System and method for limiting the number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in an ultra-wide bandwidth beamforming system

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a base station to reduce beam skew include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications (e.g., based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station), and sending an SSB message in a synchronization signal block (SSB) burst set consistent with the determined lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 070,183, filed on August 25, 2020, entitled “System and Method for Limiting the Number of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) In Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Beamforming Systems,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G New Radio (NR), and other recently developed communication technologies allow wireless devices to communicate information at data rates orders of magnitude greater (e.g., in terms of gigabits per second, etc.) than were available just a few years ago. Today's communication networks are also more secure, resilient to multipath fading, allow for lower latency for network traffic, and provide better communication efficiency (e.g., in terms of bits per second per unit of bandwidth used, etc.). These and other recent improvements in communication technology have facilitated the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), massive machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, autonomous vehicles, and other technologies that rely on consistent and secure wireless communications. As a result, billions of small, mobile, or resource-constrained computing devices (e.g., smartphones, watches, smart appliances, autonomous vehicles, etc.) now use the Internet Protocol (IP) and cellular communication networks to communicate both important and mundane information.

[0004] LTE, 5G NR, and other modern communication networks utilize a number of broadcast signals to transmit communication control information from the cellular communication network to wireless devices. The broadcast signals may include synchronization information and radio resource configuration required for the wireless device to access the cellular network. The wireless device may receive and use these broadcast signals to register with the network through the Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) procedure. After registration, the wireless device continues to monitor the broadcast signals. For example, when the wireless device does not have a connection with a base station (e.g., due to its inactivity), the wireless device listens for paging messages broadcast on a shared channel. Even when the wireless device has an active connection, the wireless device continues to listen for broadcast signals to determine potential changes in the system-wide radio configuration and / or to identify the arrival of messages directed to multiple wireless devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Various aspects include a method of operating a base station to improve the performance of directional beams, which may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station, and sending an SSB message in a synchronization signal block (SSB) burst set consistent with the determined lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter wave broadband communication.

[0006] In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter wave broadband communications may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station in a millimeter frequency band above a threshold (e.g., 24.25 GHz). In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter wave broadband communications based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include determining the lower limit on the number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station and the operating conditions of the base station. In some aspects, determining the lower limit on the number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance and improving the operating efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams that improves one or more of link margin or antenna array gain with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0007] In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams to a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving the operational efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include setting the lower limit on the number of directional beams to a value that ensures the base station equipment remains within operating temperature limits. In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include determining the lower limit on the number of directional beams based on a geographic size of the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0008] In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the number of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the angular coverage of the base station within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0009] In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the base station's coverage area may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on a total bandwidth demand within the base station's coverage area. In some aspects, determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communications based on operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the base station's coverage area may include determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on a number of antenna elements in use at the base station. In some aspects, the number of antenna elements in use at the base station is determined by thermal conditions at the base station.

[0010] Further aspects include a base station having a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods outlined above. Further aspects include a base station having components for performing functions corresponding to any of the methods outlined above. Other aspects include a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of the base station to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods outlined above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention.

[0012] Figure 1 is a communication system block diagram illustrating network components of an example telecommunications system suitable for use with various embodiments.

[0013] Figure 2 is a component block diagram of an example computing system that may be configured to detect and respond to unauthorized emergency messages and unauthorized presidential alerts in accordance with an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 is a component block diagram of an example software architecture including a radio protocol stack for user plane and control plane in wireless communications.

[0015] Figure 4 is a component block diagram illustrating a millimeter wave transmitter suitable for use with the various embodiments.

[0016] Figures 5A-5G is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of operating a base station to eliminate or reduce beam skew according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 6 is a component block diagram of an example server computing device suitable for implementing various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all figures, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or similar parts as much as possible. Reference to specific examples and implementations is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0019] Various embodiments include methods for limiting the number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) used for initial acquisition and components (e.g., base stations, repeaters, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, wireless devices, etc.) configured to implement the methods. In some embodiments, the components may be configured to reduce or eliminate beam skew on ultra-wideband communications within the frequency range 4 (FR4) millimeter band by setting upper and lower limits for directional beams / beamforming. In some embodiments, the components may be configured to intelligently select upper and / or lower limits to balance the trade-offs between improved performance (such as improved antenna array gain, link margin, etc.) and improved power consumption, latency, and / or heat dissipation characteristics for wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some embodiments, the components may be configured to set upper and / or lower limits by limiting the maximum and / or minimum number of SSBs included in an SSB burst set. An SSB burst set may include all SSBs sent by a base station within a time window (such as within a 5 ms window of SSB transmission, etc.).

[0020] Many different cellular and mobile communication services and standards are available or expected in the future, all of which can be implemented and benefit from various embodiments. These services and standards include, for example, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, third generation wireless mobile communication technology (3G), fourth generation wireless mobile communication technology (4G), fifth generation wireless mobile communication technology (5G), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 3GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems (e.g., cdmaOne, CDMA2000™), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), Digital AMPS (IS-136 / TDMA), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT). Each of these technologies involves, for example, the transmission and reception of voice, data, signaling, and / or content messages. It should be understood that any reference to terminology and / or technical details related to a single telecommunication standard or technology is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to that particular communication system or technology unless specifically stated in the claim language.

[0021] 5G NR networks divide frequency bands into different frequency ranges (FR). As used in this application, frequency range 1 (FR1) includes all frequency bands below 6 GHz, frequency range 2 (FR2) includes frequency bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, and frequency range 4 (FR4) includes frequency bands from 52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz. FR2 and FR4 bands may be referred to as millimeter bands. Radio waves in millimeter bands may have wavelengths from 10 to 1 mm. Compared to FR1, millimeter bands may have a shorter range but a much higher available bandwidth.

[0022] 5G NR transmissions may include synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), system information (SI), reference signals (RSs), physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs), physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs), demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), phase tracking reference signals (PTRSs), sounding reference signals (SRSs), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs), and other physical layer channels, signals, signal blocks, resource elements, and / or information, all of which are provided to enable a wireless device to establish a communication link with the base station that transmits such information. For example, a 5G NR base station may transmit SSBs in three or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols across 240 subcarriers and in predefined bursts in the time domain. When a wireless device powers on or moves into a new geographic area, the wireless device may perform cell search and selection operations, including detecting and decoding SSBs. SSBs may include information used by the wireless device to obtain system information and collect wireless signal measurements. For example, the first symbol in an SSB may be the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the second symbol may be the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and the third symbol may be the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The wireless device may receive and decode the PBCH to receive basic system configuration information in the Master Information Block (MIB). The basic system configuration information may include system bandwidth information, the number of transmit antennas used by the base station, Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) configuration information, PHICH Ng value, System Frame Number (SFN), and other similar information.

[0023] The term "ultra-wideband" as used herein refers to a radio technology that transmits or receives with bandwidths greater than 500 MHz (as an illustrative example) across a large portion of the radio spectrum, which allows spectrum sharing across applications and use cases. Millimeter-band frequencies can be used for ultra-wideband communications.

[0024] The term "beamforming" as used herein refers to antenna array design and signal processing techniques used for directional signal communication and / or achieving spatial selectivity in radio frequency (RF) signal reception. Beamforming on the transmitter side of communication can be achieved by selectively delaying (referred to as "phase shifting") the signals coupled to different elements in the antenna array, such that RF signals transmitted by the antenna array at specific angles (relative to the antenna array) are enhanced through constructive interference, while RF signals transmitted by the antenna array at other angles (relative to the antenna) exhibit lower signal strength due to destructive interference. Beamforming on the receiver side of communication can be achieved by processing the signals received by the elements in the antenna array through phase shifting circuitry, such that RF signals received at specific angles relative to the receiving antenna array are enhanced through constructive interference, while RF signals received at other angles relative to the wireless device have their perceived signal strength reduced through destructive interference. Using beamforming techniques, RF signals can be transmitted (e.g., by a base station or wireless device) in one or more directional "beams" within the millimeter frequency band for ultra-wideband communication. Each such directional beam can be controlled by the transmitter using beamforming techniques to scan in one or two dimensions (i.e., azimuth and elevation directions). Beamforming in transmitters and receivers can be implemented using analog (e.g., phase shifters) circuits and digital processing techniques. To encompass both techniques, "analog / RF beamforming" techniques and equipment are sometimes referred to herein.

[0025] The term "beam skew" as used herein refers to certain phenomena that can result in reduced beamforming performance, which can be referred to as antenna array gain loss. The word "skew" refers to the change in beam direction (or the angle at which the transmission deviates from the boresight direction of the antenna array, etc.) that varies with operating frequency, polarization, and / or antenna orientation. For example, 5G NR networks use a small number of RF chains to support ultra-wide bandwidth communications. As a result, base stations that use a limited set of phase shifters for analog / RF beamforming within 5G NR networks can experience significant beamforming performance loss (e.g., reduced signal strength of signals aligned with the beam relative to signals transmitted in all other directions) due to beam skew.

[0026] The term "wireless device" may be used herein to refer to any or all of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a personal or mobile multimedia player, a personal data assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an ultrabook, a palmtop computer, a wireless email receiver, a multimedia Internet-enabled cellular phone, a wireless game controller, a smart car, a connected vehicle, an autonomous vehicle, and similar electronic devices that include a programmable processor, memory, and circuitry for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. While various embodiments are particularly useful in wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets, these embodiments are generally useful in any electronic device that includes communication circuitry for accessing wireless Internet Protocol (IP) and data services over cellular and wireless communication networks.

[0027] The term "system on a chip (SOC)" as used herein refers to a single integrated circuit (IC) chip that contains multiple resources and / or processors integrated on a single substrate. A single SOC may contain circuits for digital, analog, mixed-signal, and radio frequency functions. A single SOC may also include any number of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processors (digital signal processors, modem processors, video processors, etc.), memory blocks (e.g., ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc.), and resources (e.g., timers, voltage regulators, oscillators, etc.). The SOC may also include software for controlling the integrated resources and processors and for controlling peripheral devices.

[0028] The term "system-in-package (SIP)" may be used herein to refer to a single module or package that contains multiple resources, computing units, cores, and / or processors on two or more IC chips, substrates, or SOCs. For example, a SIP may include a single substrate on which multiple IC chips or semiconductor dies are stacked in a vertical configuration. Similarly, a SIP may include one or more multi-chip modules (MCMs) on which multiple ICs or semiconductor dies are packaged into a unified substrate. A SIP may also include multiple independent SOCs that are coupled together via high-speed communication circuits and packaged in close proximity, such as on a single motherboard or in a single wireless device. The proximity of the SOCs facilitates high-speed communication and the sharing of memory and resources.

[0029] The wireless device may determine the number of beams transmitted by the base station based on the number of synchronization signal block (SSB) messages included in an SSB burst set of SSB messages transmitted by the base station. An SSB burst set may include all SSBs transmitted within a time window (such as within a 5 ms window of SSB transmission). An SSB burst set may also include a parameter (referred to as "L") that defines the maximum number of SSBs that the base station includes in the SSB burst set. max ”). For example, L maxParameters can indicate the inclusion of up to 64 SSBs in an SSB burst set, so the base station can transmit between 1 and 64 directional "beams" within the millimeter frequency band used for ultra-wideband communications.

[0030] Although the number of SSBs in frequency range 2 (FR2) from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz includes an upper limit (e.g., 64 SSBs), technical standards and legacy solutions do not include a lower limit on the number of SSBs. As a result, base stations implementing legacy standards / solutions may employ a very small number of SSBs / beams (even only 1 SSB beam in an SSB burst set). Employing a small number of SSBs / beams in transmission for ultra-wideband communications can reduce power consumption, latency, and / or provide other advantages to a base station or repeater, but may also reduce array gain (such as due to beam widening) and / or reduce link margin. In particular, using too few SSBs / beams may cause signals to be sent in wide beams that are sensitive to phase and amplitude accuracy (such as due to calibration and quantization). Furthermore, in frequency range 4 (FR4) with ultra-wide bandwidth operation, the performance of the wide beam codebook may be affected if the base station uses a directional beam with too few SSBs due to "beam skewing."

[0031] Various embodiments overcome the limitations of conventional standards and solutions by setting a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter ultra-wideband communications, thereby setting a lower limit on the number of SSBs sent by the base station for reception by wireless devices, based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some embodiments, the base station can be configured to reduce or eliminate beam skew within frequency range 4 (FR4) millimeter-band ultra-wideband communications by setting upper and lower limits on the number of beams used for directional beams / beamforming. In some embodiments, the base station can be configured to intelligently select the upper and / or lower limits to balance the trade-offs between improved performance (such as improved array gain, link margin, etc.) and improved power consumption, latency, and / or heat dissipation characteristics for wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some embodiments, the base station can be configured to set a lower limit or limit on the minimum number of SSBs included in an SSB burst set. In some embodiments, the base station can determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams to be employed based on the spatial and bandwidth coverage to be supported by the base station, thereby determining the minimum number of SSBs.

[0032] In various embodiments, in response to changing operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the base station's coverage area, the base station can adjust a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station, thereby adjusting the number of SSBs transmitted by the base station for reception by wireless devices. The base station's processor can use various algorithms to determine the lower limit on the number of directional beams, including, as non-limiting examples, table lookups based on measured parameters (e.g., the number of resident wireless devices) using a database of appropriate lower limits stored in memory, rule-based algorithms, parameterized computational algorithms, or trained neural networks. For example, the total bandwidth that a base station must support will vary with the number of wireless devices active in the coverage area, which may vary with the time of day and day of the week due to the business, school, commuting, and leisure activities of wireless device users. Thus, as the demand for bandwidth and the number of wireless devices increase and decrease throughout the day, week, and year, the base station's processor can dynamically determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams, thereby determining the minimum number of SSBs. In addition, when repeaters, CPEs, IAB nodes, and similar temporary base stations are activated (e.g., stadiums, special events, etc.), the coverage area supported by the base station may change in range and specific directions depending on the time of day and day of the week. For example, a base station supporting a cell covering an office building, factory, shopping mall, or similar facility that includes a local repeater, CPE, or IAB network may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams during evening and weekend hours, and another lower limit on the number of directional beams during operating hours when the coverage area of ​​the base station is reduced when repeaters, CPEs, and IAB nodes are activated to provide wireless coverage in the local cell. In addition to changing the coverage area of ​​the base station, activating local base stations (e.g., repeaters, CPEs, IAB nodes, etc.) may change the angular coverage area of ​​the base station, such as reducing the need to generate beams in certain directions. Another condition that the base station may consider when determining the number of directional beams used by the base station and the number of SSBs sent by the base station relates to equipment conditions, such as thermal conditions, equipment or chip-level failures, etc. in the base station equipment. For example, reusing antenna elements across multiple timeslots of a millimeter-wave carrier frequency results in increased power consumption, which is dissipated as heat in the transmitting device. Consequently, a base station may need to limit the number of antenna elements used to generate beams to avoid exceeding thermal limits, which could impact the number of directional beams the base station uses when transmitting RF signals, and thus the number of SSBs the base station transmits.

[0033] Figure 1 An example of a communication system 150 suitable for implementing various implementations is illustrated. The communication system 150 may be a 5G NR network, or any other suitable network, such as an LTE network.

[0034] The communication system 150 may include a heterogeneous network architecture including the communication network 140 and various wireless devices (in Figure 1 102e). The communication system 150 may also include multiple base stations (illustrated as BS104a, BS104b, BS104c, and BS104d) and other network entities. A base station is an entity that communicates with wireless devices (mobile devices) and may also be referred to as a NodeB, NodeB, LTE evolved nodeB (eNB), access point (AP), radio head, transmit receive point (TRP), new radio base station (NR BS), 5G NodeB (NB), next generation NodeB (gNB), etc. Each base station may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​a base station, a base station subsystem serving the coverage area, or a combination thereof, depending on the context in which the term is used. For ease of reference, the term "base station" is used herein to refer to any range of communication nodes in a wireless communication network, including, for example, eNB, NRBS, gNB, TRP, AP, Node B, 5G NB, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) node and other communication nodes that establish a wireless communication "cell".

[0035] The base stations 104a-104d may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, another type of cell, or a combination thereof. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access to wireless devices with a service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access to wireless devices with a service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access to wireless devices associated with the femto cell (e.g., wireless devices in a closed subscriber group (CSG)). The base station of a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. The base station of a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. The base station of a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1 In the illustrated example, base station 104a may be a macro BS for macrocell 152a, base station 104b may be a pico BS for picocell 152b, and base station 104c may be a femto BS for femtocell 152c. Base stations 104a-104d may support one or more (eg, three) cells.

[0036] In some examples, the cells may not be stationary, and the geographic area of ​​the cells may move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In some examples, base stations 104a-104d can be interconnected to each other and to one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in communication system 150 using any suitable transport network through various types of backhaul interfaces, such as direct physical connections, virtual networks, or combinations thereof.

[0037] The communication system 150 may also include a relay station (e.g., relay BS 104d). A relay station is an entity that can receive data transmissions from an upstream station (e.g., a base station or wireless device) and transmit data transmissions to a downstream station (e.g., a wireless device or base station). A relay station may also be a wireless device that can relay transmissions for other wireless devices. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, a relay station 104d can communicate with the macro base station 104a and the wireless device 102d to facilitate communication between the macro base station 104a and the wireless device 102d. A relay station may also be referred to as a relay base station, a relay, etc.

[0038] The communication system 150 may be a heterogeneous network that includes different types of base stations, such as macro base stations, pico base stations, femto base stations, relay base stations, etc. These different types of base stations may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different impacts on interference in the communication system 150. For example, a macro base station may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 to 40 watts), while a pico base station, a femto base station, and a relay base station may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 0.1 to 2 watts).

[0039] A network controller 130 may be coupled to a set of base stations and may provide coordination and control for these base stations. The network controller 130 may communicate with the base stations via a backhaul. The base stations may also communicate with each other directly or indirectly, for example, via a wireless or wired backhaul.

[0040] The wireless devices 102a, 102b, 102c may be dispersed throughout the communication system 150, and each wireless device may be stationary or mobile. A wireless device may also be referred to as an access terminal, terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. The wireless devices 102a, 102b, 102c may be cellular phones (e.g., smartphones), personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, tablet computers, cameras, gaming devices, netbooks, smartbooks, ultrabooks, medical devices or equipment, biometric sensors / devices, wearable devices (smart watches, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristbands, smart jewelry (e.g., smart rings, smart bracelets), entertainment devices (e.g., music or video devices, or satellite radios), vehicle components or sensors, smart meters / sensors, industrial manufacturing equipment, global positioning system devices, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium.

[0041] The macro base station 104a may communicate with the communication network 140 via a wired or wireless communication link 126. The wireless devices 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with the base stations 104a-104d via a wireless communication link 122.

[0042] The wired communication link 126 may use various wired networks (such as Ethernet, television cable, telephone, fiber optic, and other forms of physical network connections) that may use one or more wired communication protocols, such as Ethernet, Point-to-Point Protocol, High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC), Advanced Data Communications Control Protocol (ADCCP), and Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP).

[0043] The wireless communication links 122, 124 may include multiple carrier signals, frequencies, or frequency bands, each of which may include multiple logical channels. The wireless communication links may utilize one or more radio access technologies (RATs). Examples of RATs that may be used in the wireless communication links include 3GPP LTE, 3G, 4G, 5G (such as NR), GSM, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and other mobile phone communication technology cellular RATs. Further examples of RATs that may be used in one or more of the various wireless communication links within the communication system 150 include medium-range protocols such as Wi-Fi, LTE-U, LTE-Direct, LAA, MuLTEfire, and relatively short-range RATs such as ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE).

[0044] Some wireless networks, such as LTE, utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, often also referred to as tones, bins, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Typically, modulation symbols are transmitted in the frequency domain with OFDM and in the time domain with SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block") can be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 megahertz (MHz), the nominal fast file transfer (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband may cover 1.08 MHz (ie, 6 resource blocks), and there may be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, respectively.

[0045] Although the description of some implementations may use terminology and examples associated with LTE technology, some implementations may be applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as New Radio (NR) or 5G networks. NR can utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) and includes support for half-duplex operation using time division duplexing (TDD). A single component carrier bandwidth of 100 MHz can be supported. An NR resource block can span 12 subcarriers in a duration of 0.1 milliseconds (ms) with a subcarrier bandwidth of 75 kHz. Each radio frame of length 10 ms can consist of 50 subframes. Therefore, each subframe can have a length of 0.2 ms. Each subframe can indicate the link direction (i.e., DL or UL) used for data transmission, and the link direction of each subframe can be switched dynamically. Each subframe can include DL / UL data and DL / UL control data. Beamforming can be supported, and the beam direction can be dynamically configured. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission with precoding can also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL can support up to eight transmit antennas with multi-layer DL transmissions of up to eight streams, with up to two streams per wireless device. Multi-layer transmissions of up to two streams per wireless device can be supported. Multi-cell aggregation of up to eight serving cells can be supported. Alternatively, NR can support a different air interface than the OFDM-based air interface.

[0046] Some wireless devices may be considered to be machine type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) wireless devices. MTC and eMTC wireless devices include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which may communicate with a base station, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. For example, a wireless node may provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link. Some wireless devices may be considered to be Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or may be implemented as NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) devices. The wireless device 102 may be included in a housing that houses components of the wireless device 102, such as a processor component, a memory component, the like, or a combination thereof.

[0047] In general, any number of communication systems and any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each communication system and wireless network can support a specific radio access technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. RAT can also be referred to as radio technology, air interface, etc. Frequency can also be referred to as carrier, channel, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographic area to avoid interference between communication systems of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0048] Access to the air interface may be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station) allocates resources for communications between some or all devices and equipment within the scheduling entity's service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communications, the subordinate entities utilize resources allocated by the scheduling entity.

[0049] In some implementations, two or more wireless devices 102a-e (e.g., illustrated as wireless device 102a and wireless device 102e) can communicate directly (e.g., without using base stations 104a-d as an intermediary for communicating with each other) using one or more sidelink channels 124. For example, the wireless devices 102a-e can communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocols (which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocols, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocols, or the like), mesh networks, or the like, or a combination thereof. In this case, the wireless devices 102a-e can perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by the base stations 104a-d.

[0050] To establish communication with a base station 104a-104d, the wireless device 102a-102e may attempt to obtain SI from the base station 104a-104d. The SI may be provided in one or more system information blocks, such as a master information block (MIB) and one or more system information blocks (SIBs). The SI provides timing and structure information that enables the wireless device 102a-102e to receive and decode further information from the base station 104a-104d, which enables the wireless device 102a-102e to, for example, access communications through the base station 104a-104d cell access, perform cell reselection, intra-frequency, inter-frequency, and inter-RAT cell selection procedures, and other operations.

[0051] In 5G NR, certain system information, such as MIB and SIB1 messages, is broadcast by the base station. In some implementations, additional SI may also be broadcast. However, in some implementations, in response to a request for additional SI (such as a request for on-demand SI), the base station may send additional SI (such as on-demand SI). In some implementations, the broadcast SI (i.e., MIB or SIB1 message) may include scheduling information to enable wireless devices 102a-102e to request and receive on-demand system information.

[0052] When a wireless device 102a-102e is powered on, the wireless device 102a-102e may perform a cell search and acquire one or more synchronization signals, such as a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) from a base station 104a-104d. Using the synchronization signal(s) and information from the PBCH, the wireless device 102a-102e may receive, decode, and store the MIB message(s) from the base station 104a-104d. Using parameters from the decoded MIB, the wireless device 102a-102e may receive and decode a SIB1 message. In some implementations, the SIB1 message may indicate that the base station 104a-d is configured to provide one or more on-demand SI messages. To obtain the on-demand SI messages, the wireless device 102a-102e may transmit a request for the one or more on-demand SI messages to the base station 104a-104d. In some implementations, transmitting the request for the one or more on-demand messages may be part of a random access channel (RACH) request procedure.

[0053] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an example computing system or SIP 200 architecture that may be used in wireless devices implementing various implementations.

[0054] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The illustrated example SIP 200 includes two SOCs 202, 204, a clock 206, a voltage regulator 208, and a wireless transceiver 266, which is configured to transmit and receive wireless communications to and from a wireless device such as a base station 104a via an antenna (not shown). In some implementations, the first SOC 202 operates as a central processing unit (CPU) of the wireless device, executing instructions of a software application by performing arithmetic, logic, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by the instructions. In some implementations, the second SOC 204 can operate as a dedicated processing unit. For example, the second SOC 204 can operate as a dedicated 5G processing unit responsible for managing high-capacity, high-speed (such as 5 Gbps), or very high frequency short wavelength (such as 28 GHz millimeter wave spectrum) communications.

[0055] The first SOC 202 may include a digital signal processor (DSP) 210, a modem processor 212, a graphics processor 214, an application processor 216, one or more coprocessors 218 (such as a vector coprocessor) connected to one or more processors, memory 220, custom circuitry 222, system components and resources 224, an interconnect / bus module 226, one or more temperature sensors 230, a thermal management unit 232, and a thermal power envelope (TPE) component 234. The second SOC 204 may include a 5G modem processor 252, a power management unit 254, an interconnect / bus module 264, multiple mmWave transceivers 256, memory 258, and various additional processors 260, such as an application processor, a packet processor, and the like.

[0056] Each processor 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260 may include one or more cores, and each processor / core may operate independently of the other processors / cores. For example, the first SOC 202 may include a processor that executes a first type of operating system (such as FreeBSD, LINUX, OS X, etc.) and a processor that executes a second type of operating system (such as Microsoft Windows 10). In addition, any or all of the processors 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260 may be included as part of a processor cluster architecture (such as a synchronous processor cluster architecture, an asynchronous or heterogeneous processor cluster architecture, etc.).

[0057] The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 may include various system components, resources, and custom circuits for managing sensor data, analog-to-digital conversion, wireless data transmission, and for performing other specialized operations, such as decoding data packets and processing encoded audio and video signals for presentation in a web browser. For example, the system components and resources 224 of the first SOC 202 may include power amplifiers, voltage regulators, oscillators, phase-locked loops, peripheral bridges, data controllers, memory controllers, system controllers, access ports, timers, and other similar components for supporting processors and software clients running on the wireless device. The system components and resources 224 or custom circuits 222 may also include circuits for interfacing with peripheral devices such as cameras, electronic displays, wireless communication devices, external memory chips, and the like.

[0058] The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 can communicate via an interconnect / bus module 250. The various processors 210, 212, 214, 216, 218 can be interconnected to one or more memory elements 220, system components and resources 224, custom circuits 222, and thermal management units 232 via an interconnect / bus module 226. Similarly, the processor 252 can be interconnected to a power management unit 254, a millimeter wave transceiver 256, a memory 258, and various additional processors 260 via an interconnect / bus module 264. The interconnect / bus modules 226, 250, 264 can include an array of reconfigurable logic gates or implement a bus architecture (such as CoreConnect, AMBA, etc.). Communication can be provided by an advanced interconnect such as a high-performance network on chip (NOC).

[0059] The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 may also include input / output modules (not shown) for communicating with resources external to the SOC, such as a clock 206 and a voltage regulator 208. Resources external to the SOC (such as the clock 206 and the voltage regulator 208) may be shared by two or more of the internal SOC processors / cores.

[0060] In addition to the example SIP 200 discussed above, some implementations may be implemented in a variety of computing systems that may include a single processor, multiple processors, multi-core processors, or any combination thereof.

[0061] Figure 3 The figure shows an example of a software architecture 300 that includes radio protocol stacks for the user plane and the control plane in wireless communications between a base station 350 (such as the base station 104a) and a wireless device 320 (such as the wireless devices 102a-e, 200). Figure 1-3, wireless device 320 can implement software architecture 300 to communicate with base station 350 of a communication system (such as 100). In various implementations, the layers in software architecture 300 can form logical connections with corresponding layers in the software of base station 350. Software architecture 300 can be distributed across one or more processors (such as processors 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260). Although illustrated with respect to a single radio protocol stack, in a multi-SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) wireless device, software architecture 300 can include multiple protocol stacks, each of which can be associated with a different SIM (such as two protocol stacks associated with each SIM in a dual-SIM wireless communication device). Although described below with reference to LTE communication layers, software architecture 300 can support any of a variety of standards and protocols for wireless communication, or can include additional protocol stacks that support any of a variety of standards and protocols for wireless communication.

[0062] Software architecture 300 may include a non-access stratum (NAS) 302 and an access stratum (AS) 304. NAS 302 may include functionality and protocols that support packet filtering, security management, mobility control, session management, and services and signaling between a wireless device's SIM(s) (such as SIM(s) 204) and its core network. AS 304 may include functionality and protocols that support communications between SIM(s) (such as SIM(s) 204) and supported access network entities (such as base stations). Specifically, AS 304 may include at least three layers (Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3), each of which may contain various sublayers.

[0063] In the user plane and control plane, layer 1 (L1) of the AS 304 may be a physical layer (PHY) 306, which may oversee functions capable of transmitting or receiving over the air interface. Examples of such physical layer 306 functions may include cyclic redundancy check (CRC) appending, coding blocks, scrambling and descrambling, modulation and demodulation, signal measurement, MIMO, etc. The physical layer may include various logical channels, including a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0064] In the user plane and the control plane, Layer 2 (L2) of AS 304 may be responsible for the link between wireless device 320 and base station 350 on physical layer 306. In various implementations, Layer 2 may include a medium access control (MAC) sublayer 308, a radio link control (RLC) sublayer 310, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) 312 sublayer, each of which forms a logical connection that terminates at base station 350.

[0065] In the control plane, Layer 3 (L3) of AS 304 may include a radio resource control (RRC) sublayer 3. Although not shown, software architecture 300 may include additional Layer 3 sublayers, as well as various upper layers above Layer 3. In various implementations, RRC sublayer 313 may provide functionality including broadcasting system information, paging, and establishing and releasing RRC signaling connections between wireless devices 320 and base stations 350.

[0066] In various implementations, the PDCP sublayer 312 may provide uplink functions including multiplexing between different radio bearers and logical channels, sequence number addition, handover data handling, integrity protection, ciphering, and header compression. In the downlink, the PDCP sublayer 312 may provide functions including in-order delivery of data packets, duplicate data packet detection, integrity verification, deciphering, and header decompression.

[0067] In the uplink, the RLC sublayer 310 may provide segmentation and concatenation of upper layer data packets, retransmission of lost data packets, and automatic repeat request (ARQ). In the downlink, the RLC sublayer 310 functions may include reordering of data packets to compensate for out-of-order reception, reassembly of upper layer data packets, and ARQ.

[0068] In the uplink, the MAC sublayer 308 can provide functions including multiplexing between logical and transport channels, random access procedures, logical channel priority, and hybrid ARQ (HARQ) operations. In the downlink, MAC layer functions may include channel mapping within the cell, demultiplexing, discontinuous reception (DRX), and HARQ operations.

[0069] While the software architecture 300 may provide functionality for transmitting data over a physical medium, the software architecture 300 may also include at least one host layer 314 to provide data transmission services to various applications in the wireless device 320. In some implementations, the specialized functionality provided by the at least one host layer 314 may provide an interface between the software architecture and the general-purpose processor 206.

[0070] In other implementations, the software architecture 300 may include one or more higher logical layers (such as transport, session, presentation, application, etc.) that provide host layer functionality. For example, in some implementations, the software architecture 300 may include a network layer (such as an IP layer) where the logical connection terminates at a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW). In some implementations, the software architecture 300 may include an application layer where the logical connection terminates at another device (such as an end-user device, a server, etc.). In some implementations, the software architecture 300 may also include a hardware interface 316 between the physical layer 306 and communication hardware (such as one or more radio frequency transceivers) in the AS 304.

[0071] Figure 4 is a component block diagram providing a conceptual illustration of a millimeter wave transmitter 400 for implementing analog and digital beamforming architectures suitable for use with various embodiments. Figure 1-4 In various embodiments, a base station (eg, 110a - 110d , 200 , 350 ) may use a millimeter wave transmitter 400 to perform beamforming to transmit RF signals with enhanced signal strength in a particular direction or beam.

[0072] In various embodiments, a base station can be configured with either or both analog beamforming circuitry or digital beamforming functionality, and can utilize either or both capabilities. Implementing both analog and digital beamforming architectures on a base station can address the limitations of a single, static architecture. One architecture may be efficient for a first set of communications (e.g., with appropriate spectral efficiency, resolution, and / or power consumption), while another architecture may be efficient for a second set of communications.

[0073] refer to Figure 4 , the millimeter wave transmitter 400 may include an antenna array 402 composed of a plurality of antenna elements included in one or more antenna panels. Figure 4 , the value “N” represents the number of antenna elements in antenna array 402 .

[0074] In digital beamforming functionality, the transmitter 400 can transmit signals from the antenna elements of the antenna array 402 to the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 404 (e.g., DAC1 to DAC N ) provides the analog signal to the antenna element The DAC 404 receives digital signal information (e.g., frequency domain information) from the digital precoder 414 and converts the received digital signal into an analog signal (e.g., time domain signal) that is applied to the corresponding antenna element. The digital precoder 414 can perform digital phase shifting on the signal provided to the DAC 404 so that the analog signal provided to the antenna element causes the RF radiation from the antenna array 402 to constructively interfere to form beams A1 to A1 of the RF radiation. N .

[0075] The millimeter wave transmitter 400 may include analog beamforming circuitry, such as hybrid beamforming circuitry 406, which may receive n signals from N RF chains 412, which receive signals for transmission from digital precoders 414 or other signal generators. Hybrid beamforming may be performed at a radio frequency or an intermediate frequency by the hybrid beamforming circuitry 406. The hybrid beamforming circuitry 406 may include a set of adders 410 and a set of phase shifters 408, which work together to adjust the analog signals applied to each element N in the antenna array 402. By selectively controlling the phase of the RF signal transmitted by each antenna element N, the antenna array 402 can be configured to transmit one or more RF beams A1 to A2. N .

[0076] Figure 5A The diagram illustrates a method 500 of operating a base station to determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams for FR4 mm-band ultra-wideband communications, which may be executed by a processor of a user device and / or one or more other computing devices, according to some embodiments. Figure 5B 、 5C 5D, 5E, 5F, and 5G illustrate alternative operations in methods 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 that, in some embodiments, may be performed as part of method 500. The operations of methods 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, methods 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and / or without one or more of the operations discussed.

[0077] refer to Figure 1-5G Methods 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 may be implemented in one or more processors (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) of a base station processing system configured with processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The processing system may include one or more processors (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) configured by hardware, firmware, and / or software stored in a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0078] Figure 5A The diagram illustrates a method 500 of operating a base station to determine and use a minimum number of directional beams in accordance with some embodiments.

[0079] In block 502, the base station processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter ultra-wideband communications based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. Specifically, the base station may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station in the millimeter frequency band in frequency range 4 (FR4) from 52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz. The base station may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams that balances the trade-off between improved performance (such as improved array gain, link margin, latency, etc.) and improved power consumption and / or heat dissipation characteristics within the base station. When determining the operating conditions of the wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station, the base station may rely on recommendations from wireless devices and / or relays, CPEs, IAB nodes, etc. within the coverage area. For example, the base station may determine a lower limit value to take into account power / heat consumption issues, cell size (ISD), repeater configuration, coverage area of ​​the base station, covered bandwidth, hardware settings (phase shifter accuracy and calibration accuracy, amplitude control in terms of precision and calibration error), sensitivity, etc. In various embodiments, the processor may use various algorithms or methods to make the determination in block 502 based on one or more such measurable parameters or conditions. As a non-limiting example, the base station's processor may use parameters (e.g., the temperature of some components, cell size, etc.) to look up lower bounds in a data table. Such a data table may be stored in memory at the time of manufacture (e.g., based on device capabilities), during installation in the base station (e.g., based on measurements of beam characteristics by the base station equipment, mobile network measurement systems, cell characteristics, etc.), and / or uploaded over the network after installation (e.g., by a network administrator based on changing cell characteristics). As another non-limiting example, when the base station is configured to employ a different number of beams, the base station may use machine learning techniques based on feedback received from network sensors and / or connected wireless devices. As another non-limiting example, the base station may apply a trained neural network to fixed and measurable parameters, where the neural network is trained by the vendor or the network based on measured beam characteristics. Means for performing the operations of block 520 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0080] In block 504, the base station processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set (such as in each 5 ms SSB transmission window, etc.) consistent with the determined lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter ultra-wideband communication. Means for performing the operations of block 504 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a wireless transmitter of the base station.

[0081] The operations of method 500 may be repeated periodically or semi-continuously in response to changes in operating conditions in a base station or coverage area.

[0082] Figure 5B The figure illustrates a method 510 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams in a manner that balances the tradeoff between improved performance (such as improved array gain, link margin, latency, etc.) and improved power consumption and / or heat dissipation characteristics within a base station. In block 512, the processor may determine the lower limit on the number of directional beams as a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the base station's coverage area and the base station's operating conditions. In some embodiments, the processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams that improves one or more of the link margin or antenna array gain with wireless devices within the base station's coverage area. In some embodiments, the processor may determine the lower limit on the number of directional beams as a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving the operating efficiency of wireless devices within the base station's coverage area by setting the lower limit on the number of directional beams to a value that ensures the base station device remains within operating temperature limits. As a non-limiting example, the base station's processor may use one or more measurable parameters (e.g., communication link quality reported by the wireless device, device temperature, etc.) to look up the lower limit value in a data table that correlates (multiple) measurable parameters with suitable lower limit values ​​for directional beams. Such data tables may be preloaded in memory (e.g., during manufacture or installation) and / or updated via updates over a network. Means for performing the operations of block 520 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0083] Following the operations in block 512 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0084] Figure 5CThe figure illustrates a method 520 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the size or range of the cells supported by the base station. In some embodiments, in block 522, the processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the size of the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some embodiments, in block 522, the processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the dimension or range of the cells supported by the base station. As a non-limiting example, the processor of the base station may use the size of the coverage area to look up a lower limit value in a data table that correlates the size of the coverage area with a suitable lower limit value for directional beams. Such a data table may be preloaded in a memory (e.g., during manufacturing or installation) and / or updated via an update over a network. The means for performing the operations of block 522 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0085] Following the operations in block 522 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0086] Figure 5D The figure illustrates a method 530 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the number of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station and / or the bandwidth required by the wireless devices. In block 532, the processor may determine the number of wireless devices residing on the base station and determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the determined number of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station. In some embodiments, the determination may be based primarily on the number of wireless devices residing on the base station. In some embodiments, the determination may be based primarily on the total bandwidth required by the wireless devices residing on the base station. As a non-limiting example, the processor of the base station may use the number of wireless devices within the coverage area and / or the total bandwidth required by the wireless devices residing on the base station to look up a lower limit value in a data table that correlates the number of wireless devices and / or bandwidth requirements with appropriate lower limits for directional beams. Such a data table may be preloaded in memory (e.g., during manufacturing or installation) and / or updated via an update over the network. Means for performing the operations of block 532 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0087] Following the operations in block 532 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0088] Figure 5E The figure illustrates a method 540 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the characteristics and number of angular coverage characteristics of a cell. In block 542, the processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the angular coverage of a base station within the coverage area of ​​the base station. The less angular coverage a base station must cover, the fewer directional beams and SSBs are required to provide coverage without causing performance degradation (such as due to beam deflection). As a non-limiting example, the processor of the base station may use the angular coverage of the base station to look up a lower limit value in a data table that correlates the angular coverage of the base station with suitable lower limit values ​​for directional beams. Such a data table may be preloaded in a memory (e.g., during manufacturing or installation) and / or updated via an update over a network. The components for performing the operations of block 542 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0089] Following the operations in block 542 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0090] Figure 5F The figure illustrates a method 550 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the bandwidth required by wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​a base station. In block 552, the processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the total bandwidth required by the wireless devices residing on the base station. As a non-limiting example, the processor of the base station may use the total bandwidth required by the wireless devices residing on the base station to look up a lower limit value in a data table that correlates the total bandwidth required by the wireless devices residing on the base station with a suitable lower limit value for directional beams. Such a data table may be preloaded in a memory (e.g., during manufacturing or installation) and / or updated via an update over a network. The means for performing the operations of block 552 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0091] Following the operations in block 552 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0092] Figure 5GThe diagram illustrates a method 560 in which a processor may determine a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the current operating conditions of the base station antenna system. In block 562, the processor may determine the lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use at the base station. For example, a base station may need to reduce the number of antenna elements activated and used to generate beams in order to maintain base station components within thermal operating limits. This may be the case during hot weather conditions, as each antenna element generates heat when radiating. Therefore, the number of antenna elements in use at the base station, and therefore the lower limit on the number of directional beams, may vary with weather, season, and time of day. As another example, antenna elements may occasionally malfunction, reducing the number of antenna elements available for generating directional beams until repairs are performed. Therefore, in response to equipment malfunctions, the base station may occasionally change the lower limit on the number of directional beams. As a non-limiting example, the base station's processor may use the current operating conditions of the base station antenna system to look up the lower limit in a database table that correlates the base station antenna system's operating conditions with appropriate lower limits for directional beams. Such data tables may be preloaded in memory (e.g., during manufacture or installation) and / or updated via updates over a network. Means for performing the operations of block 562 may include a processor (e.g., 202, 204, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260) coupled to a memory (e.g., 220, 258, 325).

[0093] Following the operations in block 562 , the processor may transmit an SSB message in each SSB burst set consistent with the determined lower bound on the number of directional beams as described in block 504 of method 500 .

[0094] Figure 6 A component block diagram of an example network computing device 600 suitable for use in various implementations for use in a base station is shown. Such a network computing device may include at least Figures 5A-5G Components shown. Figure 1-5G , the network computing device 600 may typically include a memory device such as a reference coupled to a volatile memory 602 and a large non-volatile memory such as a disk drive 603. Figure 2The processing system 200 described herein. The network computing device 600 may also include a peripheral memory access device, such as a floppy disk drive, a compact disk (CD), or a digital video disk (DVD) drive 606, coupled to the processing system 200. The network computing device 600 may also include a network access port 604 (or interface) coupled to the processing system 200 for establishing a data connection with the wireless transceiver (e.g., 266) and a network, such as the Internet or a local area network coupled to other system computers and servers. The network computing device 600 may include additional access ports, such as USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, etc., for coupling to peripheral devices, external memory, or other devices.

[0095] The processor of the network computing device 600 can be any programmable microprocessor, microcomputer, or multiprocessor chip or chips that can be configured by software instructions (applications) to perform various functions, including the functions of the various implementations described above. Typically, software applications can be stored in the memory 603 before being accessed and loaded into the processor. The processor may include internal memory sufficient to store the application software instructions.

[0096] The various implementations shown and described are provided merely as examples to illustrate various features of the claims. However, the features shown and described with respect to any given implementation are not necessarily limited to the associated implementation and may be used or combined with other implementations shown and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited by any one example implementation. For example, one or more operations of methods 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560 may be substituted for or combined with one or more operations of methods 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560.

[0097] Implementation examples are described in the following paragraphs. While some of the following implementation examples are described in terms of example methods, further example implementations may include: the example methods discussed in the following paragraphs implemented by a base station including a processor configured to perform the operations of the example methods; the example methods discussed in the following paragraphs implemented by a base station including components for performing the functions of the example methods; and the example methods discussed in the following paragraphs implemented on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause the processor of the base station to perform the operations of the example methods.

[0098] Example 1. A method for operating a base station to reduce beam skew, comprising: determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station; and sending an SSB message in a synchronization signal block (SSB) burst set consistent with the determined lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter wave broadband communication.

[0099] Example 2. The method of Example 1, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station for millimeter wave broadband communications comprises determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by the base station in a millimeter frequency band above a threshold.

[0100] Example 3. A method according to Example 1 or Example 2, wherein a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communication is determined based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station, including determining the lower limit on the number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station and the operating conditions of the base station.

[0101] Example 4. A method according to Example 3, wherein the lower limit of the number of directional beams is determined as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance and improving the operating efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station, including determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams that improves one or more of the link margin or antenna array gain with the wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0102] Example 5. A method according to Example 3, wherein the lower limit of the number of directional beams is determined to a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance and improving the operating efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station, including setting the lower limit of the number of directional beams to a value that ensures that the base station equipment remains within operating temperature limits.

[0103] Example 6. A method according to any one of Examples 1-5, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or a wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the base station includes determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the geographic size of the coverage area of ​​the captured base station.

[0104] Example 7. A method according to any one of Examples 1-6, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station includes determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the number of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0105] Example 8. A method according to any one of Examples 1-7, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or a wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the base station includes determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the angular coverage of the base station within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0106] Example 9. A method according to any one of Examples 1-8, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or a wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the base station includes determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the total bandwidth requirement within the coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0107] Example 10. A method according to any one of Examples 1-9, wherein determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams used by a base station for millimeter-wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the base station or a wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the base station includes determining a lower limit on the number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use by the base station.

[0108] Example 11. The method of Example 10, wherein the number of antenna elements in use at the base station is determined by thermal conditions at the base station.

[0109] The foregoing method descriptions and process flow diagrams are provided as illustrative examples only and are not intended to require or imply that the blocks of the various embodiments must be executed in the order presented. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the order of the blocks in the foregoing embodiments may be executed in any order. Words such as "thereafter," "then," "next," etc. are not intended to limit the order of the blocks; these words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the method. In addition, any reference to a claim element in the singular, for example, using the articles "a," "an," or "the," should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

[0110] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm blocks described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and blocks have been generally described above in terms of their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. A skilled person can implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as resulting in a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0111] The hardware for implementing the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some blocks or methods may be performed by circuits specific to a given function.

[0112] The functions described for the various embodiments can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, these functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be embodied in a processor-executable software module, which can reside on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium can be any storage medium that can be accessed by a computer or processor. By way of example and not limitation, such a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable medium can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage device, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer. The disks and optical disks used here include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically with lasers. The above combinations are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media. Furthermore, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and / or instructions on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and / or computer-readable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0113] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the claims. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication node to reduce beam skew, comprising: determining a minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communications from the communication node based on measurement parameters associated with operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; as well as A synchronization signal block (SSB) message is transmitted in a SSB burst set consistent with the determined minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining a minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication includes determining a minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node within a millimeter frequency band above a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node and the operating conditions of the communication node.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: Determining the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance and improving the operating efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams that improves one or more of link margin or antenna array gain with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein: Determining the minimum number of directional beams to a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving operating efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes setting the minimum number of directional beams to a value that ensures the communication node device remains within operating temperature limits.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the geographic size of the coverage area that captures the communication node.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the number of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or the wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the angular coverage of the communication node within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the total bandwidth demand within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use at the communication node.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The number of antenna elements in use at the communication node is determined by the thermal conditions at the communication node.

12. A communication node, comprising: A processor configured with processor-executable instructions for: determining a minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communications from the communication node based on measurement parameters associated with operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; as well as A synchronization signal block (SSB) message is transmitted in a SSB burst set consistent with the determined minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication.

13. The communication node according to claim 12, wherein: The processor is configured to determine a minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication by determining a minimum number of the directional beams for the communication node within a millimeter frequency band above a threshold.

14. The communication node according to claim 12, wherein: The processor is configured to determine the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or the wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node by determining the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node and the operating conditions of the communication node.

15. The communication node according to claim 14, wherein: The processor is configured to determine the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving operational efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node by determining the minimum number of directional beams that improves one or more of link margin or antenna array gain with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

16. The communication node according to claim 14, wherein: The processor is configured to determine the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance and improving operational efficiency of wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node by setting the minimum number of directional beams to a value that ensures the communication node device remains within operating temperature limits.

17. The communication node according to claim 12, wherein: The processor is configured to determine the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node by one or more of: determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on a geographic size of a coverage area for capturing the communication node; determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on a number of wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on angular coverage of communication nodes within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; or The minimum number of directional beams is determined based on the total bandwidth requirement within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

18. The communication node according to claim 12, wherein: The processor is configured to determine the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node by determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use at the communication node.

19. A communication node, comprising: means for determining a minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communications from the communication node based on measurement parameters associated with operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; as well as Means for transmitting a synchronization signal block (SSB) message in a SSB burst set consistent with the determined minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication.

20. The communication node according to claim 19, wherein The means for determining a minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication includes means for determining a minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node within a millimeter frequency band above a threshold.

21. The communication node according to claim 19, wherein: The component for determining the minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: a component for determining the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving the communication link performance with the wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node and the operating conditions of the communication node.

22. The communication node according to claim 21, wherein The means for determining the minimum number of directional beams to a value that balances the tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving operational efficiency of wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node comprises one or more of the following: means for determining a minimum number of said directional beams that improves one or more of a link margin or an antenna array gain with wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​said communication node; or Means for setting the minimum number of directional beams to a value that ensures the communication node device remains within operating temperature limits.

23. The communication node according to claim 19, wherein: The means for determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes one or more of the following: means for determining a minimum number of said directional beams based on a geographic size of a coverage area for capturing said communication node; means for determining a minimum number of said directional beams based on a number of wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​said communication node; means for determining a minimum number of directional beams based on angular coverage of communication nodes within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; or Means for determining the minimum number of directional beams based on total bandwidth requirements within a coverage area of ​​the communication node.

24. The communication node according to claim 19, wherein The means for determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: means for determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use at the communication node.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor in a communication node to perform operations comprising: determining a minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communications from the communication node based on measurement parameters associated with operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; as well as A synchronization signal block (SSB) message is transmitted in a SSB burst set consistent with the determined minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein: The stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that determining the minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication includes: determining the minimum number of the directional beams from the communication node within a millimeter frequency band above a threshold.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein: The stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that determining the minimum number of directional beams from the communication node for millimeter wave broadband communication based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes: determining the minimum number of directional beams as a value that balances the trade-off between improving communication link performance with wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node and the operating conditions of the communication node.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein: The stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that determining the minimum number of directional beams to a value that balances a tradeoff between improving communication link performance and improving operational efficiency of wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node comprises one or more of the following: determining a minimum number of the directional beams that improves one or more of a link margin or an antenna array gain with wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; or The minimum number of directional beams is set to a value that ensures the communication node device remains within operating temperature limits.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein: The stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that determining the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node based on the operating conditions of the communication node or wireless devices within the coverage area of ​​the communication node includes one or more of the following: determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on a geographic size of a coverage area for capturing the communication node; determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on a number of wireless devices within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; determining a minimum number of the directional beams based on angular coverage of communication nodes within a coverage area of ​​the communication node; or The minimum number of directional beams is determined based on the total bandwidth requirement within the coverage area of ​​the communication node.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein: The stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that the minimum number of directional beams for millimeter wave broadband communication from the communication node is determined based on the operating conditions of the communication node or the wireless device within the coverage area of ​​the communication node, including: determining the minimum number of directional beams based on the number of antenna elements in use at the communication node.

Images