Method and apparatus for utilizing a directional beam antenna in a wireless transmit/receive unit

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

• a switched beam directional antenna for generating a directional beam;
• a receiver/transmitter, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for receiving and transmitting signals;
• a baseband processor, electrically coupled to the receiver/transmitter, for processing signals received by the receiver/transmitter;
• a beam steering unit, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for steering the directional beam to one of a plurality of directions;
• and
• a controller, electrically coupled to the beam steering unit, the receiver/transmitter, and the baseband processor, the controller for steering the directional beam as an active beam in a direction having the best quality of signals, and periodically comparing the signal quality from the serving cell to a predetermined threshold and switching the active beam to a beam having the best signal quality when the signal quality from the serving cell is below the predetermined threshold.

An integrated circuit (IC) for use with an antenna array which generates a directional beam, the IC comprising:

• a receiver/transmitter, electrically coupled to a switched beam directional antenna, for processing signals received and transmitted by the switched beam directional antenna;
• a baseband processor, electrically coupled to the receiver/transmitter, for measuring the quality of the signals received by the switched beam directional antenna;
• a beam steering unit, electrically coupled to the switched beam directional antenna, for steering the directional beam to one of a plurality of directions;
• and
• a controller, electrically coupled to the receive/transmitter, the beam steering unit and the baseband processor, the controller for steering the directional beam as an active beam in a direction having the best quality of signal, and periodically comparing the signal quality from the serving cell to a predetermined threshold and switching the active beam to a beam having the best signal quality when the signal quality from the serving cell is below the predetermined threshold.