Efficient medium access with direction awareness

A method, performed in a fourth node in a wireless communication system, of granting a fifth node access to a shared channel for transmission from the fifth node to the fourth node, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a third node a pilot signal announcing reception in the third node, wherein the pilot signal comprises information enabling estimation of a channel response from the fourth node to the third node;
• calculating, using the a pilot signal, a channel response from the fourth node to the third node;
• calculating a channel response from the fifth node to the fourth node;
• predicting, based on the estimated channel responses, an interference level at the receiver of the third node caused by a directive transmission from the fifth node to the fourth node;
• granting the fifth node access to the shared channel for the directive transmission from the fifth node to the fourth node based on the predicted interference level at the receiver of the third node caused by the directive transmission from the fifth node to the fourth node.

A first node in a wireless communication system, configured for accessing a shared channel for transmission from the first node to at least one second node, the first node comprising:

• a communication unit and
• processing circuitry adapted to:
• receive, using the communication unit, from a third node a pilot signal announcing reception in the third node, wherein the pilot signal comprises information enabling estimation of a channel response from the first node to the third node;
• estimate, using the pilot signal, a channel response from the first node to the third node;
• predict, based on the estimated channel response from the first node to the third node, an interference level at the receiver of the third node caused by a directive transmission from the first node to the second node;
• and
• access, using the communication unit, the shared channel for the directive transmission from the first node to the second node based on the predicted interference level at the receiver of the third node caused by the directive transmission from the first node to the second node.