Beaconing and superframe structure for millimeter wave wireless technologies

摘要

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, and non-transient computer readable medium that pertain to communicating in a wireless network with a MAC layer that uses multi-level beacons, the multi-level beacons including a Discovery beacon (DB) which is transmitted in an omni mode and an announcement beacon/frame (AB) transmitted in a beam formed mode.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
communicating in a wireless network with a MAC layer that uses multi-level beacons, said multi-level beacons including a Discovery beacon (DB) communicated during a beacon time which is transmitted in an omni mode and which is immediately followed by a beamforming training time, the beamforming training time being followed by an announcement beacon/frame (AB) transmitted in a beamformed mode; wherein said AB is a unicast frame addressed to a particular STA; and wherein said DB is transmitted by a piconet coordinator (PNC) that allows new STAs to discover and potentially join said piconet, in addition to serving currently associated STAs.