Method and system for providing beamforming feedback in wireless communication systems

A method for wireless communication comprising:

• receiving, at an apparatus, a training request;
• sending a first sounding frame in response to the training request;
• receiving a request for explicit feedback for beamforming and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• receiving a second sounding frame comprising the NDP;
• generating the explicit feedback based on the second sounding frame;
• and
• sending, by the apparatus, the explicit feedback in response to the request for explicit feedback.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a training request;
• means for sending a first sounding frame in response to the training request;
• means for receiving a request for explicit feedback for beamforming and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• means for receiving a second sounding frame comprising the NDP;
• means for generating the explicit feedback based on the second sounding frame;
• and
• means for sending the explicit feedback in response to the request for explicit feedback.

A non-transitory processor-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• a first instruction set for receiving, at an apparatus, a training request;
• a second instruction set for sending a first sounding frame in response to the training request;
• a third instruction set for receiving a request for explicit feedback for beamforming and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• a fourth instruction set for receiving a second sounding frame comprising the NDP;
• a fifth instruction set for generating the explicit feedback based on the second sounding frame;
• and
• a sixth instruction set for sending, to the apparatus, the explicit feedback in response to the request for explicit feedback.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor configured to send a first frame with a request for explicit feedback, to send a Null Data Packet (NDP) having at least one training field but no data field, to receive a second frame with the explicit feedback derived based on the NDP, to send a third frame with a reverse direction grant within a short interframe space (SIFS) time of the NDP, and to receive the second frame after the third frame,
• wherein the at least one processor is further configured to include, in the first frame or the third frame, an announcement that the NDP will follow;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

A method for wireless communication comprising:

• sending a first frame with a request for explicit feedback;
• sending a Null Data Packet (NDP) having at least one training field but no data field;
• receiving a second frame with the explicit feedback derived based on the NDP;
• and
• sending a third frame with a reverse direction grant within a short interframe space (SIFS) time of the NDP, wherein the second frame is received after the third frame;
• and further comprising:
• including, in the first frame or the third frame, an announcement that the NDP will follow.

A method for wireless communication comprising:

• receiving a Null Data Packet (NDP) having at least one training field but no data field;
• deriving steering information based on the NDP;
• sending a steered frame based on the steering information;
• sending a reverse direction grant in the first frame;
• and
• receiving a second frame after the first frame, wherein the second frame includes an announcement that the NDP will follow, and wherein the NDP is received after the second frame.

A method for wireless communication comprising:

• sending a first frame with a training request and an announcement that a first Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• sending the first NDP having at least one training field but no data field;
• receiving a second NDP in response to the training request;
• deriving, at an apparatus, steering information based on the second NDP;
• and
• sending, by the apparatus, a steered frame based on the steering information.

A method for wireless communication comprising:

• sending a first frame with a request for explicit feedback for calibration, wherein the first frame includes a training request and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• sending the NDP having at least one training field but no data field;
• receiving a second frame, at an apparatus, with the explicit feedback;
• receiving a sounding frame, wherein the sounding frame is sent in response to the training request;
• deriving a channel estimate, at the apparatus, based on the sounding frame;
• and
• performing calibration based on the channel estimate and the explicit feedback.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• instructions for receiving, at an apparatus, a training request;
• instructions for sending a first sounding frame in response to the training request;
• instructions for receiving a request for explicit feedback for beamforming and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• instructions for receiving a second sounding frame comprising the NDP;
• instructions for generating the explicit feedback based on the second sounding frame;
• and
• instructions for sending, by the apparatus, the explicit feedback in response to the request for explicit feedback.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• instructions for sending a first frame with a request for explicit feedback;
• instructions for sending a Null Data Packet (NDP) having at least one training field but no data field;
• instructions for receiving a second frame with the explicit feedback derived based on the NDP;
• and
• instructions for sending a third frame with a reverse direction grant within a short interframe space (SIFS) time of the NDP,
• wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for including, in the first frame or the third frame, an announcement that the NDP will follow.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• instructions for receiving a Null Data Packet (NDP) having at least one training field but no data field;
• instructions for deriving steering information based on the NDP;
• instructions for sending a steered frame based on the steering information;
• instructions for sending a reverse direction grant in a first frame;
• and
• instructions for receiving a second frame after the first frame, wherein the second frame includes an announcement that the NDP will follow, and wherein the NDP is received after the second frame.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• instructions for sending a first frame with a training request and an announcement that a first Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• instructions for sending the first NDP having at least one training field but no data field;
• instructions for receiving a second NDP in response to the training request;
• instructions for deriving, at an apparatus, steering information based on the second NDP;
• and
• instructions for sending, by the apparatus, a steered frame based on the derived steering information.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, comprising:

• instructions for sending a first frame with a request for explicit feedback for calibration, wherein the first frame includes a training request and an announcement that a Null Data Packet (NDP) will follow;
• instructions for sending the NDP having at least one training field but no data field;
• instructions for receiving, at an apparatus, a second frame with the explicit feedback;
• instructions for receiving a sounding frame, wherein the sounding frame is sent in response tot eh training request;
• instructions for deriving, at the apparatus, a channel estimate based on the sounding frame;
• and
• instructions for performing calibration based on the channel estimate and the explicit feedback.