Preferential beamforming for relay wireless devices
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorsHemanth Pawar, Shilpa Kowdley, Krishna Sitaram, Chunmei Liu
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and processing nodes for selecting a relay wireless device for beamforming with a beamforming-capable access node. In certain instances, the relay wireless device may be prioritized over end-user wireless devices for beamform activation, particularly when there are more wireless devices meeting the beamforming criteria of a donor access node than available beamform seats.
Claims18
A method for selecting at least one relay wireless device for beamforming, the method comprising:
- identifying a first relay wireless device from one or more wireless devices attached to a first access node;
- identifying a first end-user wireless device attached directly to the first access node, without going through a relay wireless device;
- determining that the first end-user wireless device meets a beamforming criteria and that the relay wireless device does not meet the beamforming criteria;
- and
- regardless of the first end-user wireless device meeting the beamforming criteria and the relay wireless device not meeting the beamforming criteria, instructing the access node to utilize beamforming for the relay wireless device and to not utilize beamforming for the first end-user wireless device.
A system for selecting a relay wireless device attached to a relay access node, the system comprising:
- a processing node;
- and
- a processor coupled to the processing node, the processor for configuring the processing node to perform operations comprising:
- identifying a first relay wireless device attached to a first beamform-capable access node;
- identifying at least one end-user wireless device attached directly to the first beamform-capable access node without going through a relay wireless device;
- determining that the at least one end-user wireless device meets a beamforming criteria and that the first relay wireless device does not meet the beamforming criteria;
- and
- regardless of the at least one end-user wireless device meeting the beamforming criteria and the first relay wireless device not meeting the beamforming criteria, instructing the first beamform-capable access node to utilize beamforming for the first relay wireless device and to not utilize beamforming for the at least one end-user wireless device.
A processing node for selecting a relay wireless device for beamforming activation, the processing node being configured to perform operations comprising:
- determining first and second beamform-capable access nodes located within a radio range of a plurality of wireless devices, the plurality of wireless devices comprising one or more relay wireless devices and one or more end-user wireless devices, wherein a first relay wireless device is attached to the first beamform-capable access node and a first end-user wireless device is directly attached to the first beamform-capable access node without going through a relay wireless device;
- determining that the first end-user wireless device meets a beamforming criteria and that the first relay wireless device does not meet the beamforming criteria;
- and
- regardless of the first end-user wireless device meeting the beamforming criteria and the first relay wireless device not meeting the beamforming criteria, instructing the first beamform-capable access node to utilize beamforming for the first relay wireless device and to not utilize beamforming for the first end-user wireless device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.