Dynamic Beamforming Control via Receiver Instructions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face inefficiencies due to high overhead costs from frequent sounding sequences, which degrade data throughput, especially when beamforming is not necessary or beneficial for the receiving device.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism allowing the receiving device to instruct the transmitting device to disable or enable beamforming and/or sounding, using instructions encoded in management frames or data frames, enabling dynamic control over beamforming operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If directional beamforming is used to achieve higher signal to noise ratio, then communication quality is improved, but overhead cost increases due to sounding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of beamforming and sounding operations by allowing the receiving device to instruct the transmitting device to enable or disable these features based on current communication conditions. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by adapting the overhead-intensive beamforming operations only when they provide actual benefit, rather than applying them continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of beamforming and sounding by introducing control instructions that can switch these features between enabled and disabled states. This parameter change approach allows the system to optimize the balance between signal quality and overhead cost by adjusting whether beamforming operations are performed based on real-time needs.
2Reliability
If sounding is performed to determine beamforming parameters, then directional beamforming effectiveness is improved, but data throughput decreases due to overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic control by enabling the receiving device to send instructions that temporarily disable sounding and beamforming when they are not beneficial. This resolves the throughput contradiction by making sounding operations conditional rather than continuous, allowing data transmission to proceed without sounding overhead when beamforming would not provide sufficient benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by allowing selective disabling of sounding operations. Instead of always performing complete sounding sequences, the system performs sounding only partially or not at all when conditions do not warrant it, thereby reducing overhead while maintaining beamforming effectiveness when needed.
3Reliability
If beamforming and sounding are continuously enabled, then communication reliability is maintained, but system efficiency decreases due to unnecessary overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic state transitions for beamforming and sounding operations. The receiving device can send control instructions to switch between enabled and disabled states based on whether beamforming would be beneficial at that moment. This dynamic approach maintains reliability when needed while improving efficiency by eliminating unnecessary overhead during periods when beamforming would not provide sufficient benefit.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method are disclosed for controlling sounding or beamforming. In some embodiments, the method includes transmitting, by a first station, an instruction to a second station, the second station being a beamforming station, wherein the instruction instructs the second station: to disable or enable beamforming, or to disable or enable sounding.