Electronic device and method for managing antenna in electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a pre-5G or 5G communication system, which is provided to support higher data rates than fourth generation (4G) communication systems such as long term evolution (LTE). An electronic device and method for managing antennas operating in a frequency band combination. The electronic device includes at least one antenna including a plurality of antenna elements, a transceiver operably connected to the at least one antenna and configured to communicate over a plurality of frequency portions. The electronic device also includes a processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor being configured to: determine a plurality of frequency portions; from a configuration received in response to a plurality of frequency portions reported in a PUCCH, identify a combination of one or more frequency portions in the plurality of frequency portions for performing communication; obtain a beamforming codebook; and apply one or more beams in the beamforming code for performing communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to providing a fifth generation pre-5G or 5G communication system for supporting higher data rates than fourth generation (4G) communication systems such as long term evolution (LTE). More specifically, the present disclosure relates to management of antennas operating in a combination of two or more frequency bands. Background Art

[0002] To meet the growing demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also called "beyond 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems."

[0003] 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands) to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase the transmission distance, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive antenna technologies are discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, in the 5G communication system, system network improvements are being carried out based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access network (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, collaborative communications, coordinated multi-point (CoMP), and receiving-end interference elimination.

[0005] The communication system includes a downlink (DL) that transmits signals from a transmission point such as a base station (BS) or eNodeB to a user equipment (UE) and an uplink (UL) that transmits signals from a UE to a receiving point such as an eNodeB. UE, also commonly known as a terminal or mobile station, can be fixed or mobile, such as a mobile phone, a personal computer device, etc. eNodeB, generally a fixed station, can also be called an access point or other equivalent terms.

[0006] A 5G terminal or UE can be equipped with multiple antenna elements. One or more antenna modules can also be installed on the terminal, each of which can have one or more antenna elements. Beamforming is used when the UE attempts to establish a connection with a BS station. In order to compensate for the narrower analog beamwidth in millimeter waves, analog beam scanning can be used to achieve a wider signal reception or transmission coverage for the UE. The beam codebook includes a set of codewords, where a codeword is a set of analog phase shift values ​​or a set of amplitude plus phase shift values, and the codeword is applied to the antenna elements to form an analog beam. 5G can operate on one or more millimeter wave bands. Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] 5G networks operate in one or more frequency bands.

[0009] For example, the FCC’s 5G FAST plan allows for 5G deployment in multiple frequency bands, including 24 GHz, 28 GHz, and 39 GHz.

[0010] However, due to form factor limitations, UE devices may not have dedicated antenna arrays for each frequency band.

[0011] Technical Solution

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure include electronic devices and methods for managing antennas operating in a combination of frequency bands.

[0013] One embodiment relates to a UE, the UE comprising at least one antenna including a plurality of antenna elements, a transceiver operably connected to the at least one antenna, and a processor operably connected to the transceiver, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate on a plurality of frequency portions, the processor is configured to determine the plurality of frequency portions based on at least one of the following: spacing between the plurality of antenna elements, wavelengths of the plurality of frequency portions, radiation gain of the transceiver, or radiation efficiency of the plurality of frequency portions. The processor is also configured to report the plurality of frequency portions for performing communication in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); from a configuration received in response to the plurality of frequency portions reported in the PUCCH, identify a combination of one or more frequency portions in the plurality of frequency portions for performing communication; and obtain a beamforming codebook by (i) selecting a beamforming codebook from a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory, the selected beamforming codebook being based on a combination of the one or more frequency portions and a bandwidth management operation, or by (ii) generating a beamforming codebook based on a combination of the one or more frequency portions and a bandwidth management operation. The processor is also configured to apply one or more beams in a beamforming codebook for performing communications.

[0014] Another embodiment relates to a method for managing an antenna operating in a frequency band combination. The method includes: for an antenna including multiple antenna elements configured to communicate on multiple frequency portions, determining multiple frequency portions based on at least one of the following: spacing between multiple antenna elements, wavelengths of multiple frequency portions, gain of a radiating transceiver, or radiation efficiency of multiple frequency portions; reporting multiple frequency portions in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for performing communication; identifying a combination of one or more frequency portions in the multiple frequency portions from a configuration received in response to the multiple frequency portions reported in the PUCCH for performing communication; obtaining a beamforming codebook by (i) selecting a beamforming codebook from a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory, the selected beamforming codebook being based on a combination of one or more frequency portions and a bandwidth management operation, or by (ii) generating a beamforming codebook based on a combination of one or more frequency portions and a bandwidth management operation to obtain a beamforming codebook; and applying one or more beams in the beamforming codebook for performing communication.

[0015] According to the following drawings and descriptions, those skilled in the art can easily understand other technical features.

[0016] Before proceeding to the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to clarify the definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term "coupling" and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not these elements are in physical contact with each other. The terms "send", "receive" and "communication" and their derivatives include direct and indirect communication. The terms "include" and "comprise", as well as their derivatives, mean including but not limited to this. The term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase "associated with" and its derivatives mean to include, include therein, interconnect, include, be contained therein, be connected to or connected with it, be coupled to or coupled with it, be communicable, cooperate, interlace, parallel, approach, bind or bind with it, have, have the property of ..., have a relationship or be related to it or similar meanings. The term "controller" refers to any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller can be implemented with hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functions associated with any particular controller can be centralized or distributed, whether local or remote. The phrase "at least one of" when used with a list of items means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and that only one of the items in the list may be needed. For example, "at least one of A, B, C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C; A and B; B and C; A and B; A, B, and C. Similarly, the term "set" means one or more. Thus, a set of items can be a single item or a set of two or more items.

[0017] In addition, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed by a computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data or a portion thereof, suitable for implementation in a suitable computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard drive, a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD) or any other type of memory. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media does not include wired, wireless, optical or other communication links that transmit temporary electrical signals or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can permanently store data and media that can store data and rewrite it later, such as rewritable optical disks or erasable storage devices.

[0018] Definitions for certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most, instances, such definitions apply to prior and future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0019] Beneficial technical effects

[0020] According to the present disclosure, antennas operating in a frequency band combination can be effectively managed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 An exemplary networked computing system is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 An exemplary base station (BS) in a networked computing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 An example user equipment (UE) in a networked computing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 4 An exemplary server in a networked computing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 An exemplary millimeter wave communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 6 shows combinations of frequency sections in which antenna arrays according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may operate;

[0028] Figure 7 An antenna array operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 8 Another antenna array operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Fig. 9 shows yet another antenna array operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 10A , 10B 10C show different radiation patterns of DFT codebooks applied to antenna arrays in different frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig.11 is a flow chart of communication through multiple frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig.12 A flowchart for obtaining a codebook for an antenna array operating in a combination of frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Fig.13 shows the UL / DL frame configuration for 5G TDD transmission;

[0035] Fig.14 shows frequency section combinations in which antenna arrays according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may operate;

[0036] Fig.15 A flow chart for generating a multi-band beamforming codebook for an antenna array operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Fig.16 It is a flowchart for generating a codebook according to the Greedy algorithm;

[0038] Fig.17 It is a flowchart of the process of generating a codebook according to the K-Means algorithm;

[0039] Fig.18 shows a diagram illustrating exclusive and non-exclusive nature of codewords according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0040] Fig.19 A flow chart for managing antennas operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The drawings and various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are included herein for illustration only and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged wireless communication system.

[0042] 5G networks operate on one or more frequency parts. As used herein, a frequency part can be a frequency band, a carrier within a frequency band, or a bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier. A band combination is one or more frequency parts. For example, the FCC's 5GFAST plan allows 5G deployment in multiple frequency parts (including, for example, 24GHz, 28GHz, and 39GHz). Due to form factor limitations, UE devices may not be equipped with dedicated antenna arrays for each frequency band. For base stations, antenna arrays can be installed at the base station to compensate for the high path loss of the millimeter wave band. In order to save costs, operators can deploy common antenna arrays to support multiple millimeter wave frequency parts instead of deploying multiple antenna arrays (each dedicated to one frequency part).

[0043] If the antenna spacing of an antenna array is equal to half a wavelength at one frequency band, it will be greater or less than half a wavelength at another frequency band. As a result, a codebook designed for one frequency band may not work well in other frequency parts. Therefore, the novel aspects of the present disclosure recognize the need to implement a multi-band beamforming codebook that can be applied to an antenna array operating on a combination of two or more frequency parts. Although the embodiments disclosed herein relate to the millimeter wave part, the embodiments in the present disclosure may also be applicable to other frequency parts.

[0044] Figure 1 An exemplary networked computing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The embodiment of the wireless network 100 shown is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, wireless network 100 includes gNodeB (gNB) 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one Internet Protocol (IP) communication network 130, such as the Internet, a private IP network, or other data network.

[0046] The gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to a network 130 for a first plurality of user equipments (UEs) within a coverage area 120 of the gNB 102. The first plurality of UEs includes a UE 111 (which may be located in a small business (SB)), a UE 112 (which may be located in an enterprise (E)), a UE 113 (which may be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS)), a UE 114 (which may be located in a first residence (R)), a UE 115 (which may be located in a second residence (R)), and a UE 116 (which may be a mobile device (M) such as a cellular phone, a wireless laptop, a wireless PDA, etc.). The gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to the network 130 for a second plurality of UEs within a coverage area 125 of the gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs includes UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more UEs gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G, LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX, WiFi, or other wireless communication technologies.

[0047] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" may refer to any component (or collection of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmission point (TP), a transmission reception point (TRP), an enhanced base station (eNodeB or eNB or gNB), a macro cell, a femto cell, a WiFi access point (AP), or other wireless-enabled devices. The base station may provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as 5G 3GPP New Radio Interface / Access (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc. For convenience, in this patent document, the terms "BS" and "TRP" may be used interchangeably to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. In addition, depending on the network type, the term "user equipment" or "UE" may refer to any component, such as a "mobile station", "subscriber station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "reception point", or "user equipment". For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this patent document to refer to a remote wireless device that wirelessly accesses a base station, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a cell phone or smartphone) or is generally considered to be a fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0048] The dashed lines illustrate the approximate extents of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as generally circular for purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with a gNB (e.g., coverage areas 120 and 125) may have other shapes (including irregular shapes) depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the radio environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0049] As described in more detail below, the wireless network 100 may be a 5G communication system in which an electronic device such as a UE 116 or a BS 102 may manage antennas operating in a combination of frequency portions.

[0050] Although Figure 1 One example of a wireless network 100 is shown, but may be used for Figure 1 Various changes may be made. For example, wireless network 100 may include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. In addition, gNB 101 may communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide those UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 may communicate directly with network 130 and provide the UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. In addition, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 may provide access to other or additional external networks (e.g., an external telephone network or other type of data network).

[0051] Figure 2 An exemplary base station (BS) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown is for illustration only. Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 may have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs have multiple configurations, Figure 2 The scope of this disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of gNB.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 280a-280n, multiple RF transceivers 282a-282n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 284, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 286. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 288, a memory 290, and a backhaul or network interface 292.

[0053] The RF transceivers 282a-282n receive input RF signals from antennas 280a-280n, such as signals transmitted by UEs in the network 100. The RF transceivers 282a-282n down-convert the input RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to receive (RX) processing circuitry 286, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. The RX processing circuitry 286 sends the processed baseband signals to the controller / processor 288 for further processing.

[0054] The transmit (TX) processing circuit 284 receives analog or digital data (e.g., voice data, network data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 288. The TX processing circuit 284 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate processed baseband or IF signals. The RF transceivers 282a-282n receive the outgoing processed baseband or IF signals from the TX processing circuit 284 and up-convert the baseband or IF signals to RF signals that are transmitted via the antennas 280a-280n.

[0055] The controller / processor 288 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 288 may control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceivers 282a-282n, the RX processing circuitry 286, and the TX processing circuitry 284 in accordance with well-known principles. The controller / processor 288 may also support additional functionality, such as more advanced wireless communication functionality. For example, the controller / processor 288 may support beamforming or directional routing operations in which the output signals from the multiple antennas 280a-280n are weighted differently to effectively direct the output signals in a desired direction. The controller / processor 288 may support any of a variety of other functions in the gNB 102. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 288 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0056] The controller / processor 288 is also capable of executing programs and other processes, such as a basic OS, that reside in the memory 290. The controller / processor 288 may move data into or out of the memory 290 as required by the executing process.

[0057] The controller / processor 288 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 292. The backhaul or network interface 292 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or via a network. The interface 292 may support communication over any suitable wired or wireless connection. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a system supporting 5G, LTE, or LTE-A), the interface 292 may allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the interface 292 may allow the gNB 102 to communicate over a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection to a larger network (such as the Internet). The interface 292 includes any suitable structure that supports communication over a wired or wireless connection, such as an Ethernet or RF transceiver.

[0058] Memory 290 is coupled to controller / processor 288. A portion of memory 290 may include RAM, and another portion of memory 290 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0059] As described in more detail below, in some embodiments, management of antennas operating in a combination of frequency portions may be performed in an electronic device such as BS 102. Additionally, antennas may be managed based on a codebook set 294 stored in memory 290.

[0060] Although Figure 2 An example of a gNB 102 is shown, but the Figure 2 For example, gNB 102 may include any number of Figure 2 As a specific example, an access point may include several interfaces 292, and the controller / processor 288 may support routing functions to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, although the gNB 102 is shown as including a single instance of the TX processing circuit 284 and a single instance of the RX processing circuit 286, the gNB 102 may include multiple instances of each circuit (such as one instance per RF transceiver). In addition, Figure 2 The various components in may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added according to specific needs.

[0061] Figure 3 An exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown is for illustration only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 may have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs may have a variety of configurations, and Figure 3 The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of a UE.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, UE 116 includes antenna 305, radio frequency (RF) transceiver 310, transmit (TX) processing circuit 315, microphone 320 and receive (RX) processing circuit 325. UE 116 also includes speaker 330, main processor 340, input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, keyboard 350, display 355 and memory 360. Memory 360 includes basic operating system (OS) program 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0063] RF transceiver 310 receives an incoming RF signal from antenna 305 transmitted by a gNB of network 100. RF transceiver 310 downconverts the incoming RF signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is sent to RX processing circuitry 325, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuitry 325 sends the processed baseband signal to speaker 330 (such as for voice data) or to host processor 340 for further processing (such as for web browsing data).

[0064] The TX processing circuit 315 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 320 or other output baseband data (such as network data, email or interactive video game data) from the main processor 340. The TX processing circuit 315 encodes, multiplexes and / or digitizes the output baseband data to generate a processed baseband or intermediate frequency signal. The RF transceiver 310 receives the output processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 315 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal transmitted through the antenna 305.

[0065] The main processor 340 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and executes a basic OS program 361 stored in the memory 360 to control the overall operation of the UE 116. For example, the main processor 340 may control the RF transceiver 310, the RX processing circuit 325, and the TX processing circuit 315 to receive forward channel signals and transmit reverse channel signals according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the main processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0066] The main processor 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs residing in the memory 360. The main processor 340 can move data into or out of the memory 360 as needed for the executing process. In some embodiments, the main processor 340 is configured to execute applications 362 based on the OS program 361 or in response to signals received from the gNB or operator. The main processor 340 is also coupled to the I / O interface 345, which provides the UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and handheld computers. The I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and the main processor 340.

[0067] Main processor 340 is also coupled to keyboard 350 and display 355. An operator of UE 116 may enter data into UE 116 using keyboard 350. Display 355 may be a liquid crystal display or other display capable of presenting text and / or at least limited patterns (e.g., from a website).

[0068] Memory 360 is coupled to main processor 340. A portion of memory 360 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0069] As described in more detail below, management of antennas operating in a combination of frequency portions may be performed in an electronic device such as UE 116. Additionally, the antennas may be managed based on a codebook set 363 stored in memory 360.

[0070] Although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but the Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components in the embodiment may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as required. As a specific example, the main processor 340 may be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). In addition, although Figure 3 The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smart phone, but the UE may be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices.

[0071] Figure 4 An exemplary server according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The server 400 includes a bus system 405 that supports communication between at least one processing device 410 , at least one storage device 415 , at least one communication unit 420 , and at least one input / output (I / O) unit 425 .

[0072] Processing device 410 executes instructions that may be loaded into memory 430. Processing device 410 may include any suitable number and type of processors or other devices in any suitable configuration. Example types of processing device 410 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits, and discrete circuits.

[0073] Memory 430 and persistent storage 435 are examples of storage devices 415, which represent any structure capable of storing and facilitating retrieval of information, such as temporary or permanent data, program code, and / or other suitable information. Memory 430 may represent random access memory or any other suitable volatile or non-volatile storage device. Persistent storage 435 may include one or more components or devices that support long-term storage of data, such as read-only memory, a hard drive, flash memory, or an optical disk.

[0074] The communication unit 420 supports communication with other systems or devices. For example, the communication unit 420 may include a Figure 1 A network interface card or wireless transceiver for communicating with the network 130 in the communication unit 420. The communication unit 420 may support communication through any suitable physical or wireless communication link.

[0075] I / O unit 425 allows input and output of data. For example, I / O unit 425 can provide a connection for user input through a keyboard, mouse, keypad, touch screen, or other suitable input device. I / O unit 425 can also send output to a display, printer, or other suitable output device.

[0076] As described in more detail below, the Figure 4 One or more codebooks generated in the server 400 in the frequency section manage the antennas operating in the combination of frequency portions.

[0077] Figure 5 An exemplary millimeter wave communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The communication system 500 may be configured in a BS (such as Figure 2 102) or in a UE (such as Figure 3 The method is implemented in the UE 116 in the example.

[0078] For the mmWave portion, the number of antenna elements can be larger for a given form factor. However, due to hardware limitations (such as the feasibility of installing a large number of ADCs / DACs at mmWave frequencies), the number of digital chains will be limited, such as Figure 5As shown in Figure 1. In this case, a digital chain is mapped to a larger number of antenna elements, which can be controlled by a set of analog phase shifters. A digital chain can then correspond to a subarray that produces a narrow analog beam through analog beamforming. By changing the phase shifter set during the transmission time interval, the analog beam can be configured to sweep over a wide range of angles.

[0079] The gNB may utilize one or more transmit beams to cover the entire area of ​​a cell. The gNB may form the transmit beams by applying appropriate gain and phase settings to the antenna array. The transmit gain, i.e., the power amplification of the transmit signal provided by the transmit beam, is generally inversely proportional to the width or area covered by the beam. At lower carrier frequencies, more benign propagation losses may allow the gNB to provide coverage using a single transmit beam, i.e., to ensure adequate received signal quality at all UE locations within the coverage area by using a single transmit beam. In other words, at lower transmit signal carrier frequencies, the transmit power amplification provided by a transmit beam having a width large enough to cover the area may be sufficient to overcome the propagation losses to ensure adequate received signal quality at all UE locations within the coverage area. However, at higher signal carrier frequencies, the transmit beam power amplification corresponding to the same coverage area may not be sufficient to overcome the higher propagation losses, resulting in degraded received signal quality at UE locations within the coverage area. To overcome this degraded received signal quality, the gNB may form multiple transmit beams, each of which covers an area narrower than the entire coverage area but provides transmit power amplification sufficient to overcome the higher signal propagation losses caused by using a higher transmit signal carrier frequency. The UE can also form a receive beam to increase the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) at the receiver. Similarly, in the uplink, the UE can form a transmit beam and the gNB can form a receive beam.

[0080] To help the UE determine its RX and / or TX beams, a beam scanning process is adopted, which includes: the gNB sends a set of transmit beams to scan the cell area; and the UE uses its receive beams to measure the signal quality on different beams. To facilitate candidate beam identification, beam measurement, and beam quality reporting, the gNB configures one or more RS resources (e.g., SS blocks, periodic / aperiodic / semi-persistent CSI-RS resources or CRI) corresponding to a set of TX beams for the UE. RS resources refer to reference signal transmissions at one or more combinations of time (OFDM symbols) / frequency (resource elements) / space (antenna ports) domain locations. For each RX beam, the UE reports the different TX beams received using that RX beam, which are sorted in order of signal strength (RSRP) and optionally CSI (CQI / PMI / RI). Based on the UE's measurement report feedback, the gNB indicates to the UE one or more transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for receiving PDCCH and / or PDSCH.

[0081] Figure 6 6 shows a combination of frequency portions in which antenna arrays according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may operate. For example, frequency portion 602 may be used for both DL and UL communications. In some embodiments, DL communications may require additional bandwidth, in which case frequency portion 604 may also be used for DL ​​communications, which enables antenna arrays (such as, respectively, Figure 7 , 8 The antenna arrays 700, 800, and 900 in FIG. 9) may operate in a combination of frequency portions 600. In an embodiment, frequency portion 602 is a frequency portion of 28 GHz and frequency portion 604 is a frequency portion of 39 GHz.

[0082] Figure 7 1 shows an antenna array configured to operate in a combination of frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The antenna array 700 may be used in an electronic device (e.g., in Figure 2 BS102 or Figure 3 For example, the antenna array 700 may be implemented in the UE 117. Figure 2 Antenna 280 or Figure 3 Antenna 305 in.

[0083] The antenna array 700 includes a plurality of antenna elements 702 arranged in a 1×4 linear array having a horizontal spacing d separating each antenna element 702 from an adjacent antenna element 702. As previously described, the beamforming pattern associated with the antenna array 700 may vary based on the relationship between the distance d and the frequency portion in which the antenna array 700 operates. For example, d=5 mm is equal to half a wavelength (i.e., 0.5λ) at 30 GHz, but is 0.4λ at 24 GHz and 0.65λ at 39 GHz. Thus, the beamforming pattern may vary based on the frequency portion in which a common antenna array operates. Different beamforming patterns for the antenna array 700 with d=5 mm for the 30 GHz, 24 GHz, and 39 GHz frequency portions are described later in the accompanying drawings. Figures 10A-10C Depicted in.

[0084] Figure 8 Another antenna array configured to operate in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Antenna array 800 may be used in an electronic device (e.g., Figure 2 BS102 or in Figure 3 For example, the antenna array 700 may be implemented in the UE 116. Figure 2 Antenna 280 or Figure 3 Antenna 305.

[0085] The antenna array 800 includes a plurality of antenna elements 802 arranged in an N×M planar array, where N>1 and M>1. Each antenna element 802 is separated from adjacent antenna elements 802 in the same column by a distance d, and each antenna element 802 is separated from adjacent antenna elements 802 in the same row by the same distance d. For example, if d=5 mm, then d is equal to 0.5λ at 30 GHz, but is 0.4λ at 24 GHz and 0.65λ at 39 GHz.

[0086] Fig. 9 Another antenna array configured to operate in a combination of frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Antenna array 900 can be used in an electronic device (e.g., in Figure 2 BS102 or in Figure 3 For example, the antenna array 700 may be Figure 2 Antenna 280 or Figure 3 Antenna 305.

[0087] The antenna array 900 includes a plurality of antenna elements 902 arranged in an N×M planar array, where N>1 and M>1. Each antenna element 902 is separated from adjacent antenna elements 902 in the same column by a distance d1, and each antenna element 902 is separated from adjacent antenna elements 902 in the same row by the same distance d2, where d1 is not equal to d2. For example, d1 may be equal to 0.5λ at 39 GHz, and d2 may be equal to 0.5λ at 30 GHz. Different spacings may be considered in the codebook design.

[0088] Antenna spacing greater or less than half a wavelength can result in changes in the beamforming pattern. Figures 10A-10C As shown, the same DFT codebook is applied to the same antenna array, but the radiation pattern varies significantly with frequency.

[0089] Fig. 10A , 10B 10C and 10C show different radiation patterns of DFT codebooks applied to antenna arrays in different frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, the antenna array is a 1x4 antenna array, such as Figure 7 Antenna array 700 in.

[0090] Fig. 10A The radiation pattern 1000a of the antenna array 700 operating in the 30 GHz frequency portion and with the distance d between the antenna array elements being equal to 0.5λ is shown. Fig. 10B The radiation pattern 1000b is shown for the antenna array 700 operating in the 39 GHz frequency portion with the distance d between the antenna array elements being equal to 0.65λ. Fig. 10C The radiation pattern 1000c of the antenna array 700 operating in the 24 GHz frequency portion and the distance d between the antenna array elements equal to 0.4λ is shown. Figures 10A-10C It can be seen from the comparison that as the frequency increases, the peak direction drifts and the 3dB beamwidth decreases. For example, a beam pointing at 60° with a half-wavelength interval will point at 50° or 70°. In addition, if the antenna spacing is not equal to 0.5λ, the radiation gain of the DFT codebook is small near 0° and 180°. As a result, a codebook designed for one frequency part may not work well in other frequency parts.

[0091] UE multi-band operation

[0092] In one embodiment, the UE first identifies the frequency part or frequency part combination on which it can operate. The device then reports to the network its ability to support multi-band simultaneous transmission and reception and the supported frequency part combinations. The reporting can be done through the PUCCH channel. Next, the UE identifies the current operating frequency part combination based on the configuration received from the network. The UE then selects a beam codebook from multiple beam codebooks or generates a beam codebook based on operating conditions / considerations. The UE then applies the selected codebook or the newly generated codebook. The multi-band operation process of the device is shown in the figure below. Please note that the operating frequency part or part combination of the device, the operating conditions / considerations can change over time, so the selected / generated codebook can be switched over time.

[0093] Fig.11 1100 is a flow chart of communicating over multiple frequency portions according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of flow chart 1100 may be performed in a manner such as Figure 2 BS102 or Figure 3 Executed in an electronic device of UE 116.

[0094] Flowchart 1100 begins with operation 1102 of determining possible operating frequency portions. In operation 1104, the capability of supporting multi-band simultaneous operation is reported to the network. In operation 1106, the current operating band combination is identified based on the configuration received from the network. In operation 1108, a codebook is obtained based on operating conditions / considerations. In one embodiment, the codebook is obtained by selecting one of a plurality of codebooks stored in a memory. In another embodiment, the codebook is obtained by generating a codebook. In operation 1110, the obtained codebook is applied.

[0095] In one embodiment, the possible operating frequency portions supported by the transceiver are identified based on the transceiver array structure and the transceiver gain, denoted as {f 1 , f 2 , ..., f N}, transceiver array structure and transceiver gain include antenna element spacing, carrier frequency wavelength and radiation efficiency, etc. For example, the transceiver supports frequency sections where the carrier frequency wavelength is close to or of the same order of magnitude as the transceiver antenna spacing. The supported frequency sections can be determined by examining the radiation efficiency at the frequency sections. The radiation efficiency can be determined in measurements or electromagnetic simulations. If the antenna radiation efficiency of a frequency section is sufficient for transmission and reception in a cellular network, the frequency section is identified as a candidate frequency section for operation.

[0096] Consider downlink / uplink

[0097] For wireless communication systems such as 5G, inter-band carrier aggregation is supported. In one embodiment, the operating frequency parts or frequency part combinations of the uplink and downlink may be different, so different uplink and downlink codebooks may be used. The electronic device may select a codebook based on its operating uplink part or frequency part combination and operating downlink part or frequency part combination.

[0098] Fig.12 1200 is a flowchart for obtaining a codebook for an antenna array operating in a combination of frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of flowchart 1200 may be performed in a manner such as Figure 2 BS102 or Figure 3 Executed in an electronic device of UE 116.

[0099] Flowchart 1200 begins at operation 1202, where it is determined whether the electronic device is operating in the uplink for the current symbol / time slot / subframe. If the electronic device is operating in the uplink for the current symbol / time slot / subframe, then flow chart 1200 proceeds to operation 1202, where an uplink frequency portion or frequency portion combination is identified. In operation 1206, a codebook for uplink operation is selected or generated, and in operation 1208, the selected or generated codebook is applied for uplink operation timing.

[0100] Returning to operation 1202, if it is determined that the electronic device is not operating in the uplink for the current symbol / time slot / subframe, the flowchart 1200 proceeds to operation 1210, where a downlink frequency portion or frequency portion combination is identified. In operation 1212, a codebook for downlink operation is selected or generated, and in operation 1214, the selected or generated codebook is applied for downlink operation timing.

[0101] In accordance with Fig.12 In the example of , an electronic device operating in a TDD system can operate in the downlink or uplink for a given time slot. The electronic device can use both the 28 GHz and 39 GHz portions for downlink reception, but only use 28 GHz for uplink transmission. The electronic device can use the codebook corresponding to 28 GHz and 39 GHz for downlink reception, and the codebook for 28 GHz for uplink transmission. However, due to the frequency at which the electronic device switches between UL and DL, applying separate codebooks for UL operation and DL operation results in increased overhead. For example, Fig.14Seven different UL / DL frame configurations are shown for 5G TDD transmission. The switch between UL and DL occurs at the boundary between subframes identified with the letters U and D, which represent UL frame and DL frame, respectively. Frequent switching between UL and DL codebooks results in increased overhead in terms of higher power consumption and increased latency.

[0102] Fig.13 UL / DL frame configurations for 5G TDD transmission are shown. Figure 2 BS102 or Figure 3 UE 116) may communicate in a wireless network using one of the UL / DL frame configurations 1300. As already discussed, in embodiments where separate codebooks are used for UL and DL communications, changing between UL and DL according to any of the UL / DL frame configurations 1300 may result in changes between the UL and DL codebooks, which increases overhead.

[0103] In another embodiment, an electronic device such as a UE may use the same beam or codebook for downlink and uplink operations even if the uplink and downlink frequency part combinations are different. For example, if the downlink and uplink use the same codebook, it is easier to determine the beam correspondence between the downlink and uplink, thereby simplifying the joint downlink-uplink beam management of the network and reducing the overhead of beam codebook changes. In this case, the electronic device selects or generates the same codebook for downlink and uplink operations even if the downlink and uplink frequency part combinations are different.

[0104] In one approach, the UE may select a codebook based on the downlink frequency portion combination and apply the same codebook to uplink operation, even though the uplink frequency portion combination may be different from the downlink frequency portion combination. For example, the UE may use the 28 GHz and 39 GHz portions for downlink reception, but only use 28 GHz for uplink transmission. In this approach, the UE may use the codebook corresponding to 28 GHz and 39 GHz for downlink reception, and use the same codebook (also corresponding to 28 GHz and 39 GHz) for 28 GHz uplink transmission. The advantage of this approach is that the selected beam codebook may be more optimized for downlink operation, which may be beneficial to increasing the downlink data rate.

[0105] In another approach, the UE selects a codebook based on the uplink frequency part combination and applies the same codebook for downlink operation, although the downlink frequency part combination may be different from the uplink. For example, the UE may use the 28 GHz and 39 GHz parts for downlink reception, but only use 28 GHz for uplink transmission. In this approach, the UE may use the codebook corresponding to 28 GHz for downlink reception and uplink transmission. One advantage of this approach is that the selected beam codebook can be more optimized for uplink operation, which can help improve uplink quality.

[0106] In yet another method, whether the UE selects a codebook based on whether to operate a downlink operating frequency portion combination or an uplink operating frequency portion combination can depend on downlink signal strength / quality (RSRP / SNR / SINR) and uplink signal strength / quality (RSRP / SNR / SINR), the desired / required data rate of the downlink and uplink, the desired / required delay of the downlink and uplink, etc. If the signal strength / quality or data rate or delay or a performance metric combination of one or more of the aforementioned metrics is more stringent for the downlink than for the uplink, the codebook corresponding to the downlink frequency portion combination can be selected. Similarly, if the signal strength / quality or data rate or delay or a performance metric combination of one or more of the aforementioned metrics is more stringent for the uplink than for the downlink, the codebook corresponding to the downlink frequency portion combination can be selected.

[0107] In a non-limiting embodiment, an electronic device having an antenna array operating in a frequency portion combination including a frequency portion of 28 GHz for a downlink and a frequency portion of 24 GHz for an uplink, the electronic device may select a codebook for the {28 GHz} frequency portion, a codebook for the {24 GHz} frequency portion, or a codebook for the {24 GHz, 28 GHz} frequency portion.

[0108] In another method, the electronic device selects a codebook corresponding to a union of frequency portions or combinations of portions for downlink and uplink. For example, a UE may use 39 GHz and 60 GHz frequency portions for downlink reception, but only use 28 GHz frequency portion for uplink transmission. In this method, the UE employs a codebook corresponding to a combination of 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 60 GHz frequency portions for downlink and uplink operations.

[0109] Other operating conditions and considerations

[0110] In another approach, the UE selects or generates a codebook design based on the priorities of the multiple frequency parts. For example, the importance can be determined by the bandwidth of each frequency band, the path loss of each frequency band, the UE antenna radiation efficiency at each frequency band, the latency / throughput requirements at each part, etc. For example, the codebook selection is done by picking a codebook that maximizes a weighted sum of the performance at each frequency part. For example, the codebook is selected or generated to maximize a criterion that is a weighted beamforming gain labeled Gain(W,f i ) as the frequency part f i The average beamforming gain of the codebook W. The weighted beamforming gain on the operating frequency part is:

[0111]

[0112] Here, the sum is performed over the operating frequency portion. The i-th frequency portion a i The weight at is determined by the priority of the frequency portion. For example, the weight may be proportional to the bandwidth of the frequency portion.

[0113] Another approach is to select or design the codebook to maximize the minimum value of the weighted beamforming gain over the frequency parts. Mathematically speaking, the codebook that maximizes The codebook.

[0114] In one embodiment, the UE identifies the frequency part combination of the PDCCH or PUCCH channel and selects or generates a codebook designed for the frequency part combination of the PDCCH or PUCCH channel.The control channel PDCCH or PUCCH is crucial to maintain the connection and should be given priority.

[0115] During the initial access process, the UE determines a frequency part combination for initial access, and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part combination.

[0116] In the random access process, the UE determines a frequency part combination configured with random access resources, and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part combination.

[0117] In one embodiment, the frequency part combination used for codebook selection and generation is based on carrier aggregation operation. Possible selections of the UE include but are not limited to: (1) the UE determines the frequency part combination including the PCell (primary cell) and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part combination; (2) the UE determines the frequency part combination including the PCell and the configured SCell (secondary cell) and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part combination; (3) the UE determines the frequency part combination including the PCell and the activated SCell and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part combination; (4) when switching within the NR to change the PCell, the UE selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part of the target PCell.

[0118] In one embodiment, the frequency part combination used for codebook selection and generation is based on bandwidth adaptive operation. For example, the UE determines the frequency part (bandwidth part) containing the active BWP and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency part.

[0119] In one embodiment, the frequency portion combination used for codebook selection and generation is based on dual connectivity operation. Possible selections of the UE include, but are not limited to: (1) the UE determines a frequency portion combination including an MCG (master cell group) and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency portion combination; and / or (2) the UE determines a frequency portion combination including a PCell and a PSCell (or SpCell) and selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the frequency portion combination.

[0120] BS codebook selection operation

[0121] In one method, the BS selects or generates a codebook based on the downlink frequency part combination and applies the same codebook to the uplink operation, although the uplink frequency part combination may be different from that of the downlink. For example, the BS can use both the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands for downlink transmission, but only use 28 GHz for uplink reception. In this method, the BS can use the codebook corresponding to 28 GHz and 39 GHz for downlink transmission, and use the same codebook (also corresponding to 28 GHz and 39 GHz) for 28 GHz uplink reception. The advantage of this method is that the selected beam codebook can be more optimized for downlink operation, which can be beneficial to increase the downlink data rate.

[0122] In another method, the BS selects or generates a codebook based on the uplink frequency part combination and applies the same codebook to the downlink operation, although the downlink frequency part / part combination may be different from the uplink. For example, the BS can use both the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands for downlink transmission, but only use 28 GHz for uplink reception. In this method, the BS can use the codebook corresponding to 28 GHz for downlink transmission and uplink reception. One advantage of this method is that the selected beam codebook can be more optimized for uplink operation, which can help improve uplink quality.

[0123] In another method, whether the BS selects or generates a codebook based on a downlink operating frequency part combination or an uplink operating frequency part / combination can depend on conditions such as downlink signal strength / quality (RSRP / SNR / SINR) and uplink signal strength / quality (RSRP / SNR / SINR), the expected / required data rate of the downlink and uplink, the expected / required delay of the downlink and uplink, etc. If the signal strength / quality or data rate or delay or a performance metric combination of one or more of the above metrics is more critical to the downlink than to the uplink, the codebook corresponding to the downlink frequency part / part combination is selected. Similarly, if the signal strength / quality or data rate or delay or a performance metric combination of one or more of the above metrics is more critical to the uplink than to the downlink, the codebook / component combination corresponding to the downlink frequency part is selected.

[0124] In another method, the BS selects or generates a codebook corresponding to the union of frequency portion combinations for the downlink. For example, the BS may use both the 39 GHz and 60 GHz frequency bands for downlink reception, but only 28 GHz for uplink transmission. In this method, the BS employs a codebook corresponding to a frequency portion combination of 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 60 GHz for both downlink and uplink operations.

[0125] In another method, the BS selects or generates a codebook design based on the priority of multiple frequency parts. For example, the importance can be determined by the number of users operating in each part, the bandwidth of each frequency part, the path loss of each frequency part, the base station antenna radiation efficiency at each frequency part, and the delay requirement at each frequency part.

[0126] In yet another method, the frequency portion combination for codebook selection and generation is based on carrier aggregation operation, bandwidth adaptation operation, dual connectivity operation, etc. The process and options are similar to the case of UE.

[0127] Fig.1414 shows a frequency section combination in which an antenna array according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may operate. The frequency section combination 1400 includes a first frequency section 1402 and a second frequency section 1404. Fig.14 In the example of , frequency portion 1402 corresponds to the 28 GHz portion and has a bandwidth of 100 MHz. Frequency portion 1404 corresponds to the 39 GHz portion and has a bandwidth of 200 MHz. These frequency portions and corresponding bandwidths are illustrative and should not be considered limiting.

[0128] The electronic device may select a codebook for the frequency portion combination 1400 based on a plurality of different criteria. For example, the electronic device may select a codebook for the frequency portion combination 1400 based on the bandwidth of each frequency portion, the path loss of each frequency portion, the antenna radiation efficiency at each frequency portion, or the delay requirement at each frequency portion. In a specific example, the electronic device may select a codebook for the frequency portion 1404 based on the fact that it has a larger bandwidth.

[0129] Design of Multi-band Codebook

[0130] In one embodiment, a codebook of a set of frequency part combinations is generated and saved for selection by the UE. For example, if there are three frequency bands of 24 GHz, 28 GHz and 39 GHz, there can be at most 7 different codebooks, namely, 7 codebooks operating at 24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz, {24 GHz, 28 GHz}, {24 GHz, 39 GHz}, {28 GHz, 39 GHz}, {24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz}, respectively. Usually, there are at most {f 1 ,f 2 ,…f N}Collection 2 N -1 non-empty subsets. Therefore, at most 2 N -1 codebook. The generated codebook can be stored in the device's memory.

[0131] Fig.15 A flowchart for generating a multi-band beamforming codebook for an antenna array operating in a combination of frequency sections according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of flowchart 1500 may be performed at a server (e.g. Figure 4 Executed in server 400).

[0132] Flowchart 1500 begins at operation 1502, which identifies N possible frequency parts in which the antenna array can operate. The set of N possible frequency parts can be represented as {f 1 ,f 2 ,…f NA multi-band beamforming codebook may be generated based on the E-field data of each antenna element for each frequency portion.

[0133] In operation 1504, a set of all frequency portion combinations is identified. For N possible frequency portions, the set of all frequency portion combinations is at most 2 N -1. For example, if N=3 frequency parts (e.g., 24 GHz, 28 GHz, and 39 GHz), 2 3 -1 = 7 different codebooks: {24 GHz}, {28 GHz}, {39 GHz}, {24 GHz, 28 GHz}, {24 GHz, 39 GHz}, {28 GHz, 39 GHz} and {24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz}. The generated codebook can be saved in the memory of the device.

[0134] In operation 1506, a codebook is generated for the identified frequency portion combination.

[0135] In one embodiment, the codebook design is completed offline and saved to the memory of the device for online selection. The electromagnetic response data of the device and the properties and performance requirements of multiple parts, including bandwidth, path loss, throughput requirements of each part, beamforming gain requirements of each part, etc.

[0136] In another embodiment, the codebook may be generated on-line to accommodate on-line operating requirements / conditions / considerations (including the current priority of each frequency portion, delay / gain / throughput requirements of each frequency portion).

[0137] For a given set of frequencies of interest or For example, the Greedy and K-means algorithms can be used to design codebooks that operate in more than one frequency partition. Note that the algorithm can be performed for each of the frequency partition combinations of interest. For N frequency partitions, the algorithm can be performed 2 N -1 times to generate a codebook of all possible combinations of frequency parts.

[0138] Codebook design based on the combination of two or more frequency parts

[0139] For a given set of frequency parts of interest {f′ 1 , f′ 2 , ...f′ K}∈{f 1 , f 2 , ...f NFor example, the Greedy and K-means algorithms can be extended to design codebooks that operate in combinations of two or more frequency parts. Note that the algorithm can be executed for each of the frequency part combinations of interest. For N frequency parts, the algorithm can be executed 2 N -1 times to generate a codebook of all possible combinations of frequency parts.

[0140] Greedy Algorithm

[0141] The Greedy algorithm involves generating a candidate beam pool and then selecting beams one by one from the candidate beam pool to form a codebook. The following figure provides an exemplary flow chart for generating a codebook according to the Greedy algorithm.

[0142] Fig.16 is a flowchart of generating a codebook according to the Greedy algorithm. The operations of flowchart 1600 may be performed on a server (e.g. Figure 4 Executed in server 400).

[0143] Flowchart 1600 begins with operation 1602, which obtains E-field response data for a frequency portion of interest.

[0144] In operation 1604, candidate beams are generated for the frequency portion of interest.

[0145] In operation 1606, a beam is selected from the candidate pool based on the configured criteria. In one embodiment, the selection criteria may include Max-Min, which involves identifying the composite radiation pattern of the current codebook at each frequency portion from the frequency portion combination of interest. The frequency portion with the worst performance metric is identified, and then a beam that optimizes the performance of the current worst composite pattern is selected from the remaining beams in the candidate pool. Thus, Max-Min attempts to maximize (e.g., increase) the gain of the frequency portion combination with the minimum average beam gain:

[0146]

[0147] where w c is the set of all candidate codewords.

[0148] In another embodiment, the selection criteria may include a Max-Mean, which involves selecting the beam from the frequency portion combination of interest that maximizes the average performance metric (or weighted average performance metric) of the composite radiation pattern across the frequency portions:

[0149]

[0150] where w c is the set of all candidate codewords.

[0151] The performance in the above selection criteria may be mean gain, median gain, x percentile CDF value, etc.

[0152] The detailed description of the above two example standards is as follows. d As a candidate pool. i ,φ i )} as sampling points on the entire surface of the unit range or the required coverage area. The radiation gain of beam w at sampling point i at frequency k is denoted by

[0153] The first beam selection for the Max-Min standard case is:

[0154]

[0155] where E[·] is the averaging operation.

[0156] Similarly, the first beam for the Max-Mean case is:

[0157]

[0158] where a k is the weight of frequency part k.

[0159] In one embodiment, a k The value of is proportional to the bandwidth of the frequency portion. For example, the wider the bandwidth, the greater the weight. In one embodiment, e=BW k , where BW k is the bandwidth of frequency portion k.

[0160] In another embodiment, a k The value of can be determined by the path loss of the frequency part. For example, if the optimization criterion is to maximize the total throughput of multiple frequency parts, the larger the path loss of frequency part k, the greater the weight a. k On the other hand, if the goal is to minimize the difference between frequency parts, a larger weight can be assigned to the frequency part with a larger path loss.

[0161] In another embodiment, a k It can be determined by the priority of the frequency part. For example, the frequency part of the control channel (i.e. PDCCH, PUCCH) can have a higher priority than the data channel (i.e. PDSCH, PUSCH), so the higher a k In case of carrier aggregation, the frequency portion containing the PCell has a higher priority than the SCell.

[0162] In another embodiment, a kIt can be determined by the importance of the frequency part in the cell currently served by the BS. For example, if there are multiple users on a specific frequency part, the weight of this frequency part can be greater than other weights.

[0163] Mark the current codebook as W c , which consists of all the beams selected so far. The next beam to be added to the codebook for the Max-Min standard case is:

[0164]

[0165] in, represents the composite radiation pattern of codebook W at sampling point i and frequency part k, W d \W x Represents the set of remaining beams in the candidate pool.

[0166] For the case of the Max-Mean criterion, the next beam to be selected is:

[0167]

[0168] In operation 1608, it is determined whether a stopping condition is met. The stopping condition criterion defines a metric for terminating the algorithm. The metric is taken from the codebook design requirements. The codebook size is one embodiment of the criterion. The gain value at X%-tile CDF is another embodiment of the criterion, i.e., the algorithm stops after reaching the gain value at X%-tile CDF. Yet another criterion is that the mean gain of the composite radiation averaged over multiple parts reaches a threshold, or the minimum value of the mean composite gain reaches a threshold. Another stopping criterion is that the objective function has converged.

[0169] If the stop condition is not met, the flowchart 1600 returns to operation 1606. However, if the stop condition is met, the flowchart 1600 proceeds from operation 1608 to operation 1610, where the selected beam is output as a codebook.

[0170] K-means algorithm

[0171] The K-means algorithm involves constructing an E-field response matrix based on the E-field response data at each sampling point i and each frequency portion k. Gain Can be exported as The K-means algorithm will be explained in more detail in the following figures.

[0172] Fig.17 1700 is a flowchart of a process of generating a codebook according to the K-means algorithm. The operation of flowchart 1700 can be performed in a process such as Figure 4 The process is executed in a server of server 400.

[0173] Flowchart 1700 begins at operation 1702, which obtains E-field response data for a frequency portion of interest.

[0174] In operation 1704, an E-field response matrix is ​​generated for each frequency portion of interest.

[0175] In operation 1706, the sum or weighted sum M of the E-field response matrices is calculated for the frequency portion of interest. i : where a k is the weight of frequency part k. k The value of can be determined by following a similar approach as given above for the Greedy algorithm.

[0176] In operation 1708, a K-means algorithm is run to generate a codebook. In one embodiment, the K-means algorithm includes an assignment step in which each direction is assigned to a beam with maximum gain.

[0177] In other words, the set of directions is divided into K subsets:

[0178]

[0179] The K-means algorithm also includes an update step, in which new beams are optimized to serve all directions in each subset:

[0180]

[0181] Codebook Structure

[0182] The codebooks for different frequency part combinations can be non-exclusive, so they are contained in more than one codebook, as shown in the figure below. It can be seen that multiple frequency parts use codewords from the intersection of more than one codebook. In addition, the codebook for the frequency part combination can be the set (i.e., the union) of all codewords for each individual frequency part.

[0183] Fig.18 Schematic diagrams illustrating the exclusiveness and non-exclusiveness of codewords according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. The codebook may be stored in an electronic device, such as Figure 2 BS102 Figure 3 UE 116 or Figure 4 Server 400 in.

[0184] In schematic diagram 1800, numbers represent beams, and the set of numbers that are circled together represent codebooks. Thus, beams for frequency portion f1 are shown in codebook 1802, beams for frequency portion f2 are shown in codebook 1804, and beams for frequency portion f3 are shown in codebook 1806. In particular, codebook 1802 includes beams 1, 2, 4, 31, 41, and 61. Codebook 1804 includes beams 11, 12, 13, 14, 31, 51, and 61. Codebook 1806 includes beams 21, 22, 23, 24, 41, 51, and 61. Beams in overlapping circles represent shared (e.g., non-exclusive) beams, and beams in only one circle represent exclusive beams. Thus, beams 1, 2, 3, and 4 are unique to codebook 1802. Table 1 below shows the frequency portion combinations and the beams that form the resulting codebook.

[0185]

Table 1

[0186] Frequency Part Combination Codebook Beam {f1} 1,2,3,4,31,41,61 {f2} 11, 12, 13, 14, 31, 51 and 61 {f3} 21, 22, 23, 24, 41, 51 and 61 {f1,f2} 1,2,3,4,11,12,13,14,31,41,51,61 {f1,f3} 1,2,3,4,21,22,23,24,31,41,51,61 {f2,f3} 11,12,13,14,21,22,23,24,31,41,51,61 {f1,f2,f3} 1,2,3,4,11,12,13,14,21,22,23,24,31,41,51,61

[0187] Fig.19 A flow chart for managing antennas operating in a combination of frequency parts according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 BS102 and Figure 3 The operations of flowchart 1900 are performed in an electronic device of a UE.

[0188] Flowchart 1900 begins at operation 1902, which determines a plurality of frequency portions of an antenna that is configured to communicate on the plurality of frequency portions. The frequency portion may be a frequency band, a carrier within a frequency band, or a bandwidth portion (BWP) within a carrier. In one embodiment, the plurality of frequency portions are identified based on at least one of the following: spacing between a plurality of antenna elements, wavelengths of the plurality of frequency portions, radiation gain of a transceiver, or radiation efficiency of the plurality of frequency portions.

[0189] In operation 1904, a plurality of frequency portions used to perform communications are reported. In one embodiment, the plurality of frequency portions are reported to the network in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0190] In operation 1906, a combination of one or more frequency portions is identified from the plurality of frequency portions for performing communications. In one embodiment, the combination is identified from a configuration received from a network in response to the plurality of frequency portions reported in a PUCCH. In another embodiment, the combination of one or more frequency portions is identified for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a PUCCH.

[0191] In operation 1908, a beamforming codebook is obtained. In one embodiment, the beamforming codebook is obtained by selecting a beamforming codebook from a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory, the selected beamforming codebook being based on a combination of one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation. Non-limiting examples of bandwidth management operations may include carrier aggregation, dual connectivity, or bandwidth adaptation. Each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks may correspond to a different combination of frequency parts in the plurality of frequency parts, and each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks may be based on electromagnetic response data of the electronic device and properties of the frequency part, the properties including bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain.

[0192] In another embodiment, in operation 1908, a beamforming codebook is obtained by generating a beamforming codebook based on a combination of one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation. In addition, the beamforming codebook can be obtained based on properties of frequency parts forming the plurality of frequency parts. Examples of properties may include bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain.

[0193] In operation 1910, one or more beams within a beamforming codebook are applied for performing communication.

[0194] In an embodiment where the combination of frequency portions includes an uplink frequency portion of an uplink channel and a downlink frequency portion of a downlink channel, obtaining a beamforming codebook includes obtaining a first codebook for the uplink frequency portion and obtaining a second codebook for the downlink frequency portion. The beamforming codebook is selected from the first codebook and the second codebook based on a comparison of at least one metric of the uplink channel and the downlink channel, the at least one metric including: priority, latency, throughput, reference signal received power (RSRP), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

[0195] In some embodiments, the codebook is obtained in operation 1908 to maximize a weighted sum of performance metrics of a combination of one or more frequency portions, or to maximize a minimum weighted performance metric of a combination of one or more frequency portions.

[0196] In some embodiments, the beamforming codebook obtained in operation 1908 is one of a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory of the electronic device, the beamforming codebook including codewords shared with one or more other beamforming codebooks in the plurality of beamforming codebooks. In addition, the beamforming codebook may include beam codewords for each frequency portion in a combination of one or more frequency portions.

[0197] Although the present disclosure has been described by exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, include: at least one antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements; a transceiver operatively connected to the at least one antenna, the transceiver configured to communicate over a plurality of frequency portions; and A processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor being configured to: determining the plurality of frequency portions based on at least one of: spacing between the plurality of antenna elements, wavelengths of the plurality of frequency portions, a radiation gain of the transceiver, or a radiation efficiency of the plurality of frequency portions; reporting the plurality of frequency portions in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for performing communications; identifying, from a configuration received in response to a plurality of frequency portions reported in the PUCCH, a combination of one or more frequency portions of the plurality of frequency portions for performing communications; Obtaining a beamforming codebook by (i) selecting a beamforming codebook from a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory or (ii) generating a beamforming codebook based on a combination of the one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation, the selected beamforming codebook being based on a combination of the one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation; and applying one or more beams in the beamforming codebook for performing communication, The multiple frequency parts include an uplink frequency part of an uplink channel and a downlink frequency part of a downlink channel different from the uplink frequency part, and to obtain the beamforming codebook, the processor is further configured to: obtaining a first codebook for the uplink frequency portion; and obtaining a second codebook for the downlink frequency part, The beamforming codebook is selected from the first codebook and the second codebook based on a comparison of at least one metric of the uplink channel and the downlink channel.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, A frequency portion is one of a frequency band, a carrier within a frequency band, or a bandwidth portion (BWP) within a carrier.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, The bandwidth management operation includes carrier aggregation, dual connectivity or bandwidth adaptation.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, To identify the combination of the one or more frequency portions, the processor is further configured to: identify the combination of the one or more frequency portions for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement include: Priority, latency, throughput, reference signal received power (RSRP), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, in: The frequency portions of the plurality of frequency portions include attributes including bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain, and The beamforming codebook is obtained based on the property.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, in: Each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks corresponds to a different combination of frequency portions in the plurality of frequency portions, and each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks is based on electromagnetic response data of the electronic device and properties of the frequency portions, the properties comprising bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, in, A beamforming codebook is obtained to maximize a weighted sum of the performance metrics over the combination of the one or more frequency portions, or to maximize a minimum weighted performance metric over the combination of the one or more frequency portions.

9. A method for managing an antenna in an electronic device, the method include: For an antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements configured to communicate over a plurality of frequency portions, determining the plurality of frequency portions based on at least one of: spacing between the plurality of antenna elements, wavelengths of the plurality of frequency portions, a radiation gain of the antenna, or a radiation efficiency of the plurality of frequency portions; reporting the plurality of frequency portions in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for performing communications; identifying, from a configuration received in response to the plurality of frequency portions reported in the PUCCH, a combination of one or more frequency portions of the plurality of frequency portions for use in performing communications; Obtaining a beamforming codebook by (i) selecting a beamforming codebook from a plurality of beamforming codebooks stored in a memory or (ii) generating a beamforming codebook based on a combination of the one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation, the selected beamforming codebook being based on a combination of the one or more frequency parts and a bandwidth management operation; and applying one or more beams in the beamforming codebook for performing communication, wherein the plurality of frequency parts include an uplink frequency part of an uplink channel and a downlink frequency part of a downlink channel different from the uplink frequency part, Obtaining the beamforming codebook includes: obtaining a first codebook for the uplink frequency portion; and obtaining a second codebook for the downlink frequency part, The beamforming codebook is selected from the first codebook and the second codebook based on a comparison of at least one metric of the uplink channel and the downlink channel.

10. The method according to claim 9, in, The frequency portion is one of a frequency band, a carrier within a frequency band, or a bandwidth part (BWP) within a carrier.

11. The method according to claim 9, in, The bandwidth management operation includes carrier aggregation, dual connectivity or bandwidth adaptation.

12. The method according to claim 9, in, Identifying the combination of one or more frequency portions includes identifying a combination of one or more frequency portions used for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

13. The method of claim 9, in: The at least one metric includes priority, latency, throughput, reference signal received power (RSRP), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

14. The method of claim 9, in: The frequency portions of the plurality of frequency portions include attributes including bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain, and The beamforming codebook is obtained based on the property.

15. The method of claim 9, in, Each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks corresponds to a different combination of frequency portions in the plurality of frequency portions, and each of the plurality of beamforming codebooks is based on electromagnetic response data of the electronic device and properties of the frequency portions, the properties comprising bandwidth, path loss, and beamforming gain.

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