Passive Wi-Fi Beamforming via Beacon Reception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently implementing passive beamforming for Wi-Fi, particularly in millimeter wave frequency bands like 60 GHz, due to high propagation losses and the need for directional transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for wireless communications that utilize passive beamforming techniques, where a station (STA) identifies access point (AP) transmission and receive sectors by receiving beacons on a millimeter wave frequency band while being active on a lower frequency band, allowing for efficient sector selection without periodic beamforming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If periodic beamforming is implemented on mmWave band, then directional transmission reliability is improved, but power consumption and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The STA performs sector identification and beacon reception in advance while in inactive state on mmWave band, determining optimal Tx and Rx sectors before active communication begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for periodic beamforming during active state, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable directional transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous periodic beamforming during active state, the system uses periodic beacon transmission from AP during inactive state to enable the STA to pre-identify sectors. This transforms the periodic action from high-overhead beamforming to lower-overhead beacon reception, reducing computational overhead and power consumption.
2Reliability
If periodic beamforming is implemented on mmWave band, then directional transmission reliability is improved, but time delays and communication outages increase
Solution Approach 1:
Sector identification is performed in advance during inactive state before active communication begins. The STA determines optimal Tx and Rx sectors through beacon reception and signal measurements, eliminating time delays associated with periodic beamforming during active communication and preventing communication outages.
3Measurement precision
If full beamforming training is performed, then sector identification accuracy is improved, but computational overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential beacon reception and signal measurement functions needed for sector identification, removing the complex full beamforming training procedures. The STA measures signal strength from beacons transmitted by AP in different sectors and identifies optimal sectors based on these measurements, significantly reducing computational overhead while maintaining adequate identification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. Techniques described herein provide for passive beamforming for Wi-Fi. A first wireless device communicating in an active session via a first bandwidth with a second wireless device may use a passive beamforming technique to identify a transmission sector of the second wireless device and/or a receive sector for communications on a second bandwidth, while the first wireless device is in an inactive session state for the second bandwidth. The second wireless device may transmit beacons in the second bandwidth via directional transmission sectors while the first wireless device is in the inactive session state for the second bandwidth. The first wireless device may receive the beacons and may select a transmission sector based on the beacons. The first wireless device may indicate the selected transmission sector to the second wireless device. The first wireless device may select a receive sector based on the beacons.