Method and apparatus of beam training for MIMO operation and multiple antenna beamforming operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344165-B2
Application number	US-201514960690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The disclosed invention provides an efficient method for MIMO beam training for multiple antennas to enable spatial multiplexing MIMO operation and spatial combining in a wireless network. The invention discloses a simple and efficient beam-training algorithm and protocol for MIMO operation that operates in high SNR condition for reliable MIMO operation. In one novel aspect, the best MIMO beam combinations are determined after TX sector sweeping and RX sector sweeping. The best MIMO beam combinations are determined in such a way that no any selected TX/RX sectors come from the same TX/RX antenna/beamformer. The selection criteria includes not only signal quality, but also considers mutual interference and leakage among multiple MIMO spatial streams to improve overall MIMO performance. Simultaneous RX or TX training are also supported to reduce training time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
(a) initiating a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) training procedure in a wireless network;
(b) transmitting training frames using all TX sectors during TX sector sweeping for obtaining a set of selected TX sectors for each TX antenna, wherein each of the TX sectors corresponds to a specific TX antenna beam;
(c) obtaining a set of selected RX sectors for each RX antenna, wherein each of the RX sectors corresponds to a specific RX antenna beam;
(d) performing MIMO beam combination training based on pairings of the selected TX and RX sectors, wherein each of the MIMO beam combinations includes one TX sector from the set of selected TX sectors and one RX sector from the set of selected RX sectors; and
(e) obtaining multiple best MIMO beam combinations for multiple MIMO spatial streams based on the MIMO beam combination training.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating in (a) involves communicating a message that comprises at least one of a number of TX/RX antennas, a number of TX/RX sectors for each TX/RX antenna, a number of MIMO spatial streams supported, a number of MIMO beam combinations to be trained, and MIMO training capability information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected TX and RX sectors are determined based on signal to noise ratios (SNRs), and wherein the multiple best MIMO beam combinations are determined based on signal to noise plus interference ratios (SNIRs), channel measurement, or channel measurement feedbacks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one TX/RX sector is beamformed from multiple TX/RX antennas or beamformers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the training frames are transmitted simultaneously by multiple TX antennas.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein training frames are transmitted via an omni transmit beam for obtaining the set of selected RX sectors for each RX antenna.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of selected TX sectors is smaller or equal to all TX sectors, and wherein the set of selected RX sectors is smaller or equal to all RX sectors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein no more than one TX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same TX antenna or TX beamformer, and wherein no more than one RX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same RX antenna or RX beamformer.

9. A method comprising:
(a) initiating a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) training procedure in a wireless network;
(b) receiving training frames using omni-direction antenna pattern during TX sector sweeping for determining a set of selected TX sectors for each TX antenna, wherein each of the TX sectors corresponds to a specific TX antenna beam;
(c) determining a set of selected RX sectors for each RX antenna, wherein each of the RX sectors corresponds to a specific RX antenna beam;
(d) performing MIMO beam combination training based on the selected TX and RX sectors, wherein each of the MIMO beam combinations includes one TX sector from the set of selected TX sectors and one RX sector from the set of selected RX sectors; and
(e) obtaining multiple best MIMO beam combinations for multiple MIMO spatial streams based on the results of the MIMO beam combination training.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the initiating in (a) involves communicating a message that comprises at least one of a number of TX/RX antennas, a number of TX/RX sectors for each TX/RX antenna, a number of MIMO spatial streams supported, a number of MIMO beam combinations to be trained, and MIMO training capability information.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selected TX and RX sectors are determined based on signal to noise ratios (SNRs), and wherein the multiple best MIMO beam combinations are determined based on signal to noise plus interference ratios (SNIRs), channel measurement, or channel measurement feedbacks.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein one TX/RX sector is beamformed from multiple TX/RX antennas or beamformers.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the training frames are received and processed simultaneously by multiple RX antennas.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the set of selected TX sectors is smaller or equal to all TX sectors, and wherein the set of selected RX sectors is smaller or equal to all RX sectors.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein no more than one TX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same TX antenna or TX beamformer, and wherein no more than one RX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same RX antenna or RX beamformer.

16. A method comprising:
(a) initiating a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) training procedure in a wireless network;
(b) transmitting training packets using all TX sectors during TX sector sweeping for obtaining a set of selected TX sectors for each TX antenna, wherein each of the TX sectors corresponds to a specific TX antenna beam;
(c) transmitting training packets using the selected TX sectors during RX sector sweeping for obtaining a set of selected RX sectors for each RX antenna corresponding to each selected TX sector, wherein each of the RX sectors corresponds to a specific RX antenna beam; and
(d) obtaining multiple best MIMO beam combinations for multiple MIMO spatial streams based on channel measurement results, wherein each of the MIMO beam combinations includes one TX sector from the set of selected TX sectors and one RX sector from the set of selected RX sectors.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the initiating in (a) involves communicating a message that comprises at least one of a number of TX/RX antennas, a number of TX/RX sectors for each TX/RX antenna, a number of MIMO spatial streams supported, a number of MIMO beam combinations to be trained, and MIMO training capability information.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the selected TX and RX sectors are determined based on signal to noise ratios (SNRs), and wherein the best beam combinations are determined based on signal to noise plus interference ratios (SNIRs), channel measurement, or channel measurement feedbacks.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein one TX/RX sector is beamformed from multiple TX/RX antennas or beamformers.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the training packets are transmitted simultaneously by multiple TX antennas.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the set of selected TX sectors is smaller or equal to all TX sectors, and wherein the set of selected RX sectors is smaller or equal to all RX sectors.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein no more than one TX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same TX antenna or TX beamformer, and wherein no more than one RX sector of the best MIMO beam combinations is selected from the same RX antenna or RX beamformer.

23. A method comprising:
(a) initiating a multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) training procedure in a wireless network;
(b) receiving training packets using omni-direction antenna pattern during TX sector sweeping for determining a set of selected TX sectors for each TX antenna, wherein each of the TX sectors corresponds to a specific TX antenna beam;
(c) receiving training packets using all RX sectors during RX sector sweeping for determining a set of selected RX sectors for each RX antenna corresponding to each selected TX sector, wherein each of the RX sectors corresponds to a specific RX antenna beam; and
(d) determining multiple be

Assignees

• Mediatek Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Wang James June-Ming

Classifications

• H04B7/06952

  Selecting one or more beams from a plurality of beams, e.g. beam training, management or sweeping · CPC title

• H04B7/088 Primary

  using beam selection · CPC title

• H04B7/043 Primary

  using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering · CPC title

• H04B7/0417

  Feedback systems · CPC title

• H04B7/0697

  using spatial multiplexing · CPC title