Method and Apparatus for Beam-Group Steering

An apparatus that uses beamforming for transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals, the apparatus comprising:

• a beamformer configured to convert between beam signals corresponding to respective beams in a beam group and element signals corresponding to elements of an antenna used for the transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals, wherein the beamformer comprises beamforming circuitry configured to apply beamforming weights that define the respective beams of the beam group as spatially non-overlapping and having fixed spatial relationships within the beam group, and the beamformer further comprises beam-group steering circuitry configured to apply beam-group steering weights that commonly steer the respective beams of the beam group in a same direction;
• and
• control circuitry configured to control the beam-group steering by the beam-group steering circuitry, based on controlling the beam-group steering weights.

A method of operation by an apparatus that uses beamforming for transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals, the method comprising:

• pointing a beam group in a first beam-group direction during a first interval by applying, in a beamformer of the apparatus, first beam-group steering weights that commonly steer respective beams of the beam group in a same first direction, wherein the beamformer of the apparatus converts between beam signals corresponding to the respective beams in the beam group and element signals corresponding to elements of an antenna used for the transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals, the beamformer applying beamforming weights that define the respective beams of the beam group as spatially non-overlapping and having fixed spatial relationships within the beam group;
• and
• pointing the beam group in a second beam-group direction during a second interval by applying, in the beamformer, second beam-group steering weights that commonly steer the respective beams of the beam group in a same second direction.