signal strength, and the second signal strength,

wherein the wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction by communicating with the second node using the second beamforming direction and the second subarray.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a first correlation between the first orientation of the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information; and

determine a second correlation between the second orientation of the first subarray, the second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the first information,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction based on the second correlation.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine that the position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to the second orientation based at least in part on second information obtained from one or more sensors at the wireless device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one gyroscope.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the second information indicates a change in an angle between the first subarray and the first node.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the second beamforming direction is selected based at least in part on the first information and the second information.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the second information indicates an elevation change of the first subarray or an azimuthal change of the first subarray.

28. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for a wireless device, comprising code to:

perform a beamforming procedure with each of a plurality of nodes before entering an operational mode to begin communicating with at least one of the plurality of nodes;

maintain first information associated with a correlation between

each of a plurality of wireless device orientations and

the plurality of nodes, at least one subarray, and a corresponding beamforming direction based on the beamforming procedure performed with each of the plurality of nodes;

communicate, after entering the operational mode, with a first node using a first beamforming direction selected from the first information, the first beamforming direction being correlated with a first orientation of a first subarray at the wireless device and the first node; and

when a position of the first subarray changes from the first orientation to a second orientation, perform a handoff procedure from the first node to a second node of the plurality of nodes based on the first information maintained by the wireless device and without performing an additional scanning procedure to discover the second node while in the operational mode.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , further comprising code to:

select a second beamforming direction for use in communicating with the second node from the first information based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray; and

communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further comprising code to:

determine a first signal strength associated with the first subarray, the first node, and the first beamforming direction;

determine a second signal strength associated with a second subarray, the second node, and the second beamforming direction;

determine to communicate with the second node using the second subarray and the second beamforming direction based at least in part on the second orientation of the first subarray, the first signal strength, and the second signal strength,

wherein the code to communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction is configured to communicate with the second node using the second beamforming direction and the second subarray.