Hybrid directional antenna system

A method comprising:

• operating a wireless access point (AP) device, wherein the wireless AP device comprises a radio, a first directional antenna, a second directional antenna, an omnidirectional antenna, and a switch selectively coupled between the radio and the first directional antenna, the second directional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna, wherein operating the wireless AP device comprises:
• determining, based on an arbitration table for a first frame of a plurality of frames, a first destination medium access control (MAC) address of a first client wireless device, wherein the arbitration table includes for each frame of the plurality of frames:
• (a) a frame identifier, (b) destination MAC address for the frame, (c) identifier of an antenna for transmitting the frame, and (d) identifier of an antenna for receiving acknowledgement data for the frame;
• adding, to the first frame, metadata comprising the first destination MAC address, an identifier of the first directional antenna, and an identifier of the omnidirectional antenna retrieved from the arbitration table;
• causing, by a processor of the wireless AP device, using the metadata in the first frame, the switch to couple the radio to the first directional antenna;
• transmitting the first frame to the first client wireless device via the first directional antenna, wherein the first client wireless device is located along a first direction with respect to the AP wireless device;
• causing, by the processor using the metadata in the first frame, the switch to couple the radio to the omnidirectional antenna;
• and
• receiving a first acknowledgment, corresponding to the first frame, from the first client wireless device via the omnidirectional antenna.

A wireless device comprising:

• a radio;
• a first directional antenna;
• a second directional antenna;
• an omnidirectional antenna;
• a switch selectively coupled between the radio and the first directional antenna, the second directional antenna, and the omnidirectional antenna;
• and
• a processor coupled to the switch, wherein the processor is to, for a second frame of a plurality of frames:
• determine, based on an arbitration table, a second destination medium access control (MAC) address of a second client wireless device, wherein the arbitration table includes for each frame of the plurality of frames:
• (a) a frame identifier, (b) destination MAC address for the frame, (c) identifier of an antenna for transmitting the frame, and (d) identifier of an antenna for receiving acknowledgement data for the frame;
• add, to the second frame, metadata comprising the second destination MAC address and an identifier of the second directional antenna for both (c) and (d) retrieved from the arbitration table;
• cause, using the metadata in the second frame, the switch to couple the radio to the second directional antenna;
• transmit the second frame to the second client wireless device via the second directional antenna, wherein the second client wireless device is located along a second direction with respect to the wireless device;
• cause, using the metadata in the second frame, the switch to retain the radio coupled to the second directional antenna;
• and
• receive a second acknowledgment, corresponding to the second frame, from the second client wireless device via the second directional antenna.