US20160007355A1 - Apparatus, system and method of establishing a wireless beamformed link - Google Patents

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of establishing a wireless beamformed link. For example, an apparatus may include a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device to communicate millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals with a second wireless communication device over a mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings, the wireless communication controller is to control the first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on the mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band, and to control the first wireless communication device to establish with the second wireless communication device a beamformed link over the mmWave frequency band, the beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE
• This Application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/870,085, filed on Apr. 25, 2013, which claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/755,656 entitled “Cellular-Assisted Millimeter Wave Beamforming”, filed Jan. 23, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• Embodiments described herein generally relate to establishing a wireless beamformed link.
BACKGROUND
• Some wireless communication systems may communicate over the Millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band, e.g., the 60 GHz Frequency band. The mmWave frequency band has a few major distinctive features in comparison with lower frequency bands, e.g., the frequency bands of 2.4-5 GHz. For example, the mmWave frequency band may have a propagation loss greater than the propagation loss in the lower frequency bands, and may have Quasi-optical propagation properties.
• A mmWave communication system may use high-gain directional antennas to compensate for large path loss and/or employ beamsteering techniques. Design of appropriate antenna system and/or further signal processing may be an important aspect of mmWave communication system development.
• Multi-element phased antenna arrays may be used, for example, for creation of a directional antenna pattern. A phased antenna array may form a directive antenna pattern or a directional beam, which may be steered by setting appropriate signal phases at the antenna elements.
• A beamforming training procedure may be performed between two wireless communication devices to establish a wireless beamformed link between the two devices to communicate high-throughout data.
• The beamforming training procedure may steer the directional beam of each of the two devices, such that the directional beam is directed towards the other device, for example, to enable high-throughput communication between the two devices.
• The beamforming training procedure may require a relatively large amount of time and may consume a large amount of power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity of presentation. Furthermore, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. The figures are listed below.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustration of a system, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a sequence of operations between a wireless communication node and a mobile device, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a sequence of operations between a mobile device and a wireless communication node, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a sequence of operations between a wireless communication node, a first mobile device and a second mobile device, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic flow-chart illustration of a method of establishing of a wireless beamformed link, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a product of manufacture, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments. However, it will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, units and/or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the discussion.
• Discussions herein utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories or other information storage medium that may store instructions to perform operations and/or processes.
• The terms “plurality” and “a plurality”, as used herein, include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. For example, “a plurality of items” includes two or more items.
• References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “demonstrative embodiment”, “various embodiments” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.
• As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives “first”, “second”, “third” etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.
• Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices and systems, for example, a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, an Ultrabook™ computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a mobile or portable device, a consumer device, a non-mobile or non-portable device, a wireless communication station, a wireless communication device, a wireless Access Point (AP), a wired or wireless router, a wired or wireless modem, a video device, an audio device, an audio-video (A/V) device, a wired or wireless network, a wireless area network, a Wireless Video Area Network (WVAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless PAN (WPAN), and the like.
• Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing Wireless-Gigabit-Alliance (WGA) specifications (Wireless Gigabit Alliance, Inc WiGig MAC and PHY Specification Version1.1, April 2011, Final specification) and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof, devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing IEEE 802.11 standards (IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE Standard for Information technology—Telecommunications and information exchange between systems Local and metropolitan area networks—Specific requirementsPart 11:Wireless IAN Medium Access Control(MAC)and Physical Layer(PHY)Specifications, Mar. 29, 2012; IEEE802.11 task group ac (TGac) (“IEEE802.11-09/0308r12—TGac Channel Model Addendum Document”); IEEE 802.11 task group ad (TGad) (IEEE P802.11 adStandard for Information Technology—Telecommunications and Information Exchange Between Systems—Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—Specific Requirements—Part 11:Wireless LAN Medium Access Control(MAC)and Physical Layer(PHY)Specifications—Amendment3:Enhancements for Very High Throughput in the60GHz Band)) and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof, devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing WirelessHD™ specifications and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof, units and/or devices which are part of the above networks, and the like.
• Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one way and/or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, a mobile phone, a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a Personal Communication Systems (PCS) device, a PDA device which incorporates a wireless communication device, a mobile or portable Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a device which incorporates a GPS receiver or transceiver or chip, a device which incorporates an RFID element or chip, a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) transceiver or device, a Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) transceiver or device, a device having one or more internal antennas and/or external antennas, Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, a wired or wireless handheld device, e.g., a Smartphone, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) device, or the like.
• Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and/or systems, for example, Radio Frequency (RF), Infra Red (IR), Frequency-Division Multiplexing (FDM), Orthogonal FDM (OFDM), Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), extended GPRS, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, Multi-Carrier Modulation (MDM), Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT), Bluetooth®, Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee™, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, Fifth Generation (5G) mobile networks, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE advanced, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), or the like. Other embodiments may be used in various other devices, systems and/or networks.
• The term “wireless device”, as used herein, includes, for example, a device capable of wireless communication, a communication device capable of wireless communication, a communication station capable of wireless communication, a portable or non-portable device capable of wireless communication, or the like. In some demonstrative embodiments, a wireless device may be or may include a peripheral that is integrated with a computer, or a peripheral that is attached to a computer. In some demonstrative embodiments, the term “wireless device” may optionally include a wireless service.
• The term “communicating” as used herein with respect to a wireless communication signal includes transmitting the wireless communication signal and/or receiving the wireless communication signal. For example, a wireless communication unit, which is capable of communicating a wireless communication signal, may include a wireless transmitter to transmit the wireless communication signal to at least one other wireless communication unit, and/or a wireless communication receiver to receive the wireless communication signal from at least one other wireless communication unit.
• Some demonstrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with a WLAN. Other embodiments may be used in conjunction with any other suitable wireless communication network, for example, a wireless area network, a “piconet”, a WPAN, a WVAN and the like.
• Some demonstrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with a wireless communication network communicating over a frequency band of 60 GHz. However, other embodiments may be implemented utilizing any other suitable wireless communication frequency bands, for example, an Extremely High Frequency (EHF) band (the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band), e.g., a frequency band within the frequency band of between 20 Ghz and 300 GHZ, a WLAN frequency band, a WPAN frequency band, a frequency band according to the WGA specification, and the like.
• The phrase “peer to peer (PTP or P2P) communication”, as used herein, may relate to device-to-device communication over a wireless link (“peer-to-peer link”) between a pair of devices. The P2P communication may include, for example, wireless communication over a direct link within a QoS basic service set (BSS), a tunneled direct-link setup (TDLS) link, a STA-to-STA communication in an independent basic service set (IBSS), or the like.
• The term “antenna”, as used herein, may include any suitable configuration, structure and/or arrangement of one or more antenna elements, components, units, assemblies and/or arrays. In some embodiments, the antenna may implement transmit and receive functionalities using separate transmit and receive antenna elements. In some embodiments, the antenna may implement transmit and receive functionalities using common and/or integrated transmit/receive elements. The antenna may include, for example, a phased array antenna, a single element antenna, a set of switched beam antennas, and/or the like.
• The phrase “mmWave frequency band” as used herein may relate to a frequency band above 20 GHz, e.g., a frequency band between 20 GHz and 300 GHz.
• The phrases “directional multi-gigabit (DMG)” and “directional band” (DBand), as used herein, may relate to a frequency band wherein the Channel starting frequency is above 40 GHz.
• The phrases “DMG STA” and “mmWave STA (mSTA)” may relate to a STA having a radio transmitter, which is operating on a channel that is within the mmWave or DMG band.
• The term “beamforming”, as used herein, may relate to a spatial filtering mechanism, which may be used at a transmitter and/or a receiver to improve one or more attributes, e.g., the received signal power or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at an intended receiver.
• The term “cell”, as used herein, may include a combination of network resources, for example, downlink and optionally uplink resources. The resources may be controlled and/or allocated, for example, by a wireless communication node (also referred to as a “node” or a “base station”), or the like. The linking between a carrier frequency of the downlink resources and a carrier frequency of the uplink resources may be indicated in system information transmitted on the downlink resources.
• Reference is now made toFIG. 1, which schematically illustrates a block diagram of asystem100, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.
• As shown inFIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments,system100 may include one or more wireless communication devices capable of communicating content, data, information and/or signals via a wireless medium (WM). For example,system100 may include one or more wireless communication nodes, e.g.,node110, and one or more mobile devices, e.g., includingmobile devices120 and130. The wireless medium may include, for example, a radio channel, a cellular channel, an RF channel, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) channel, an IR channel, and the like. One or more elements ofsystem100 may optionally be capable of communicating over any suitable wired communication links.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may be configured to communicate over two wireless communication frequency bands. For example,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may communicate over a first frequency band and over a second frequency band, e.g., higher than the first frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first frequency band may include a non-mmWave frequency band, and the second frequency band may include a mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may be configured to communicate over the mmWave frequency band and over the non-mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the mmWave frequency band may include a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the non-mmWave frequency band may include a broadband cellular frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the non-mmWave frequency band may include a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• In other embodiments,node110,mobile device120 andmobile device130 may be configured to communicate over any two different frequency bands.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 may include or may perform the functionality of a Base Station (BS), an Access Point (AP), a WiFi node, a Wimax node, a cellular node, e.g., an Evolved Node B (eNB), a station, a hot spot, a network controller, and the like.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile devices120 and/or130 may include, for example, a User Equipment (UE), a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, an Ultrabook™ computer, a mobile internet device, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a storage device, a PDA device, a handheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device (e.g., combining cellular phone functionalities with PDA device functionalities), a consumer device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a portable device, a mobile phone, a cellular telephone, a PCS device, a mobile or portable GPS device, a DVB device, a relatively small computing device, a non-desktop computer, a “Carry Small Live Large” (CSLL) device, an Ultra Mobile Device (UMD), an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), a Mobile Internet Device (MID), an “Origami” device or computing device, a video device, an audio device, an A/V device, a gaming device, a media player, a Smartphone, or the like.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may include one or more wireless communication units to perform wireless communication over the two wireless communication frequency bands betweennode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 and/or with one or more other wireless communication devices, e.g., as described below.
• For example,node110 may include a firstwireless communication unit112 configured to communicate over the mmWave frequency band, and a secondwireless communication unit114 configured to communicate over the non-mmWave frequency band;mobile device120 may include a firstwireless communication unit122 configured to communicate over the mmWave frequency band, and a secondwireless communication unit124 configured to communicate over the non-mmWave frequency band; and/ormobile device130 may include a firstwireless communication unit132 configured to communicate over the mmWave frequency band, and a secondwireless communication unit134 configured to communicate over the non-mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,wireless communication units112,114,122,124,132 and134 may include, or may be associated with, one or more antennas. In one example, wireless communicateunit112 may be associated with one ormore antennas108; wireless communicateunit114 may be associated with one ormore antennas107; wireless communicateunit122 may be associated with one ormore antennas128; wireless communicateunit124 may be associated with one ormore antennas127; wireless communicateunit132 may be associated with one ormore antennas138; and/orwireless communication unit134 may be associated with one ormore antennas137.
• Antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may include any type of antennas suitable for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communication signals, blocks, frames, transmission streams, packets, messages and/or data. For example,antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may include any suitable configuration, structure and/or arrangement of one or more antenna elements, components, units, assemblies and/or arrays.Antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may include, for example, antennas suitable for directional communication, e.g., using beamforming techniques. For example,antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may include a phased array antenna, a multiple element antenna, a set of switched beam antennas, and/or the like. In some embodiments,antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may implement transmit and receive functionalities using separate transmit and receive antenna elements. In some embodiments,antennas108,107,128,127,138 and/or137 may implement transmit and receive functionalities using common and/or integrated transmit/receive elements.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,antennas108,128 and/or138 may be suitable for communication over the mmWave frequency band. For example,antennas108,128 and/or138 may include an antenna array, e.g., a phased antenna array, for communication over the WiGig frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,antennas107,127 and/or137 may be suitable for communication over the non-mmWave frequency band. For example,antennas107,127 and/or137 may include an antenna suitable for communicating over the LTE frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile devices120 and/or130 may also include, for example, aprocessor191, aninput unit192, anoutput unit193, amemory unit194, and astorage unit195; and/or node101 may also include, for example, one or more of aprocessor111, amemory unit117, and astorage unit115. Node101,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may optionally include other suitable hardware components and/or software components. In some demonstrative embodiments, some or all of the components of node101,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may be enclosed in a common housing or packaging, and may be interconnected or operably associated using one or more wired or wireless links. In other embodiments, components of node101 may be distributed among multiple or separate devices.
• Processor111 and/orprocessor191 include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), one or more processor cores, a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a multiple-core processor, a microprocessor, a host processor, a controller, a plurality of processors or controllers, a chip, a microchip, one or more circuits, circuitry, a logic unit, an Integrated Circuit (IC), an Application-Specific IC (ASIC), or any other suitable multi-purpose or specific processor or controller. For example,processor111 executes instructions, for example, of an Operating System (OS) ofnode110 and/or of one or more suitable applications.
• Memory unit117 and/ormemory unit194 include, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Dynamic RAM (DRAM), a Synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), a flash memory, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a cache memory, a buffer, a short term memory unit, a long term memory unit, or other suitable memory units.Storage unit115 and/orstorage unit195 include, for example, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a Compact Disk (CD) drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, or other suitable removable or non-removable storage units. For example,memory unit117 and/orstorage unit115, for example, may store data processed by node101.
• Input unit192 includes, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touch-screen, a touch-pad, a track-ball, a stylus, a microphone, or other suitable pointing device or input device.Output unit193 includes, for example, a monitor, a screen, a touch-screen, a flat panel display, a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display unit, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display unit, a plasma display unit, one or more audio speakers or earphones, or other suitable output devices.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device120 andnode110 may establish a non-mmWavewireless communication link105 for communication betweenmobile device120 andnode110 over the non-mmWave frequency band. For example,mobile device120 andnode110 may establish link105, e.g., upon entering ofmobile device120 into a cell controlled bynode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device130 andnode110 may establish a non-mmWavewireless communication link135 for communication betweenmobile device130 andnode110 over the non-mmWave frequency band. For example,mobile device130 andnode110 may establish link135, e.g., upon entering ofmobile device130 into a cell controlled bynode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may not be capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band. For example,mobile device120 andnode110 may not be able to communicate with one another over a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., ifmobile device120 and/ornode110 may not be capable of communicating over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may not be capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band, for example, ifwireless communication units112,122 and/or132 may not work properly and/or may not support a communication over the mmWave frequency band. In other embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may not include a wireless communication unit for communicating over the mmWave frequency band, e.g.,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may not includewireless communication units112,122 and/or132.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may not be capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band, for example, if one or more mmWave capabilities and/or requirements atnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 are not met and/or supported. For example, the mmWave capabilities may include supported transmission power levels, modulation orders, a number of antennas, a number of antenna elements per antenna of the antennas, a beamforming capability and/or the like.
• For example,mobile device120 andnode110 may be capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band betweennode110 anddevice120, for example, ifdevice120 andnode110 support the same modulation order, e.g., if bothdevice120 andnode110 support at least one common modulation order of a binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulation, a quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation, a 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) modulation, a 64-QAM modulation and the like.
• In one example, a Transmit (Tx) side, e.g., one device ofnode110 andmobile device120, and a Receive (Rx) side, e.g., another device ofnode110 andmobile device120, may be considered to be capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band betweennode110 anddevice120, for example, if a difference between a sum of a supported transmit power of the Tx side, a transmitter antenna gain of the Tx side and a receiver antenna gain of the Rx side, and between a sum of a path-loss corresponding to a communication typical range and apparatus implementation losses, exceeds a minimum receiver sensitivity corresponding to a particular modulation order supported by both the Tx and Rx sides.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device120 andmobile device130 may not be able to communicate with one another over the mmWave frequency band, for example, ifmobile devices120 and130 are not located within a mmWave coverage area of one another.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilize the communication over the non-mmWave frequency band to communicate over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilize the communication over the non-mmWave frequency band to determine whether or notnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 are capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, a device ofnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may include a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device ofnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 to communicate capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the capability information may include information indicating a capability of communicating between the first wireless communication device and a second, e.g., different, wireless communication device ofnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the communication controller may control the first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between the first and second wireless communication devices over the mmWave frequency band based on the capability information, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 may include awireless communication controller116 configured to controlwireless communication unit114 to communicate capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band, e.g., viaantennas107.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device120 may include awireless communication controller126 configured to controlwireless communication unit124 to communicate capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band, e.g., viaantennas127.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to communicate capability information betweennode110 andmobile device120, e.g., vianon-mmWave link105; and to establish ammWave link103 betweennode110 andmobile device120 based on the capability information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may controlwireless communication unit124 to communicate capability information betweenmobile device120 andnode110, e.g., vianon-mmWave link105; and to establish link103 betweennode110 andmobile device120 based on the capability information.
• In one example,node110 andmobile device120 may communicate the capability information overlink105, e.g., before establishinglink103.Node110 andmobile device120 may establish link103, for example, if the capability information indicates that bothnode110 andmobile device120 are capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device130 may include awireless communication controller136 configured to controlwireless communication unit134 to communicate capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band, e.g., viaantennas137.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may controlwireless communication unit134 to communicate capability information betweenmobile device130 andnode110, e.g., vianon-mmWave link135; and to establish ammWave link133 betweennode110 andmobile device130 based on the capability information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to communicate capability information betweennode110 andmobile device130, e.g., vianon-mmWave link135; and to establish link133 betweennode110 andmobile device130 based on the capability information.
• In one example,node110 andmobile device130 may communicate capability information overlink135, e.g., before establishinglink133.Node110 andmobile device130 may establish link133, for example, if the capability information indicates that bothnode110 andmobile device130 are capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to communicate capability information betweennode110 andmobile devices120 and130; and to controlmobile devices120 and130 to establish ammWave link123 betweenmobile device120 andmobile device130 based on the capability information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 may be utilized as a moderator to communicate at least part of the capability information betweenmobile devices120 and130, e.g., vialinks135 and105.
• In one example,node110 andmobile device120 may communicate, e.g., vialink105, capability information with respect tomobile device120, e.g., before establishinglink123.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 andmobile device130 may communicate vialink135 capability information with respect tomobile device130, e.g., before establishinglink123.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 may controlmobile device120 andmobile device130 to establishlink123, for example, if the capability information with respect tomobile devices120 and130 indicates that bothmobile devices130 and120 are capable of establishing a wireless communication link over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,links103,123 and/or133 may include a direct link, e.g., a P2P link, for example, to enable direct communication betweennode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may perform the functionality of mmWave STAs, e.g., DMG stations (“DMG STA”). For example,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may be configured to communicate over the DMG band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,links103,123 and/or133 may include a wireless beamformed link.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,links103,123 and/or133 may include a wireless gigabit (WiGig) link. For example,links103,123 and/or133 may include a wireless beamformed link over the 60 GHZ frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the capability information may include capability information with respect to the first wireless communication device and/or capability information with respect to the second wireless communication device.
• In one example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120, e.g., before establishinglink103, may include capability information with respect tonode110 and/or capability information with respect tomobile device120.
• In another example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120 and betweennode110 andmobile device130, e.g., before establishinglink123, may include capability information with respect tomobile device120 and/or capability information with respect tomobile device130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the capability information with respect to a device may include a capability of the device to communicate over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., whether the device includes a mmWave communication module.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the capability information of the device may also include whether the device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of the device, one or more modulation orders of the device, a number of antennas of the device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of the device, and/or a beamforming capability of the device.
• In one example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120 may include capability information with respect tonode110, e.g., whethernode110 includes a mmWave communication module, e.g.,wireless communication unit112, supported transmission power levels ofnode110, one or more modulation orders ofnode110, a number of antennas ofantennas108, a number of antenna elements per antenna ofantennas108, and/or a beamforming capability ofwireless communication unit112; and/or capability information with respect tomobile device120, e.g., whetherdevice120 includes a mmWave communication module, e.g.,wireless communication unit122, supported transmission power levels ofdevice120, one or more modulation orders ofdevice120, a number of antennas ofantennas128, a number of antenna elements per antenna ofantennas128, and/or a beamforming capability ofwireless communication unit122.
• In another example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120, e.g., vialink105, and/or betweennode110 andmobile device130, e.g., vialink135, to establishlink123, may include the capability information with respect tomobile device120; and/or capability information with respect tomobile device130, e.g., whetherdevice130 includes a mmWave communication module, e.g.,wireless communication unit132, supported transmission power levels ofdevice130, one or more modulation orders ofdevice130, a number of antennas ofantennas138, a number of antenna elements per antenna ofantennas138, and/or a beamforming capability ofwireless communication unit132.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the capability information with respect to a device may include location information corresponding to a location of the device.
• In one example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120 may include location information corresponding to a location ofnode110, e.g., a location Fix ofnode110; and/or location information corresponding to a location ofmobile device120, e.g., a location Fix ofmobile device120.
• In one example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120 may include location information corresponding to a location ofnode110, e.g., a location Fix ofnode110; and/or location information corresponding to a location ofmobile device120, e.g., a location Fix ofmobile device120.
• In another example, the capability information communicated betweennode110 andmobile device120, and betweennode110 andmobile device130, e.g., before establishinglink123, may include location information corresponding to a location ofdevice120, e.g., a location Fix ofdevice120; and/or location information corresponding to a location ofmobile device130, e.g., a location Fix ofmobile device130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first and the second wireless communication devices may establish the mmWave link based on the capability information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first and the second wireless communication devices may establish the mmWave link, for example, if one or more requirements for establishing the mmWave link are met.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first wireless communication device and/or the second wireless communication device may determine if the requirements are met based on the capability information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the requirements may include a requirement that the first and second wireless communication devices have a mmWave communication module; support a required modulation order, which supports the mmWave frequency band; a distance between the first and second wireless communication devices, which is lesser than a predefined distance, e.g., such that the first and second wireless communication devices are within a coverage range of each other and/or any other requirements based on the capability information, e.g., as described above.
• In one example,node110 andmobile device120 may communicate, e.g., before establishinglink103, e.g., vialink105, capability information including whethernode110 and/ordevice120 include a mmWave communication module, e.g.,wireless communication units112 and/or122; the transmission power levels ofnode110 and/ordevice120; the modulation orders ofnode110 and/ordevice120; the number of antennas ofantennas108 and/or208; the number of antenna elements per antenna ofantennas108 and/or208; the beamforming capability ofwireless communication units112 and/or122; and/or the location information corresponding to the location ofmobile device120 and/ornode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 andmobile device120 may establish link103 based on the capability information communicated before establishinglink103.
• For example,node110 andmobile device120 may establish link103, for example, ifnode110 anddevice120 include a mmWave communication module, e.g.,wireless communication units112 and/or122, the modulation orders ofnode110 anddevice120 support the same mmWave modulation order, and/or the distance betweennode110 andmobile device120 is lesser than the predefined distance.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the capability information corresponding tonode110 and/ordevice120 for establishinglink103, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the capability information corresponding tonode110 and/ordevice120 for performing beamforming training betweenmobile device120 andnode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the capability information corresponding tonode110 and/ordevice120 to configure preliminary beamforming settings ofantennas108 and/or128 for performing the beamforming training betweenmobile device120 andnode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the location information corresponding tonode110 and/ormobile device120 and an orientation ofmobile device120 to configure the preliminary beamforming settings ofantennas108 and/or128.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110 and/ormobile device120 may configure the preliminary beamforming settings ofantennas108 and/or128, such thatantennas108 and128 may form a directional beam at an estimated direction towards each other.
• In one example,controller116 may estimate a relative location ofmobile device120 with respect tonode110, e.g., based on the location information corresponding todevice120.Controller116 may configure the beamforming settings ofantennas108 to initiate the beamforming training in a direction directed to the estimated location ofmobile device120.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may estimate a relative location ofnode110 with respect tomobile device120, e.g., based on the location information corresponding tonode110.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may estimate an orientation ofantennas128 ofmobile device120, e.g., utilizing a compass ofmobile device120, a gyroscope ofmobile device120, and/or any other devices and or methods of estimating the orientation ofantennas128.Controller126 may configure the beamforming settings ofantennas128 to initiate the beamforming training in a direction directed to the relative location ofnode110 based on the relative location ofnode110 and the orientation ofantennas128 ofdevice120.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device130 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the capability information corresponding tomobile devices120 and130, which may be communicated withnode110 for establishinglink123, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device130 and/ormobile device120 may utilize the capability information corresponding tomobile devices120 and130 to configure preliminary beamforming settings ofantennas128 and/or138 for performing beamforming training betweenmobile devices120 and130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,mobile device130 and/ormobile device120 may configure the preliminary beam forming settings ofantennas138 and/or128, such thatantennas138 and128 may form a directional beam towards each other.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may estimate a relative location ofmobile device130 with respect tomobile device120, e.g., based on the location information corresponding tomobile device130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may estimate an orientation ofantennas128 ofmobile device120.Controller126 may configure the beamforming settings ofantennas128 to initiate the beamforming training in a direction directed to the relative location ofnode110 based on the relative location ofnode110 and the orientation ofdevice120 and/or a relative direction oflink105.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may estimate the relative location ofmobile device120 with respect tomobile device130, e.g., based on the location information corresponding tomobile device120.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may estimate an orientation ofantennas138 ofmobile device130, e.g., based on a compass ofmobile device130, a gyroscope ofmobile device130, and/or any other devices and or methods of estimating the orientation ofantennas138.Controller136 may configure the beamforming settings ofantennas138 to initiate the beamforming training in a direction directed to the relative location ofnode110 based on the relative location ofnode110 and the orientation ofdevice120 and/or based on a relative direction oflink135.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilize the non-mmWave frequency band for establishinglinks103,123 and/or133.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilizelinks105 and/or135 for communicating information corresponding to the beamforming training betweennode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130, e.g., as described below.
• In one example,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilizelinks105 and/or135 for performing the beamforming training, for example, after configuring the preliminary beamforming settings ofantennas108,128 and/or138.
• In another example,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 may utilizelinks105 and/or135 for performing the beamforming training, for example, after determining a capability ofnode110,mobile device120 and/ormobile device130 to communicate over the mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, a controller ofcontrollers116,126 and136 may control a first wireless communication device ofnode110,mobile device120 andmobile device130 to communicate mmWave signals over a mmWave frequency band with a second, e.g., different, wireless communication device ofnode110,mobile device120 andmobile device130.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the mmWave signals may include signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the mmWave signals may include beamforming training signals.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may control the first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on the mmWave signals, over the non-mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the feedback information may include signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to the plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the feedback information may include an indication of the Tx beamforming setting to be used for the beamformed link.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may control the first wireless communication device to establish with the second wireless communication device a beamformed link over the mmWave frequency band. The beamformed link may use a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may control the first wireless communication device to transmit the mmWave signals to the second wireless communication device according to the plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may receive the feedback information from the second wireless communication device over the non-mmWave frequency band.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may determine the Tx beamforming settings based on the received feedback information, and may use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to the second wireless communication device over the beamformed link.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may control the first wireless communication device to receive the mmWave signals transmitted from the second wireless communication device according to the plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the controller may control the first wireless communication device to transmit the feedback information over the non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over the beamformed link signals transmitted by the second wireless communication device using the Tx beamforming setting, which is based on the feedback information.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first wireless communication device may includenode110 and the second wireless communication device may include a mobile device ofmobile devices120 and130.Node110 and the mobile device may utilize a non-mmWave link betweennode110 and the mobile device to establish a mmWave betweennode110 and the mobile device, e.g., as described below with reference toFIG. 2.
• In one example, the first wireless communication device may includenode110 and the second wireless communication device may includemobile device130.Node110 andmobile device130 may utilize link135 to establishlink133, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit112 to transmit the beamforming training signals tomobile device130, e.g., viaantennas108, according to a plurality of different TX beamforming settings ofantennas108.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may controlwireless communication unit132 to receive the beamforming training signals.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may controlwireless communication unit134 to transmit feedback information tonode110 vialink135. The feedback information may include an indication of a Tx beamforming setting ofantennas108. For example, the indication may indicate a Tx beamforming setting having increased, e.g., best, signal quality metrics with respect to other Tx beamforming settings ofantennas108.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to receive the feedback information frommobile device130 vialink135.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit112 to use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting todevice130 overlink133. For example,controller116 may adjust beamforming settings ofantennas108 according to the Tx beamforming settings to transmit todevice130 overlink133.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first wireless communication device may include a mobile device ofmobile devices120 and130 and the second wireless communication device may includenode110.Node110 and the mobile device may utilize a non-mmWave link betweennode110 and the mobile device to establish a mmWave betweennode110 and the mobile device, e.g., as described below with reference toFIG. 3.
• In one example, the first wireless communication device may includemobile device120 and the second wireless communication device may includenode110.Node110 andmobile device120 may utilize link105 to establishlink103, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may controlwireless communication unit122 to transmit the beamforming training signals, e.g., viaantennas128, tonode110 according to a plurality of different TX beamforming settings ofantennas128.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit112 to receive the beamforming training signals.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to transmit feedback information tomobile device120 vialink105. The feedback information may include an indication of a Tx beamforming setting ofantennas128. For example, the indication may indicate a Tx beamforming setting having increased, e.g., best, signal quality metrics with respect to the other Tx beamforming settings ofantennas128.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may controlwireless communication unit124 to receive the feedback information fromnode110 vialink105.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may controlwireless communication unit122 to use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting tonode110 overlink103. For example,controller126 may adjust beamforming settings ofantennas128 according to the Tx beamforming setting to transmit tonode110 overlink103.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the first wireless communication device may include a device ofmobile devices120 and130 and the second wireless communication device may include other, e.g., different, device ofmobile devices120 and130. According to these embodiment,controller116 may controlmobile devices120 and130 to establishlink123, e.g., as described below with reference toFIG. 4.
• In one example, the first wireless communication device may includemobile device120 and the second wireless communication device may includemobile device130.Controller116 may controldevices120 and130 to utilizelinks105 and135 to communicate information, e.g., vianode110, to establishlink123, e.g., as described below.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to transmit tomobile device120 vialink105 an instruction to transmit the beamforming training signals tomobile device130 according to the plurality of different TX beamforming settings ofantennas128.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to transmit tomobile device130 vialink135 an instruction to receive the beamforming training signals transmitted bydevice120.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller136 may controlwireless communication unit134 to transmit feedback information tonode110 vialink135. The feedback information may include an indication of a Tx beamforming setting ofantennas128. For example, the indication may indicate a Tx beamforming setting ofantennas128 having increased, e.g., best, signal quality metrics with respect to the other Tx beamforming settings ofantennas128.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to receive the feedback information frommobile device130 vialink135.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller116 may controlwireless communication unit114 to transmit tomobile device120 vialink105 an instruction to use the Tx beamforming setting ofantennas128 received frommobile device130, for transmitting todevice130 overlink123.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,controller126 may controlwireless communication unit122 to use the Tx beamforming setting ofantennas128 received frommobile device130. For example,controller126 may adjust beamforming settings ofantennas128 according to the Tx beamforming settings to transmit todevice130 overlink123.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, utilizing the non-mmWave frequency band to establish mmWave beamformed links, e.g., as described above, may reduce the time to establish the mmWave beamformed links. Accordingly, a power consumption and network throughput of a mobile device may be improved.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node110,mobile device120 and/ormobile devices130 may utilizelinks103,123 and/or133 for data communication betweenmobile device120 andmobile devices130, for example, sincelinks103,123 and/or133 may enable high-throughput data transfer, e.g., compared tolinks105,125 and/or125.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, control information corresponding tolinks103,123 and/or133, e.g., a link adaptation, error control, beamforming adjustments, signal quality feedback and/or the like may be communicated vialinks103,123 and/or133.
• In other embodiments, the control information may be communicated via the non-mmWave frequency band. For example, the mmWave frequency band may be utilized only for data transfer.
• Reference is made toFIG. 2, which schematically illustrates a sequence of operations between awireless communication node210 and amobile device230, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. For example,wireless communication node210 may perform the functionality of node110 (FIG. 1); and/ormobile device230 may perform the functionality ofmobile device120 and/or mobile device130 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 2,node210 anddevice230 may communicatecapability information202 over a non-mmWave link to determine whether to establish a mmWave link. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device130 (FIG. 1) may determine to establish link133 (FIG. 1) based on the capability information communicated via link135 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 2,node210 may inform (204)device230 over the non-mmWave link of a start of a beamforming training procedure betweennode210 anddevice230, for example, if bothnode210 anddevice230 are capable of communicating over the mmWave frequency band. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may inform mobile device130 (FIG. 1) of a start of the beamforming training procedure to establish link123 (FIG. 1), for example, if both node110 (FIG. 1) and device120 (FIG. 1) are capable of communicating over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., as described above.
• Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 2,device230 may request (205) fromnode210 over the non-mmWave link to perform the beamforming training procedure betweennode210 anddevice230. For example, mobile device130 (FIG. 1) may request node110 (FIG. 1) to perform the beamforming training procedure to establish link123 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 2,device230 may configure (206) antennas ofdevice230, e.g., an antenna array, to apply a quasi-omnidirectional pattern. For example, device130 (FIG. 1) may configure antennas138 (FIG. 1) to apply the quasi-omnidirectional pattern.
• Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 2,device230 may utilize (207) a beamforming setting of the antenna array ofdevice230, for example, if the beamforming setting ofdevice230 is previously configured, and/or a direction ofnode210 with respect todevice230 is known. Accordingly,device230 may select a most suitable sector and/or beamforming setting for the beamforming training procedure. For example, device130 (FIG. 1) may configure a beamforming setting ofantennas138, for example, if the beamforming setting of antenna138 (FIG. 1) are previously configured and/or based on the relative location of node110 (FIG. 1) and device130 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 2,node210 may inform (208)device230 over the non-mmWave link of a beamforming setting being currently used, e.g., at a given time period, of a plurality of different Tx beamforming settings. For example,node210 may informdevice230 of a sector number of an antenna array ofnode210, which is currently being used for the beamforming training procedure. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may inform mobile device130 (FIG. 1) over link135 (FIG. 1) of a beamforming setting of the plurality of Tx beamforming settings of antennas108 (FIG. 1), which is currently being used, and/or a sector of antennas108 (FIG. 1), which is currently being used.
• Alternatively, a predefined sequence of the Tx beamforming settings and/or sectors of the antennas ofnode210 may be utilized, for example, ifdevice230 is aware of and/or informed about the predefined sequence of beamforming settings and/or sectors.
• As shown inFIG. 2,node210 may transmit (210) mmWave signals, e.g., beamforming training signals, todevice230 over the mmWave frequency band according to the plurality of different Tx beamforming settings, or according to the predefined sequence. For example, wireless communication unit112 (FIG. 1) may transmit to device130 (FIG. 1) the beamforming training signals according to the plurality of different TX beamforming settings of antennas108 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 2,device230 may receive the beamforming training signals, and may estimate (212) a signal quality metric for each beamforming setting of the Tx beamforming settings. The signal quality metric may include a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), a Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), and/or any other quality metric. For example, device130 (FIG. 1) may receive the beamforming training signals transmitted from node110 (FIG. 1) and may estimate for each beamforming setting of the TX beamforming settings of antennas108 (FIG. 1) a quality metric, e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 2,device230 may transmit (214) tonode210 over the non-mmWave link feedback information indicating a beamforming setting of the plurality of Tx beamforming settings of the antennas ofnode210. The feedback information may include, for example, an index of a most suitable sector of the antennas ofnode210, a most suitable beamforming setting of the antennas ofnode210, and/or the quality metrics for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings. For example, mobile device130 (FIG. 1) may transmit via link125 the feedback information to node110 (FIG. 1) including the indication of the Tx beamforming setting of antennas108 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 2,node210 may select (216) the beamforming setting, e.g., based on the feedback information, may configure the antennas ofnode210 according to the beamforming setting, and may use the beamforming setting to transmit tomobile device230 via the mmWave link. For example, controller116 (FIG. 1) may select the Tx beamforming setting and may control wireless communication unit112 (FIG. 1) to use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to device130 (FIG. 1) over link133 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• Reference is made toFIG. 3, which schematically illustrates a sequence of operations between awireless communication node310 and amobile device320, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. For example,wireless communication node310 may perform the functionality of node110 (FIG. 1); and/ormobile device320 may perform the functionality ofmobile device120 and/or mobile device130 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 3,node310 anddevice320 may communicatecapability information302 over a non-mmWave link to determine whether to establish a mmWave link. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may determine to establish link103 (FIG. 1) based on the capability information communicated via link105 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 3,device320 may request (304) fromnode310 over the non-mmWave link to perform the beamforming training procedure betweennode310 anddevice320. For example, mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may request node110 (FIG. 1) to perform the beamforming training procedure to establish link103 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• Alternatively, As shown inFIG. 3,node310 may inform (305)device320 over the non-mmWave link of a start of a beamforming training procedure betweennode310 anddevice320, for example, if bothnode310 anddevice320 are capable of communicating over the mmWave frequency band. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may inform mobile device120 (FIG. 1) of a start of the beamforming training procedure to establish link103 (FIG. 1), for example, if both node110 (FIG. 1) and device120 (FIG. 1) are capable of communicating over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 3,node310 may configure (306) antennas ofnode310, e.g., an antenna array, to apply a quasi-omnidirectional pattern. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may configure antennas108 (FIG. 1) to apply the quasi-omnidirectional pattern.
• Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 3,node310 may utilize (307) a beamforming setting of the antenna array ofnode310, for example, if the beamforming settings ofnode310 are previously configured, and/or a direction ofnode310 with respect tomobile device320 is known. Accordingly,node310 may select a most suitable sector and/or beamforming setting for the beamforming training procedure. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may configure a beamforming setting of antennas108 (FIG. 1), for example, if the beamforming settings of antennas108 (FIG. 1) are previously configured and/or based on the relative location of node110 (FIG. 1) and device120 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 3,device320 may inform (308)node310 over the non-mmWave link of a beamforming setting being currently used, e.g., at a given time period, of a plurality of different Tx beamforming settings. For example,device320 may inform node310 a sector number of the antenna array ofdevice320, which is currently being used for the beamforming training procedure. For example, mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may inform node110 (FIG. 1) over link135 (FIG. 1) of a beamforming setting of the plurality of different Tx beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1), which is currently being used, and/or a sector of antennas108 (FIG. 1), which is currently being used.
• Alternatively, a predefined sequence of the Tx beamforming settings and/or sectors of the antennas ofdevice320 may be utilized, for example, ifnode310 is aware of and/or informed about the predefined sequence of beamforming settings and/or sectors.
• As shown inFIG. 3,device320 may transmit (310) mmWave signals, e.g., beamforming training signals, tonode310 over the mmWave frequency band according to the plurality of different Tx beamforming settings, or according to the predefined sequence. For example, wireless communication unit122 (FIG. 1) may transmit to node110 (FIG. 1) the beamforming training signals according to the plurality of different TX beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 3,node310 may receive the beamforming training signals, and may estimate (312) a signal quality metric for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings. The signal quality metric may include the RSSI, the SINR, and/or any other quality metric. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may receive the beamforming training signals transmitted from device120 (FIG. 1) and may estimate for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1) a quality metric, e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 3,node310 may transmit (314) tomobile device320 over the non-mmWave link feedback information indicating a beamforming setting of the plurality of Tx beamforming settings of the antennas ofmobile device320. The feedback information may include, for example, an index of a most suitable sector of the antennas ofmobile device320, a most suitable beamforming setting of the antennas ofmobile device320, and/or the quality metrics for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may transmit vialink105 the feedback information to mobile device120 (FIG. 1) including the indication of the Tx beamforming setting of antennas128 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 3,mobile device320 may select (316) the beamforming setting, e.g., based on the feedback information, may configure the antennas ofmobile device320 according to the beamforming setting, and may use the beamforming setting to transmit tonode110 via the mmWave link. For example, controller126 (FIG. 1) may select the Tx beamforming setting and may control wireless communication unit122 (FIG. 1) to use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to node110 (FIG. 1) via link103 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• In some demonstrative embodiments, the sequence of operations described above with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3 may be utilized for establishing a mmWave link between a wireless communication node and a wireless mobile device, e.g., as described above. In other embodiments, the sequence of operations described above with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3 may be utilized for establishing a mmWave link between two wireless mobile devices, for example, if the two devices have a direct connection between them over the non-mmWave frequency band. In one example, a first device of the two devices may perform the functionality of the wireless communication node and a second device of the two devices may perform the functionality of the mobile device.
• Reference is made toFIG. 4, which schematically illustrates a sequence of operations between awireless communication node410, a firstmobile device420 and a secondmobile device430, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. For example,wireless communication node410 may perform the functionality of node110 (FIG. 1);mobile device420 may perform the functionality of mobile device120 (FIG. 1); and/ormobile device430 may perform the functionality of mobile device130 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 4,node410 anddevice420 may communicatecapability information402 over a non-mmWave link to determine whether to establish a mmWave link. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may communicate capability information via link105 (FIG. 1) to establish link123 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 4,node410 anddevice430 may communicatecapability information404 over a non-mmWave link to determine to establish a mmWave link. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device130 (FIG. 1) may communicate capability information via link135 (FIG. 1) to establish link123 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,node410 may determine ifdevices420 and430 are capable of establishing a mmWave link betweendevices420 and430, e.g., based on the capability information. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may determine thatmobile devices120 and130 (FIG. 1) are capable of establishing link123 (FIG. 1) based on the capability information communicated from mobile device120 (FIG. 1) via link105 (FIG. 1), and from mobile device130 (FIG. 1) via link135 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• Alternatively,devices420 and/or430 may determine thatdevices420 and430 are within a coverage area of each other and are capable of establishing the mmWave link betweendevices420 and430.Devices420 and/or430 may informnode410 over the non-mmWave frequency band thatdevices420 and/or430 are capable of establishing the mmWave link.
• As shown inFIG. 4,node410 may request (406) fromdevice420 over the non-mmWave link to perform the beamforming training procedure betweendevices420 and430, and to transmit todevice430 mmWave signals, e.g., beamforming training signals, over the mmWave frequency band according to a plurality of different Tx beamforming settings of an antenna, e.g., an antenna array, ofdevice420. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may request mobile device120 (FIG. 1) to perform the beamforming training procedure to establish link103 (FIG. 1) and to transmit the beamforming training signals to device130 (FIG. 1) according to the plurality of different Tx beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 4,node410 may request (408) fromdevice430 over the non-mmWave link to configure antennas ofdevice430, e.g., an antenna array, to apply a quasi- omnidirectional pattern. For example, For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may request vialink135 from device130 (FIG. 1) to apply the quasi-omnidirectional pattern to antennas138 (FIG. 1).
• Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 4,node410 may request (409)mobile device430 to utilize a beamforming setting of the antenna array ofdevice430, for example, if the beamforming settings ofdevice430 are previously configured, and/or a direction ofdevice420 with respect tomobile device430 may be known. Accordingly,device430 may select a most suitable sector and/or beamforming setting for the beamforming training procedure. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may request from device130 (FIG. 1) to configure a beamforming setting of antennas138 (FIG. 1), for example, if the beamforming settings of antennas138 (FIG. 1) are previously configured and/or based on the relative location of device130 (FIG. 1) and device120 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 4,device420 may transmit (410) todevice430 mmWave signals, e.g., beamforming training signals, over the mmWave frequency band according to the plurality of different Tx beamforming settings. For example, wireless communication unit122 (FIG. 1) may transmit to device130 (FIG. 1) the beamforming training signals according to the plurality of different TX beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 4,device430 may receive the beamforming training signals, and may estimate (412) a signal quality metric for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings. The signal quality metric may include the RSSI, the SINR, and/or any other quality metric. For example, device130 (FIG. 1) may receive the beamforming training signals transmitted from device120 (FIG. 1) and may estimate for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings of antennas128 (FIG. 1) a quality metric, e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 4,device430 may transmit (414) over the non-mmWave link feedback information tonode410 indicating a beamforming setting of the plurality of Tx beamforming settings of the antennas ofmobile device420. The feedback information may include, for example, an index of a most suitable sector of the antennas ofmobile device420, a most suitable beamforming setting of the antennas ofmobile device420, and/or the quality metrics for each beamforming setting of the different Tx beamforming settings. For example, mobile device130 (FIG. 1) may transmit vialink135 the feedback information to node110 (FIG. 1) including the indication of the Tx beamforming setting of antennas128 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As shown inFIG. 4,node410 may instruct (416)device420 over the non-mmWave link mobile to apply the beamforming setting, e.g., based on the feedback information, when transmitting todevice430 over the mmWave frequency band. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may instruct device120 (FIG. 1) to use the Tx beamforming setting when transmitting to device130 (FIG. 1) via link123 (FIG. 1).
• As shown inFIG. 4,device420 may configure the antennas ofmobile device420 according to the beamforming setting, and may use the beamforming setting to transmit todevice430 via the mmWave frequency link. For example, controller126 (FIG. 1) may control wireless communication unit122 (FIG. 1) to use the Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to device130 (FIG. 1) via link123 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• Reference is now made toFIG. 5, which schematically illustrates a method of establishing a beamformed link, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. For example, one or more of the operations of the method ofFIG. 5 may be performed by a wireless communication system, e.g., system100 (FIG. 1); a wireless communication node, e.g., node110 (FIG. 1); a mobile device, e.g.,mobile devices120 and/or130, and/or a wireless communication controller, e.g.,controllers116,126,136 (FIG. 1).
• As indicated atblock502, the method may include communicating capability information over a non-mmWave frequency band. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may communicate capability information over link105 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock503, communicating the capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band may include communicating capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating over a millimeter-wave frequency band. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may communicate capability information including information indicating a capability of node110 (FIG. 1) and/or mobile device120 (FIG. 1) for communicating over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock504, the method may include selecting to establish a mmWave link based on the capability information. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) and mobile device120 (FIG. 1) may establish link103 (FIG. 1) based on the capability information corresponding to node110 (FIG. 1) and/or mobile device120 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock506, the method may include communicating mmWave signals with a wireless communication device over the mmWave frequency band. For example, wireless communication unit112 (FIG. 1) may communicate the beamforming training signals with mobile device120 (FIG. 1) over the mmWave frequency band, e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock507, communicating the mmWave signals may include communicating the mmWave signals according to a plurality of different Tx beamforming settings. For example, wireless communication unit112 (FIG. 1) may communicate the beamforming training signals according to the different Tx beamforming settings of antennas108 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock508, the method may include communicating feedback information, based on the mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band. For example, wireless communication unit124 (FIG. 1) may communicate the feedback information with node110 (FIG. 1) via link105 (FIG. 1) based on the beamforming training signals, e.g., as described above
• As indicated atblock509, communicating the feedback information may include communicating feedback information including an indication of a Tx beamforming setting. For example, wireless communication unit124 (FIG. 1) may communicate the feedback information including an indication of the selected Tx beamforming setting, e.g., as described above.
• As indicated atblock510, the method may include establishing with the wireless communication device a beamformed link over the mmWave frequency band, the beamformed link using the Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information. For example, node110 (FIG. 1) may establish with mobile device120 (FIG. 1) link103 using the Tx beamforming setting based on the feedback information transmitted from mobile device120 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above
• Reference is made toFIG. 6, which schematically illustrates a product ofmanufacture600, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.Product600 may include a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium602 to storelogic604, which may be used, for example, to perform at least part of the functionality of node110 (FIG. 1), mobile device120 (FIG. 1), mobile device130 (FIG. 1),controllers116,126 and/or136 (FIG. 1), and/or to perform one or more operations of the method ofFIG. 5. The phrase “non-transitory machine-readable medium” is directed to include all computer-readable media, with the sole exception being a transitory propagating signal.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,product600 and/or machine-readable storage medium602 may include one or more types of computer-readable storage media capable of storing data, including volatile memory, non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writeable or re-writeable memory, and the like. For example, machine-readable storage medium602 may include, RAM, DRAM, Double-Data-Rate DRAM (DDR-DRAM), SDRAM, static RAM (SRAM), ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), Compact Disk ROM (CD-ROM), Compact Disk Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), flash memory (e.g., NOR or NAND flash memory), content addressable memory (CAM), polymer memory, phase-change memory, ferroelectric memory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, a disk, a floppy disk, a hard drive, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a card, a magnetic card, an optical card, a tape, a cassette, and the like. The computer-readable storage media may include any suitable media involved with downloading or transferring a computer program from a remote computer to a requesting computer carried by data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium through a communication link, e.g., a modem, radio or network connection.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,logic604 may include instructions, data, and/or code, which, if executed by a machine, may cause the machine to perform a method, process and/or operations as described herein. The machine may include, for example, any suitable processing platform, computing platform, computing device, processing device, computing system, processing system, computer, processor, or the like, and may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware, software, firmware, and the like.
• In some demonstrative embodiments,logic604 may include, or may be implemented as, software, a software module, an application, a program, a subroutine, instructions, an instruction set, computing code, words, values, symbols, and the like. The instructions may include any suitable type of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, and the like. The instructions may be implemented according to a predefined computer language, manner or syntax, for instructing a processor to perform a certain function. The instructions may be implemented using any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and/or interpreted programming language, such as C, C++, Java, BASIC, Matlab, Pascal, Visual BASIC, assembly language, machine code, and the like.
EXAMPLES
• The following examples pertain to further embodiments.
• Example 1 includes an apparatus of wireless communication, the apparatus comprising a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device to communicate millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals with a second wireless communication device over a mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings, said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on said mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band, and to control said first wireless communication device to establish with said second wireless communication device a beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band, said beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to receive said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 1 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to transmit said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over said beamformed link signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device using said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 4 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-3 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• Example 5 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-4 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises an indication of said Tx beamforming setting to be used for said beamformed link.
• Example 6 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-5 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 7 includes the subject matter of Example 6 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said mobile device over said beamformed link.
• Example 8 includes the subject matter of Example 6 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said mobile device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, said feedback information including an indication of said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 9 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-5 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 10 includes the subject matter of Example 9 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said mobile device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said BS over said beamformed link.
• Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 9 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said mobile device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said BS according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 12 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-5 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 13 includes the subject matter of Example 12 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, transmit to said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to receive said mmWave signals, receive said feedback information from said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 14 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-13 and optionally, wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices capable of having direct connectivity over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 15 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-14 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to communicate said feedback information with said second wireless communication device over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 16 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-15 and optionally, wherein said mmWave signals comprise beamforming training signals.
• Example 17 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-16 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 18 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-17 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 19 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-18 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 20 includes an apparatus of wireless communication, the apparatus comprising a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band, wherein, based on said capability information, said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band.
• Example 21 includes the subject matter of Example 20 and optionally, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.
• Example 22 includes the subject matter of Example 20 or 21 and optionally, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from the group of said first and second wireless communication devices.
• Example 23 includes the subject matter of Example 22 and optionally, wherein said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.
• Example 24 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-23 and optionally, wherein said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 25 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-24 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 26 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-24 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 27 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-24 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 28 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-27 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 29 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-28 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 30 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 20-29 and optionally, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 31 includes a system of wireless communication, the system comprising at least one communication device including one or more antennas; a millimeter-wave (mmWave) transceiver to communicate over a mmWave frequency band; a non-mmWave transceiver to communicate over a non-mmWave frequency band; and a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device to communicate mmWave signals with a second wireless communication device over said mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings, said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on said mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band, and to control said first wireless communication device to establish with said second wireless communication device a beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band, said beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• Example 32 includes the subject matter of Example 31 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to receive said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 33 includes the subject matter of Example 31 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to transmit said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over said beamformed link signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device using said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 34 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-33 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• Example 35 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-34 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises an indication of said Tx beamforming setting to be used for said beamformed link.
• Example 36 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-35 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 37 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said mobile device over said beamformed link.
• Example 38 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said mobile device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, said feedback information including an indication of said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 39 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-35 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 40 includes the subject matter of Example 39 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said mobile device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said BS over said beamformed link.
• Example 41 includes the subject matter of Example 39 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said mobile device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said BS according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 42 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-35 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 43 includes the subject matter of Example 42 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said BS to transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, transmit to said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to receive said mmWave signals, receive said feedback information from said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 44 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-43 and optionally, wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices capable of having direct connectivity over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 45 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-44 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to communicate said feedback information with said second wireless communication device over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 46 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-45 and optionally, wherein said mmWave signals comprise beamforming training signals.
• Example 47 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-46 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 48 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-47 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 49 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-48 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 50 includes a system of wireless communication, the system comprising at least one communication device including one or more antennas; a millimeter-wave (mmWave) transceiver to communicate over a mmWave frequency band; a non-mmWave transceiver to communicate over a non-mmWave frequency band; and a wireless communication controller to control a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over the non-mmWave frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over the mmWave frequency band, wherein, based on said capability information, said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band.
• Example 51 includes the subject matter of Example 50 and optionally, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.
• Example 52 includes the subject matter of Example 50 or 51 and optionally, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from the group of said first and second wireless communication devices.
• Example 53 includes the subject matter of Example 52 and optionally, wherein said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.
• Example 54 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-53 and optionally, wherein said communication controller is to control said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 55 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-54 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 56 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-54 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 57 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-54 and optionally, wherein said wireless communication controller is to control a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 58 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-57 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 59 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-58 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 60 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 50-59 and optionally, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 61 includes a method of wireless communication, the method comprising causing a first wireless communication device to communicate millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals with a second wireless communication device over a mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings; causing said first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on said mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band; and causing said first wireless communication device to establish with said second wireless communication device a beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band, said beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• Example 62 includes the subject matter of Example 61 and optionally comprising causing said first wireless communication device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to receive said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 63 includes the subject matter of Example 61 and optionally comprising causing said first wireless communication device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to transmit said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over said beamformed link signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device using said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 64 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-63 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• Example 65 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-64 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises an indication of said Tx beamforming setting to be used for said beamformed link.
• Example 66 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-65 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 67 includes the subject matter of Example 66 and optionally comprising causing said BS to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said mobile device over said beamformed link.
• Example 68 includes the subject matter of Example 66 and optionally comprising causing said BS to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said mobile device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, said feedback information including an indication of said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 69 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-65 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 70 includes the subject matter of Example 69 and optionally comprising causing said mobile device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said BS over said beamformed link.
• Example 71 includes the subject matter of Example 69 and optionally comprising causing said mobile device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said BS according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 72 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-65 and optionally comprising controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 73 includes the subject matter of Example 72 and optionally comprising causing said BS to transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, transmit to said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to receive said mmWave signals, receive said feedback information from said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 74 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-73 and optionally, wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices capable of having direct connectivity over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 75 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-74 and optionally comprising controlling said first wireless communication device to communicate said feedback information with said second wireless communication device over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 76 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-75 and optionally, wherein said mmWave signals comprise beamforming training signals.
• Example 77 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-76 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 78 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-77 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 79 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 61-78 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 80 includes a method of wireless communication, the method comprising causing a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band; and causing said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band based on said capability information.
• Example 81 includes the subject matter of Example 80 and optionally, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.
• Example 82 includes the subject matter of Example 80 or 81 and optionally, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from the group of said first and second wireless communication devices.
• Example 83 includes the subject matter of Example 82 and optionally comprising controlling said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.
• Example 84 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-83 and optionally comprising controlling said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 85 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-84 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 86 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-84 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 87 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-84 and optionally comprising controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 88 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-87 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 89 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-88 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 90 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 80-89 and optionally, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 91 includes a product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in causing a first wireless communication device to communicate millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals with a second wireless communication device over a mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings; causing said first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on said mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band; and causing said first wireless communication device to establish with said second wireless communication device a beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band, said beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• Example 92 includes the subject matter of Example 91 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said first wireless communication device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to receive said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 93 includes the subject matter of Example 91 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said first wireless communication device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to transmit said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over said beamformed link signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device using said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 94 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-93 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• Example 95 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-94 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises an indication of said Tx beamforming setting to be used for said beamformed link.
• Example 96 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-95 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 97 includes the subject matter of Example 96 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said BS to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said mobile device over said beamformed link.
• Example 98 includes the subject matter of Example 96 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said BS to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said mobile device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, said feedback information including an indication of said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 99 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-95 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 100 includes the subject matter of Example 99 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said mobile device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said BS over said beamformed link.
• Example 101 includes the subject matter of Example 99 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said mobile device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said BS according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 102 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-95 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 103 includes the subject matter of Example 102 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in causing said BS to transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, transmit to said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to receive said mmWave signals, receive said feedback information from said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 104 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-103 and optionally, wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices capable of having direct connectivity over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 105 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-104 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in controlling said first wireless communication device to communicate said feedback information with said second wireless communication device over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 106 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-105 and optionally, wherein said mmWave signals comprise beamforming training signals.
• Example 107 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-106 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 108 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-107 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 109 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 91-108 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 110 includes a product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in causing a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band; and causing said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band based on said capability information.
• Example 111 includes the subject matter of Example 110 and optionally, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.
• Example 112 includes the subject matter of Example 110 or 111 and optionally, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from the group of said first and second wireless communication devices.
• Example 113 includes the subject matter of Example 112 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in controlling said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.
• Example 114 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-113 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in controlling said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 115 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-114 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 116 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-114 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 117 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-114 and optionally, wherein said instructions result in controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 118 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-117 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 119 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-118 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 120 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 110-119 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 121 includes an apparatus of wireless communication, the apparatus comprising means for causing a first wireless communication device to communicate millimeter-wave (mmWave) signals with a second wireless communication device over a mmWave frequency band, the mmWave signals including signals transmitted according to a plurality of different transmit (Tx) beamforming settings; means for causing said first wireless communication device to communicate feedback information, which is based on said mmWave signals, over a non-mmWave frequency band; and means for causing said first wireless communication device to establish with said second wireless communication device a beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band, said beamformed link using a Tx beamforming setting, which is determined based on the feedback information.
• Example 122 includes the subject matter of Example 121 and optionally comprising means for causing said first wireless communication device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to receive said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 123 includes the subject matter of Example 121 and optionally comprising means for causing said first wireless communication device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, to transmit said feedback information over said non-mmWave frequency band, and to receive over said beamformed link signals transmitted by said second wireless communication device using said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 124 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-123 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises signal quality feedback including one or more signal quality metrics corresponding to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings.
• Example 125 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-124 and optionally, wherein said feedback information comprises an indication of said Tx beamforming setting to be used for said beamformed link.
• Example 126 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-125 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 127 includes the subject matter of Example 126 and optionally comprising means for causing said BS to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said mobile device over said beamformed link.
• Example 128 includes the subject matter of Example 126 and optionally comprising means for causing said BS to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said mobile device according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, said feedback information including an indication of said Tx beamforming setting.
• Example 129 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-125 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 130 includes the subject matter of Example 129 and optionally comprising means for causing said mobile device to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, receive said feedback information from said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band, and use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said BS over said beamformed link.
• Example 131 includes the subject matter of Example 129 and optionally comprising means for causing said mobile device to receive said mmWave signals, said mmWave signals including signals transmitted by said BS according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, and transmit said feedback information to said BS over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 132 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-125 and optionally comprising means for controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 133 includes the subject matter of Example 132 and optionally comprising means for causing said BS to transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to transmit said mmWave signals according to said plurality of Tx beamforming settings, transmit to said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to receive said mmWave signals, receive said feedback information from said second mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band, and transmit to said first mobile device over said non-mmWave frequency band an instruction to use said Tx beamforming setting for transmitting to said second wireless communication device over said beamformed link.
• Example 134 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-133 and optionally, wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices capable of having direct connectivity over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 135 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-134 and optionally comprising means for controlling said first wireless communication device to communicate said feedback information with said second wireless communication device over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 136 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-135 and optionally, wherein said mmWave signals comprise beamforming training signals.
• Example 137 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-136 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 138 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-137 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 139 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 121-138 and optionally, wherein said beamformed link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Example 140 includes an apparatus of wireless communication, the apparatus comprising means for causing a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band; and means for causing said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band based on said capability information.
• Example 141 includes the subject matter of Example 140 and optionally, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.
• Example 142 includes the subject matter of Example 140 or 141 and optionally, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from the group of said first and second wireless communication devices.
• Example 143 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 142 and optionally comprising means for controlling said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.
• Example 144 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-143 and optionally comprising means for controlling said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.
• Example 145 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-144 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.
• Example 146 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-144 and optionally, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).
• Example 147 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-144 and optionally comprising means for controlling a base-station (BS), and wherein said first and second wireless communication devices comprise first and second mobile devices.
• Example 148 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-147 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.
• Example 149 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-148 and optionally, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.
• Example 150 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 140-149 and optionally, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.
• Functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more embodiments, may be combined with, or may be utilized in combination with, one or more other functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more other embodiments, or vice versa.
• While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims (24)

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of wireless communication, the apparatus comprising a wireless communication controller configured to:

trigger a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band; and

based on said capability information, trigger said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band.

2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from a group consisting of information whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, information whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, information of one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, information of one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, information of one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, information of one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, information of a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, information of a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, information of a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, information of a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, information of a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and information of a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.

3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from a group consisting of said first and second wireless communication devices.

4. The apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein said communication controller is configured to trigger said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.

5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said communication controller is configured to trigger said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.

6. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.

7. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).

8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said wireless communication controller is configured to cause a base-station (BS) to trigger the first wireless communication device to establish the mmWave link with the second wireless communication device, based on capability information received at the BS from the first wireless communication device over a first non-mmWave link, and capability information received at the BS from the second wireless communication device over a second non-mmWave link, said first wireless communication device comprises a first mobile device, and said second wireless communication device comprises a second mobile device.

9. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.

10. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.

11. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.

12. The apparatus ofclaim 1 comprising:

one or more antennas;

a mm Wave transceiver to communicate over the mmWave frequency band; and

a non-mmWave transceiver to communicate over the non-mmWave frequency band.

13. The apparatus ofclaim 1 comprising a memory, and a processor.

14. A product including a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

triggering a first wireless communication device to communicate capability information over a non-millimeter-wave (non-mmWave) frequency band, said capability information including information indicating a capability of communicating between said first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device over a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band; and

triggering said first wireless communication device to establish a mmWave link between said first and second wireless communication devices over said mmWave frequency band based on said capability information.

15. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said capability information comprises at least one type of information selected from a group consisting of information whether said first wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, information whether said second wireless communication device includes a mmWave communication module, information of one or more supported transmission power levels of said first wireless communication device, information of one or more supported transmission power levels of said second wireless communication device, information of one or more modulation orders of said first wireless communication device, information of one or more modulation orders of said second wireless communication device, information of a number of antennas of said first wireless communication device, information of a number of antennas of said second wireless communication device, information of a number of antenna elements per antenna of said first wireless communication device, information of a number of antenna elements per antenna of said second wireless communication device, information of a beamforming capability of said first wireless communication device, and information of a beamforming capability of said second wireless communication device.

16. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said capability information includes location information corresponding to a location of at least one device selected from a group consisting of said first and second wireless communication devices.

17. The product ofclaim 16, wherein said instructions result in triggering said first wireless communication device to establish said mmWave link based on said location information.

18. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said instructions result in triggering said first wireless communication device to exchange management and control information corresponding to said mmWave link over said non-mmWave frequency band.

19. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS), and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a mobile device.

20. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said first wireless communication device comprises a mobile device, and wherein said second wireless communication device comprises a base-station (BS).

21. The product ofclaim 14, wherein the instructions result in causing a base-station (BS) to trigger the first wireless communication device to establish the mmWave link with the second wireless communication device, based on capability information received at the BS from the first wireless communication device over a first non-mmWave link, and capability information received at the BS from the second wireless communication device over a second non-mmWave link, said first wireless communication device comprises a first mobile device, and said second wireless communication device comprises a second mobile device.

22. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a broadband cellular frequency band.

23. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said non-mmWave frequency band comprises a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) frequency band.

24. The product ofclaim 14, wherein said mmWave link over said mmWave frequency band comprises a beamformed Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.

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