# US 2014/0153415 A1 · Method, apparatus, and computer program product for signaling for sectorized beam operation in wireless networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153415 A1 - Document ID: US20140153415A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,925 - Filed: 2012-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Nokia Corporation - Applicants: Nokia Corporation - Inventors: Sayantan CHOUDHURY; Chittabrata GHOSH; Esa TUOMAALA; Klaus Franz DOPPLER; Amitav MUKHERJEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153415A1 ## CPC - H04W 72/543: based on requested quality, e.g. QoS - H04B 7/024: Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems - H04L 1/00: Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)} - H04W 24/00: Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements - H04W 48/00: Access restriction (access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08); Network selection; Access point selection - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04L 1/1671: {the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - H04W 74/00: Wireless channel access - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments configure channel access windows in overlapping network environments. An example method embodiment comprises: transmitting, by an access node, a measurement request to an associated wireless device, to perform measurements of signals received from other access nodes to which the device is not associated, the device being a member of a group of devices based on transmission by the access node to the device, of a directional beacon frame; receiving from the device, a measurement response comprising information on a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the device is not associated; and determining a time window that may be used by devices that are members of the group, for transferring data between members of the group and the access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving by a wireless device, a measurement request from an associated access node, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the wireless device being a member of a group of wireless devices based on reception by the wireless device of a directional beacon frame from the associated access node; receiving, by the wireless device during measurement, a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the wireless device is not associated and determining a reception power of the directional message; transmitting, by the wireless device, to the associated access node, a measurement response comprising information on the directional message; and receiving, by the wireless device, from the associated access node, an indication of a time window that may be used by the wireless device for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the associated access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the wireless device, a directional beacon frame directed to a sector that includes members of the group of wireless devices associated with the associated access node; and transmitting, by the wireless device, an association request and receiving an association response from the associated access node, indicating that the wireless device has been allocated to the group of wireless devices associated with the associated access node. ### Claim 3 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive a measurement request from an associated access node, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the apparatus is not associated, the apparatus being a member of a group of wireless devices based on reception by the wireless device of a directional beacon frame from the associated access node; receiving during measurement, a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the apparatus is not associated and determining a reception power of the directional message; transmitting to the associated access node, a measurement response comprising information on the directional message; and receiving from the associated access node, an indication of a time window that may be used by the apparatus for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the associated access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive a directional beacon frame directed to a sector that includes members of the group of wireless devices associated with the associated access node; and transmit an association request and receive an association response from the associated access node, indicating that the apparatus has been allocated to the group of wireless devices associated with the associated access node. ### Claim 5 A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising: code for receiving by a wireless device, a measurement request from an associated access node, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the wireless device being a member of a group of wireless devices based on reception by the wireless device of a directional beacon frame from the associated access node; code for receiving, by the wireless device during measurement, a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the wireless device is not associated and determining a reception power of the directional message; code for transmitting, by the wireless device, to the associated access node, a measurement response comprising information on the directional message; and code for receiving, by the wireless device, from the associated access node, an indication of a time window that may be used by the wireless device for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the associated access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 6 A method, comprising: transmitting, by an access node, a measurement request to an associated wireless device, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the wireless device being a member of a group of wireless devices based on transmission by the access node to the wireless device, of a directional beacon frame; receiving, by the access node from the wireless device, a measurement response comprising information on a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the information including a reception power of the another directional beacon; and determining, by the access node, a time window that may be used by wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting, by the access node, to the associated wireless device, an indication of a time window that may be used by wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting, by the access node, to the associated wireless device, a directional beacon frame directed to a sector containing members of the group of wireless devices associated with the access node; receiving, by the access node, an association request from the associated wireless device within certain time period; adding, by the access node, the associated wireless device to the group corresponding to the sector; and transmitting, by the access node, an association response, to the associated wireless device, indicating the group to which the associated wireless device has been allocated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting, by the access node, an omnidirectional beacon frame indicating a capability of subsequent directional transmissions; and indicating, by the access node, in the omnidirectional beacon frame, a time duration for omnidirectional and one or more subsequent directional transmissions, for channel protection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving, by the access node, an omnidirectional beacon from another access node and setting channel protection intervals for a channel, based on the received beacon; and monitoring, by the access node, the channel during directional transmission periods and overwriting the set channel protection for a subset of directional transmission in one or more directions, where received interference is below a received threshold and for a duration less than or equal to previously set channel protection intervals. ### Claim 11 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit a measurement request to an associated wireless device, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the wireless device being a member of a group of wireless devices based on transmission by the apparatus to the wireless device, of a directional beacon frame; receive from the wireless device, a measurement response comprising information on a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the information including a reception power of the another directional beacon; and determine a time window that may be used by wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the apparatus, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit to the associated wireless device, an indication of a time window that may be used by wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the apparatus, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit to the associated wireless device, a directional beacon frame directed to a sector containing members of the group of wireless devices associated with the apparatus; receive an association request from the associated wireless device within certain time period; add the associated wireless device to the group corresponding to the sector; and transmit an association response, to the associated wireless device, indicating the group to which the associated wireless device has been allocated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit an omnidirectional beacon frame indicating a capability of subsequent directional transmissions; and indicate in the omnidirectional beacon frame, a time duration for omnidirectional and one or more subsequent directional transmissions, for channel protection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive an omnidirectional beacon from another access node and set channel protection intervals for a channel, based on the received beacon; and monitor the channel during directional transmission periods and overwrite the set channel protection for a subset of directional transmission in one or more directions, where received interference is below a received threshold and for a duration less than or equal to previously set channel protection intervals. ### Claim 16 A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising: code for transmitting, by an access node, a measurement request to an associated wireless device, to perform measurement of at least one signal received from at least one other access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the wireless device being a member of a group of wireless devices based on transmission by the access node to the wireless device, of a directional beacon frame; code for receiving, by the access node from the wireless device, a measurement response comprising information on a directional message with an access node identifier of another access node to which the wireless device is not associated, the information including a reception power of the another directional beacon; and code for determining, by the access node, a time window that may be used by wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the access node, based at least partly on the measurement response. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting, by the access node, to the associated wireless device, a clear to send message that includes a sector identification, to enable the group of wireless devices occupying a sector so identified, to ignore any Request to Send (RTS) and/or Clear to Send (CTS) signals transmitted by a neighboring access point, when the access point supports sectorized transmission and when excessive interference is not caused to neighboring wireless devices. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting, by the access node, to the associated wireless device, a clear to send message that includes a sector identification, to enable the group of wireless devices occupying a sector so identified, to ignore any Request to Send (RTS) and/or Clear to Send (CTS) signals transmitted by a neighboring access point, when the access point supports sectorized transmission and when excessive interference is not caused to neighboring wireless devices; and transmitting, by the access node, directional data in the sector to the group of wireless devices occupying the sector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit to the associated wireless device, a clear to send message that includes a sector identification, to enable the group of wireless devices occupying a sector so identified, to ignore any Request to Send (RTS) and/or Clear to Send (CTS) signals transmitted by a neighboring access point, when the apparatus supports sectorized transmission and when excessive interference is not caused to neighboring wireless devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: transmit to the associated wireless device, a clear to send message that includes a sector identification, to enable the group of wireless devices occupying a sector so identified, to ignore any Request to Send (RTS) and/or Clear to Send (CTS) signals transmitted by a neighboring access point, when the apparatus supports sectorized transmission and when excessive interference is not caused to neighboring wireless devices; and transmit directional data in the sector to the group of wireless devices occupying the sector. ### Claim 21 A method, comprising: receiving, by an access node, in a directional transmission sector of the access node, at least one interfering signal from at least one neighboring access node or from at least one neighboring wireless device associated with the at least one neighboring access node; determining, by the access node, a different directional transmission sector of the access node, where transmissions by the access node in the different directional transmission sector will cause minimal interference to the at least one neighboring access node or the at least one neighboring wireless device associated with the at least one neighboring access node; and transmitting, by the access node, in the different directional transmission sector of the access node, to a group of wireless devices associated with the access node and occupying the different directional transmission sector, an indication of a time window that may be used by the wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the access node, based at least partly on the determination by the access node. ### Claim 22 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive in a directional transmission sector of the apparatus, at least one interfering signal from at least one neighboring access node or from at least one neighboring wireless device associated with the at least one neighboring access node; determine a different directional transmission sector of the apparatus, where transmissions by the apparatus in the different directional transmission sector will cause minimal interference to the at least one neighboring access node or the at least one neighboring wireless device associated with the at least one neighboring access node; and transmit in the different directional transmission sector of the apparatus, to a group of wireless devices associated with the apparatus and occupying the different directional transmission sector, an indication of a time window that may be used by the wireless devices that are members of the group of wireless devices, for transferring data between members of the group of wireless devices and the apparatus, based at least partly on the determination by the apparatus.