Method and apparatus to provide low cost transmit beamforming for network devices

A method comprising:

• acquiring an exact beamforming matrix at a first wireless entity for a MIMO channel between said first wireless entity and a second wireless entity;
• using said exact beamforming matrix to transmit a first frame from said first wireless entity to said second wireless entity through said MIMO channel;
• receiving a response frame at said first wireless entity from the second wireless entity;
• generating an approximated beamforming matrix for said MIMO channel using said response frame, wherein generating includes processing said response frame in a linear filter;
• and
• using said approximated beamforming matrix to transmit a second frame from said first wireless entity to said second wireless entity.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of dipole antennas;
• a linear filter to process signals received from a wireless MIMO channel by said plurality of dipole antennas, said linear filter to output a matrix W during closed loop MIMO operation;
• and
• a beamforming matrix estimator to generate an approximated beamforming matrix for a return MIMO channel using said matrix W.

An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

• receive a signal from a remote wireless entity via a MIMO channel, said signal including data that was multiplied by a first beamforming matrix in said remote wireless entity;
• generate an approximated beamforming matrix for use in a return channel to said remote wireless entity, wherein operation to generate an approximated beamforming matrix includes operation to cause said received signal to be processed in a linear filter;
• and
• generate transmit signals for transmission to said remote wireless entity from multiple antennas using said approximated beamforming matrix.