Beam selection method and network element

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a beam selection method and a network element. The network element comprises a first network element in a communication network, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a measurement result of a terminal for first information transmitted via at least part of first beams; a processing unit configured to determine a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams according to the measurement result of the first information transmitted via two or more first beams; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit information about the preferred beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and more specifically to a method for beam selection and corresponding network elements. Background Technology

[0002] To meet the extremely high data rate requirements of evolved 5G NR, massive MIMO (Massively Multi-Track Antennas) operating in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band has been considered a recommended technology for 5G communications. In MMI systems, a large number of beams are used through beamforming technology to facilitate communication between the base station and the terminal. However, the application of MMI brings many challenges and increases system complexity. For example, beam management is required to achieve good communication performance. Typically, beam management involves selecting the appropriate beam to transmit data through beam measurement / reporting. When using millimeter waves for communication, the narrower beams generated by MMI significantly increase the signaling overhead during beam measurement.

[0003] Furthermore, in highly mobile scenarios, the beam state changes rapidly due to the constantly changing user location and surrounding environment. Existing beam measurement methods struggle to keep up with these changes, potentially leading to a decline in system performance.

[0004] For example, in existing beam measurement methods, base stations perform channel measurements using reference signals such as Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) and Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS), and then perform beam selection based on the measurement results. Generally, the base station first performs coarse-grained beam measurement using the SSB signal. Then, for the data channel, further fine-grained beam measurement is performed using CSI-RS. This results in significant signaling overhead for large-scale antenna arrays operating in the millimeter-wave band, and makes it difficult to keep up with environmental changes in highly mobile scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a first network element is provided. The first network element in a communication network includes: a receiving unit configured to receive measurement results from a terminal for first information transmitted via at least a portion of first beams; a processing unit configured to determine a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of the first information transmitted via two or more first beams; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit information about the preferred beam.

[0006] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a beam selection method is provided, applied to a first network element in a communication network. The method includes: receiving measurement results from a terminal of first information transmitted via at least a portion of first beams; determining a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of the first information transmitted via two or more first beams; and transmitting information about the preferred beam. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0008] Figure 1a and Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a base station performs beam selection based on measurements of SSB and CSI-RS.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a first network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the first network element centrally located in the core network above the base station of a communication network.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the first network element described above being distributed in the centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a communication network.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the first network element in an O-RAN standard communication network.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a beam selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the terminals described herein may include various types of terminals, such as user equipment (UE), mobile terminals (or mobile stations), or fixed terminals; however, for convenience, the terms "terminal" and "UE" are sometimes used interchangeably below.

[0016] Figure 1a and Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a base station performs beam selection based on measurements of the SSB and CSI-RS. (For example...) Figure 1a As shown, base station 110 first sends synchronization signals to UE 120 via beams #1, #2, #3, and #4. Based on the received synchronization signals, UE 120 measures beams #1, #2, #3, and #4, which have a wider coverage area, and reports the measurement results to base station 110 to indicate that the measurement result for beam #4 is the best. Then, as... Figure 1b As shown, based on the measurement results of the synchronization signal by the UE 120, the base station 110 sends CSI-RS signals to the UE 120 through multiple beams with narrow coverage corresponding to beam #4, and determines to use beam #5 to send data to the user based on the measurement feedback of the UE 120 based on the CSI-RS signal.

[0017] exist Figure 1a and Figure 1b In the method shown, the UE first needs to perform beam measurement on the wider beam for transmitting SSB (hereinafter referred to as "SSB beam") and then on the narrower beam for transmitting CSI-RS (hereinafter referred to as "CSI-RS beam"), and then feed back the measurement results to the base station, so that the base station can determine the final beam used to transmit data to the UE. This results in significant signaling overhead, increases system complexity, and makes it difficult to adapt to rapid changes in the UE's location in high-speed mobile scenarios.

[0018] To address the aforementioned issues, in embodiments according to this disclosure, the network-side device can determine a second beam for transmitting data to the UE by utilizing measurement results of multiple (i.e., two or more) first beams fed back by the UE, without needing to obtain the user's measurement results for the second beam.

[0019] In the following description of embodiments, an SSB beam will be used as the first beam and a CSI-RS beam as the second beam as an example. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first beam may be a specific CSI-RS beam, and the second beam may be another CSI-RS beam different from the first beam. Furthermore, in terms of coverage, the first beam and the second beam may at least partially overlap. For example, the beamwidth of the first beam may be greater than the beamwidth of the second beam, and a first beam may have multiple second beams corresponding to its coverage area. For example, the first beam described above is an SSB beam, and the second beam is a CSI-RS beam. Alternatively, the first beam and the second beam may not overlap, the second beam may be located between two adjacent first beams, and the beamwidth of the first beam may be the same as the beamwidth of the second beam. For example, both the first beam and the second beam may be an SSB beam or a CSI-RS beam.

[0020] The following is for reference. Figure 2 To illustrate a first network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a first network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, a first network element 200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure may include a receiving unit 210, a processing unit 220, and a transmitting unit 230. In addition to the receiving unit, processing unit, and transmitting unit, the first network element 200 may also include other components; however, since these components are not relevant to the content of this disclosure embodiment, their illustrations and descriptions are omitted here.

[0021] like Figure 2As shown, the receiving unit 210 of the first network element 200 can receive the measurement results of the terminal for first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beams. For example, if the first beam is an SSB beam transmitted by the base station to the UE, the first information may be a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) transmitted via the SSB beam. The receiving unit 210 can receive the measurement results of the terminal for synchronization information transmitted via at least a portion of the SSB beams. According to an example of this disclosure, the at least a portion of the SSB beams may be one or more SSB beams with the best signal quality determined by the UE according to configuration information. Alternatively, the at least a portion of the SSB beams may be an SSB beam randomly selected by the UE from among the SSB beams according to configuration information or a specific SSB beam indicated by the configuration information. Furthermore, the measurement results for the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beams may be one or more of the information reflecting channel quality, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), and Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR). Specifically, the measurement results can be those fed back at L1 layer (e.g., L1-RSRP, L1-RSRQ, L1-SINR, etc.), L2 layer (e.g., beam failure count, beam failure rate, etc.), or L3 layer (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, etc.). Furthermore, the measurement results can include those of the primary cell (PCell), secondary cell (SCell), and primary / secondary cell (PSCell). Additionally, the results can be measurements of the serving cell or neighboring cells.

[0022] Processing unit 220 determines a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams. According to one example of this disclosure, processing unit 220 may utilize a pre-obtained correlation between the first and second beams to determine the preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams. For example, receiving unit 210 may receive a first historical measurement result of the first beam and a second historical measurement result of the second beam pre-transmitted by the UE. Processing unit 220 may pre-obtain the correlation between the first and second beams based at least on the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result. For example, processing unit 220 may learn, based on the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result, that when the measurement result of the first beam is a specific value, select one or more second beams with the best signal quality from among the plurality of second beams as preferred beams. In addition, the processing unit 220 can also determine the user's location, user speed, user movement direction, and scheduling results for the user based on the first historical measurement results of the first beam and the second historical measurement results of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement results.

[0023] According to another example of this disclosure, the processing unit 220 pre-trains the neural network using training information such as, for example, a first historical measurement result of the first beam and a second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result, to obtain the correlation between the first beam and the second beam. The neural network can be any deep neural network (DNN) known to those skilled in the art, such as a feedforward neural network (FNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), or a recurrent neural network (RNN).

[0024] The terminal device can transmit measurement results of first information regarding the transmission of multiple first beams at once, and the processing unit 220 determines a preferred beam from the multiple second beams based on the measurement results transmitted by the terminal device at once. Alternatively, the terminal device can transmit measurement results of first information regarding the transmission of only one first beam at a time. For example, the terminal device may only feed back the measurement results of the first beam with the best signal quality each time, or the terminal device may only randomly feed back the measurement results of one first beam each time. In this further case, the processing unit 220 determines the preferred beam from the multiple second beams based on multiple measurement results received from the terminal device within a time period.

[0025] Furthermore, according to another example of this disclosure, to adapt to scenarios where the terminal moves at high speed, the processing unit 220 can also combine other information, such as information related to the terminal's movement, with the first historical measurement result and the second historical measurement result to obtain, for example, the correlation between the first beam and the second beam under conditions such as the terminal moving in a specific manner. Accordingly, during the pre-learning phase, the receiving unit 210 can also receive historical terminal movement data associated with the first historical measurement result and the second historical measurement result. And during the practical application phase, the receiving unit 210 can receive the terminal's movement data. For example, the terminal's movement data can be information such as the terminal's position, the terminal's speed, and the terminal's direction of movement.

[0026] Then, the transmitting unit 230 transmits information about the determined preferred beam. Thus, the first network element 200 can determine the second beam for transmitting data to the UE by utilizing the measurement results of multiple first beams fed back by the UE, without needing to obtain the user's measurement results for the second beam.

[0027] According to one example of this disclosure, the first network element 200 may be a network element in a 3GPP standard architecture. For example, the first network element 200 may be a network element centrally located in the core network above a base station of a communication network or in a component corresponding to the core network. As another example, the first network element 200 may be a network element distributed in the centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) of a base station of a communication network.

[0028] The following will combine Figure 3 The first network element described above is centrally installed in the core network above the base station of a 3GPP standard communication network or in a component corresponding to the core network. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the first network element centrally located in the core network above the base station of a communication network. (Example) Figure 3 As shown, the communication network 300 may include UE 310, UE 320, radio unit (RU) 330, radio unit 340, gNB 350, gNB 360, and core network 370, wherein gNB 350 includes CU 351 and DU 352, gNB 360 includes CU 361 and DU 362, and core network 370 includes a first network element 371. Furthermore, the various elements in the communication network 300 can communicate with each other through corresponding interfaces. For example, communication between RU and gNB is conducted through the interface between RU and gNB; communication between CU and DU is conducted through the interface between CU and DU; communication between gNB and gNB is conducted through the interface between gNB and gNB; and communication between gNB and core network is conducted through the interface between gNB and core network. For example, as... Figure 3 As shown, the RU and gNB can communicate via a fronthaul interface, the CU and DU can communicate via an F1 interface, the gNB 350 and gNB 360 can communicate via an Xn interface, and the gNB and the core network can communicate via an OAM / NG interface. The communication network 300 may also include other network elements; however, since these components are not relevant to the embodiments of this disclosure, their illustrations and descriptions are omitted here.

[0029] The receiving unit of the first network element 371 can receive the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam from the terminal. Optionally, the receiving unit of the first network element 371 can also receive mobility information and other information. Specifically, the UE 310 can send the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to the RU 330. The RU 330 can send the received information to the DU 352 via the Fronthaul interface. The DU 352 can send this information to the CU 351 via the F1 interface. The CU 351 can then send the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to the first network element 371 via the OAM / NG interface. Similarly, UE 320 can send measurement results of first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to RU 340. RU 340 can send the received information to DU 362 via the Fronthaul interface. DU 362 can send this information to CU 361 via the F1 interface. CU 361 can then send the measurement results of first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to the first network element 371 via the OAM / NG interface. Furthermore, adjacent base stations gNB 350 and gNB 360 can exchange measurement information, mobility information, and other information fed back by UEs within their respective cells via the Xn interface. For example, mobility information may be a sequence of Doppler frequency shift and channel quality information. Other information may include information about channel quality or the channel environment besides the measurement results mentioned above. For example, antenna height, antenna beam pattern, antenna tilt angle, and information about nearby buildings.

[0030] The processing unit of the first network element 371 determines a preferred beam from multiple second beams based on measurement results of first information received via the OAM / NG interface and transmitted via two or more first beams. As described above, the processing unit of the first network element 371 can pre-train the neural network based at least on the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results, to obtain the correlation between the first beams and the second beams. In this case, the UE 310 can send training information such as the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results to the RU 330. The RU 330 can send the received training information to the DU 352 via the Fronthaul interface. The DU 352 can send this information to the CU 351 via the F1 interface, and then the CU 351 can send the training information to the first network element 371 via the OAM / NG interface. Similarly, UE 320 can send training information such as the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the corresponding second beam to RU 340. RU 340 can send the received training information to DU 362 via the Fronthaul interface. DU 362 can send this information to CU 361 via the F1 interface, and then CU 361 can send the training information to the first network element 371 via the OAM / NG interface. In addition, neighboring base stations gNB 350 and gNB 360 can also exchange training information sent by UEs in their respective cells via the Xn interface. Thus, the first network element 371 can train the neural network using training information such as the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the corresponding second beam, user mobility, antenna height, and historical measurement results of neighboring cells to obtain the correlation between the first beam and the second beam. Furthermore, in practical applications, the processing unit of the first network element 371 can utilize a neural network that has pre-obtained the correlation between the first beam and the second beam to determine the preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results of the first information transmitted by the UE via two or more first beams.

[0031] Then, the transmitting unit of the first network element 371 can send information about the determined preferred beam to the corresponding RU via the corresponding interface. For example, if the first network element 371 determines the preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results sent by the UE 310, the first network element 371 can send information about the determined preferred beam to the gNB 350 via the OAM / NG interface. After obtaining the information about the determined preferred beam, the CU 351 of the gNB 350 can forward the information to the DU 352 via the F1 interface, and the DU 352 can further forward the information to the RU 330 via the Fronthaul interface. Thus, the RU 330 can know which second beam should be used to transmit data with the UE 310.

[0032] exist Figure 3 The example shown illustrates a scenario where the first network element 371 is located within the core network 370. Alternatively, the first network element can also be a data collection and analytics (DCA) element located above the base station and independent of the core network. In this case, the first network element can communicate with the base station using the Itf interface. The information exchanged between the first network element and the base station via the Itf interface, as well as the configuration methods, communication interfaces, and exchanged information of other network elements such as RU, DU, and CU, are shared with the base station. Figure 3 The examples shown are the same, so they will not be repeated here.

[0033] The following will combine Figure 4 The first network element described above is distributed in the centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a 3GPP standard communication network. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the aforementioned first network element distributed in the centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a communication network. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the communication network 400 may include UE 410, UE 420, radio unit (RU) 430, radio unit 440, gNB 450, and gNB 460, wherein gNB 450 includes CU 451 and DU 452, and gNB 460 includes CU 461 and DU 462. A first network element is respectively provided in CU 451, DU 452, CU 461, and DU 462. The first network element may be the aforementioned data collection and analysis element (DCA). The communication network 400 may also include other network elements; however, since these components are not relevant to the content of this disclosure embodiment, their illustrations and descriptions are omitted here.

[0034] Furthermore, similar to communication network 300, the various components in communication network 400 can communicate with each other through corresponding interfaces. For example, as Figure 4 As shown, the RU and gNB can communicate via the Fronthaul interface, the CU and DU with the first network element configured can communicate via the Fx interface, and the CUs of gNB 450 and gNB460 with the first network element configured can communicate via the Xx interface.

[0035] The first network elements set in CU and DU can respectively perform the above combination. Figure 2 The functions described are as follows: The first network element configured in the CU and DU can determine the correlation between the first beam and the second beam based on different training information. For example, since the CUs of adjacent base stations can exchange information through the Xx interface, the CU can obtain the measurement results of neighboring cells in addition to the historical beam measurement information sent by the UE through the Fx interface. Therefore, the correlation between the first beam and the second beam obtained in advance by the first network element in the CU and DU may be different, and correspondingly, the preferred beam determined by the CU and DU may also be different in application. Optionally, the first network element in the DU can update the correlation between its pre-obtained first beam and the second beam based on the preferred beam determined by the first network element in the CU. On the other hand, using the first network element in the DU can determine the preferred beam more quickly and flexibly than using the first network element in the CU to determine the preferred beam.

[0036] Specifically, the receiving unit of the first network element can receive the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam from the terminal. Optionally, the receiving unit of the first network element can also receive mobility information and other information. More specifically, taking the first network element in CU 451 and DU 452 as an example, UE 410 can send the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to RU 430. RU 430 can send the received information to DU 452 via the Fronthaul interface, and DU 452 can send this information to CU 451 via the Fx interface. Furthermore, adjacent base stations CU 451 and CU 461 can also exchange measurement information, mobility information, and other information fed back by UEs within their respective cells via the Xx interface.

[0037] The processing unit of the first network element determines a preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results received from the UE 410 for first information transmitted via two or more first beams. As described above, the processing unit of the first network element can pre-train the neural network based at least on the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results to obtain the correlation between the first beams and the second beams. In this case, the UE 410 can send training information such as the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results to the RU 430. The RU 430 can send the received training information to the DU 452 via the Fronthaul interface, and the DU 452 can send this information to the CU 451 via the Fx interface. Thus, the first network elements in the CU 451 and DU 452 can train the neural network using training information such as the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results, user mobility, antenna height, and historical measurement results of neighboring cells to obtain the correlation between the first beams and the second beams. Furthermore, adjacent base stations CU 451 and CU 461 can exchange training information transmitted by UEs within their respective cells via the Xx interface. Thus, the first network element in CU 461 can train its neural network using training information such as historical measurement results from neighboring cells to obtain the correlation between the first beam and the second beam. In application, the processing units of the first network elements in CU 451 and CU 452 can utilize the neural network that has pre-obtained the correlation between the first beam and the second beam to determine the preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the UE's measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams.

[0038] Then, the transmitting unit of the first network element can send information about the determined preferred beam to the corresponding RU via the corresponding interface. For example, the first network element in CU 451 can send information about the determined preferred beam to DU 352 via the Fx interface, and DU 352 can further forward this information to RU 330 via the Fronthaul interface. Furthermore, the first network element in DU 452 can send information about the determined preferred beam to RU 330 via the Fronthaul interface. Thus, RU 330 can know which second beam should be used for data transmission with UE 310.

[0039] According to another example of this disclosure, the first network element 200 described above may be a network element in the O-RAN standard architecture. The following will be combined with... Figure 5 The installation of the first network element described above in an O-RAN standard communication network will be explained. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the placement of a first network element in an O-RAN standard communication network. (Example) Figure 5 As shown, the communication network 500 may include a UE 510, a radio unit (RU) 520, a DU 530, a CU 540, and a core network (CN) 550, wherein a first network element is respectively provided in the CU 540 and the CN 550. Specifically, a Near-RT RAN Intelligent Controller 541 is provided as a first network element in the CU 540, and a Non-RT RAN Intelligent Controller 551 is provided as a first network element in the CN 550. The communication network 500 may also include other network elements; however, since these components are not relevant to the content of this disclosure embodiment, their illustrations and descriptions are omitted here.

[0040] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, RU 520 and DU 530 can communicate via the Open Fronthaul interface, DU 530 and the Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 541 can communicate via the E2 interface, and the Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 541 and the Non-Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 551 can communicate via the A1 interface. RU 520 and the Non-Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 551 can also communicate via the O1 interface.

[0041] The real-time wireless access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time wireless access network intelligent controller 551 can respectively perform the above combinations. Figure 2 The functions described are as follows: The real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 can determine the correlation between the first beam and the second beam based on different training information. The correlation between the first beam and the second beam pre-obtained by the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 may differ; correspondingly, the preferred beam determined by the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 may also differ during application. Alternatively, the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 can update its pre-obtained correlation between the first beam and the second beam based on the preferred beam determined by the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551. On the other hand, using the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 allows for faster and more flexible determination of the preferred beam compared to using the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551.

[0042] Specifically, the receiving unit of the first network element can receive the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam from the terminal. Optionally, the receiving unit of the first network element can also receive mobility information and other information. More specifically, the UE 510 can send the measurement results of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, as well as mobility information and other information, to the RU 520. The RU 520 can send the received information to the DU 530 via the open fronthaul interface. The DU 530 can send this information to the Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 541 via the E2 interface. The Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 541 sends this information to the Non-Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 551 via the A1 interface. Furthermore, the RU 520 can send the received information to the Non-Real-Time Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller 551 via the O1 interface.

[0043] The processing unit of the first network element determines a preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results received from the UE 510 for first information transmitted via two or more first beams. As described above, the processing unit of the first network element can pre-train the neural network based at least on the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results, to obtain the correlation between the first beams and the second beams. In this case, the UE 510 can send training information such as the first historical measurement results of the first beams and the second historical measurement results of the second beams corresponding to the first historical measurement results to the RU 520. The RU 520 can send the received training information to the DU 530 through the open fronthaul interface. The DU 530 can send this information to the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 through the E2 interface, and the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 can send this training information to the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 through the A1 interface. In addition, the RU 520 can send the received training information to the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 through the O1 interface.

[0044] The real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 can train a neural network using training information such as, for example, first historical measurement results of a first beam and second historical measurement results of a second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement results, user mobility, antenna height, and historical measurement results of neighboring cells, to obtain the correlation between the first beam and the second beam. In application, the processing unit of the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 and the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 can utilize the neural network that has pre-obtained the correlation between the first beam and the second beam to determine the preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results of the UE on the first information transmitted via two or more first beams.

[0045] Then, the transmitting unit of the first network element can send information about the determined preferred beam to the corresponding RU via the corresponding interface. For example, the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 can send information about the determined preferred beam to the real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 via the A1 interface. The real-time radio access network intelligent controller 541 can send information about the determined preferred beam to DU 530 via the E2 interface, and DU 530 can further forward this information to RU 520 via the open fronthaul interface. In addition, the non-real-time radio access network intelligent controller 551 can also send information about the determined preferred beam to RU 520 via the O1 interface. Thus, RU 520 can know which second beam should be used to transmit data with UE 510.

[0046] Below, refer to Figure 6 This describes a beam selection method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a beam selection method 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Since the steps of the beam selection method 600 correspond to the operation of the electronic device 200 described above with reference to the figures, detailed descriptions of the same content are omitted here for simplicity.

[0047] like Figure 6As shown, in step S601, the receiving terminal receives the measurement result of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beams. For example, if the first beam is an SSB beam transmitted by the base station to the UE, the first information may be a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) transmitted via the SSB beam. In step S601, the receiving terminal may receive the measurement result of the synchronization information transmitted via at least a portion of the SSB beams. According to an example of this disclosure, the at least a portion of the SSB beams may be one or more SSB beams with the best signal quality determined by the UE according to configuration information. Alternatively, the at least a portion of the SSB beams may be an SSB beam randomly selected by the UE from among the SSB beams according to configuration information or a specific SSB beam indicated by the configuration information. Furthermore, the measurement result of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beams may be one or more of the information reflecting channel quality, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), and Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR). Specifically, the measurement results can be those fed back at L1 layer (e.g., L1-RSRP, L1-RSRQ, L1-SINR, etc.), or those fed back at L2 or L3 layer (e.g., L3-RSRP). Furthermore, the measurement results can include those of the primary cell (PCell), secondary cell (SCell), and primary / secondary cell (PSCell). Additionally, they can be measurement results of the serving cell or neighboring cells.

[0048] In step S602, a preferred beam is determined from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams. According to an example of this disclosure, in step S602, the preferred beam can be determined from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams, utilizing a pre-obtained correlation between the first and second beams. For example, beam selection method 600 may further include receiving a first historical measurement result of the first beam and a second historical measurement result of the second beam pre-transmitted by the UE. Then, the pre-obtained correlation between the first and second beams can be determined at least based on the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result. For example, based on the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result, it can be learned which second beam, among a plurality of second beams, has the best signal quality when the measurement result of the first beam is a specific value.

[0049] According to another example of this disclosure, the beam selection method 600 may further include pre-training a neural network with training information such as, for example, a first historical measurement result of a first beam and a second historical measurement result of a second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result, to obtain the correlation between the first beam and the second beam. The neural network can be any deep neural network (DNN) known to those skilled in the art, for example, a feedforward neural network (FNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), or a recurrent neural network (RNN).

[0050] Furthermore, the terminal device can transmit measurement results of first information regarding the transmission of multiple first beams at once, and in step S602, a preferred beam can be determined from the multiple second beams based on the measurement results transmitted at once by the terminal device. Alternatively, the terminal device can transmit measurement results of first information regarding the transmission of only one first beam at a time. For example, the terminal device may only feed back the measurement results of the first beam with the best signal quality each time, or the terminal device may only randomly feed back the measurement results of one first beam each time. In this further case, in step S602, a preferred beam can be determined from the multiple second beams based on multiple measurement results received from the terminal device within a time period.

[0051] Furthermore, according to another example of this disclosure, to adapt to scenarios where the terminal moves at high speed, information related to the terminal's movement, as well as other information about channel quality or the channel environment besides the aforementioned measurement results, can be combined with the first and second historical measurement results to obtain, for example, the correlation between the first and second beams under conditions such as the terminal moving in a specific manner. Accordingly, during the pre-learning phase, historical terminal movement data associated with the first and second historical measurement results can also be received. And in the practical application phase, method 600 may further include receiving the terminal's movement data. For example, the terminal's movement data may be information such as the terminal's location, speed, and direction of movement.

[0052] Then, in step S603, information about the determined preferred beam is sent. Thus, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the network-side device determines the second beam for sending data to the UE by utilizing the measurement results of multiple first beams fed back by the UE, without needing to obtain the user's measurement results for the second beam.

[0053] <Hardware Structure>

[0054] Furthermore, the block diagrams used in the above description of the embodiments illustrate blocks based on function. These functional blocks (structural units) are implemented through any combination of hardware and / or software. Moreover, the means of implementing each functional block are not particularly limited. That is, each functional block can be implemented using a single device that is physically and / or logically combined, or it can be implemented using multiple devices by directly and / or indirectly (e.g., via wired and / or wireless) connecting two or more physically and / or logically separate devices.

[0055] For example, a first network element in one embodiment of this disclosure can function as a computer performing the wireless communication method of this disclosure. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the device 700 (first network element) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 (first network element) described above can be configured as a computer device that physically includes a processor 710, a memory 720, a storage device 730, a communication device 740, an input device 750, an output device 760, a bus 770, etc.

[0056] Additionally, in the following description, the word "device" can be replaced with circuit, device, unit, etc. The hardware structure of the first network element may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or may not include some of the devices.

[0057] For example, only one processor 710 is shown, but there can also be multiple processors. Furthermore, processing can be performed by a single processor, or by more than one processor simultaneously, sequentially, or using other methods. Additionally, processor 710 can be mounted on more than one chip.

[0058] The functions of device 700 are implemented, for example, by reading the specified software (program) into hardware such as processor 710 and memory 720, thereby enabling processor 710 to perform calculations, control the communication performed by communication device 740, and control the reading and / or writing of data in memory 720 and storage 730.

[0059] The processor 710, for example, enables the operating system to operate, thereby controlling the computer as a whole. The processor 710 may be composed of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control units, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the aforementioned processing units can be implemented using the processor 710.

[0060] Furthermore, the processor 710 reads programs (program code), software modules, data, etc., from the memory 730 and / or communication device 740 into the memory 720, and performs various processes accordingly. As a program, a program that causes the computer to perform at least a portion of the actions described in the above embodiments can be employed. For example, the processing unit of the first network element can be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 720 and operated by the processor 710; similarly, other functional blocks can be implemented.

[0061] Memory 720 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be constituted by at least one of the following: Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), or other suitable storage media. Memory 720 may also be referred to as a register, cache, main memory (main storage device), etc. Memory 720 may store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing the methods involved in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0062] The memory 730 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be constituted by at least one of the following: a flexible disk, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a Digital Universal Optical Disc, a Blu-ray disc), a removable disk, a hard disk, a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key driver), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, or other suitable storage media. The memory 730 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device.

[0063] Communication device 740 is hardware (transmitting and receiving device) used for communication between computers via wired and / or wireless networks, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network interface card (NIC), communication module, etc. To implement, for example, frequency division duplex (FDD) and / or time division duplex (TDD), communication device 740 may include high-frequency switches, duplexers, filters, frequency synthesizers, etc. For example, the aforementioned transmitting unit and receiving unit can be implemented using communication device 740.

[0064] Input device 750 is an input device that accepts input from external sources (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). Output device 760 is an output device that performs output to external sources (e.g., display, speaker, light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, etc.). Alternatively, input device 750 and output device 760 can also be integrated into a single structure (e.g., a touch panel).

[0065] Furthermore, the processor 710, memory 720, and other devices are connected via a bus 770 for communication. The bus 770 can consist of a single bus or different buses between devices.

[0066] Furthermore, electronic devices may include hardware such as microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which can be used to implement some or all of the functional blocks. For example, processor 710 can be installed using at least one of these hardware components.

[0067] (Modified Example)

[0068] Furthermore, the terms used in this specification and / or those necessary for understanding this specification may be used interchangeably with terms that have the same or similar meanings. For example, a channel and / or symbol may also be a signal (signaling). Additionally, a signal may also be a message. A reference signal may also be simply referred to as RS (Reference Signal), and depending on the applicable standard, may also be called a pilot, pilot signal, etc. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may also be referred to as a cell, frequency carrier, carrier frequency, etc.

[0069] Furthermore, the information and parameters described in this specification can be expressed in absolute values, relative values ​​to specified values, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources can be indicated by a specified index. Moreover, the formulas used to apply these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this specification.

[0070] The names used for parameters, etc., in this specification are not limiting in any way. For example, various channels (Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.) and information elements can be identified by any appropriate name, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not limiting in any way.

[0071] The information, signals, etc., described in this specification can be represented using any of a wide variety of different technologies. For example, data, commands, instructions, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., that may be mentioned in all of the above descriptions can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0072] Furthermore, information and signals can be output from upper layers to lower layers and / or from lower layers to upper layers. Information and signals can be input or output via multiple network nodes.

[0073] Input or output information and signals can be stored in a specific location (such as memory) or managed through a management table. Input or output information and signals can be overwritten, updated, or supplemented. Output information and signals can be deleted. Input information and signals can be sent to other devices.

[0074] The notification of information is not limited to the methods / implementations described in this specification, and may also be carried out by other methods. For example, the notification of information may be implemented by physical layer signaling (e.g., downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI)), upper layer signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling, broadcast information (master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB) etc.), media access control (MAC) signaling), other signals, or combinations thereof.

[0075] In addition, physical layer signaling can also be referred to as L1 / L2 (Layer 1 / Layer 2) control information (L1 / L2 control signals), L1 control information (L1 control signals), etc. Furthermore, RRC signaling can also be referred to as RRC messages, such as RRC connection setup messages, RRC connection reconfiguration messages, etc. Additionally, MAC signaling can be communicated, for example, through a MAC control unit (MAC CE (Control Element)).

[0076] Furthermore, notification of specified information (e.g., notification of “for X”) is not limited to being made explicitly, but can also be made implicitly (e.g., by not making notification of the specified information, or by notifying other information).

[0077] The determination can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a true or false Boolean value, or by a numerical comparison (e.g., a comparison with a specified value).

[0078] Whether it is called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any other name, software should be broadly interpreted as commands, command sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, application programs, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, steps, functions, etc.

[0079] Furthermore, software, commands, information, etc., can be sent or received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is sent from a website, server, or other remote resource using wired technologies (coaxial cable, optical fiber, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc.) and / or wireless technologies (infrared, microwave, etc.), these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission medium.

[0080] The terms “system” and “network” used in this manual are interchangeable.

[0081] In this manual, the terms "base station (BS)," "wireless base station," "eNB," "gNB," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" are used interchangeably. Base stations are sometimes also referred to as fixed stations, NodeBs, eNodeBs (eNBs), access points, transmitting points, receiving points, femtocells, small cells, etc.

[0082] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which can also provide communication services through a base station subsystem (e.g., an indoor small cell (remote radio head (RRH))). Terms such as "cell" or "sector" refer to a portion or the entire coverage area of ​​the base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0083] In this specification, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" are used interchangeably. A mobile station is sometimes also referred to by those skilled in the art as a user station, mobile unit, user unit, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, radio device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile user station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0084] Furthermore, the wireless base station in this specification can also be replaced by a user terminal. For example, various methods / implementations of this disclosure can also be applied to a structure that replaces the communication between the wireless base station and the user terminal with communication between multiple user terminals (D2D, Device-to-Device). In this case, the functions of the electronic device described above can be regarded as the functions of the user terminal. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced with "side". For example, the uplink channel can also be replaced with the side channel.

[0085] Similarly, the user terminal in this specification can also be replaced by a wireless base station. In this case, the functions of the user terminal described above can be regarded as the functions of the first communication device or the second communication device.

[0086] In this specification, specific actions performed via a base station may sometimes also be performed via its upper node, depending on the circumstances. Clearly, in a network consisting of one or more network nodes with a base station, various actions performed for communication with a terminal can be performed via the base station, one or more network nodes other than the base station (considering, but not limited to, Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), Serving Gateways (S-GWs), etc.), or combinations thereof.

[0087] The various methods / implementations described in this specification can be used individually or in combination, and can be switched during execution. Furthermore, the processing steps, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of the various methods / implementations described in this specification can be rearranged as long as there are no contradictions. For example, regarding the methods described in this specification, various step units are given in an exemplary order, but the method is not limited to the specific order given.

[0088] The methods / implementations described in this specification can be applied to systems utilizing Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), Super 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G, 5G, Future Radio Access (FRA), New-RAT (Radio Access Technology), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future Generation Radio Access (FX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), CDMA3000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 920.11 (Wi-Fi), and IEEE... Systems based on and / or extended from WiMAX (registered trademark), IEEE 920.16, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), other suitable wireless communication methods, and / or next-generation systems based on them.

[0089] The use of the word "based on" in this specification, unless explicitly stated elsewhere, does not imply "based on only". In other words, the use of "based on" refers to both "based on only" and "based on at least".

[0090] Any reference to units using the names "first," "second," etc., as used in this specification is not intended to fully define the number or order of these units. These names may be used in this specification as a convenient method of distinguishing two or more units. Therefore, reference to a first unit and a second unit does not imply that only two units may be used, or that the first unit must take precedence over the second unit in some form.

[0091] The term "determining" as used in this specification sometimes encompasses a variety of actions. For example, "determining" can refer to actions such as calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., searching in tables, databases, or other data structures), and ascertaining. Furthermore, "determining" can also refer to actions such as receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Additionally, "determining" can refer to actions such as resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and comparing. In other words, "determining" can encompass several actions.

[0092] As used in this specification, the terms "connected," "coupled," or any variations thereof refer to any direct or indirect connection or combination between two or more units, including situations where one or more intermediate units exist between two mutually "connected" or "coupled" units. The combination or connection between units can be physical, logical, or a combination of both. For example, "connected" can also be replaced by "accessed." In this specification, it can be understood that two units are "connected" or "coupled" by using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, and, as several non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, by using electromagnetic energy with wavelengths in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and / or light (both visible and invisible light) region.

[0093] When the terms "including," "comprising," and variations thereof are used in this specification or claims, these terms are open-ended, just like the term "possess." Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this specification or claims is not an XOR expression.

[0094] The present disclosure has been described in detail above; however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered ways without departing from the spirit and scope defined by the claims. Therefore, the description herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be restrictive.

Claims

1. A first network element in a communication network, comprising: The receiving unit is configured to receive the measurement results of the terminal for first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam; The processing unit is configured to determine a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams; The transmitting unit is configured to transmit information about the preferred beam. The processing unit utilizes the pre-obtained correlation between the first beam and the second beam to determine a preferred beam from multiple second beams based on the measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams. The receiving unit is further configured to receive the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam, and The processing unit obtains in advance the correlation between the first beam and the second beam based at least on the first historical measurement result of the first beam and the second historical measurement result of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement result.

2. The first network element as claimed in claim 1, wherein The first network element is a network element located in the core network above the base station of the communication network or in a component corresponding to the core network. The receiving unit receives the measurement results of the terminal for the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, forwarded by the base station, and The transmitting unit sends information about the preferred beam to the base station.

3. The first network element as claimed in claim 2, wherein The first network element is a data analysis element independently installed in the core network component above the base station of the communication network, or The first network element is an element located in the core network above the base station of the communication network.

4. The first network element as claimed in claim 1, wherein The first network element is an intelligent analysis element disposed in at least one of the centralized unit and the distributed unit of the base station.

5. The first network element as claimed in claim 1, wherein The first network element is a wireless intelligent controller disposed in at least one of the central unit and the core network.

6. The first network element as described in claim 5, wherein The receiving unit receives the measurement results of the terminal for the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam, forwarded by the distribution unit, and The transmitting unit sends information about the preferred beam to the distribution unit.

7. A beam selection method applied to a first network element in a communication network, the method comprising: The receiving terminal's measurement result of the first information transmitted via at least a portion of the first beam; A preferred beam is determined from a plurality of second beams based on the measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams; Send information about the preferred beam. The step of determining a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams includes: using the correlation between the first beams and the second beams obtained in advance, determining a preferred beam from a plurality of second beams based on measurement results of first information transmitted via two or more first beams; The method further includes: Receive the first historical measurement results of the first beam and the second historical measurement results of the second beam, and Based on the first historical measurement results of the first beam and the second historical measurement results of the second beam corresponding to the first historical measurement results, the correlation between the first beam and the second beam is obtained in advance.

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