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US 9,318,805 B2Granted
Updating a beam pattern table
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorZhanfeng Jia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus that employs a directional antenna system updates a beam pattern table that includes entries corresponding to each of the other apparatuses with which the apparatus communicates. For example, for each of the other apparatuses, the beam pattern table may specify the antenna weights to be used to provide a quasi-omni-directional beam pattern, a sector level beam pattern, and a refined beam pattern when communicating with that other apparatus. In some aspects, the beam pattern table includes one or more characteristics associated with each of the beam patterns. These characteristics may be used in conjunction with a beam search criterion to trigger updating of the beam pattern table.
Claims31
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
- a processing system configured to monitor at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises timing information that is indicative of aging of a plurality of beam pattern weight entries in the beam pattern table, wherein the beam pattern weight entries comprise an antenna weight vector and received signal quality information associated with signal transmissions that are beamformed according to the first beam pattern, and wherein the processing system is further configured to invoke a beam pattern search if the timing information indicates that a period of time since at least one of the beam pattern weight entries was last updated is greater than or equal to a threshold time period;
- and
- a transceiver configured to conduct the beam pattern search, wherein, to conduct the beam pattern search, the transceiver is further configured to successively communicate using different beam patterns;
- wherein the processing system is further configured to:
- identify, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality, and
- update the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern.
3 more elements
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
- a processing system configured to monitor at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises received signal quality;
- and
- a transceiver configured to conduct a beam pattern search as a result of the monitoring, wherein, to conduct the beam pattern search, the transceiver is further configured to successively communicate using different beam patterns;
- wherein the processing system is further configured to:
- identify, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality, wherein the identified beam pattern comprises a refined beam pattern having a first nominal beam width,
- update the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern,
- determine that the received signal quality is less than or equal to a threshold signal quality for a period of time, and
- switch, as a result of the determination, from the use of the identified beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table to use of a sector beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table, wherein the sector beam pattern has a second nominal beam width that is wider than the first nominal beam width.
5 more elements
A method of wireless communication, comprising:
- monitoring at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises timing information that is indicative of aging of a plurality of beam pattern weight entries in the beam pattern table, and wherein the beam pattern weight entries comprise an antenna weight vector and received signal quality information associated with signal transmissions that are beamformed according to the first beam pattern;
- invoking a beam pattern search if the timing information indicates that a period of time since the at least one beam pattern weight entry was last updated is greater than or equal to a threshold time period;
- conducting the beam pattern search, wherein the beam pattern search comprises successively communicating using different beam patterns;
- identifying, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality;
- and
- updating the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern.
3 more elements
A method of wireless communication, comprising:
- monitoring at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises received signal quality;
- conducting a beam pattern search as a result of the monitoring, wherein the beam pattern search comprises successively communicating using different beam patterns;
- identifying, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality, wherein the identified beam pattern comprises a refined beam pattern having a first nominal beam width;
- updating the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern;
- determining that the received signal quality is less than or equal to a threshold signal quality for a period of time;
- and
- switching, as a result of the determination, from the use of the identified beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table to use of a sector beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table, wherein the sector beam pattern has a second nominal beam width that is wider than the first nominal beam width.
4 more elements
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
- means for monitoring at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises timing information that is indicative of aging of a plurality of beam pattern weight entries in the beam pattern table, wherein the beam pattern weight entries comprise an antenna weight vector and received signal quality information associated with signal transmissions that are beamformed according to the first beam pattern, and wherein the means for monitoring is configured to invoke a beam pattern search if the timing information indicates that a period of time since the at least one beam pattern weight entry was last updated is greater than or equal to a threshold time period;
- means for conducting the beam pattern search, wherein the beam pattern search comprises successively communicating using different beam patterns;
- means for identifying, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality;
- and
- means for updating the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern.
2 more elements
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
- means for monitoring at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises received signal quality;
- means for conducting a beam pattern search as a result of the monitoring, wherein the beam pattern search comprises successively communicating using different beam patterns;
- means for identifying, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality, wherein the identified beam pattern comprises a refined beam pattern having a first nominal beam width;
- means for updating the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern;
- means for determining that the received signal quality is less than or equal to a threshold signal quality for a period of time;
- and
- means for switching, as a result of the determination, from the use of the identified beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table to use of a sector beam pattern specified by the beam pattern table, wherein the sector beam pattern has a second nominal beam width that is wider than the first nominal beam width.
4 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising codes executable to:
- monitor at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises timing information that is indicative of aging of a plurality of beam pattern weight entries in the beam pattern table, and wherein the beam pattern weight entries comprise an antenna weight vector and received signal quality information associated with signal transmissions that are beamformed according to the first beam pattern;
- invoke a beam pattern search if the timing information indicates that a period of time since the at least one beam pattern weight entry was last updated is greater than or equal to a threshold time period;
- conduct the beam pattern search, wherein the beam pattern search comprises successively communicating using different beam patterns;
- identify, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality;
- and
- update the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern.
3 more elements
A wireless node, comprising:
- an antenna system;
- a processing system configured to monitor at least one characteristic associated with use of a first beam pattern specified for beamformed communication by a beam pattern table, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises timing information that is indicative of aging of a plurality of beam pattern weight entries in the beam pattern table, wherein the beam pattern weight entries comprise an antenna weight vector and received signal quality information associated with signal transmissions that are beamformed according to the first beam pattern, and wherein the processing system is further configured to invoke a beam pattern search if the timing information indicates that a period of time since the at least one beam pattern weight entry was last updated is greater than or equal to a threshold time period;
- and
- a transceiver configured to conduct the beam pattern search, wherein, to conduct the beam pattern search, the transceiver is further configured to successively communicate using different beam patterns;
- wherein the processing system is further configured to:
- identify, as a result of the beam pattern search, one of the different beam patterns that is associated with highest signal quality, and
- update the beam pattern table to specify the identified beam pattern for subsequent beamformed communication instead of the first beam pattern.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.