Method and device for analog beamfinding

1. A method for analog beamfinding performed by a device, the method comprising:

performing one or more one-dimensional beam sweeps in a first direction;

performing one or more one-dimensional beam sweeps in a second direction;

determining a two-dimensional beam based on at least one one-dimensional sweep in the first direction and at least one one-dimensional sweep in the second direction, wherein the determining comprises:

selecting one of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the first direction and one of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the second direction; and

determining a pointing direction for use in transmission or reception based on the respective pointing directions of the selected one-dimensional beams; and

refining the determined two-dimensional beam by performing a two-dimensional beamsearch using one or more two-dimensional beams based on the determined two-dimensional beam.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising using a first analog antenna panel for the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the first direction and a second analog antenna panel for the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the second direction.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising simultaneously performing the one or more one-dimensional beam sweeps in the first direction and in the second direction.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the performing comprises adjusting beamwidth of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in a direction essentially orthogonal to the first direction.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the performing comprises adjusting beamwidth of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in a direction essentially orthogonal to the second direction.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the adjusting comprises one or more of: an angular interval within which the beam sweep in the orthogonal direction is to be performed, link budget and channel conditions on a channel to which the device has a wireless link.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first direction is essentially orthogonal to the second direction.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a beamwidth of the one-dimensional beam sweeps is broader in a direction orthogonal to a sweep direction than in the sweep direction.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the performing comprises broadening the one-dimensional beam sweeps in a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second directions, respectively, by using one or more of: amplitude tapering, phase tapering and dual-polarization beamforming.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is a wireless communication device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is an access point for wireless communications.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor of the device, causes the at least one processor to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

13. A device for analog beamfinding, the device being configured to:

perform one or more one-dimensional beam sweeps in a first direction;

perform one or more one-dimensional beam sweeps in a second direction;

determine a two-dimensional beam based on at least one one-dimensional sweep in the first direction and at least one one-dimensional sweep in the second direction, wherein the determining comprises:

select one of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the first direction and one of the one-dimensional beam sweeps in the second direction; and

determine a pointing direction for use in transmission or reception based on the respective pointing directions of the selected one-dimensional beams; and

refine the determined two-dimensional beam by performing a two-dimensional beamsearch using one or more two-dimensional beams based on the determined two-dimensional beam.