System and method for beam selection using multiple frequencies

A user equipment (UE) comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions for:
• receiving a plurality of first inbound beams each transmitted by a communications controller in a different transmit direction over a first carrier, wherein the first inbound beams have a different subcarrier frequency range from each other, and wherein a subgroup of the inbound beams is received at a same time;
• generating values of a receive metric in accordance with the first inbound beams;
• selecting one of the first inbound beams in accordance with the values of the receive metric;
• transmitting an indication of the selected first inbound beam;
• and
• receiving a second inbound beam transmitted by the communications controller in a transmit direction in accordance with the indication of the selected first inbound beam, wherein the second inbound beam has a second subcarrier frequency range of the first carrier that is different than a first subcarrier frequency range of the selected first inbound beam.

A method for operating a communications controller, the method comprising:

• transmitting, by the communications controller during an initial access sequence, a plurality of first beams in a plurality of transmit directions and in a plurality of subcarrier frequency ranges of a first carrier, wherein a subgroup of the first beams is transmitted at a same time;
• receiving, from a wireless device, an indication of a selected beam of the plurality of first beams;
• and
• transmitting, by the communications controller in a transmit direction in accordance with the indication of the selected beam, a second beam in a second subcarrier frequency range of the first carrier, wherein the second subcarrier frequency range is different than a first frequency range of the selected beam.

A communications controller comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions for:
• transmitting a plurality of first beams in a plurality of transmit directions and in a plurality of subcarrier frequency ranges of a first carrier, wherein a subgroup of the first beams is transmitted at a same time;
• receiving, from a wireless device, an indication of a selected beam of the plurality of first beams;
• and
• transmitting, in a transmit direction in accordance with the indication of the selected beam, a second beam in a second subcarrier frequency range of the first carrier, wherein the second subcarrier frequency range is different than a first subcarrier frequency range of the selected beam.