Method and apparatus for utilizing a directional beam antenna in a wireless transmit/receive unit

1. A method for utilizing a directional beam antenna in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), comprising:

(a) the WTRU registering with a wireless communication system including a serving cell and at least one neighbor cell;

(b) the WTRU measuring quality of the signals received from the serving cell with a plurality of directional beams while steering the directional beam antenna;

(c) selecting a particular one of the directional beams having the best signal quality as an active beam;

(d) determining whether quality of signal from the serving cell via the active beam is below a predetermined threshold; and

(e) if the quality of signal from the serving cell on the active beam is below the predetermined threshold, repeating steps (b)-(d) to switch the active beam to a beam having the best signal quality, and if the quality of signal from the serving cell on the active beam is not below the predetermined threshold, proceeding to step (d) after a predetermined time interval without switching the active beam.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal quality is measured in terms of at least one of a received signal strength indicator and a carrier-to-interference ratio.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the quality of signals is measured in a dormant time slot.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU receives signals from the serving cell in a different frame than the WTRU receives signals from the neighbor cell.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the frame for receiving signals from the serving cell is determined to be same as the frames carrying a base station identity code on a broadcast control channel of the serving cell.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the WTRU further obtains synchronization with the neighbor cell, whereby the frame for receiving signals from the neighbor cell is determined to be same as the frames carrying a base station identity code on a broadcast control channel of the neighbor cell.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the WTRU decodes a base station identity code before changing the active beam.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the WTRU does not decode a base station identity code before changing the active beam.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the WTRU receives signals from the neighbor cell using an omni-directional beam.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal quality is measured with messages transmitted from the serving cell via one of a pilot channel, a broadcast channel and a traffic channel.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the quality of signals received from two different directions are compared with a midamble containing a data sequence, such that the quality of signals received from one direction is measured using a first half of the midamble and the quality of signals received from the other direction is measured using a second half of the midamble.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein one time slot is divided into a plurality of parts, and the quality of signals for each direction is measured in a different part of the time slot.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection of the best directional beam is based on the average of some number of signal quality measurements made for each directional beam.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection of the best directional beam is based on the differences between signal quality measurements made for each directional beam.

15. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a switched beam directional antenna for generating a directional beam;

a receiver/transmitter, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for receiving and transmitting signals;

a baseband processor, electrically coupled to the receiver/transmitter, for processing signals received by the receiver/transmitter;

a beam steering unit, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for steering the directional beam to one of a plurality of directions; and

a controller, electrically coupled to the beam steering unit, the receiver/transmitter, and the baseband processor, the controller for steering the directional beam as an active beam in a direction having the best quality of signals, and periodically comparing the signal quality from the serving cell to a predetermined threshold and switching the active beam to a beam having the best signal quality when the signal quality from the serving cell is below the predetermined threshold.

16. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the signal quality is measured in terms of at least one of a received signal strength indicator and a carrier-to-interference ratio.

17. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the quality of signals is measured in a dormant time slot.

18. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the WTRU receives signals from the serving cell in a different frame than the WTRU receives signals from the neighbor cell.

19. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the frame for receiving signals from the serving cell is determined to be same as the frames carrying a base station identity code on a broadcast control channel of the serving cell.

20. The WTRU of claim 19 wherein the WTRU further obtains synchronization with the neighbor cell, whereby the frame for receiving signals from the neighbor cell is determined to be same as the frames carrying a base station identity code on a broadcast control channel of the neighbor cell.

21. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the WTRU decodes a base station identity code before changing the active beam.

22. The WTRU of claim 20 wherein the WTRU does not decode a base station identity code before changing the active beam.

23. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the WTRU receives signals from the neighbor cell using an omni-directional beam.

24. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the signal quality is measured with messages transmitted from the serving cell via one of a pilot channel, a broadcast channel and a traffic channel.

25. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the quality of signals received from two different directions are compared with a midamble containing a data sequence, such that the quality of signals received from one direction is measured using a first half of the midamble and the quality of signals received from the other direction is measured using a second half of the midamble.

26. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein one time slot is divided into a plurality of parts, and the quality of signals for each direction is measured in a different part of the time slot.

27. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the selection of the directional beam is based on the average of some number of signal quality measurements made for each directional beam.

28. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the selection of the directional beam is based on the differences between signal quality measurements made for each directional beam.

29. An integrated circuit (IC) for use with an antenna array which generates a directional beam, the IC comprising:

a receiver/transmitter, electrically coupled to a switched beam directional antenna, for processing signals received and transmitted by the switched beam directional antenna;

a baseband processor, electrically coupled to the receiver/transmitter, for measuring the quality of the signals received by the switched beam directional antenna;

a beam steering unit, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for steering the directional beam to one of a plurality of directions; and

a controller, electrically coupled to the receive/transmitter, the beam steering unit and the baseband processor, the controller for steering the directional beam as an active beam in a direction having the best quality of signal, and periodically comparing the signal quality from the serving cell to a predetermined threshold and switching the active beam to a beam having the best signal quality when the signal quality from the serving cell is below the predetermined threshold.