Beam Search Strategy for MillimeterWave Networks with Out-of-Band Input Data

Abstract

Beam training in dynamic millimeter-wave (mm-wave) networks with mobile devices is highly challenging as devices must scan a large angular domain to maintain alignment of their directional antennas under mobility. Exploiting the fact that mobile devices will typically integrate multiple chipsets, we study a set of non-mmwave input data that can be leveraged jointly to provide faster beam search and better data rate. We leverage these findings to introduce SLASH, an algorithm that adaptively narrows the sector search space and accelerates link establishment, link maintenance and handover between mm-wave devices. We evaluate SLASH both with simulations and experiments in a 60-GHz testbed. SLASH can increase the data rate by more than 64% for link establishment and 67% for link maintenance with respect to prior work.