Dual-Link WLAN Association for 60 GHz Beamformed Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing WLAN communication protocols face challenges in supporting wireless communications on carrier frequencies above 7 GHz due to greater phase noise and path loss, which are not effectively addressed by existing BSS discovery and association techniques.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual-link communication system with an anchor link operating at a carrier frequency below 7 GHz for management and control functions, and a directional link at a carrier frequency above 7 GHz for data communication, utilizing beamforming training to enhance communication efficiency and reduce overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wireless communications operate on carrier frequencies above 7 GHz, then higher throughput and wider bandwidth are achieved, but greater phase noise and path loss occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments communication functions across two frequency bands: sub-7 GHz for reliable control/management and above-7 GHz for high-speed data transfer. This separation allows each band to be optimized for its specific function, mitigating the phase noise issue at high frequencies by not using it for control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-7 GHz link acts as an intermediary that establishes reliable association and beamforming training before enabling high-frequency communication. This intermediary link provides a stable foundation that compensates for the inherent phase noise problems at higher frequencies.
2Productivity
If wireless communications operate on carrier frequencies above 7 GHz, then higher throughput and wider bandwidth are achieved, but greater path loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary beamforming training over the sub-7 GHz link before establishing high-frequency communication. This preliminary action optimizes antenna beam directions in advance, ensuring that when high-frequency transmission begins, the beams are already aligned to maximize signal strength and minimize path loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication process is segmented into setup phase (sub-7 GHz with beamforming training) and data transfer phase (above-7 GHz with optimized beams). This segmentation allows path loss to be addressed in the setup phase through beam optimization, enabling efficient high-bandwidth transmission in the data phase.
3Productivity
If beamforming training operation is performed over directional link, then communication efficiency is improved, but additional overhead and delays are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-7 GHz link serves as an intermediary channel for beamforming training, allowing the system to leverage the more robust characteristics of lower frequencies for the training process. This reduces the overhead and delays associated with beamforming by performing it on a more reliable channel before switching to high-frequency data transfer.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems for increasing carrier frequencies for wireless communications in wireless local area networks (WLANs). Some implementations more specifically relate to BSS discovery and association techniques that support wireless communications on carrier frequencies above 7 GHz. In some aspects, an access point (AP) may communicate using beamforming on a wireless communication link operating at a carrier frequency above 7 GHz (the “directional link”) while offloading the BSS discovery and association procedures needed to support such communications onto a wireless communication link operating at a carrier frequency below 7 GHz (the “anchor link”). In some implementations, the AP may perform a beamforming training operation with a STA over the directional link upon associating with the STA over the anchor link. In such implementations, the AP may communicate with the STA over the directional link using a beam derived from the beamforming training operation.