IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,130,631

Granted Patent B2

US 9,130,631 · App. 13/287,921 · Granted Sep 8, 2015

Beamforming feedback format

Inventors: Hemanth Sampath (San Diego, CA); Sameer Vermani (San Diego, CA); Albert Van Zelst (Woerden, NL); Didier Johannes Richard Van Nee (De Meern, NL)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

H04B7/0643 H04B7/065 H04B7/0413 H04B7/0689

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 9,130,631
App. No.: 13/287,921
Granted: Sep 8, 2015
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure propose transmitting a feedback message to an access point. The feedback may comprise a beamforming extension field, which may carry per tone signal to noise ratio of a station. For certain aspects, the station transmitting the per-tone SNR may be a single user (SU)-capable device. For certain aspects, the station may indicate to the access point whether or not it has a maximum likelihood (ML) receiver.

Claims (147)

1. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to:

generate, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

determine whether the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback or multi-user (MU)-type feedback; and

set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for SU-type feedback; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback report frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is capable of receiving multi-user (MU) transmissions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is further configured to set a value of the BF extension bit to a value that indicates no BF extension field, based on the determination.

5. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to generate, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field, wherein the circuit is configured to set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the apparatus is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback report frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the circuit is configured to set the BF extension bit to a value that indicates the feedback report frame does not include a BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

10. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a request for single-user (SU) type feedback;

a receiver configured to receive, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

a circuit configured to determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, if the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field and to process the feedback report frame based on the determination.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuit is further configured to use the per-tone SNR values to control beamforming transmissions to a device that sent the feedback report frame.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to:

determine that a device that transmits the feedback report frame is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions;

determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field, and

process the feedback report frame based on the determination of whether the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the circuit is further configured to use the per-tone SNR values to control beamforming transmissions to a device that sent the feedback report frame.

18. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving a request for feedback;

generating, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

determining whether the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback or multi-user (MU)-type feedback;

setting a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for SU-type feedback; and

transmitting the feedback report frame.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein an apparatus performing the method is capable of receiving multi-user (MU) transmissions.

21. A method for wireless communications by an apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request for feedback;

setting a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the apparatus is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising setting the BF extension bit to a value that indicates the feedback report frame does not include a BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

26. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting a request for single-user (SU) type feedback;

receiving, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

determining, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, if the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

processing the feedback report frame based on the determination.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising utilizing the per-tone SNR values to control beamforming transmissions to a device that sent the response.

29. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting a request for feedback;

determining that a device that transmits the feedback report frame is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions; determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

processing the feedback report frame based on the determination of whether the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

32. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving a request for feedback;

means for generating, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

means for determining whether the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback or multi-user (MU)-type feedback;

means for setting a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for SU-type feedback; and

means for transmitting the feedback report frame.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein an apparatus is capable of receiving multi-user (MU) transmissions.

35. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving a request for feedback;

means for setting a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the apparatus is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions; and

means for transmitting the feedback report frame.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

39. The apparatus of claim 35 , further comprising means for setting the BF extension bit to a value that indicates the feedback report frame does not include a BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

40. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for single-user (SU) type feedback;

means for receiving, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

means for determining, based on a value of if the at least one BF extension bit, if the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

means for processing the feedback report frame based on the determination.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein the BF extension field comprises per-tone signal to noise ratio (SNR) values.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 , further comprising means for utilizing the per-tone SNR values to control beamforming transmissions to a device that sent the response.

43. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for feedback;

means for determining that an apparatus that transmits the feedback report frame is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions;

means for determining, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

means for processing the feedback report frame based on the determination of whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for multi-user (MU)-type feedback.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback.

46. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

receive a request for feedback;

determine whether the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback or multi-user (MU)-type feedback;

set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for SU-type feedback; and

transmit the feedback report frame.

47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

transmit a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback;

receive, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field;

determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, if the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

process the feedback report frame based on the determination.

48. An access terminal, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a receiver configured to receive, via the at least one antenna, a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to:

determine whether the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback or multi-user (MU)-type feedback; and

set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the request for feedback comprises a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback report frame.

49. An access point, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a transmitter configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna, a request for single-user (SU)-type feedback;

a circuit configured to:

determine, based on a value of if the at least one BF extension bit if the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field, and

process the feedback report frame based on the determination.

50. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by an apparatus to:

receive a request for feedback;

set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the apparatus is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions; and

transmit the feedback report frame.

51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable to:

transmit a request for feedback;

determine that a device that transmits the feedback report frame is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions;

determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

process the feedback report frame based on the determination of whether feedback report frame includes a BF extension field.

52. An access terminal, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a receiver configured to receive, via the at least one antenna, a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to generate, in response to the request for feedback, a feedback report frame comprising a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) control field having at least one beamforming (BF) extension bit indicating whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field, wherein the circuit is configured to set a value of the BF extension bit to indicate the feedback report frame includes the BF extension field when the access terminal is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback report frame.

53. An access point, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a transmitter configured to transmit, via the at least one antenna, a request for feedback;

a circuit configured to:

determine that a device that transmits the feedback report frame is capable of receiving only single-user (SU) transmissions;

determine, based on a value of the at least one BF extension bit, whether the feedback report frame includes a BF extension field; and

process the feedback report frame based on the determination of whether feedback report frame includes a BF extension field.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2011

From: SAMPATH, HEMANTH; VERMANI, SAMEER; VAN ZELST, ALBERT; VAN NEE, DIDIER JOHANNES RICHARD

To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Reel/Frame 027340/0008 →

Continuity (2)

Provisional Application 61409907 · Nov 3, 2010

Related Publication 20120281620A1 · Nov 8, 2012