Patent ID: 8660598
Filing Date: 2014-02-25
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A beamforming transmission method comprising: transmitting signals on different beams formed by adjusting amplitude and phase applied to a plurality of individual elements of an antenna array to enable a receiver to determine a respective signal quality for each of the beams; prioritizing a plurality of the different beams in accordance with a metric that depends upon the signal quality for each of the plurality of the different beams measured at the receiver and a direction of departure for each of the plurality of the different beams; selecting a particular beam from the plurality of the different beams; transmitting data signals to the receiver on the particular beam; selecting beams with a signal quality exceeding a threshold for inclusion in the plurality of different beams; and ordering the beams included in the plurality of different beams in accordance with the direction of departure with respect to the beam resulting in the largest signal quality, wherein either a beam having a direction of departure that is larger or a beam having a direction of departure that is smaller than direction of departures of the other beams is prioritized over the other beams.