Patent ID: 7697626

Claim:
A method for a first node to select a beam combination for communication between the first node and a second node, the method comprising: the first node sending a plurality of modulation and coding scheme (MCS) requests to the second node, each of the plurality of MCS requests being sent using a particular beam combination; the first node receiving a second-node-generated MCS feedback signal for each of the MCS requests, each MCS feedback signal including an MCS recommendation for the particular beam combination; and the first node selecting a beam combination configured to communicate with the second node based on the MCS recommendations; the first node measuring a received signal strength indication (RSSI) on each of the MCS feedback signals wherein the first node selects the beam combination corresponding to an MCS recommendation providing a highest data rate; and on a condition that there is more than one MCS recommendation providing the same highest data rate the first node selects the beam combination corresponding to a simplest MCS recommendation; and on a condition that there is more than one MCS recommendation having the same simplest MCS recommendation the first node selects the beam combination corresponding to a highest RSSI; and on a condition that there is more than one MCS recommendation corresponding to the same highest RSSI the first node selects a beam combination corresponding to a lowest beam number.